Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self, by Alexander Douglas

A philosopher explores notions of identity in this fascinating study.

Philosopher Alexander Douglas was born in Canberra, Australia, and now teaches at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. In Against Identity, he explores how we cultivate our identities and how such a pursuit can harm us personally. Not only that, but identity - with clans, nations, social groups, ideologies - leads to social disharmony, conflict, even war. How to break out of this mind set and perhaps find peace? Douglas examines the thought of three philosophers from vastly different times and cultures - Zhuangzi (4th century BCE China), Spinoza (Dutch Enlightenment) and Rene Girard (20th century French theorist).

The overarching theory that Douglas weaves together is that identity is mimetic - we look to others and emulate people we think of as ideal. We imitate identity models. We also like others to emulate us. But identity can never be fixed - our subjective selves change constantly, as does the world around us. The remedy to this is to “embrace all possible identities while being defined by none of them.” That is, accept otherness and the ebb and flow of life, but resist defining ourselves against others. 

​A deeply thought out theory of being presented in lucid, accessible prose.

Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self, by Alexander Douglas. Published by Allen Lane. $45

JAN26