Idea
The text says that, after 9/11, US policy linked power with truth and morality at the same time, so that power came to appear as both a true necessity and a moral duty. Through this linkage, security policies are presented not as options open to debate, but as legitimate responses to what is framed as the common good. In this way, bypassing international institutions becomes something that can be justified rather than condemned.
Concise Formulation
After 9/11, US policy linked power to truth and morality
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim clarifies a central mechanism in the book’s critique of the post-9/11 discourse. It focuses not only on political decisions, but also on the language that grants them moral legitimacy. It thus shows that the argument is not about power alone, but about the way power is transformed into a normative truth that seems beyond accountability.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in revealing how politics can monopolize the meaning of the good and use it to expand its influence. This helps us understand Arkoun as a critic of the confusion between morality and domination. It also makes clear to the reader that the question is not only what the state does, but also how it justifies what it does.
Brief Evidence
The text says that, after 9/11, US policy linked power with truth and morality at the same time. Through this linkage, power came to appear as both a true necessity and a moral duty. For that reason, security policies were no longer presented as debatable options, but as legitimate responses to what is framed as the common good.
Reading Questions
- How does linking power to morality become a means of justifying exceptional policies?
- What effect does this linkage have on the place of international institutions in the text?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear passage from the book’s material.