{"product_id":"against-identity-the-wisdom-of-escaping-the-self-paperback","title":"Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAlexander Douglas\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eModern life encourages us to chase the perfect identity. Whether we aspire to be the best lawyer or charity worker, life partner or celebrity influencer, we emulate the exemplars around us--hoping it will bring us happiness. But this pursuit often leads to a complex game of envy and pride. We may achieve these identities, only to crave admiration from others. We clash with those whose identities oppose ours--fueling polarization and even violence. And when their blows land, we're left feeling hollow. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eAgainst Identity\u003c\/i\u003e, philosopher \u003cb\u003eAlexander Douglas\u003c\/b\u003e seeks a different kind of wisdom. Drawing on the ideas of three great thinkers--ancient Chinese philosopher \u003cb\u003eZhuangzi\u003c\/b\u003e, Dutch Enlightenment thinker \u003cb\u003eBenedict de Spinoza\u003c\/b\u003e, and twentieth-century French theorist \u003cb\u003eRené Girard\u003c\/b\u003e--Douglas explores how identity can become a form of spiritual violence that pulls us away from truth. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e ​Across their worlds and radically different cultures, we see how, in times of historical upheaval, our hunger for a fixed sense of self grows stronger. Yet it is precisely in these moments, Douglas argues, that we must make peace with uncertainty--and discover the freedom that comes from escaping the confines of identity itself.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlexander Douglas \u003c\/b\u003ewas born in Canberra, Australia where he studied music and philosophy. He now teaches the history of philosophy and the philosophy of economics at the University of St Andrews. He has published two books on the philosophy of Benedict de Spinoza and one on the philosophy of debt. He has grown increasingly interested in combining ideas from Western and East Asian philosophy. He loves music, literature, history, and engineering. He lives with his wife in Edinburgh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 272\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 11, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48628244250873,"sku":"9781802063318","price":23.74,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/A1fy__8PRs9781802063318.webp?v=1783055825","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/against-identity-the-wisdom-of-escaping-the-self-paperback","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}