Today is a good time to think and reflect. Goodness knows, it will be too hot to do much else. In his new book, Against Identity, The Wisdom of Escaping the Self, Andrew Douglas, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at St Andrews in Scotland, examines the thought of three philosophers, Zhangzi, Benedict Spinoza, and Rene Girard, and how we use our identities as a way to separate ourselves from others.
Our ties to our identities are destructive for both right and left, he writes, because our views of the world are so tied to our identities. People respond to criticism as if their very identities are being attacked. This is one reason why factchecking conspiracy theories does not work.
Identity is both given and assumed, especially in this age of social media. Although one cannot really be a doctor without a medical degree, all sorts of people can claim to have medical knowledge, about vaccines, for example. So we do not listen to medical experts but create our own “knowledge.”
Prayer for the Day
Often our attitudes conceal rather than reveal you,
Unveil our eyes, O God, and open them to others;
Often our hearts are hard and unforgiving,
Soften our hearts, O God, so we absorb love like a sponge.
Transfigure our lives so we reflect the light of your Spirit,
And transform the world to reflect your mercy.
In the name of the One who transforms our lives,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Individualism is really conformism to a model. What we think of our own special identity is just a suit of borrowed clothes.
If you define yourself by your ethnicity or your taste in music, then you ipso facto demarcate yourself against others who do not share in that identity. Here we have the basis for division and intergroup conflict
Andrew Douglas, from Against Identity
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth, sing the glory of God’s name;
Give to God glorious praise, saying, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth worships you, singing praises to you,
Singing praises to your name.
Psalm 66: 1-4