The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.

Mounk, Yascha.

ISBN 10: 0241638291 / ISBN 13: 9780241638293

Published by Allen Lane / Penguin Books, London, 2023

About this Item

hardback thick octavo, dustjacket, as new condition (in as new dustjacket), minimal edgewear, barcode sticker inside rear cover. 401 pp. For much of their history, societies have violently oppressed ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. It is no surprise that passionate believers in social justice have come to think that marginalized groups need to take pride in their identity if they are to resist injustice. But recently, a healthy appreciation for the culture and heritage of minorities has transformed into an obsession with group identity imn all its forms, one that has quickly become influential around the world. A new ideology - which Yascha Mounk terms the 'identity synthesis' - seeks to put each citizen's matrix of identities at the heart of social, cultural and political life. This, he argues, is the Identity Trap. He traces the intellectual origins, consequences and limitations of these ideas, explaining how they have have won tremendous power, and why their application to education and public policy is proving to be deeply counterproductive. A passionate plea for universalism and humanism, he argues that the proponents of identitarian ideas will, though full of good intentions, make it harder to achieve progress towards genuine equality. The author studies populism and is a professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University.

Seller Inventory # 18398

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.
• Publisher: Allen Lane / Penguin Books, London
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0241638291
• ISBN 13: 9780241638293
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st U.K, reprint ed.
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
• Seller catalogs:
  • SOCIETY

About this title

Synopsis

The origins, consequences and limitations of an ideology that has quickly become highly influential around the world.

For much of their history, societies have violently oppressed ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. It is no surprise then that many who passionately believe in social justice have come to believe that members of marginalized groups need to take pride in their identity if they are to resist injustice.

But over the past decades, a healthy appreciation for the culture and heritage of minorities has transformed into an obsession with group identity in all its forms. A new ideology - which Yascha Mounk terms the 'identity synthesis' - seeks to put each citizen's matrix of identities at the heart of social, cultural and political life. This, he argues, is The Identity Trap.

Mounk traces the intellectual origin of these ideas. He tells the story of how they were able to win tremendous power over the past decade. And he makes a nuanced case why their application to areas from education to public policy is proving to be deeply counterproductive. In his passionate plea for universalism and humanism, he argues that the proponents of identitarian ideas will, though they may be full of good intentions, make it harder to achieve progress towards genuine equality.

About the Author

Yascha Mounk is a writer and academic known for his work on the rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy. Born in Germany to Polish parents, Mounk received his BA in history from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, and his PhD in government from Harvard University. He is now a professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University. Mounk is also a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a contributing editor at The Atlantic, the founder of the online magazine Persuasion and a publisher of Die Zeit. He is the author of The People vs Democracy: Why Our Freedom is in Danger and How to Save It and The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure.