Bernard E. Harcourt
@bernardharcourt.bsky.social
Professor of law and political theory at Columbia University and the EHESS in Paris. Death penalty defense counsel and author of *Critique & Praxis* (2020), *Cooperation: A Political, Economic, and Social Theory* (2023), and *The Counterrevolution* (2018).
Steve Bannon is calling for a Christian nation in Jerusalem, a three-state solution. He also calls himself a Christian Nationalist. Does Christianity lean far Right? If so, how come it also nourishes Leftist projects? Is it meaningless? New essay free on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
October 30, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Steve Bannon is calling for a Christian nation in Jerusalem, a three-state solution. He also calls himself a Christian Nationalist. Does Christianity lean far Right? If so, how come it also nourishes Leftist projects? Is it meaningless? New essay free on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
Beccaria was way ahead of us, back in 1764, when he worried about the brutalizing effects of state violence: How it could transform our ways of thinking and feeling. He was only 25 years old at the time—a Gen Z by our standards today. I just posted an essay here: open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
October 7, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Beccaria was way ahead of us, back in 1764, when he worried about the brutalizing effects of state violence: How it could transform our ways of thinking and feeling. He was only 25 years old at the time—a Gen Z by our standards today. I just posted an essay here: open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
and, sadly, of Rikers Island as well…
October 7, 2025 at 2:18 AM
and, sadly, of Rikers Island as well…
… and stunning views of Brooklyn and Queens as well…
October 7, 2025 at 2:18 AM
… and stunning views of Brooklyn and Queens as well…
I had amazing views of Manhattan on my flight back from Alabama this afternoon…
October 7, 2025 at 2:18 AM
I had amazing views of Manhattan on my flight back from Alabama this afternoon…
Some thoughts on the brutality of our punishment practices, from the American death penalty to summary executions in international Waters…
October 6, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Some thoughts on the brutality of our punishment practices, from the American death penalty to summary executions in international Waters…
Back in Alabama, driving through the cotton fields, on the way to Holman Prison in Atmore. The clouds are getting ominous. The dementors are swooping in....
October 5, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Back in Alabama, driving through the cotton fields, on the way to Holman Prison in Atmore. The clouds are getting ominous. The dementors are swooping in....
President Trump is deliberately eliding and fabricating lethal categories at the same time as he is creating a new war on anti-fascism in America. I just posted an essay about it on my Substack here, where I try to disentangle the categories:
open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
October 2, 2025 at 7:12 PM
President Trump is deliberately eliding and fabricating lethal categories at the same time as he is creating a new war on anti-fascism in America. I just posted an essay about it on my Substack here, where I try to disentangle the categories:
open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
open.substack.com/pub/bernardh...
I just posted a third essay on my Substack: "Twilight of American Democracy: Mapping A Democratic Breakdown in the United States." Back from an intense gathering on the current crisis of American democracy, and as we debated, I created a mental map... bernardharcourt.substack.com/p/twilight-o...
September 26, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I just posted a third essay on my Substack: "Twilight of American Democracy: Mapping A Democratic Breakdown in the United States." Back from an intense gathering on the current crisis of American democracy, and as we debated, I created a mental map... bernardharcourt.substack.com/p/twilight-o...
I just posted my second essay on Substack, the newsletter is called "Critique & Praxis." I explore the ideology of the Heritage Foundation and all its internal contradictions, as a way to lay the groundwork for critique. You can read it here: bernardharcourt.substack.com/p/the-ideolo...
September 24, 2025 at 8:45 PM
I just posted my second essay on Substack, the newsletter is called "Critique & Praxis." I explore the ideology of the Heritage Foundation and all its internal contradictions, as a way to lay the groundwork for critique. You can read it here: bernardharcourt.substack.com/p/the-ideolo...
OK, here's the new website for Hegel 13/13: hegel1313.law.columbia.edu. Soon we begin with preparatory sessions (informal conversations, small seminars, reading groups, lectures) to lay the groundwork for the full seminars. The ambition: to develop a new critical praxis for these times of crisis...
September 4, 2025 at 8:40 PM
OK, here's the new website for Hegel 13/13: hegel1313.law.columbia.edu. Soon we begin with preparatory sessions (informal conversations, small seminars, reading groups, lectures) to lay the groundwork for the full seminars. The ambition: to develop a new critical praxis for these times of crisis...
Coming this year: Hegel 13/13 a multi-year project that explores the historical confrontations with G.W.F. Hegel’s thought, from 19th century to the present, with the aim of developing new critical perspectives and practices for today’s times of crisis. I am building the website now, stay tuned...
September 2, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Coming this year: Hegel 13/13 a multi-year project that explores the historical confrontations with G.W.F. Hegel’s thought, from 19th century to the present, with the aim of developing new critical perspectives and practices for today’s times of crisis. I am building the website now, stay tuned...
UPDATE on my Alabama death penalty client David Wilson: Alabama just filed a 166-page Answer to our 493-page First Amended Petition for Habeas Corpus: cccct.law.columbia.edu/sites/cccct..... I am now writing a lengthy Reply. More information on David's case at: cccct.law.columbia.edu/content/davi...
July 31, 2025 at 10:13 PM
UPDATE on my Alabama death penalty client David Wilson: Alabama just filed a 166-page Answer to our 493-page First Amended Petition for Habeas Corpus: cccct.law.columbia.edu/sites/cccct..... I am now writing a lengthy Reply. More information on David's case at: cccct.law.columbia.edu/content/davi...
Devastated. Now headed to Chicago for the service at Old Saint Patrick’s for the passionate, inspiring, moral exemplar, critical theorist and theologian, comrade in arms, and advocate for the damned, Tom Durkin. The New York Times fittingly printed his tribute yesterday in their pages.
July 28, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Devastated. Now headed to Chicago for the service at Old Saint Patrick’s for the passionate, inspiring, moral exemplar, critical theorist and theologian, comrade in arms, and advocate for the damned, Tom Durkin. The New York Times fittingly printed his tribute yesterday in their pages.
One more classic step in the modern counterrevolution: New interview in French review Esprit (esprit.presse.fr) on the repression of the protests in Los Angeles. Main point: the political struggle is the grey area of law. Read here: esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b... @ehess.fr @lab-iris.bsky.social
July 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
One more classic step in the modern counterrevolution: New interview in French review Esprit (esprit.presse.fr) on the repression of the protests in Los Angeles. Main point: the political struggle is the grey area of law. Read here: esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b... @ehess.fr @lab-iris.bsky.social
We need to build alliances across countries. Just had a great visit and conversation with Pouria Amirshahi of the French National Assembly, co-founder of the new "Digue" coalition against rising fascism. More about the Digue here: www.liberation.fr/politique/a-... Follow them on Insta at ladigue_
June 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
We need to build alliances across countries. Just had a great visit and conversation with Pouria Amirshahi of the French National Assembly, co-founder of the new "Digue" coalition against rising fascism. More about the Digue here: www.liberation.fr/politique/a-... Follow them on Insta at ladigue_
A death row inmate has standing to bring a §1983 claim challenging a state's post-conviction DNA testing procedures under the Due Process Clause. #SCOTUS opinion 6/26 written by Justice Sotomayor in Texas case involving Ruben Gutierrez. Opinion at this link here: www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
June 27, 2025 at 2:55 PM
A death row inmate has standing to bring a §1983 claim challenging a state's post-conviction DNA testing procedures under the Due Process Clause. #SCOTUS opinion 6/26 written by Justice Sotomayor in Texas case involving Ruben Gutierrez. Opinion at this link here: www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
Excellent and important new book review at @fabula-lht.bsky.social (in French) of Michel Foucault's "Nietzsche," the recent book of Foucault's lectures, conferences, and manuscripts on Nietzsche published by @editionsduseuil.bsky.social. The shadows of Nietzsche: www.fabula.org/revue/docume...
June 21, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Excellent and important new book review at @fabula-lht.bsky.social (in French) of Michel Foucault's "Nietzsche," the recent book of Foucault's lectures, conferences, and manuscripts on Nietzsche published by @editionsduseuil.bsky.social. The shadows of Nietzsche: www.fabula.org/revue/docume...
For the cover story of the Swiss weekly @woz.ch, in an in-depth conversation with the brilliant journalist @annajik.bsky.social, I discuss the storm troops of the ongoing counterrevolution. Here is the interview, in German.
June 19, 2025 at 3:21 PM
For the cover story of the Swiss weekly @woz.ch, in an in-depth conversation with the brilliant journalist @annajik.bsky.social, I discuss the storm troops of the ongoing counterrevolution. Here is the interview, in German.
Join us tonight for a public lecture at the New School with Rashid Khalidi, titled "Britain, Ireland, and Palestine," this evening at 5pm at the auditorium at the New School at 66 West 12th Street in NYC. Event and RSVP here:
event.newschool.edu/rashidkhalid...
event.newschool.edu/rashidkhalid...
June 10, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Join us tonight for a public lecture at the New School with Rashid Khalidi, titled "Britain, Ireland, and Palestine," this evening at 5pm at the auditorium at the New School at 66 West 12th Street in NYC. Event and RSVP here:
event.newschool.edu/rashidkhalid...
event.newschool.edu/rashidkhalid...
The Institute for Critical Social Inquiry at the New School is hosting a series of lectures taught by this Summer's faculty cohort of Lewis Gordon (UConn) , Rashid Khalidi (Columbia), Bernard Harcourt (Columbia) and Homi Bhabha (Harvard). Info here: www.criticalsocialinquiry.org/public-lectu...
June 10, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The Institute for Critical Social Inquiry at the New School is hosting a series of lectures taught by this Summer's faculty cohort of Lewis Gordon (UConn) , Rashid Khalidi (Columbia), Bernard Harcourt (Columbia) and Homi Bhabha (Harvard). Info here: www.criticalsocialinquiry.org/public-lectu...
Debate tomorrow at the Sorbonne in the Amphithéâtre Turgot on "A Modern Counterrevolution" (published in French in Esprit esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b...) with Anne-Lorraine Bujon, Pascal Beauvais, @francoisf24.bsky.social, info: isjps.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s... | @lab-iris.bsky.social
June 2, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Debate tomorrow at the Sorbonne in the Amphithéâtre Turgot on "A Modern Counterrevolution" (published in French in Esprit esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b...) with Anne-Lorraine Bujon, Pascal Beauvais, @francoisf24.bsky.social, info: isjps.pantheonsorbonne.fr/evenements/s... | @lab-iris.bsky.social
Mon article "Une contre-révolution moderne," sur les premiers 100 jours du second mandat de Donald Trump, vient de paraitre dans la revue Esprit. En ligne ici en accès libre pour une semaine :
esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b...
@ehess.fr @lab-iris.bsky.social
esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b...
@ehess.fr @lab-iris.bsky.social
May 29, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Mon article "Une contre-révolution moderne," sur les premiers 100 jours du second mandat de Donald Trump, vient de paraitre dans la revue Esprit. En ligne ici en accès libre pour une semaine :
esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b...
@ehess.fr @lab-iris.bsky.social
esprit.presse.fr/actualites/b...
@ehess.fr @lab-iris.bsky.social
Join Étienne Balibar for the grand finale of Marx 13/13 in person in Paris at the @columbiauniversity.bsky.social Global Paris Center, 4 rue de Chevreuse, this coming Tuesday, May 27th, at 4:30 PM Paris time. Info here: globalcenters.columbia.edu/events/marx-... and marx1313.law.columbia.edu/13-13/
May 22, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Join Étienne Balibar for the grand finale of Marx 13/13 in person in Paris at the @columbiauniversity.bsky.social Global Paris Center, 4 rue de Chevreuse, this coming Tuesday, May 27th, at 4:30 PM Paris time. Info here: globalcenters.columbia.edu/events/marx-... and marx1313.law.columbia.edu/13-13/
Just filed our international law argument in our challenge to nitrogen gas executions in Alabama: the right against
torture is a self-executing jus cogens norm that is actionable as a private right of action under §1983 against the State of Alabama. Brief here
cccct.law.columbia.edu/sites/cccct....
torture is a self-executing jus cogens norm that is actionable as a private right of action under §1983 against the State of Alabama. Brief here
cccct.law.columbia.edu/sites/cccct....
May 20, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Just filed our international law argument in our challenge to nitrogen gas executions in Alabama: the right against
torture is a self-executing jus cogens norm that is actionable as a private right of action under §1983 against the State of Alabama. Brief here
cccct.law.columbia.edu/sites/cccct....
torture is a self-executing jus cogens norm that is actionable as a private right of action under §1983 against the State of Alabama. Brief here
cccct.law.columbia.edu/sites/cccct....