The Will to See: Dispatches from a World of Misery and Hope

Bernard-Henri Lévy has reported extensively on human rights abuses around the world for the past fifty years. This new book follows him into eight international hotspots, including Nigeria, Syrian and Iraqi Kurdistan, Ukraine, Somalia, Bangladesh, Lesbos, Greece, and Libya, that have escaped global attention or active response. In a personal introduction, Lévy argues that a truly humanist philosophy must lead to action in defense of the most vulnerable.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2023
Publisher: Yale University Press

Renowned public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy has dedicated over fifty years to reporting on human rights abuses around the world. In his latest book, "The Urgent Cases: Humanitarian Crises in Eight Hotspots," Lévy takes readers on a journey to eight international hotspots that have escaped global attention or active response. Through a deeply personal introduction, Lévy argues that a truly humanist philosophy must lead to action in defense of the most vulnerable.

The second section of the book details Lévy's eight investigative trips, undertaken just before or during the coronavirus pandemic. From the massacred Christian villages in Nigeria to a dangerously fragile Afghanistan on the eve of Taliban talks, from an anti-Semitic ambush in Libya to the overrun refugee camp on the island of Lesbos, Lévy provides a firsthand account of the human suffering and resilience in these regions.

"The Urgent Cases" is not just a report on humanitarian crises; it is a call to action. Lévy implores readers to be moved and interested by what they find in the world and to do something about it. He argues that indifference is a crime against humanity and that we must level our gaze at those most hidden from us.

This book is a stirring rebuke to indifference and an exhortation to take responsibility for the world around us. It is a testament to the power of journalism and the importance of human rights advocacy. Lévy's musings will be of profound interest to any reader of modern continental philosophy, as well as anyone who cares about the well-being of humanity.

Weight: 242g
Dimension: 208 x 131 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300268102