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A great deal has been written about so-called “identity politics”, much of it simplistic and unedifying. The term itself is highly contentious. In his new book The Identity Trap, writer and academic Yascha Mounk prefers to speak of the “identity synthesis” as a way of acknowledging the complicated intellectual origins of an ideological perspective that has become highly influential.
As Hugh Breakey notes in his sharp appraisal of The Identity Trap, Mounk argues strongly against the contemporary tendency to place identity at the centre of progressive thought. A left-leaning liberal himself, Mounk makes a case for a return to old-school universalism. A primary focus on identity, he proposes, leads inevitably to a form of “progressive separatism” that is not only incoherent but counterproductive. Along the way, Mounk sets out, as clearly and
objectively as he can, the core principles of the view he opposes.
This makes the book particularly interesting and useful, as Breakey observes. He interprets The Identity Trap as a work that is valuable not simply for its power of provocation and force of argument, but for its attempt to clarify a subject that is so often mired in rancorous misrepresentation and polemicising. One does not have to agree with all of Mounk’s conclusions to recognise that, in The Identity Trap, he has made a timely contribution to one of the defining political arguments of our time.
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James Ley
Deputy Books + Ideas Editor
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Hugh Breakey, Griffith University
Is social justice advanced by focusing on people’s different identities? Or is this worldview ultimately a trap?
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Weekend long reads
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Maria Tumarkin, The University of Melbourne; Juliet Rogers, The University of Melbourne
Bit by bit, the philosopher Rai Gaita showed Maria Tumarkin and Juliet Rogers the morally serious worth of face-to-face conversation.
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Camilla Nelson, University of Notre Dame Australia
In Intercourse, Andrea Dworkin set out to expose the power dynamics underpinning sexual relationships. Her book was pilloried in the 1980s, but many of her ideas no longer look so radical.
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Charles Barbour, Western Sydney University
In The Manic, Benjamin Labatut tells the story of the ‘smartest man of the 20th century’.
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Jessica Gildersleeve, University of Southern Queensland
Christos Tsiolkas’s new novel is more interested in individuals and our influences on one another than on Australia’s social problems.
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Alexander Howard, University of Sydney
The winners of the 2023 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced – and they’re a diverse bunch of books, with a focus on reconnection, regeneration, questioning and beauty.
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Craig Billingham, UNSW Sydney
Pi O is known for his wit and irreverence. His anarchism, reflexive anti-Americanism and anti-capitalism are all part of the deal.
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Our most-read article this week
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James Wood, UNSW Sydney; Bette Liu, UNSW Sydney; Katie Louise Flanagan, University of Tasmania; Stuart Turville, UNSW Sydney
This is expected to be the smallest Omicron wave so far. But eligible older and vulnerable people are still recommended to have a booster.
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In case you missed this week's big stories
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Ian Parmeter, Australian National University
With so many questions left unanswered, there is a growing disconnect between Netanyahu and the Biden administration in the US.
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Ritesh Shah, University of Auckland
A four-year survey of Palestinian school children in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem found hope and wellbeing already seriously declining. The situation now can only make it worse.
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Marika Sosnowski, The University of Melbourne
Virtually as old as conflict itself, a ceasefire is a way of formalising a halt to violence between warring parties. But ceasefires can come in many different forms, leading to disagreements.
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Mark A Gregory, RMIT University
Optus says the unprecedented outage last week was caused by a ‘routine software upgrade’. An expert explains why this points to more serious problems with the network.
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Helen Bird, Swinburne University of Technology
The Optus chief will face some tough questions about the company’s poor handling of last week’s catastrophic network outage when she appears before a Senate inquiry.
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Mary Anne Kenny, Murdoch University
This week, the High Court made an order which overturns the laws on which much of Australia’s immigration system is based. What happens to the law, and those most affected by it, now?
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The High Court isn’t usually front and centre in politics. But when it is, it can land unexpected punches that throw governments off balance.
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Jane McAdam, UNSW Sydney
Historically, most Pacific visa programs in Australia have been tied to labour mobility. And none has specifically referenced climate change as a driving rationale.
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Nick Bisley, La Trobe University
Despite a positive meeting, the contest between the world’s two biggest economies remains heated, largely without guardrails and of immense risk.
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Eve Mayes, Deakin University; Ruchira Talukdar, Deakin University
It’s been five years since school students first went on strike for climate action. Much has changed.
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Marc Collinson, Bangor University
Some former leaders provide a much needed steady hand. Others just steal the limelight.
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Jago Dodson, RMIT University
Until now we’ve paid lip service to rigorous assessment of big projects, and it’s hard to do more than that when they are inherently political.
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Renee Carey, Curtin University
Engineered stone is a popular material often used for kitchen benches. But it carries serious health risks for the tradies who work with it.
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David Tuffley, Griffith University
Port operator DP World handles roughly 40% of Australia’s sea freight. Over the weekend its ports were disrupted by what appears to be a malicious, targeted cyberattack.
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Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Life hasn’t been this unaffordable in Australia in 40 years. There’s still time to redesign tax cuts starting next July – which would give $9,000 to high earners but just $1,000 to ordinary earners.
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Nataliya Ilyushina, RMIT University
The chatbot has been released to a small group of testers and some of X’s Premium+ subscribers – many of them have shared their initial thoughts.
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Edwina Luck, Queensland University of Technology; Nicholas Grech, Queensland University of Technology
Many thought Jim’s Beauty – branded with a bearded tradie – was a social media joke. But don’t bank on it failing: sales data shows there may be a gap in the market for at-home beauty services.
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Melbourne VIC, Australia
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The Conversation AU
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