As people throughout the world react to globalization and revert to
nationalism, they are proclaiming distinct cultural identities for
themselves. Cultural identity seems to offer a defensive wall against
the homogenizing effects of globalization and a framework for nurturing
and protecting cultural differences.
In this short and provocative book, François Jullien argues that this
emphasis on cultural identity is a mistake. Cultures exist in relation
to one another and they are constantly mutating and transforming
themselves. There is no cultural identity, there are only what Jullien
calls 'resources'. Resources are created in a certain space, they are
available to all and belong to no one. They are not exclusive, like the
values to which we proclaim loyalty; instead, we deploy them or not,
activate them or let them fall by the wayside, and each of us as
individuals is responsible for these choices. This conceptual shift
requires us to redefine three key terms - the universal, the uniform and
the common. Equipped with these concepts, we can rethink the dialogue
between cultures in a way that avoids what Jullien sees as the false
debate about identity and difference.
This powerful critique of the modern shibboleth of cultural identity
will appeal to anyone interested in the great social and political
questions of our time.
