It’s hard to have genuine conversations about equality and difference when some of the people we’ve metaphorically invited to the table lack enough food at their non-metaphorical tables. That’s one reason that some political theory encounters practical limits in its real-world applications.
Harvard professor Danielle Allen’s latest book, Justice by Means of Democracy, has little patience for abstractions that neglect real-world constraints.
John Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis. His most recent book is Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect (Zondervan, 2024).
