An essay on how to regain hope on the possibility of a shared future.

In stagnant times, when future is grim, a reactionary appropriation of nostalgia arises. It is no secret: this is what we are experiencing in recent years with the rise of the Far Right. To face this, the Left is at a crossroads, caught between the instinct to disavow nostalgia and the need to rely on historical values. It wants to look forward, but the future is marked by the ecological crisis and unfulfilled desires of liberalism.

Motivated by the desire to understand, but also to act, philosopher and political analyst Elizabeth Duval explores the reasons behind this phenomenon and proposes ways to unblock it. Faced with aseptic politics and melancholic pessimism, Duval calls for a happy stance focused on affections, reinterpreting notions such as ‘homeland’ or ‘family’, battling isolation and strengthening emotional ties.