Identity Politics: Left and Right

According to a common narrative, identity politics derives from leftist postmodernism, and is antithetical to both liberalism and Enlightenment universalism. This narrative, however, is false. Identity politics is propagated not only by the left but also by the right-and it is not tied to postmodernism. Various forms of identity politics are, in fact, quite compatible with liberalism and Enlightenment values.

Based on a liberal egalitarian framework, Nils Holtug argues that some forms of identity politics are well worth pursuing, while others should clearly be resisted. Among other things, identity politics can serve to increase the opportunities of worse off, marginalized groups. In this book, Holtug considers and assesses specific identity policies, including affirmative action for African Americans, opposition to the n-word and blackfacing, and the backlash against cultural appropriation and out-group representation in art.

Identity Politics surveys various forms of ’cancel culture’, such as no platforming and the pulling down of statues depicting morally compromised historical figures. Holtug also scrutinizes instances that are more specific to the political right, including white supremacism and ethnopluralism. Finally, he considers the suggestion that identity politics is divisive and drives down social solidarity, arguing that while some forms of identity politics do indeed drive down solidarity, this is less clear in the case of the minority-accommodating policies.

Nils Holtug, University of Copenhagen

Nils Holtug is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Copenhagen. He has published extensively on egalitarianism, prioritarianism, migration, social cohesion, and population ethics. His books include The Politics of Social Cohesion. Immigration, Community, and Justice (Oxford University Press 2021), Persons, Interests, and Justice (Oxford University Press 2010), and Egalitarianism: New Essays on the Nature and Value of Equality (co-edited with Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen; Clarendon Press 2006).