Against Identity - by Alexander Douglas (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Modern life encourages us to pursue the perfect identity. Whether we aspire to become the best lawyer or charity worker, life partner or celebrity influencer, we emulate exemplars that exist in the world -- hoping it will bring us happiness. But this often leads to a complex game of envy and pride. We achieve these identities but want others to imitate us. We disagree with those whose identities contradict ours -- leading to polarization and even violence. And yet when they thump against us, we are ashamed to ring hollow. In Against Identity, philosopher Alexander Douglas seeks an alternative wisdom. Searching the work of three thinkers -- ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, Dutch Enlightenment thinker Benedict de Spinoza, and 20th Century French theorist Renâe Girard -- he explores how identity can be a spiritual violence that leads us away from truth. Through their worlds and radically different cultures, we discover how, at moments of historical rupture, our hunger for being grows: and yet, it is exactly these times when we should make peace with our indeterminacy and discover the freedom of escaping our selves."--

Book Synopsis

'Deeply interesting ... a superb critique of contemporary self-obsession' Steven Poole, Guardian

'Engrossing ... bracing ... incendiary and timely' Stuart Jeffries, Daily Telegraph

A philosopher explains why the search for identity is meaningless, and how we should escape the self

Modern life encourages us to pursue the perfect identity. Whether we aspire to become the best lawyer or charity worker, life partner or celebrity influencer, we emulate exemplars that exist in the world - hoping it will bring us happiness. But this often leads to a complex game of envy and pride. We achieve these identities but want others to imitate us. We disagree with those whose identities contradict ours - leading to polarisation and even violence. And yet when they thump against us, we are ashamed to ring hollow.

In Against Identity, philosopher Alexander Douglas seeks an alternative wisdom. Searching the work of three thinkers - ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, Dutch Enlightenment thinker Benedict de Spinoza, and 20th Century French theorist René Girard - he explores how identity can be a spiritual violence that leads us away from truth.

Through their worlds and radically different cultures, we discover how, at moments of historical rupture, our hunger for being grows: and yet, it is exactly these times when we should make peace with our indeterminacy and discover the freedom of escaping our selves.

'Lucid and absorbing ... One of my highlight books of the year' Stuart Kelly, Scotsman

Review Quotes

Deeply interesting... a superb critique of contemporary self-obsession--Steven Poole, Guardian

Engrossing... bracing... incendiary and timely--Stuart Jeffries, Daily Telegraph

Lucid and absorbing... One of my highlight books of the year--Stuart Kelly, Scotsman

Elegant and entertaining... refreshingly even-handed--The Critic

A profound meditation upon the way we perceive ourselves and the pits we frequently fall into, either as individuals or as groups, from the schoolyard to the nation state. Against Identity is revelatory, written with singular clarity and granite purpose, using little-known philosophies to think better and live with less turmoil, self-torture and aggression. In times of pessimism and chaos, it is a welcome voice of optimism and possibility--Richard Whatmore

Impressive, convincing, and moving... Against Identity provides a way of navigating life wisely. It is so relevant to our present convulsions around identity, and yet (despite the provocative title), beautifully free of stridency, aggression, and jargon--Michael Kirwan

A refreshingly inventive, challenging and provocative book that demands we think more deeply about this modern mantra to be yourself. Crisscrossing continents and several millennia of thought about the self, Douglas sets out a powerful vision of human liberation through a shared identitylessness--Dan Taylor

A philosophically rigorous yet impassioned critique of identity as both metaphysical error and social pathology. What the book offers is not an ethic of self-expression but a practice of disidentification: a way of letting go that is neither defeatist nor escapist, but attentive to the costs of identity and the possibilities that open up when we cease to grasp. Against Identity is generous, incisive, and quietly radical--Christine Tan

Accessible and engaging, the book bridges scholarly exploration and existential reflection. Readers will learn about Spinoza, Zhuangzi, and Rene Girard, and, at the same time, realize how these thinkers illuminate the pitfalls of our contemporary obsessions with identity and a supposedly "true self"--Dr. Hans-Georg Moeller

A brilliant and important work. Alexander Douglas here presents a highly original, creative, and profound treatment. Every thinker and researcher concerned with the self should read at least Douglas's integrative introduction--Roy F. Baumeister, author of The Self Explained: Why and How We Become Who We Are

About the Author

Alexander Douglas was born in Canberra, Australia where he studied music and philosophy. He now teaches the history of philosophy and the philosophy of economics at the University of St Andrews. He has published two books on the philosophy of Benedict de Spinoza and one on the philosophy of debt. He has grown increasingly interested in combining ideas from Western and East Asian philosophy. He loves music, literature, history, and engineering. He lives with his wife in Edinburgh.