This book provides a persuasive account of how identity and difference factor in the debate on the ‘self’ in the humanities. It explores this topic by applying the question to fields such as philosophy, cultural studies, politics and race studies. Key themes discussed in this collection include: authenticity in Michel de Montaigne’s essays, the limits of the narrative constitution of the self, the use and abuse of the notion of human nature in political theory and in the current political context of multiculturalism, and the feminist notion of the erotic and of sexual violence. This book will appeal to readers with an interest in new perspectives on the self within the humanities.

Brings together exciting new work from a variety of disciplines in the humanities Addresses questions regarding the self, agency and subjectivity in narrative theory, phenomenology and personal identity theory Presents new research on identity within politics, anthropology, feminism, psychology, cultural studies and race studies