"Identity Politics: The Quest for Dignity and Recognition" Author: [US] Francis Fukuyama Series: Ideal Country Translation Series

「Editor's Recommendation」

★ Fukuyama's new work directly hits many phenomena such as the wave of populism in Europe and the United States, and examines the international political situation from the perspective of identity politics

This book is a recently published work by Francis Fukuyama, the author of The End of History and the Last Man. The author closely follows recent international events such as the Arab Spring, Trump's administration, and the Syrian crisis, and analyzes the causes and logic of the changing situation from the key perspective of "identity politics".

★ Classic Fukuyama-style broad perspective, from Plato's Republic to Bin Laden, tracing the philosophical and political roots of "identity"

The author analyzes the origins of "identity" from three dimensions: philosophy, political science, and real politics. It covers global political trends such as the wave of populism in Europe and the United States, the rise of authoritarianism, and religious disputes, and deeply explores the philosophical thoughts of ancient Greece and the Enlightenment, analyzing the origins of "identity" from the inside out.

★ Read Fukuyama's recommended selections for the first time, helping readers reflect on the "identity" issue that everyone has to face

The "identity" issue that this book focuses on is not only directly related to global current politics, but also closely related to the lives of ordinary people. The issues involved, such as ethnicity, gender, and class, are "identity" issues that everyone has to face. The book is short and concise, unlike Fukuyama's previous works which are so distant and heavy. Therefore, it is the best choice for those who are reading Fukuyama for the first time.

★ Professor Liu Yu's long article is recommended, analyzing the pros and cons of identity politics in combination with international political current affairs

Liu Yu, a professor at the Department of Political Science at Tsinghua University, provides a 10,000-word introduction, combining recent hot news such as the Taliban in Afghanistan to summarize the outline of the book, point out the way to think about the maze of identity politics, and help readers better understand Fukuyama's writing purpose and the charm of his thoughts.

「Content Introduction」

In this book, Fukuyama follows the path of thinking he started in his article The End of History? 30 years ago, and discusses what identity is and how we should deal with the political division caused by it, focusing on the threat that today's identity politics brings to the political order. The author discusses from the two dimensions of the history of ideas and the history of politics, tracing back to the Greek philosophical tradition of the three elements of Socrates' soul, recounting the ideas about dignity of thinkers such as Rousseau, Smith, Herder, and Hegel, and discussing the rise and fall of nationalism, religion, and the left and right wings in the West. He discusses contemporary political issues such as the Arab Spring, the anti-immigration wave, and the rise of populism, and compares the similarities and differences of identity politics in various parts of the world. He proposed that identity is not a new thing spawned by contemporary politics. It is rooted in the passion of the human soul, the desire for dignity, and the unique life experience of individuals. It has emerged with the rapid transformation of economic modernization and society, replacing the old forms of community and becoming a way for people to gain recognition; it is not a constant thing, nor does it necessarily lead to social division.

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