In recent years the political landscape has changed: established ideas about class, economy, nation and equality have been challenged by a new politics of identity, culture, ethnicity and difference. The political theory of recognition is a response to these challenges.

In this, the first introductory book on the subject, Simon Thompson analyses the argument that a just society is one that shows all its members due recognition. Focusing on the work on Charles Taylor, Axel Honneth and Nancy Fraser, he discusses how political theorists have conceptualised recognition, the different accounts they have given and the criticisms made of the very idea of a politics of recognition. Through the political theory of recognition, Thompson argues, we gain a better understanding of identity and difference. Practically, the concept of recognition can serve as a basis for determining which individual rights should be protected, whether cultures ought to be valued, and whether a case can be made for group representation.

This clear and accessible book provides an excellent guide through the ongoing and increasingly significant debate between multiculturalism and its critics.

About the Author
Simon Thompson is a lecturer in politics at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Reviews
"Thompson provides the most comprehensive overview to date of the recognition debates - scrupulously fair and bursting with insights."

Nancy Fraser, New School for Social Research, New York

"The politics of recognition plays a central role in discussions of identity, equality and democratic inclusions in contemporary social and political thought, yet until this book there has been no comprehensive and authoritative guide to the literature on recognition. Thompson displays a mastery of the material and provides a sure-footed guide to the intricacies of the work of the main theorists of recognition - Axel Honneth, Nancy Fraser and Charles Taylor. This book will be required reading for those working on democratic inclusion, identity politics and equality, and serves as a first-rate contribution to the literature on social and political theory."

Paul Kelly, London School of Economics and Political Science

Book Information
ISBN 9780745627625
Author Simon Thompson
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 17mm