We no longer have
recourse to grand narratives ... But as we have seen, the little narrative
remains the quintessential form of imaginative invention ... In addition, the
principle of consensus as a criterion of validation seems to be inadequate. It
has two formulations. In the first, consensus is an agreement between men,
defined as knowing intellects and free wills, and is obtained through dialogue.
This is the form elaborated by Habermas, but his conception is based on the
validity of the narrative of emancipation. In the second, consensus is a
component of the system, which manipulates it in order to maintain and improve
its performance. (Jean-François
Lyotard, The Postmodern
Condition, 1979, p. 60)
The New York Times bestselling author of The Origins of Political Order offers a provocative examination of modern identity politics: its origins, its effects, and what it means for domestic and international affairs of state
In 2014, Francis Fukuyama wrote that American institutions were in decay, as the state was progressively captured by powerful interest groups. Two years later, his predictions were borne out by the rise to power of a series of political outsiders whose economic nationalism and authoritarian tendencies threatened to destabilize the entire international order. These populist nationalists seek direct charismatic connection to “the people,” who are usually defined in narrow identity terms that offer an irresistible call to an in-group and exclude large parts of the population as a whole.
Demand for recognition of one’s identity is a master concept that unifies much of what is going on in world politics today. The universal recognition on which liberal democracy is based has been increasingly challenged by narrower forms of recognition based on nation, religion, sect, race, ethnicity, or gender, which have resulted in anti-immigrant populism, the upsurge of politicized Islam, the fractious “identity liberalism” of college campuses, and the emergence of white nationalism. Populist nationalism, said to be rooted in economic motivation, actually springs from the demand for recognition and therefore cannot simply be satisfied by economic means. The demand for identity cannot be transcended; we must begin to shape identity in a way that supports rather than undermines democracy.
Identity is an urgent and necessary book―a sharp warning that unless we forge a universal understanding of human dignity, we will doom ourselves to continuing conflict. (amazon) (kindle 2018-10-4) (pre-ordered 2018-9-6)
In Critical Suicidology, a team of international scholars, practitioners, and people directly affected by suicide argue that the field of suicidology has become too focused on the biomedical paradigm: a model that pathologizes distress and obscures the social, political, and historical contexts that contribute to human suffering. The authors take a critical look at existing research, introduce the perspectives of those who have direct personal knowledge of suicide and suicidal behavior, and propose alternative approaches that are creative and culturally sensitive. In the right hands, this book could save lives. (amazon)
