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The current issue of the Ethics Journal is dedicated to democracy as an open form of life and examines its preconditions and current threats. The Ethics Journal is aimed particularly at professionals in social work and other social professions and discusses their theoretical foundations and practical perspectives. I am pleased to have been invited to contribute an article on identity politics to the fundamental discussion of democratic theory in social work.

With contributions from Wolfgang Thierse, Hille Haker, Sarah Häseler, and Silke Gülker.

Link to the issue

Identity Politics: Threat or Foundation of the Open Democratic Form of Life?

Abstract: The article argues against the widespread criticism that identity politics poses a threat to democracy and to the open form of life as its ethical foundation. Instead, identity politics is understood as a necessary driver of continuous democratization, as it makes knowledge about discrimination visible and corrects blind spots of majority society. Identity politics defends the ideal of an open democratic form of life grounded in equality and freedom and makes a central contribution to the recognition of marginalized groups. The text discusses the ambivalences of identity political practice, distinguishes democratizing from regressive identity politics, and emphasizes its indispensability for liberal democracy and the associated ethics of openness.

Citation and Reading

Schubert, Karsten (2025): Identitätspolitik: Gefahr oder Grundlage der offenen demokratischen Lebensform? In: EthikJournal 11(1), S. 36–55.
https://www.ethikjournal.de/fileadmin/user_upload/ethikjournal/Texte_Ausgabe_2025_1/EthikJournal_1_2025_Demokratie_Schubert.pdf


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