Why Are Identity Politics So Intense in the U.S.?
Summary
TLDRThis video script explores the concept of identity politics in America, rooted in the desire for individual recognition and respect. It traces the evolution from societies where identity was predetermined to modern America, where individualism is prized. The script discusses how the American ideal of equality clashes with tribal instincts and historical tribal politics, leading to bitter identity conflicts. It examines the unique political nature of American identity, founded on the Declaration of Independence's principles, and how disagreements over the interpretation of these ideals fuel ongoing societal battles.
Takeaways
- 😀 People inherently desire to feel important and recognized, which is a fundamental aspect of human nature.
- 🌟 Dale Carnegie's work emphasizes the importance of making individuals feel respected and valued to win their friendship and influence them.
- 🏛️ Identity politics has become a significant aspect of modern societies, particularly in the United States, which is structured around the principle of individual importance.
- 🕰️ Historically, earlier societies did not prioritize individual identity as much as modern societies do, with people's roles and identities often predetermined by societal norms.
- 🔨 Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation marked a pivotal shift by distinguishing between inner and outer lives, emphasizing the importance of one's inner self and faith.
- 💭 The concept of the inner self evolved over time, influenced by Romantic poets and philosophers who advocated for the inherent goodness of individuals and the corrupting influence of society.
- 🌱 Liberalism emerged as a political philosophy that argued for the protection of individuals, leading to societal structures that recognized the value of all individuals, not just an elite few.
- 🗽 The United States was founded on the principle that all people are created equal, with the Declaration of Independence setting forth the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- 🔍 American society is described as 'disharmonic' due to the conflict between its ideals and the reality of group-based discrimination and politics.
- 🤝 The 'Melting Pot' ideal encourages Americans to overcome group differences and form a singular American identity, but this has not fully resolved issues of identity-based inequality.
Q & A
What is the main idea presented in the script about human nature and societal structure?
-The script suggests that humans have an innate desire to feel important and recognized, which has led to the development of identity politics. It discusses how societies have evolved from rigid social orders to ones that prioritize individual importance, with the United States being a prime example of a society structured around the principle of individual value.
How did Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation influence the concept of identity?
-Martin Luther's Reformation emphasized the distinction between inner and outer lives, prioritizing inner faith over outer rituals. This shift allowed for the political conception of prioritizing one's inner life, which contributed to the development of the idea of an authentic inner self separate from societal identity.
What role did Romantic Poets and philosophers like John Jacques Rousseau play in the evolution of the inner self concept?
-Romantic Poets and philosophers such as Rousseau contributed to the evolution of the inner self concept by glorifying personal inner thoughts and feelings and proposing that society was the source of many of humanity's problems, thus pushing the idea that society should recognize the inherent value of individuals and their inner selves.
How did the political philosophy of liberalism influence the structure of societies?
-Liberalism argued for a government that protects individuals' rights, leading to a shift from societies structured around an elite few to democracies that recognize the inherent equal value of everyone. This philosophy was instrumental in changing institutions to be more inclusive and individual-focused.
What is the significance of the Declaration of Independence in shaping American identity?
-The Declaration of Independence is significant as it encapsulates the American ideology, emphasizing principles like equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It declares a baseline level of dignity and respect for every individual, setting the foundation for American identity and society.
Why is the concept of identity politics particularly bitter in America according to the script?
-The script suggests that the bitterness in American identity politics stems from a conflict between the ideals and the reality of America. The strong political ideals of freedom and equality are not always reflected in actual experiences, leading to intense debates and political fighting as people try to reconcile these differences.
How does the script describe the American identity as unique compared to other national identities?
-The script describes American identity as unique because it is founded on political ideals rather than organic historical evolution. It was established at a specific moment in time with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, making it distinct from other national identities that are often based on shared history, culture, and ethnicity.
What are the five principles that form the American consensus according to the script?
-The five principles that form the American consensus are liberty, equality, individualism, democracy, and the rule of law under the Constitution. These values are widely shared and form the bedrock of American identity.
Why do disagreements over identity politics in America often lead to intense political battles?
-Disagreements over identity politics in America lead to intense political battles because they challenge the core values that form the American identity. When these values are perceived as under threat or not being upheld, it can feel like an existential threat, leading to passionate defense and conflict.
How does the script suggest that the American identity might be affected if its core values were taken away?
-The script implies that if the core values of the American identity were taken away, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, there would be a significant impact on what holds Americans together and what defines America as a nation. It suggests that these values are so integral to the identity that their removal could lead to a crisis of national identity.
Outlines
🌟 The Importance of Individual Identity and Recognition
The paragraph discusses the intrinsic human desire to feel important and recognized. It contrasts modern societies, where individuals are encouraged to explore their identity, with historical societies where roles were predetermined. The paragraph highlights the influence of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in emphasizing the importance of an individual's inner life over societal roles. It also touches on the development of liberalism and the shift towards democracies that value the individual, exemplified by the United States' founding principles in the Declaration of Independence.
🏗️ The Evolution of Identity and Tribalism in Society
This paragraph delves into the concepts of self and group identity, explaining how humans naturally categorize and form in-groups and out-groups. It discusses the inherent tribalism in human nature and how this plays out in society, from children's games to sports team rivalries. The paragraph also addresses the American ideal of equality and the challenges in reconciling this with the reality of identity-based tribalism. It critiques the 'Melting Pot' approach and discusses the ongoing group-based politics in America, suggesting that the country is a 'disharmonic society' where ideals and reality are in conflict.
🗣️ The Bitterness of Identity Politics in America
The paragraph explores the unique nature of American identity, which is deeply rooted in political ideals rather than shared history or culture. It discusses how Americans are encouraged to value their personal experiences and feelings, leading to a sense of entitlement when they perceive societal contradictions. The paragraph examines the bitter political fights that arise from these contradictions, suggesting that the intensity of these conflicts is due to the centrality of American values in national identity. It also notes the power dynamics at play, where attention to one group's issues is seen as a threat to another's interests.
🏛️ The Unprecedented Nature of American Identity and Its Impact
This final paragraph emphasizes the uniqueness of American identity, which is founded on a specific historical moment and a set of political ideals. It contrasts this with other national identities that have deeper historical and cultural roots. The paragraph suggests that the political nature of American identity makes it particularly susceptible to passionate defense and critique. It concludes by reflecting on the existential threat that perceived failures of American ideals can represent to the nation's identity, and how this leads to intense political battles that are both a sign of division and a testament to the活力 of American society.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Identity Politics
💡Inner Self
💡Authenticity
💡Liberalism
💡Declaration of Independence
💡Tribalism
💡Melting Pot
💡American Creed
💡Affirmative Action
💡Existential Threat
Highlights
People have an innate desire to feel important and recognized, which is a fundamental aspect of human nature.
Dale Carnegie's principle that respecting and making people feel important is key to winning friends and influencing others.
Identity politics has emerged as societies are structured around the importance of individuals.
The United States is a society structured around the principle of individual importance.
In earlier societies, individuals did not have much space to contemplate their inner selves due to rigid social structures.
Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation distinguished between inner and outer lives, prioritizing faith and inner feelings.
The idea of an 'inner self' evolved over time, influenced by Romantic poets and philosophers like Rousseau.
Liberalism arose as a political philosophy advocating for the protection of individuals, influencing societal structures.
The Declaration of Independence encapsulates the American ideology of equality and inalienable rights.
Humans naturally categorize and form tribes, which can lead to in-group and out-group dynamics.
The American ideal of equality conflicts with the reality of identity-based tribalism.
The 'Melting Pot' ideal encourages Americans to overcome group differences and form a singular American identity.
Identity politics in America often involves fighting for more inclusive reforms that address group inequalities.
American identity is unique, being founded on political ideals rather than organic historical evolution.
American identity is deeply tied to the American creed of liberty, equality, individualism, democracy, and rule of law.
Disagreements over the interpretation of American values can lead to intense political battles.
The strong political nature of American identity makes it susceptible to passionate defense and perceived existential threats.
The fight over identity in America reflects a struggle between the ideals that unite and divide the nation.
Transcripts
people want to feel important
we all have a storyline going in our
heads and we're the main characters of
that storyline we want the world to at
least some extent reflect that that
means that down inside we're not just
machines that want material things we
don't just want food drinks houses or
cars we also have other Cravings we want
to be recognized respected and even
loved it's a basic principle of human
nature that's been reiterated countless
times but is perhaps best captured by
Dale Carnegie in 1936 who argued that if
you want to win friends and influence
people you have to pay people respect
you have to pay attention to them and
you have to make them feel important
but what does this have to do with
identity politics identity Politics as
we understand the term now emerged and
you could say became possible once we
started structuring societies around
that principle the principle of the
importance of individual people and the
United States of America is the
prominent Society on the planet
structured around that principle so
there's a lot to unpack here today we're
going to talk about identity why we care
about it why we fight over it and why
that fighting is so bitter in America I
think it'll help to start by comparing
people in societies now to people and
societies say 500 years ago or a
thousand years ago it doesn't seem like
average people in earlier societies
spent much time thinking about who they
were deep inside because the societies
that they're born into didn't leave much
space for that you were probably told
your place in the social order your
Customs your beliefs probably who you're
going to marry and probably what your
job was if you're unhappy you'd probably
go to a religious figure or an elder who
would say the solution would be to get
back in alignment with society's
expectations so basically the modern
idea of a therapist was inconceivable at
the time people were aware of identity
characteristics at the time but they
didn't have an idea of an authentic
inner self being separate from the
identity that Society placed on them so
you probably wouldn't find for example
people saying that Society labels them a
woman but deep down inside they're
authentic in herself is actually a man
Martin Luther is understood as the
person who changed that at least for
Western Civilization when he nailed his
95 Theses to the wittenberg's church
door and began the Protestant
Reformation Martin Luther importantly
made a distinction between inner lives
and outer lives our outer life is how we
conceive of ourselves in relation to
society and our inner life is how we
genuinely feel inside he said the word
of God cannot be received and honored by
any works by that he means rituals but
by faith alone and that Faith Can Reign
only in the inward man Martin Luther's
inner self only only had one dimension
it just meant your relationship with God
your decision to have faith or not of
Faith but for Martin Luther faith
suffices for everything so that marked a
shift where it became politically
conceivable to prioritize our inner life
and not our outer life the idea of our
inner life developed over time it was
pushed Along by Romantic Poets who
glorified their own inner thoughts and
feelings and philosophers like John
Jacques Rousseau who believed that
people were inherently happy and good
and that it was society that accounted
for most of Humanity's problems gaining
Mastery over other animals he said
produced Humanity's first moment of
Pride gaining Mastery over Arts and
Sciences corrupts Humanity's Souls man
is Born Free he said and everywhere he
is in Chains as the idea of the inner
self-developed the idea also spread that
Society wasn't adequately recognizing
the value of individuals and their inner
selves corresponding with these ideas
was the rise of the political philosophy
liberalism which argue argued that the
purpose of government was to protect the
individuals living under it if you asked
which individuals liberals would answer
all of them that was notably brought
along by John Locke who argued that the
purpose of government was to protect the
life liberty and property of its
citizens it was becoming possible to say
that Society should be structured around
the needs of individuals rather than
saying individuals should be expected to
conform to society and with that our
institutions changed outwent societies
that were structured to recognize the
inherent Superior value of an elite few
namely monarchies and in came
democracies which at least in theory are
structured to recognize the inherent
equal value of everyone the United
States of America was the first society
that took this step to base itself on
those principles its ideology is
captured in the Declaration of
Independence which reads we hold these
truths to be self-evident that all men
are created equal that they are endowed
by their creator with certain
unalienable rights that among the our
life liberty and the pursuit of
happiness that to secure these rights
governments are instituted among men
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed that whenever
any form of government becomes
destructive of these ends it is the
right of the people to alter or to
abolish it and to Institute new
government we'll get back to the
Declaration in a bit let's think for a
moment about the concept of self one way
that we think about self is in terms of
our own individual person I am me and
you are you
but another way that we think about self
is in terms of groups human beings have
a natural tendency to categorize things
we say this group of people all have a
certain thing in common so I'll create a
word for that for generalization
purposes we say these people are men and
these people are women these people are
short and these people are tall as we
make these categories we're aware when
we ourselves fit into them and we're
also aware that there are other people
who don't fit into them so there's a
relative aspect to these categories for
example we understand the concept of
being short relative to other people who
are not short human beings also have a
natural tendency towards tribalism we
naturally create in groups and out
groups people who are part of our group
and people who are not part of our group
we don't have to make groups based on
the classic identity categories we can
make groups based on other lines if you
assign two colors of shirts for kids to
wear for example kids wearing the same
color shirt will treat each other
preferentially kids will show that bias
even without prompting from adults it's
also the basic psychological driver
behind the popularity of sports
we like having our team and we like
seeing our team beat their team even if
the members of our team change
arbitrarily over time now with that in
mind let's go back to the first line I
read from the Declaration of
Independence
we hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal this is a
declaration of inherent equality this is
declaring that no one is inherently born
with higher value or lower value is
declaring a certain amount a baseline
level of dignity and respect for
everyone in America but we naturally
categorize and were inherently tribal
that means that the Declaration is
basically an ideal that's hard to
reconcile with reality
I'm sure you've seen this before but if
you just look at all the faces of
American presidents to date you might
notice some similarities in identity
traits so this is a kind of identity
politics happening whether or not the
name is invoked people in one group
being tribal and privileging members of
its own group I think from here we can
go right into the heart of the matter
America is what you could call a
disharmonic society the ideals of
America and the reality of America are
in Conflict when you're born and raised
in America you're told those ideals but
when you get to a certain age or you do
a certain amount of thinking where you
have a certain amount of experiences you
might realize that in some ways those
ideals aren't being met so what do you
do a major solution historically has
been to try to craft a universal Melting
Pot ideal that encourages Americans to
overcome their group differences to come
together and form a singular American
identity Woodrow Wilson delivered
perhaps the most famous statement to
that effect when he was speaking to an
audience of recently naturalized
citizens in Philadelphia after the
sinking of the Lusitania he said you
cannot become thorough Americans if you
think of yourself in groups
America does not consist of groups a man
who thinks of himself as belonging to a
particular National Group in America has
not yet become an American but the
problem is despite that ideal we still
have group-based behavior and
group-based politics in America today
and that was even more true back in
Wilson's time not only did we have
identity-based discrimination and even
persecution back when Wilson made that
speech but as law Professor Amy Chua
pointed out Wilson was himself a
beneficiary and practitioner of tribal
politics like every president before him
as well as nearly every holder of an
important public office Wilson was a
white Protestant male You could argue
that we should stick with this Melting
Pot approach and that America will fully
integrate and achieve identity-based
equality if you give it a long enough
timeline so that might be theoretically
possible and I'm not here to talk you
out of that but it should be
uncontroversial enough to say that it
hasn't fully worked yet another solution
to the problem would be to say that
these ideals don't work and that we need
a new Society ID with new ideals but I
don't think that's a popular enough
attitude to really get into here a third
solution Which is popular is to push for
more listic reforms which highlight the
problems that specific groups face
here's Samuel Huntington a respected
political scientist describing how the
reform approach typically Works major
groups in American society become
obsessed with the facts of inequality
lack of Freedom arbitrary power they
dramatize those facts and force them
upon the public Consciousness making it
impossible for decision makers and the
attentive public to ignore the extent to
which the actuality of political life
contradicts American beliefs that was
written in 1981 but describes the type
of identity politics that we're used to
when we hear the word today people in
America are encouraged to get in touch
with themselves they're told that their
personal experiences and their personal
feelings matter they're also told that
they live in a society where no one is
supposed to be regarded as inherently
Superior or inferior to another they
then find contradictions in their actual
experiences and feel entitled to air
their grievances publicly and demand
that Society adjust to fix those
problems and iron out its hypocrisy
other people don't recognize those
problems or they believe that their own
problems are worse or they believe that
these grievances are in some way an
attack on America and its ideals but in
any case battle lines form and then we
get the drawn out political fighting
that we're used to today I wanted to
examine why this fighting was so bitter
specifically in America America from
time to time is racked to its core from
this fighting it became popular even
just a couple years ago to speculate if
America was headed towards another civil
war just the fact that we can parse that
sentence that America might be headed
towards another civil war again largely
from Identity problems I think is
remarkable and I think the answer as to
why it's so bitter in America comes down
to the nature of American identity
American identity is unique there's no
other country in the world that has
entity quite like it and to make that
point I'll again lean on Samuel
Huntington who wrote for most peoples
national identity is the product of a
long process of historical Evolution
involving common ancestors common
experiences common ethnic background
common language common culture and
usually common religion national
identity is thus organic in character
such however is not the case in the
United States American nationalism has
been defined in political rather than
organic terms American national identity
is unusual in that it was founded as
specific moment in time and on a
political act on July 4th 1776 when the
Declaration of Independence was signed
the principles that are contained in the
Declaration formed what you could call
the American creed or American values so
what are those values you could break it
down to five principles Liberty equality
individualism democracy and rule of law
under Constitution you can call these
values the American consensus they're so
widely shared and held by Americans that
there isn't really much in the way of
competition for them those values
basically have a political Monopoly in
America there are no major political
parties or powerful movements that are
explicitly against them wrapped up in
those values really all five of them is
the statement that all men are created
equal since we believe at least as an
ideal that no one is born inherently
inferior or Superior to another we also
believe that we should structure our
society based on the principles of
freedom and equality where every single
person is considered important where all
legal adults have the right to
politically participate and where no one
is above the law while Americans do
broadly agree on those values
generically understood they disagree on
how to interpret them so for example
think about affirmative action does
affirmative action make America a more
equal country or a less equal country
what does the word equality even mean
when it comes to affirmative action
so it's a complicated question and there
isn't broad agreement on the answer the
point is that when Americans fight over
an issue like affirmative action which
is ultimately based on identity they're
fighting holding the same core values
and just disagreeing on how to interpret
them another thing that leads to
fighting is the fact that we don't have
the same experiences and we're often
working off different sets of facts so
for example whether or not you support
affirmative action might be shaped by
your experiences or the set of facts
that you're working off of so another
way to say it is that while we hold the
same values we might be living in
different realities and that can lead to
fighting despite those differences those
values come together for Americans to
form a strong and distinctly political
national identity that can't be readily
found elsewhere in the world Canada for
example doesn't have a strong sense of
national identity as their first prime
minister put it Canada has too much
geography and too little history not
only is American national identity
strong but it's also a distinctly
political ideal Amer Americans can be
accused of being Un-American when they
don't live up to the ideals of their
country and that's an accusation that's
widely understood across the country
again that's unusual most other
countries don't have that the French for
example aren't accused of being
politically unfrench the Spanish aren't
accused of being politically unspanish
another thing that's unusual about
America is that those values run to the
very bottom of American identity so
there's nothing really under them China
for example is another country that's
dominated by a single political ideology
which is communism or a socialism with
Chinese characteristics
but you could take that ideology away
and Chinese national identity would
remain they have enough shared history
and enough of a shared culture in China
that existed before communism did to
make that pretty much a certainty
Americans don't have that again American
identity began a specific Moment In Time
on July 4th 1776 and we've built
American culture and American history on
top of that so that was about 250 years
ago since then we've had one consistent
set of ideals one Constitution and one
government that all comes together to
form the Bedrock of how we think about
America and American identity if you
look around the world and try to find
another country in the same situation I
think you'll gain an appreciation for
how unique that is but that also puts a
sense of importance on America and its
institutions and its ideals so if you
took them away if you took away our
constitution or you took away our
government or you took away our ideals
then what would be left of America what
would happen to American national
identity what would hold Americans
together
the answer is that nobody knows because
it's never happened with that importance
comes passion
when Americans are told that America is
failing that it's hypocritical that it's
racist or sexist or whatever
it feels like a deep nerve is being hit
it feels like an existential threat to
the Bedrock of American identity
so then people rush to defend it and you
get these dramatic political battles on
public display for the world to see I
think there's also a simple power
politics component to all this where
people believe that placing attention
and giving into the interests of one
group hurt the prospects of their own
group
so I think that's definitely a major
component of what's happening but also
that happens everywhere and we're trying
to answer the question why is this
fighting so bitter specifically in
America so I think what I've laid out
here answers that question and hopefully
helps your understanding of what's
happening when America is racked by this
fighting it can seem like it's falling
apart and of course that's a possibility
but I think in some other senses it
means that America is coming alive
we all want to live in a society based
on the principles of freedom and
equality we want to live in a society
with individualism democracy and rule of
law under Constitution
we all want to live in a society where
all are indeed created equal
what we disagree on is what exactly
those words mean and whether or not
they've been attained in short the
values that unite us also divide us
thanks for watching
goodbye
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