The book Society and New Paradigms: Challenges for Diversity and Vulnerability Inclusion, edited by Catalina Elena Dobre, Gabriela Palavicini Corona, and Francisco Díaz Estrada, is relevant in a context when societies worldwide are facing a loss in democracy, faith, and values, dangerously returning to wars and pandemics, coming closer to the end of history. Although the book addresses relevant topics of contemporary society, it does not propose a universal formula to solve society’s problems altogether; rather, it poses some reflections on the new realities that individuals face every day. Those topics are related to the politics of the States, as they also have responsibilities to ensure the well-being of their citizens, which are lacking in some aspects, such as the ones discussed in this book.

In Chapter 2, Gabriela Palavicini rethinks the individual’s place in society in a modernized and technologically advanced world. Both aspects may seem incongruent with each other: the need to maintain humanity to improve societal life alongside the facilitations that technological progress provides. The author addresses thinkers’ concerns about the well-being of individuals, taking into account topics such as morality and rationality, proposing that both need to find a consensus in the 21st Century to improve humanity, not interrupting its personal development. In the midst of a post-pandemic world, this chapter urges the reader to set aside the pursuit of economic progress and refocus on the individual —and society’s— well-being while also criticizing the deviation of society towards something far from fragility and vulnerability, which are not inherently negative feelings.

In Chapter 3, María José Binetti proposes feminism as a philosophy, which needs to be understood as such. The author urges the deconstruction of the “gender” through new realism, which unites knowledge and reality. For the author, reality needs to be redefined rather than reduced to what is observed at first sight. In this chapter, the novelty lies in the application of new realism to a topic that “appears” to be accepted by society despite being considered taboo. Additionally, Binetti introduces the need for a new realism with a feminist perspective to comprehend feminism accurately, acknowledging the reality of what the movement entails. With the rise of the feminist movement, this chapter successfully analyzes and embraces the essence of the feminist project, making women’s role in society clearer and fairer.

In Chapter 4, Ivón Cepeda-Mayorga centers on care in terms of the relationship with others. It is a needed discussion in a world where social relationships are fragile after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as injustice and violence are increasing. The author emphasizes the need to change an individual’s mindset to create better civilizations, one that is not only focused on themselves but also appeals to their accountability as members of society, something bigger than themselves. Although the Ethics of Care has been studied through philosophy, it also involves responsibility to the culture it revolves around, and, as a deeper analysis of the subject reveals, Cepeda-Mayorga reexamines the implications of caring for others as a dynamic, ongoing process.

In Chapter 5, Miguel Ángel Martínez Martínez examines violence within society, with a particular focus on the disappearances of individuals. Those negative topics tend to unite the citizens towards a common enemy, bonding through the pain, mainly looking for bodies instead of living people who were deprived of their freedom. The author describes societies populated by ghosts (50), retaking Pedro Páramo, where people are not observed as individuals with souls but rather as bodies that coexist in a social space. Yet, this reductionist vision of the world endangers the nature of the State and lowers the importance of the individuals. The chapter makes the reader think that, although it may sound “obvious”, violence is, without a doubt, one of the most troubling subjects in each society, as it manages to unite people, but based on a negative reason, appealing to their sense of community but not the humanity of those who disappear individuals.

In Chapter 6, Josep Francesc Sanmartín Cava refers to the heroes that inhabit societies. That hero can be created and legitimized by the media yet simultaneously fails to align with the social contract and democratic standards. The chapter focuses on the power that the media has over citizenship and points out that sometimes, the sense of accountability from the communication industries is flawed. Sanmartín Cava discusses propaganda and its tactics to guide or misguide an entire society, thereby undermining civil society’s order and shaping their judgment of right or wrong. In TV culture, to empathize correctly with viewers, there can be a heroic representation of what is considered “perfect”, as the author draws examples from the series Friends and Married... With Children, or The Prince of Bel Air. Yet, such standards of perfect lives are harmful to societies, as, in reality, the protagonist does not always win. What truly makes a hero in real life is their sense of duty and doing the right thing for their community.

This book addresses relevant and current issues that societies worldwide face every day and may be consumed by this reality, which can be both positive and negative. It prompts the reader to consider humanity as a whole, not in a generic sense, but to reach the conclusion that the universe we currently inhabit is marked by pandemics, wars, disappearances, and other issues that ethics and philosophy can offer new perspectives on. Books like this sensitize the reader towards their reality and the reason for our mere existence. Each chapter delves into a situation that may or may not have broader implications for politics and society as a whole. Sensibility is a subject that is not being read enough, but with specific scenarios, whether they’re “positive” or “negative” for the reader, they are part of society’s issues. Society and New Paradigms needs to be read around the globe to raise awareness about serious problems that are not taboo; they are a reality, and there is an increasing need to educate, comprehend, and sensitize populations about what’s next and how to unite to defeat the severe issues faced by millions of people.