Todd McGowan, "Universality and Identity Politics" (Columbia UP, 2020)
Jan 4, 2025
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Todd McGowan, a Professor of Film Studies at the University of Vermont, delves into the complexities of universality and identity politics. He argues that universal values like equality and freedom arise from our experiences of their absence. McGowan critically examines the history of Nazism and Stalinism, offering a nuanced view that transcends typical totalitarian narratives. He also discusses how contemporary movements, such as Black Lives Matter, navigate the tension between universality and particularism, urging a reevaluation of identity's role in social struggles.
Redefining universality in political thought is crucial for leftist movements to effectively advocate for social change and challenge conservatism.
Identity politics, often misconceived as a leftist tool, is framed as a right-wing strategy that distracts from broader universal aspirations.
Deep dives
The Importance of Universality in Political Thought
The discussion emphasizes the need to redefine universality in political contexts, arguing that it is essential for leftist projects. The speaker critiques the historical skepticism surrounding universality from renowned thinkers like Derrida and Foucault, asserting that without recognizing universality, leftist efforts to promote social change become hindered. The distinction between universality and particularity is highlighted, suggesting that conservatism often aims to uphold particular interests, while true political struggle should align with universal ideals. The speaker calls for a reexamination of this relationship to advance political thought and align contemporary movements with universal values.
Identity Politics and Its Misinterpretation
Identity politics is framed as a right-wing strategy that perpetuates division while the left asserts a universalist perspective. The speaker argues that accusations of identity politics against leftist movements often misrepresent the broader universal aspirations that such movements embody, particularly noting the Black Lives Matter movement as a case in point. This paradox highlights how identity politics can distract from collective goals and reinforce particularist frameworks. Understanding this misalignment can help reorient political activism toward more inclusive and universal objectives.
Universality vs. Total Inclusion: A Conflict in Political Movements
The conversation delves into the misconception that universality equates to total inclusion, particularly as it pertains to social movements. The speaker critiques liberal approaches insisting on exhaustive lists of identities, which ultimately leads to an unachievable goal of inclusion, whereas universality provides a more stable foundational approach. By viewing universality as what binds individuals through shared experiences of non-belonging rather than through attempts at total inclusion, movements can become more effective and grounded. This understanding enables a clearer narrative about the core values of social justice movements.
Implications of Capitalism on Identity Politics
The discussion connects contemporary identity politics to capitalism, suggesting that the emptiness fostered by capitalist structures leads individuals to seek solace in identities. The idea is posited that identity politics diverts focus from collective action against capitalism by providing a sense of belonging amidst capitalist alienation. The speaker argues that these identity-driven movements often reinforce individualistic concerns rather than uniting for broader, systemic change. This insight prompts a reevaluation of how identity is perceived within political discourse, advocating for a shift toward universalist struggles that can unite rather than divide.
The great political ideas and movements of the modern world were founded on a promise of universal emancipation. But in recent decades, much of the Left has grown suspicious of such aspirations. Critics see the invocation of universality as a form of domination or a way of speaking for others, and have come to favor a politics of particularism—often derided as “identity politics.” Others, both centrists and conservatives, associate universalism with twentieth-century totalitarianism and hold that it is bound to lead to catastrophe.
This book develops a new conception of universality that helps us rethink political thought and action. Todd McGowan argues that universals such as equality and freedom are not imposed on us. They emerge from our shared experience of their absence and our struggle to attain them. McGowan reconsiders the history of Nazism and Stalinism and reclaims the universalism of movements fighting racism, sexism, and homophobia. He demonstrates that the divide between Right and Left comes down to particularity versus universality. Despite the accusation of identity politics directed against leftists, every emancipatory political project is fundamentally a universal one—and the real proponents of identity politics are the right wing. Through a wide range of examples in contemporary politics, film, and history, Universality and Identity Politics (Columbia UP, 2020) offers an antidote to the impasses of identity and an inspiring vision of twenty-first-century collective struggle.
Todd McGowan is professor of film studies at the University of Vermont. His previous Columbia University Press books are The Impossible David Lynch (2007), Capitalism and Desire: The Psychic Cost of Free Markets (2016), and Emancipation After Hegel: Achieving a Contradictory Revolution (2019). He is the coeditor of the Diaeresis series at Northwestern University Press with Slavoj Žižek and Adrian Johnston. He is also cohost of the Why Theory podcast, which brings continental philosophy and psychoanalytic theory together to examine cultural phenomena.