Bruce Robbins: On Literature, Atrocity, and Academic Freedom

In this episode of Not to Forgive, but to Understand, we speak with Bruce Robbins—Columbia University professor and author of Atrocity: A Literary History. Drawing on his recent book, we explore how literature grapples with the representation of mass violence, and examine his work through the lens of genocide studies.We explore questions about prolepsis and historical inevitability, the role of ethnocentrism in genocide narratives, and the shifting nature of violence through thinkers like Nietzsche, Foucault, and Pinker. Robbins also reflects on the personal and institutional consequences of his public teaching, including his support for student activism.The episode features audience questions from Chigbo Arthur Anyaduba, Associate Professor at the University of Winnipeg.00:00:00 – Opening00:01:42 – How the Term “Genocide” Became Common00:06:55 – Literature Review on Atrocity and Violence00:13:57 – Avoiding Simplified Good vs. Evil Narratives00:18:29 – Writing About Atrocity Without Exaggeration00:19:42 – Ethnocentrism’s Role in Atrocity00:26:03 – Nietzsche, Sadism, and Humanization in Violence00:27:09 – Plunder in War: Historical and Modern Examples00:36:47 – Marx and Foucault on Changing Forms of Violence00:38:05 – Why “Violence” Is Often Missing in Genocide Studies00:41:01 – Are Modern Societies Less Violent?00:43:27 – How Publishing Influences Atrocity Narratives00:48:46 – Audience Q1: Does Foreshadowing Misrepresent Violence?00:50:32 – Audience Q2: Addressing Eurocentrism in the Book00:52:51 – Gaza Encampment, Teaching Risk, and Institutional Pushback