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The Philosopher Redefining Equality | The New Yorker

One of the most important aspects of post-modern identity strategy, as opposed to an Industrial Age identity strategy, is that it is founded on multiple identities.

Elizabeth Andersen puts it succinctly, saying that allowing people to have different identities in different domains is freedom. She says "At church, I’m one thing. At work, I’m something else. I’m something else at home, or with my friends. The ability not to have an identity that one carries from sphere to sphere but, rather, to be able to slip in and adopt whatever values and norms are appropriate while retaining one’s identities in other domains?… That is what it is to be free”.

I have to say that I am very sympathetic to this view. A fundamental defence against inappropriate and dangerous tracking, tracing and monitoring of individuals is to allow them to choose their identities on a per-transaction basis. Not so much “where do you want to go today” of the old Microsoft advertisement, more of a “who do you want to be today”. When I go to do something, I should not be asked “who are you”  and presented with a login but asked “who do you want to be” and presented with a menu.

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