We live in a time of soaring inequalities, spanning wealth, race, identity, and nationality. Equality, in short, is in crisis. Yet, surprisingly, little historical work has been done to explore equality and its broader aspects. Under the Verso University banner, Darrin McMahon will present a talk based on his sweeping new book, EQUALITY: The History of an Elusive Idea. In this definitive intellectual history, McMahon seeks to address the questions of how can we strive for equality if we don’t understand it? As much as we continue to struggle for equality, we have always remained profoundly skeptical about it. How much do we want, and for whom?