Identity by Negation. The Perils of a Society Defined by What It Rejects E-Book

Jan Bentz

• Herausgeber: GRIN Verlag
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Essay from the year 2024 in the subject Philosophy - Theoretical (Realisation, Science, Logic, Language), , language: English, abstract: This paper examines the ongoing crisis of Western identity, tracing its roots to Enlightenment ideals and the philosophical frameworks they inspired. Through an analysis grounded in the works of Hegel, Descartes, and modern identity theory, the study argues that the Enlightenment’s emphasis on autonomy and reason inadvertently fragmented the Western conception of self. This fragmentation is further exacerbated by contemporary identity politics, which often define identity through negation rather than affirmation. By contrasting these trends with classical understandings of identity, which emphasize a positive, transcendent foundation, the paper reveals the limitations of defining selfhood within an immanent, secular framework.