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Ambivalent Recognition: The Harmful Social Consequences of an Ethical Good

By (author) Kristina Lepold, Translated by Ciaran Cronin, Foreword by Martin Saar

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Recognition has become one of the key concepts of contemporary critical theory, heralded by thinkers such as Axel Honneth and Charles Taylor. It is widely claimed that a person must be recognized by others in order to realize their own identity and that the lack of recognition constitutes a form of oppression or injustice. Is recognition always a good thing? In this ambitious and compelling book, Kristina Lepold challenges the common assumption that recognition is positive, emphasizing its ambivalent role in social life. She offers a systematic account of the complex nature of recognition, showing how it can implicate us in oppressive or otherwise problematic arrangements. Lepold engages with different approaches for thinking about recognitionâ€”including Axel Honnethâ€™s influential theory, as well as arguments made by Louis Althusser, Pierre Bourdieu, and Judith Butlerâ€”which she reconstructs in a nuanced and accessible fashion. By one of the most original voices in the new generation of critical theorists, Ambivalent Recognition is a must-read for anyone interested in not only one of critical theoryâ€™s key concepts but also the larger question of why unjust social arrangements often prove so stubborn and difficult to change.