IDENTITY POLITICS - LEFT AND RIGHT
New book by Nils Holtug out on Oxford University Press
According to a common narrative, identity politics derives from leftist postmodernism and is antithetical to liberalism and Enlightenment universalism. However, in this book, Holtug argues that this narrative is false. Identity politics is propagated not only by the left but also by the right, is not tied to postmodernism, and various forms of it are quite compatible with liberalism and Enlightenment values. Indeed, based on a liberal egalitarian political framework, he 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. Along the way, the book deals with conceptual issues (what is identity politics?), the normative political basis for assessing identity politics, and empirical issues, such as whether identity politics fractures society and drives down social solidarity. Furthermore, specific identity policies are considered and assessed, including affirmative action for African Americans, opposition to the n-word and blackfacing, opposition to cultural appropriation and out-group representation in art, and forms of ‘cancel culture’ such as no platforming and pulling down statues of morally compromised historical figures. Holtug also critically discusses forms of identity politics that are more specific to the political right, including white supremacism, white nationalism, and ethnopluralism, but also less extreme forms of nationalism such as liberal nationalism.