WRITING IS a solitary endeavor and my need to work in complete isolation only makes it more so. But isolation need not be solipsistic, and I am aware of the many interlocutors that helped me bring this book to fruition, as well as those who offered the necessary enabling conditions, material and otherwise, to complete it. As an undergraduate at the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, I had an excellent education, and was fortunate to have teachers that showed me how every aspect of the intellectual and academic world was open. They embodied the intellectual freedom of studying different traditions of thought and actively encouraged me to learn from both European and non-European intellectual legacies. It is thus a pleasure to express my gratitude to María del Pilar Argüelles, Raúl Cotto-Serrano, Eliseo Cruz Vergara, the late Milton Pabón, and Héctor Martínez. Raúl, Eliseo and Milton deserve special mention as teachers and mentors who in different ways contributed immensely to my education.
At the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Roberto Alejandro, Barbara Cruikshank, Patricia J. Mills, Nick Xenos, Robert Paul Wolf, and James E. Young taught me many things that enabled me to write this book. Barbara initiated me to a wider world of Theory, and first told me to read Jameson; Pat introduced me to the writings of Adorno and Rose; James encouraged my efforts to think about narrative structures, and introduced me to Auerbach; Wolff taught me Kant’s
Critique of Pure Reason and the rigors involved; and, speaking of rigor, Roberto taught me much about the nuances of interpretation, and his unique combination of intellectual creativity with textual rigor are as exemplary as they are unforgettable. Nick’s commitment to historicized history, the role of genres of thought, intellectual independence and wide-ranging knowledge of the history of political thought were pivotal in my formation. He also invited me to present several chapters of this book to his fall 2014 graduate seminar, and both he and his students offered acute commentary that proved crucial in preparing the last version of the book. That Nick is also a close friend is a gift beyond measure.
Despite my reticence, I have benefited from many conversations with colleagues, students and friends, and I would like to express my gratitude to: Ananda Abeysekara, Manuel S. Almeida Rodríguez, Ivan Ascher, Gopal Balakrishnan, Liz Beaumont, Alex Betancourt, Tim Brennan, Brian Britt, Stephen Eric Bronner, Wendy Brown, Susan Buck-Morss, Jerome E. Copulsky, Adam Dahl, Gabriel De La Luz-Rodríguez, Bud Duvall, Monica Espinosa-Arango, Keya Ganguly, Heather Gumble, Mary Hawkesworth, Robert Hullot-Kentor, James D. Ingram, Fredric Jameson, Jyl Josephson, Ron Krebs, Greta Kroeker, Karl Larson, Damon Linker, Silvia L. López, Tim Luke, Nancy Luxon, Brad Mapes-Martins, Karuna Mantena, Robyn Marasco, Andrew Murphy, Scott G. Nelson, Rob Nichols, August H. Nimtz Jr., Andrew Norris, Anne Norton, Carlos Pabón, Quynh Pham, Djordje Popovic, Edgar Rivera Colón, Corey Robin, J. B. Shank, Jakeet Singh, Bailey Socha, Rob Stephens, Dara Strolovitch, Ken Surin, Shatema Threadcraft, Joan C. Tronto, James Tully, Sergio Valverde, Robert Venator-Santiago, Janell Watson, Edward Weisband, Yves Winter, and Marla Zubel. Ananda, Brian and Scott deserve special mention as main interlocutors during my time in Blacksburg; an unlikely trio with whom I had many memorable and often heated discussions whose traces I am sure they would find in these pages. Over the years, other friends have lent indelible support. Sergio and Yves became steadfast friends and interlocutors. Yves’s probing intellect always posed the right question and forcefully challenge me to clarify many a point. Sergio is not only an exemplary interlocutor and comrade: our peripatetic walks, which either began or ended at a bar, or both, were as significant as tokens of friendship as they were intellectually memorable. During my time in Minnesota, Joan and Nancy were always eager to engage in impromptu conversations that were stimulating and intellectually productive. For over a decade, Wendy has vastly supported my intellectual endeavors, her work has been a source of inspiration, and she is a precious friend and fierce interlocutor. Wendy also introduced me to Robyn, a loyal friend and coruscating critic. I would like to thank Bob for his intellectual complicity, steadfast friendship, and generosity. Alex and Gabriel have been my main intellectual lifelines: they have read some of my drafts and debated my ideas every step of the way. Their camaraderie is only matched by their intellectual gifts, and their warmth and generosity have sustained me through it all.
I would also like to thank people who more indirectly enabled me complete this project: Sonja Alvarez, Alexis Duprey, Bud Duvall Moira Fradinger, Myrna García Calderón, Regina Kunzel, Stephanie Rosen, Dara Strolovitch, Joan C. Tronto, and Dawn Valverde. My parents, Carmín y Toño, made many sacrifices to give me an education and, early on, taught me about ethics and its proper domains. That my father vividly embodies the political literacy of the ordinary citizen was yet another unforgettable contribution to my education. At Columbia University Press, Wendy Lochner and Amy Allen patiently and diligently supported this project. Two excellent anonymous reviews really helped me to make the best of a rather long and unruly manuscript. One reviewer in particular offered a probing yet generous report that made all the difference. With biblical patience, Christine Dunbar waited for the last version and expertly shepherded it through production. Cecelia Cancellaro bravely tussled with my prose, greatly improving its quality without colonizing it, and I am deeply grateful. The last version of this book benefited immensely from Susan Pensak’s expert hand, as she graciously served as my manuscript and production editor. All remaining infelicities are due to my stubbornness.
Jennifer Duprey has been my loving partner, accomplice, and interlocutor. Her sensibility and passion for the world, intelligence and creativity have significantly nourished my own thinking and enriched the life that we have forged together. It is to her, my love, that this book is dedicated.