Prophetic Witness in the Age of Global Disorder: A Comparative Analysis of Cornel West and Ignacio Ramonet
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Abstract
In an era defined by systemic fragility and geopolitical uncertainty, this study undertakes a critical comparative analysis of two influential intellectuals—Cornel West and Ignacio Ramonet—whose distinct traditions of prophetic critique offer divergent yet intersecting responses to global disorder. Anchored in West’s Keeping Faith (1993) and Ramonet’s Géopolitique du chaos (1997), the paper explores how ethical-theological critique and geopolitical-media analysis respectively diagnose instability and articulate pathways for intellectual engagement. Through a critical comparative methodology, the study examines three thematic axes: (1) deconstructing systemic instability, (2) praxis of witness, and (3) normative horizons and strategies of intervention. The findings reveal both thinkers’ shared commitment to justice, moral accountability, and intellectual activism, while highlighting significant differences in their conceptual frameworks, methodologies, and audiences. This paper contributes to critical discourse by offering a cross-traditional reflection on the roles of intellectuals in addressing contemporary crises and proposing more equitable global futures.
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