If you ever thought war reportage could use more intellectual depth–wouldn’t it be interesting for a philosopher to wander the fields of battle?–I have two wonderful words for you: Carolin Emcke. Other than her last book, “Echoes of Violence,” little of Emcke’s work has been translated into English from German. But Emcke, who has a doctorate in philosophy and is a war correspondent for Die Zeit, has begun posting translations of her articles, including a great one she wrote not long ago for Die Zeit about Iraq. Read her work, remember it (you will) and pass it around.
When a Philosopher Goes to War
