Influential Writer To Bring The Politics Of Love To Wellington
Philip McKibbin, author of Love Notes: for a Politics of Love (New York: Lantern Books), is bringing the Politics of Love to Wellington. He will be presenting a talk, ‘A New Vision of Politics’, at Vic Books & Café Pipitea on Wednesday 11 November at 5:30pm.

McKibbin says that the Politics of Love emphasises loving relationship.
“Love can be thought of as an orientation, or ‘attitude’. It’s a way of relating - to ourselves, each other, and the world around us. The Politics of Love imagines our entire politics in loving terms.”
The Politics of Love affirms loving values, such as compassion, responsibility, and trust. These values can guide action and inform policy. For example, respect requires that we listen to one another and take each other’s legitimate concerns seriously. In a similar way, tax, which funds important social services, can be understood in terms of sharing.
Many people think politics is inherently divisive, but McKibbin disagrees.
“When you ask people what ‘politics’ is, they often say it’s about power, or managing competing interests - but we don’t have to think about it in those terms. Why not understand politics as a way of making sure everyone has what they need? Politics is how we look after each other, including those we don’t know personally.”
As well as promoting cooperation at the domestic level, the Politics of Love reimagines international relations: it urges responsibility toward those living in other places.
McKibbin, who is of Māori (Ngāi Tahu) descent, says the Politics of Love is thoroughly decolonial.
“I follow African-American theorist bell hooks, who argues that love is incompatible with oppression. The Politics of Love is anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-classist, and opposed to all forms of domination. It encourages us to work collaboratively, using our diverse knowledges and histories to create solutions that work for all of us.”
He believes that this vision of politics will enable us to address our biggest challenges, including the climate crisis and our abuse of non-human animals.
“When we understand the climate crisis as threatening not only our lives and livelihoods, but also the places we love - the land we grew up on, the oceans we feel drawn to - we find we have so many more reasons for protecting the planet. Similarly, when we have love for other animals, who are sentient and who have interests, we realise we need to change how we treat them and end animal exploitation.”
McKibbin has spoken about the Politics of Love internationally, in places as diverse as the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and Mexico City, Mexico. His writing has attracted attention in the United States of America, and it is regularly referred to by political figures in Australia and New Zealand.
To learn more about the Politics of Love, visit https://www.apoliticsoflove.com/
Philip McKibbin will present his talk, ‘A New Vision of Politics’, at Vic Books & Café Pipitea, 27 Lambton Quay, Wellington, on Wednesday 11 November at 5:30pm.
Links:
Websites:
https://www.apoliticsoflove.com/
http://www.philip-mckibbin.com/
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https://www.facebook.com/apoliticsoflove
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