The Vicious Cycle of Identity Politics | 5-Minute Videos | PragerU
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We think of identity politics as a modern idea, something that emerged from academia in recent decades. But it isn't new at all. It's one of the oldest ideas in history: the instinct to divide people by tribe instead of judging them as individuals. America was founded to reject this idea. So why has it come roaring back, and where does it lead? Associate professor of philosophy Andre Archie explains.
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Transcript:
The Vicious Cycle of Identity Politics
Presented by Andre Archie
We think of identity politics — defining a group based on its race, religion, or sexual orientation — as a new development, something that recently emerged out of academia.
The truth is, identity politics has a long history in the United States. You could fairly say it was the basis of the Civil War.
Ultimately, this obsession with group identity was rejected. It is fundamentally a primitive concept and not an American one. The American ideal, as stated in the Declaration of Independence and later reaffirmed in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, has always been a colorblind society in which people are judged based on merit and character.
But toxic ideas have a way of resurfacing. Identity politics is one of those ideas.
The overriding question for those who embrace identity politics seems to be, “Who am I?” On its own, the question is perfectly legitimate. But it easily becomes destructive when it demands that one’s group-based identity be recognized in law, corporate hiring and other
