Recognition

A tension between the desire to be respected as an equal and thedesire to distinguish oneself as a unique person lies at the heartof the modern social order. Everyone cares about recognition: noone wants to be treated with disrespect, insulted, humiliated, orsimply ignored. This basic motivation drives the ‘politics ofrecognition’ which we see in those struggles for inclusionand equality in relation to gender, ethnicity, race and sexualityand which seek to affirm the public value of these particular identities.

In this compelling new book Cillian McBride argues that the notionof recognition is not merely confined to these struggles, but has along history, from ancient ethical ideals centred on theachievement of honour and glory, to Enlightenment ideals of humandignity and equality. He explores the politics of cultural rightsand recognition, the conflict between dignity and esteem, the roleof shame and stigma in systems of social control and punishment,the prospects for a just society in which everyone receives the recognition they deserve, and the way in which we come to beindependent, self-determining persons through negotiating the networks of social recognition we inhabit.

Recognition will be essential reading for students inphilosophy and political theory, and any general readers interestedin trying to understand and evaluate the role of recognition in the modern world.