About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of the term 'genocide' and explores a forgotten proposal related to its definition.

For decades, the word "genocide" has occupied a unique place in international law, collective memory, and political debate. But what exactly does it mean—and has the definition become too narrow to describe the forms of violence we witness today? In this conversation, Holocaust and genocide scholar Dirk Moses joins me to discuss the crisis unfolding within genocide studies, the fierce disputes over how the term should be defined, and why debates about Gaza have exposed deep fractures in academia, international institutions, and public discourse.We explore the controversy surrounding Moses's influential essay on Germany's "catechism," the role Holocaust memory plays in shaping political culture, and whether modern societies have become trapped by an understanding of evil that struggles to recognize violence outside familiar historical frameworks. Along the way, we discuss Anne Frank and Hind Rajab, the stigma attached to genocide accusations, colonial violence, the ICC and ICJ, and the growing generational divide over how atrocities are remembered and understood.Most importantly, we examine a little-known proposal put forward by the Dutch delegation during the…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Shapiro

Guest: Dirk Moses

Topics covered

• genocide studies
• international law
• political debate
• Holocaust memory
• colonial violence
• atrocities
• historical frameworks

Keywords

• genocide
• international law
• political culture
• atrocities
• historical frameworks
• Holocaust
• colonial violence

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Germany's 'catechism', UN Genocide Convention

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