Dan's review
Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny (Issues of Our Time) by Amartya K. Sen
This book presents an issue that is growing in importance. In particular, Amartya Sen argues that a growing tendency to view individuals (and ourselves) as belonging to separate groups defined by only one particular characteristic (in the vein of Samuel Huntington's 'Clash of Civilizations) is both unrealistic and dangerous. Specifically, he cites the growing tendency in American foreign policy and by Islamic extremists to define the other as singularly "Muslim" or "Western." When policy decisions are based upon this reductionist definitions, they results are generally negative and far-reaching. When this tendency to simplistically classify others is used to categorize one's own group, it leads to an unrealistic and esoteric sense of destiny (i.e. any speech on the war / terrorism by George W. Bush or any taped speech by Osama bin Laden). All this contributes to the increasingly divisive and violent world situation.
Overall, it is written clearly and he even in...more
Overall, it is written clearly and he even in...more
