A review by ammarakh
Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny by Amartya Sen

3.0

Amartya Sen tries to emphasize the multifarious nature of identity in this book. Any attempts to accentuate a singular identity, he opines, are not just a gross misrepresentation of human identity but a potential catalyst for violence. He mostly focuses on how the idea of an all encompassing religious identity undermines other identities. Also, he explains the inherent fault in the popular counter fundamentalism approach that seeks to give voice to “moderate” religious views but fails to see how such an approach undermines other civic identities and thus further divides people along religious lines, instead of bringing them together. He believes that we all need to embrace the fluid nature of our identity. He realises that there are certain constraints in choosing any identity we want but believes that we still have the freedom to choose. If we refuse to acknowledge this freedom, he warns, we might end up with a regressive identity. He gives the example of religious fundamentalism that often turns violent, in this context.
I found most of the arguments quite compelling but felt the chapter on colonialism was rather problematic. But then Amartya Sen is an economist and it is perhaps too much to expect him to be on par with any political philosophers on a topic as replete with tough problems as postcolonialism.
All in all, I quite liked this book and would like to read his other works which focus more on economics.