Abstract

Identities are back. The big issues at stake in our days (globalization, the growing importance of financial activities in the economic global system, technological revolution, migratory flows) have a big impact on people and social systems. Fear is often the first reaction. With reference to some recent works focusing on the revival of identities, the present paper tries to analyze the connection between social and economic changes, fear and the revival of identity claims. These claims are examined both at psychological (as recognition claims) and at a philosophical and social level (as claims for identification and control through activity and social rights). By pinpointing the difficult to transform individual or group identities into political claims for social emancipation, the paper suggests that the way to contrast regressive, violent and discrimination-based identities goes necessarily through the rehabilitation of politics meant as the combining force between social conflict and social solidarity. This combination should take place in the form of a new “pact of citizenshipµ which involves the connection between democratic rights and State sovereignty.