Recognition, Identity and Citizenship after the End of History
Recognition, Identity and Citizenship after the End of History

Summary/Abstract: One of the most fundamental needs of all human beings is the need for recognition. This need for recognition can only be met if a society is structured in such a way to provide support, acknowledgement, and positive imagery for groups and individuals to use in the production of identity. In normative terms, recognition is a key aspect of critical social theory because it provides a standard by which we can assess an individual’s perception of the social treatment they receive. The institutions and social arrangements which allow the full and free development of identity are, from this point of reference, more acceptable than those which do not. In a post-traditional world, recognition is a human need, a social good, and a point of reference that can be used to compare the validity of social arrangements. In this paper, the cultural and legal assumption that rights and citizenship are based on the Enlightenment’s conception of universal human equality is contrasted with the demand for recognition from particular groups based on specific characteristics or unique experiences of oppression.

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