How did contemporary society’s focus on identity come about? On October 30 renowned political scientist Yascha Mounk comes to Intelligence Squared to warn that while an appreciation for the diverse culture and heritage of minorities is healthy, in the past decade it has transformed into an obsession with group identity in all its forms. Setting out the ideas in his new book The Identity Trap, he will explain the origin of these ideas, how they grew to be so powerful, and argue that their application to areas from education to public policy – while well intentioned – is proving to be deeply counterproductive. And he will set out his own universalist vision for how we can make progress towards genuine equality. 

Praise for Yascha Mounk’s The Identity Trap 

‘A powerful, timely book, seeking to understand the origins and impact of the ideas that rightly or wrongly constitute “identity politics” – where they come from, what effect they have, where they could lead. His book is both an excellent analysis and an eloquent plea for the recovery of shared values, the ideas that link us instead of dividing us.’ – Anne Applebaum

‘In The Identity Trap, Yascha Mounk explains how a few powerfully bad ideas, propelled through institutions by people with good intentions, are causing systemic dysfunction and dangerous polarization. This is among the most insightful and important books written in the last decade on American democracy and its current torments, because it also shows us a way out of the trap.’ – Jonathan Haidt