Two of the most famous aphorisms attesting to a “pessimism of the intellect/optimism of the will” mentality are, “Power concedes nothing without a demand” (Frederick Douglass), and “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” (Audre Lorde). On the one hand, these two sentences promise that change only comes out of a struggle with an entrenched and stubborn enemy—a promise that naturally might lead to some pessimism. On the other, they do promise change—the possibility of change, at least. Being able to envision the dismantling of the master’s house is the necessary initial step on the way to finding Read more