{"product_id":"against-identity-alexander-douglas-9780241648216","title":"Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self","description":"Modern life encourages us to pursue the perfect identity. Whether we aspire to become the best lawyer or charity worker, life partner or celebrity influencer, we emulate exemplars that exist in the world - hoping it will bring us happiness. But this often leads to a complex game of envy and pride. We achieve these identities but want others to imitate us. We disagree with those whose identities contradict ours - leading to polarization and even violence. And yet when they thump against us, we are ashamed to ring hollow. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eAgainst Identity\u003c\/i\u003e, philosopher Alexander Douglas seeks an alternative wisdom. Searching the work of three thinkers - ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, Dutch Enlightenment thinker Benedict de Spinoza, and 20th Century French theorist René Girard - he explores how identity can be a spiritual violence that leads us away from truth. Through their worlds and radically different cultures, we discover how, at moments of historical rupture, our hunger for being grows: and yet, it is exactly these times when we should make peace with our indeterminacy and discover the freedom of escaping our selves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Alexander Douglas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0241648211\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780241648216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Allen Lane\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/19\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Alexander Douglas","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46962820808959,"sku":"9780241648216","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_84c357b8-c999-45c6-a564-e5c6bc4e2560.jpg?v=1750652634","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/against-identity-alexander-douglas-9780241648216","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}