Identity, Politics, and Lifeworld

Identity has always been one of the most intricate and important issues in human life. Identity, as the understanding of one’s self, has been studied through various perspectives and approaches. On the one hand, the essentialist approach argues that identity is of an essence in itself. On the other hand, rejecting the essentialist approach, some emphasize the non-essential, baseless nature of identity, describing that as a mere product of power games and discursive battles. This paper provides a third approach to identity based on Wittgenstein and Husserl’s concept of way of life and lifeworld. Despite maintaining the critique on the essentialist view, this third approach does not perceive identity to be the baseless product of power and discourse, rather, it grants authenticity and significance to it. The paper also examines, very briefly, the transition of the concept from theory to practice and its application on Iranian identity.