In addition to her groundbreaking work on gender theory and philosophy, Judith Butler has always intervened as a critical intellectual in political debates. Whether discussing the new form of anti-Semitism, the legal and political situation of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, or American reactions to the September 11 attacks, she consistently proves to be a thinker who is both subtle and engaged, capable of making distinctions that reveal the core of the issues. Thus, the theoretical framework of an ethics, as she recently developed in "Critique of Ethical Violence," is related to current political practice. Butler demonstrates how sharp boundaries are drawn in every public discourse between what can be said and what must not be said.