Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny - Softcover

Sen, Amartya

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141027800 ISBN 13: 9780141027807

Publisher: Penguin, 2007

Synopsis

Profound and humane, Amartya Sen's Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny examines some of the most explosive problems of our time and shows how we can move towards peace as firmly as we have spiralled towards war.

In this penetrating book, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen argues that we are becoming increasingly divided along lines of religion and culture, ignoring the many other ways in which people see themselves, from class and profession to morals and politics. When we are put into narrow categories the importance of human life becomes lost.

Through his lucid exploration of such subjects as multiculturalism, fundamentalism, terrorism and globalization, he brings out the need for a clear-headed understanding of human freedom and a constructive public voice in Global civil society. The hope of harmony in today's world lies in a clearer understanding of our sheer diversity.

'Identity and Violence is a moving, powerful essay about the mischief of bad ideas'
  The Economist

'Impassioned, eloquent and often moving, Identity and Violence is a sustained attack on the "solitarist" theory which says that human identities are formed by membership of a single social group'
  John Gray, Guardian

'Rich in ideas ... I would love to send it to Osama bin Laden and have his reply'
  Spectator

'Sen's moving and most personal book yet'
  The Times Literary Supplement

'Stimulating ... simple and persuasive'
  Financial Times

'An accessible and exceptional humanitarian'
  Jon Snow, New Statesman Heroes of Our Time

Amartya Sen is Lamont University Professor at Harvard. He won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998. His other books published by Penguin include The Argumentative Indian and The Idea of Justice.

About this title

Review:

'Identity and Violence is a moving, powerful essay about the mischief of bad ideas' Economist

Synopsis:

The world may be more driven by murderous violence than ever before, yet Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen argues in this sweeping philosophical work that its brutalities are driven as much by confusion as by inescapable hatred. Sen argues in his new book that conflict and violence are sustained today, no less than the past, but by the illusion of a unique identity. Indeed, the world is increasingly taken to be divided between religions (or 'cultures' or 'civilizations'), ignoring the relevance of other ways in which people see themselves through class, gender, profession, language, literature, science, music, morals or politics, and denying the real possibilities of reasoned choices.In "Identity and Violence", he overturns such stereotypes as the 'the monolithic Middle East' or 'the Western Mind'. Through his penetrating investigation of such subjects as multiculturalism, fundamentalism, terrorism and globalization, he brings out the need for a clear-headed understanding of human freedom and a constructive public voice in Global civil society. The world, Sen shows, can be made to move towards peace as firmly as it has recently spiralled towards war.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0141027800
• ISBN 13: 9780141027807
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240