Al Majalla’s Book Watch

Al Majalla's Book Watch newspress_en highlights the best Arabic releases in a fortnightly roundup. In this edition, two notable publications are featured: "The Rebellious Consciousness" by French philosopher Michel Onfray and "East West Street" by British author Philippe Sands.

"The Rebellious Consciousness" delves into the history of ideas through thinkers who challenged prevailing orthodoxies. The book examines the lives and ideas of philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Baruch Spinoza, and Georges Sorel, who faced consequences for their defiance of established norms. Onfray emphasizes that genuine thought requires the ability to resist received ideas, extending beyond politics to encompass religion, morality, and society.

"East West Street" explores the origins of genocide and crimes against humanity, tracing their roots back to the Ukrainian city of Lviv. The book follows British lawyer and professor Philippe Sands as he investigates his family history, ultimately uncovering connections to three key figures in international law: Hersch Lauterpacht, Raphael Lemkin, and Nazi official Hans Frank.

Lauterpacht and Lemkin, both former students at a Lviv university, formulated the concepts of crimes against humanity and genocide, which were later applied in the Nuremberg trials. The story also includes a portrait of Hans Frank, Hitler's lawyer and governor-general of occupied Poland, who oversaw the killing of countless Jews and others.