Oxford University Press will publish Martha C. Nussbaum’s new book “The Republic of Love: Opera & Political Freedom” on April 16, 2026.

The 312-page volume examines opera as a force within political thought, tracing how major composers have used the art form to explore dignity, freedom, and the ethical demands of communal life. The book’s first half explores the works of Mozart, who Nussbaum contends, proposed a new emotional and political landscape.

In the second half, she traces Mozart’s influence through Beethoven’s humanism, Verdi’s social consciousness, Britten’s moral inquiry, Adams’ contemporary political engagement, and Heggie’s explorations of empathy, while positioning Wagner as the major counter-voice to Mozart’s ideals.

Nussbaum is the author of more than two dozen books, including “The Fragility of Goodness, Creating Capabilities, Anger and Forgiveness, Justice for Animals, and The Tenderness of Silent Minds: Benjamin Britten and His War Requiem” (2024). Her honors include the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy (2016), the Berggruen Prize (2018), and the Holberg Prize (2021).

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