Kwame Anthony Appiah - Identity as a choice (Part 1/2)

Over the long history of our species, human beings have developed complex forms of identity, which make it possible to live together, says Ghanaian-British philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah , chosen by Le Nouvel Observateur as one of the 25 most important thinkers of our time. Identities change, but they are not replaced with nothing: they are replaced with changed identities. The modern economic environment requires us to live together, so we have to develop forms of identity that draw on the narratives from the past, that draw on traditional identities. But, we have to be imaginative about drawing on the past, about imagining the bits of the past that are useful to us. Identities and cultures are in constant flux, and we must draw on narratives from the past to create the common identities of the future. We interviewed Kwame Anthony Appiah during our Istanbul Seminars 2011.
Watch the second part of this interview ("Culture Crosses Boundaries"): • Kwame Anthony Appiah -...
A film by Nikolai Eberth
Interview: Nina zu Fürstenberg
Watch all of our videos here: www.resetdoc.or...
The Istanbul Seminars are an annual highly academic early summer seminar organized in Istanbul (with Bilgi University, which also hosts the event) by ResetDoC where cultural and scientific thinkers in social sciences, philosophy, political theory, sociology, legal studies and religion discuss our common future. The seminars tackled the following topics. Postsecularism (2008), Religion, Human Rights and Multicultural Jurisdictions (2009), Realigning liberalism: pluralism, integration, identities (2010), Overcoming the trap of resentment (2011), The promise of democracy in troubled times (2012), The Sources of Political Legitimacy. From the Erosion of the Nation-State to the Rise of Political Islam (2013), The Sources of Pluralism - Metaphysics, Epistemology, Law and Politics (2014).
More information on www.resetdoc.org