Liberal societies are retreating from a commitment to the individual in favour of giving priority to the group. This retreat is played out in the politics of identity – accompanied by a preoccupation with ‘harm’, ‘hate speech’, and ‘microaggressions’ – marked by a state of perpetual outrage intended to expose the ideologically impure.
How did we become so divided against one another? US cultural critic, Mary Eberstadt, argues that humans have long forged their identities within the structure of the extended family. But many Western societies, including Australia, are faced with the unprecedented decline of the family.
Join Mary Eberstadt in conversation with Peter Kurti, as they discuss her book, Primal Screams: How the sexual revolution created identity politics, and how best we can respond to the threat posed by identity politics.
