Against Identity

Deeply interesting… a superb critique of contemporary self-obsession – Steven Poole * Guardian *
Engrossing… bracing… incendiary and timely – Stuart Jeffries * Daily Telegraph *
Lucid and absorbing… One of my highlight books of the year – Stuart Kelly * Scotsman *
Elegant and entertaining… refreshingly even-handed * The Critic *
A profound meditation upon the way we perceive ourselves and the pits we frequently fall into, either as individuals or as groups, from the schoolyard to the nation state. Against Identity is revelatory, written with singular clarity and granite purpose, using little-known philosophies to think better and live with less turmoil, self-torture and aggression. In times of pessimism and chaos, it is a welcome voice of optimism and possibility – Richard Whatmore
Impressive, convincing, and moving… Against Identity provides a way of navigating life wisely. It is so relevant to our present convulsions around identity, and yet (despite the provocative title), beautifully free of stridency, aggression, and jargon – Michael Kirwan
A refreshingly inventive, challenging and provocative book that demands we think more deeply about this modern mantra to be yourself. Crisscrossing continents and several millennia of thought about the self, Douglas sets out a powerful vision of human liberation through a shared identitylessness – Dan Taylor
A philosophically rigorous yet impassioned critique of identity as both metaphysical error and social pathology. What the book offers is not an ethic of self-expression but a practice of disidentification: a way of letting go that is neither defeatist nor escapist, but attentive to the costs of identity and the possibilities that open up when we cease to grasp. Against Identity is generous, incisive, and quietly radical – Christine Tan
Accessible and engaging, the book bridges scholarly exploration and existential reflection. Readers will learn about Spinoza, Zhuangzi, and Rene Girard, and, at the same time, realize how these thinkers illuminate the pitfalls of our contemporary obsessions with identity and a supposedly “true self” – Dr. Hans-Georg Moeller
A brilliant and important work. Alexander Douglas here presents a highly original, creative, and profound treatment. Every thinker and researcher concerned with the self should read at least Douglas’s integrative introduction – Roy F. Baumeister, author of The Self Explained: Why and How We Become Who We Are

Alexander Douglas was born in Canberra, Australia where he studied music and philosophy. He now teaches the history of philosophy and the philosophy of economics at the University of St Andrews. He has published two books on the philosophy of Benedict de Spinoza and one on the philosophy of debt. He has grown increasingly interested in combining ideas from Western and East Asian philosophy. He loves music, literature, history, and engineering. He lives with his wife in Edinburgh.

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