A dynamic exploration of the intersection of identity and responsibility, "Accounting for Oneself" presents Judith Butler at her best, engaging in conversation with some of the most prominent thinkers of our time: Adorno, Foucault, Levinas, Laplanche. Confronted with the problem of identities that arise only in relation to the social and ethical norms they may seek to challenge, she proposes a reexamination of responsibility in relation to the limits of self-understanding that make us human.

Jonathan Culler, Cornell University

In "Accounting for Oneself," Judith Butler [...] asks what we must abandon, endure, or suffer in order to even aspire to self-knowledge. She fearlessly continues her investigation into the vulnerabilities that accompany human individuation. And she argues that the range of self-knowledge is likely dependent on the awareness that, in matters of the self, insight is dangerous, perception flawed, and judgment weak. This is a courageous book by a daring thinker.

Hayden White, University of California and Stanford University

The sections included are:
- A narrative of the self
- Against ethical violence
- Responsibility