Princeton University professor Kwame Anthony Appiah spoke about modern identity and its connection to social norms to a full auditorium at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications on Tuesday night.

Appiah, a best-selling author and philosopher, was born in London and raised in Ghana. His interests include African and African-American literary and cultural studies, ethics and philosophy of mind and language. His work includes the philosophical foundations of liberalism and the connection between theory and practice in moral life, according to Appiah’s website.

At the beginning of his speech, Appiah listed three major points about identity and social norms, the first being that social identities require labels and work because of those labels.

‘Our current issue of identity isn’t connected with individuality, but what is socially important about a person,’ Appiah said.

He said identities depend on the existence of labels and that these labels play a part in what human beings have in common.

Secondly, there are norms associated with social identity that specify ways certain identities ought to behave.

Appiah also said people who identify through these norms are also motivated by them. He used the example that people ‘act like an X because they are an X.’

Appiah also talked about the importance of identity in human life and questioned how large a part people should let it play in their lives.

‘Identities are among the major socially provided tools in maintaining a life,’ he said. ‘We need identity to make human lives because we find ourselves thinking that we have a life as a man, as a woman, as a Ghanaian, as an American, as a father, as a daughter.’

Appiah said we have identities because they are useful in a complex world, and they provide structure and goals to people’s lives. He also said there are negative aspects mediated by identity.

‘The harm done by previous practices of exclusion have kept people out of jobs, money and power,’ Appiah said. ‘Recognition is important for identities that are being mobilized for social goals.’

Claire Bach said she thought Appiah was very clear in the beginning but was waiting for a more in-depth philosophical analysis of identity.

‘This seemed very sociologically oriented,’ Bach, a senior geography and German major, said. ‘There was a lack of direction, maybe too many examples.’

Ashley Cruz, a senior philosophy major, said overall, the lecture was interesting, but she got a little bit lost toward the end.

‘I felt he talked more about identity in terms of application than in theory,’ Cruz said. ‘I expected a more philosophical approach to identity.’

mjberner@syr.edu

Published on September 13, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Maddy: mjberner@syr.edu