Abstract
In recent decades, struggles for recognition have increasingly dominated the political landscape.1 Recognition theorists such as Charles Taylor (1994) and Axel Honneth (1995) seek to interpret and justify these struggles through the idea that our identity is shaped, at least partly, by our relations with other people. Because our identity is shaped in this way, it is alleged that feelings of self-worth, self-respect and self-esteem are possible only if we are positively recognised for who we are. Consequently, for many political theorists, recognition is an integral component of a satisfactory modern theory of justice, as well as the means by which both historical and contemporary political struggles can be understood and justified.
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© 2015 Paddy McQueen
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McQueen, P. (2015). The Politics of Recognition. In: Subjectivity, Gender and the Struggle for Recognition. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137425997_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137425997_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-49065-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-42599-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Religion & Philosophy CollectionPhilosophy and Religion (R0)
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