|
Review Quotes:
Makes for compelling reading in America today. ("The New York Times") This...polemic...confirms that...the mass murder of September 11, while indelibly shocking, is not wholly surprising. (Todd Gitlin, "Los Angeles Times")
Review Quotes:
Speaks from the depth of a powerful intellect.
Review Quotes:
Maalouf is a thoughtful, humane and passionate interlocutor.
Brief Description:
An eloquent introductory exploration of why, in this age of globalization, we need to abandon our historical idea of identity as a single religious or national alliance. New...
Marc Notes:
Translation of Identites meurtrieres.;The notion of identity -- personal, religious, ethnic, or national -- has given rise to heated passions and crimes throughout history. What makes each one of us unique has been a fundamental question of philosophy from Socrates to Freud. This book argues that the concept of identity that prevails the world over is still very much tribal. It allows men of all countries, conditions, and faiths to be transformed into butchers and fanatics, passing themselves off as defenders of a given identity. Maalouf contends that many of us would reject our inherited conceptions of identity, which we cling to through habit, if only we examined them more closely. The future of society depends on accepting -- while recognizing our uniqueness -- all identities."
Brief Description:
The notion of identity -- personal, religious, ethnic, or national -- has given rise to heated passions and crimes throughout history. What makes each one of us unique has been a fundamental question of philosophy from Socrates to Freud. This book argues that the concept of identity that prevails the world over is still very much tribal. It allows men of all countries, conditions, and faiths to be transformed into butchers and fanatics, passing themselves off as defenders of a given identity. Maalouf contends that many of us would reject our inherited conceptions of identity, which we cling to through habit, if only we examined them more closely. The future of society depends on accepting -- while recognizing our uniqueness -- all identities.
Publisher Marketing:
"Makes for compelling reading in America today."--New York Times Book Review.
"I want to try and understand why so many people commit crimes in the name of identity," writes Amin Maalouf. Identity is the crucible out of which we come: our background, our race, our gender, our tribal affiliations, our religion (or lack thereof), all go into making up who we are. All too often, however, the notion of identity--personal, religious, ethnic, or national--has given rise to heated passions and even massive crimes.
Moving across the world's history, faiths, and politics, he argues against an oversimplified and hostile interpretation of the concept. He cogently and persuasively examines identity in the context of the modern world, where it can be viewed as both glory and poison. Evident here are the dangers of using identity as a protective--and therefore aggressive--mechanism, the root of racial, geographical, and colonialist subjugation throughout history.
Maalouf contends that many of us would reject our inherited conceptions of identity, to which we cling through habit, if only we examined them more closely. The future of society depends on accepting all identities, while recognizing our individualism.
|
