The Ideas Letter
Adam Habib, the South African academic and public intellectual, has had a storied career. Currently the Vice Chancellor of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, he previously stewarded the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, one of the continent’s finest educational institutions. During his time at Wits, Habib navigated the university through the convulsions wrought by #FeesMustFall, an explosive student movement in 2015 demanding a reduction in fees and an increase in government funding. Together with #RhodesMustFall, a related decolonial protest earlier in the year, the movement became known as Fallism. In this issue of the Ideas Letter, Habib takes its measure. His analysis is at once magisterial and devastating.
Chinese feminism has benefited from a slate of critical interpreters in recent years. Angela Xiao Wu and Yige Dong offer their own illuminating take on a conflict-laden field shaped by everything from marriage markets to state backlash. They also reconsider their own insight from a decade ago—which they named “made-in-China” feminism—to see what’s changed. Despite unrelenting pushback and censorship, feminism in China continues to expand—and to fight back.
Ghanaian writer and technologist Bright Simons follows with an intriguing meditation on the social world of AI. He suggests that intelligence is always social before it’s individualized, thus AI’s real power comes from collective human thinking. Bucking the mainstream, he argues that we need more human interaction, not less, if AI is going to succeed in bettering our civilization.
Marc Ribot is remembered as one of New York’s classic downtown musicians. Aficionados also know him as one of the great guitar virtuosos of our day, mixing genres in a fashion that betrays not only eclecticism but a commitment to syncretic and hybridized music.
What is The Ideas Letter
Welcome to The Ideas Letter, a publication that prizes the unconventional. We are not in the business of persuading. We won’t try to convince you of anything—other than that the world is complex and reality ever-shifting. We are not here to advocate. What you will find, and we hope embrace, are contributions from across ideological aisles, from a broad range of disciplines and a true cross-section of thinking. If catholicity is your métier, and you are uneasy with banging the drum but would rather hear its many sounds, this is the place for you.
We really like critique. Not the mean-spirited or spiteful kind, but rather commentary that raises tough questions, unpacks assumptions, sometimes calls people on the carpet, and always provides opportunity for discussion. That is what we are really after—facilitating, augmenting, furthering, and bolstering debate around issues of consequence.
You’ll find here articles, essays, and criticism that will challenge you to think. Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to tell a friend. Or even someone with whom you disagree!