Abstract
In Praise of Identity Politics
Identity politics endangers democracy – this is the core message of anti-woke discourse, which legitimizes a right-wing rejection of liberal pluralism within mainstream discourse. Against this critical chorus, the paper defends identity politics as indispensable for the ongoing improvement of liberal democracy. Why do we need to praise identity politics? Because it exposes real discrimination and makes it possible to articulate related demands. It provides the democratic process with knowledge of its deficits that would otherwise remain hidden. The paper discusses common criticisms and debunks them: Does Identity Politics threaten our freedom? Does it reduce people to a rigit identity? Will universalist values be destroyed? The real purpose of identity politics is to concretize and better realize the universalist promise of democracy – equality and freedom for all.
Short bio
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Name |
Dr. Karsten Schubert |
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Position |
ass. Researcher |
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Affiliation |
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin |
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Research focus |
Contemporary critical political theory (at the intersection of French thought, critical theory and political liberalism, especially radical democratic theories), Contemporary social-critical ethics (particularly intersectional theory and debates about identity politics, cancel culture, political correctness and academic freedom), Queer, gay and feminist theory Michel Foucault (particularly his political philosophy and biopolitics), Critical legal theory, human rights, global democratization |
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relevant Publications |
Schubert, Karsten. 2024. Lob der Identitätspolitik. [Identity politics: An appraisal] München: C.H.Beck. Schubert, Karsten, und Kolja Möller (Hg.). 2024. Special Issue: „Die Auflösung des liberalen Konsenses.“ [The dissolution of the liberal consensus] Zeitschrift für Politische Theorie 14(1/2023): 3–106. Schubert, Karsten. 2023. „Identity Politics and the Democratization of Democracy: Oscillations Between Power and Reason in Radical Democratic and Standpoint Theory.“ Constellations, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8675.12715 [Online first]. Schubert, Karsten. 2023. „Zwei Begriffe Der Wissenschaftsfreiheit: Zum Verhältnis von Wissenschaft und Politik.“ [Two concepts of academic freedom: The relationship between science and politics] Zeitschrift für Praktische Philosophie 10(1): 39–78. Schubert, Karsten. 2018. Freiheit als Kritik: Sozialphilosophie nach Foucault. [Freedom as Critique: Social Philosophy after Foucault] Bielefeld: transcript. |
