Liberty, Equality, Fratricide 

SYMPOSION, 2001

In 1961, Jean-Paul Sartre gives his ruthless verdict of the European civilization. The systematic torture in the French colonial empire has profoundly sullied the slogans of Western humanism: "Chatter, chatter: liberty, equality, fraternity, love, honor, patriotism and what have you. All this did not prevent us from making anti-racial speeches about dirty niggers, dirty Jews and dirty Arabs."Liberty, equality and fratricide takes us on a journey to a time when the question of the relationship between humanism and racism, human rights and colonialism, was at the centre of attention for the intellectual debate in France. The ideological showdown that took place during the Algerian war of independence (1954-62) is depicted exhaustively. In his attentive readings of Albert Camus (1913-60) and Frantz Fanon (1925-61), Michael Azar uncovers the paradoxes of humanism, the logic of nationalism, the dynamics of revolution and the question of the responsibility of the intellectuals.

"A splendid book." Sydsvenska dagbladet(Eva Kärfve)

"A brilliant historical analysis of colonialism". Aftonbladet(Olle Svenning)

"A dense and well-written study of nationalism and the logic of violence." Dagens nyheter(Moa Matthis)

"A goldmine." Arbetaren