Abstract

In order to avoid the rhetoric of the clash of civilizations, it is necessary to do away with any oppositional logic of inclusion/exclusion based on clear-cut distinctions between "Us" and "the Others". The present article maintains that identities (either individual or collective) are ever-changing equilibria achieved at the intersection of a plurality of differences, and conceives the dynamic relations that occur between these differences as a constitutive and permanent element of any identity. Against this background, it thus aim to cast light on how a conception of "identity as intersection of differences" may favour the full implementation of the principle of equality in fundamental rights, which is the best guarantee of a peaceful coexistence of differences in contemporary constitutional democracies.