GPT

Michael Sandel, particularly in works like Democracy’s Discontent and The Tyranny of Merit, has explored the sources of identity and the consequences of its erosion in modern liberal societies. His critique largely revolves around the tension between communitarianism and the liberal, proceduralist self, which he sees as insufficient for sustaining meaningful identity.

Sources of Identity (According to Sandel)

Sandel argues that identity is constitutively tied to communities, traditions, and shared moral frameworks, rather than being purely individualistic or chosen at will. This is in contrast to the liberal conception of the self (e.g., in Rawlsian liberalism), which treats identity as something abstracted from particular attachments.

For Sandel:

1. Identity is Embedded – We don’t construct our identities from scratch; we inherit them from history, culture, family, and civic life.
2. Identity is Relational – Who we are is deeply shaped by our participation in communities, shared narratives, and social roles.
3. Moral & Civic Identity Matters – A just society doesn’t just protect individual rights but also cultivates a shared sense of belonging through civic engagement.

The Loss of Identity

Sandel critiques modern liberalism for hollowing out identity in two main ways:

1. The Procedural Republic & Hollow Citizenship

   • In Democracy’s Discontent, he argues that modern liberalism has moved toward a “procedural republic,” which prioritizes neutral rules over shared civic purpose.
   • This weakens communal ties, leaving people alienated from the civic and moral traditions that once gave life meaning.

2. The Tyranny of Merit & The Crisis of Recognition

   • In The Tyranny of Merit, he explores how meritocracy has eroded sources of identity, especially for working-class communities.
   • The idea that “you earn your success” has undermined solidarity, replacing shared struggle with individual achievement.
   • This has led to resentment, alienation, and a loss of dignity among those who feel displaced by economic and cultural shifts.

Consequences of Identity Loss

• Civic Disengagement – As people lose a shared sense of belonging, democracy becomes weaker and more fractured.
• Cultural Alienation – The erosion of communal traditions leads to a sense of rootlessness.
• Rise of Populism – When people feel unrecognized, they often turn to reactionary or nationalist movements to reclaim lost identity.

Sandel’s Alternative: A More Embedded Self

Rather than embracing radical individualism or an abstract proceduralism, Sandel calls for:

• Reinvigorating civic life by fostering deeper engagement in local and national communities.
• Rethinking meritocracy to restore dignity to those whose contributions aren’t measured by wealth or credentials.
• Recognizing the moral weight of history and tradition in shaping identity.

Final Thought

For Sandel, the loss of identity is a byproduct of liberalism’s failure to sustain communal, historical, and civic ties. If people are to reclaim a sense of self, it must be through a reinvigoration of shared moral purpose and civic participation—not just through market success or personal achievement.

Bayo Akomolafe, with his posthuman, decolonial, and process-oriented approach, would likely critique the call to "reinvigorate civic life" and "deeper engagement in local and national communities" in several ways, particularly by questioning the implicit assumptions about order, belonging, and the stability of the 'we.'

1. The Coloniality of Civic Life: Who Defines "Community"?

Akomolafe often challenges the Euro-modern notion of community as something that can be "restored" or "reinvigorated." He might argue that Sandel’s call assumes that a coherent, pre-existing civic identity ever truly existed without exclusion or violence.

• The "civic" is often a space of discipline and enclosure, defining who belongs and who does not.
• "Local and national communities" are not neutral sites but products of colonial histories, capitalism, and systemic power.
• Instead of reinvigorating the civic, Akomolafe might ask what other, more fugitive or fluid forms of relationality could be cultivated beyond the civic as traditionally understood.

2. The Limits of Revitalization: What If Things Need to Fall Apart?

Akomolafe often speaks of slowing down and attending to the ruptures and uncertainties in the current world order, rather than seeking restoration or coherence.

• Sandel’s approach assumes that the problem is disengagement, and the solution is recommitment to civic life.
• Akomolafe might say: What if the loss of civic life is not a problem to be solved, but a sign that something new must emerge?
• Instead of reviving liberal democracy or national belonging, should we be composting these structures and listening to what else is possible?

3. The Humanist Trap: Expanding Beyond the "Human" in Civic Engagement

Akomolafe’s thinking is deeply posthuman and ecological. He might critique Sandel for remaining within a human-centered discourse, where civic life is framed as something for people alone.

• What would it mean to engage with the world differently, not just through human institutions, but through deeper entanglement with nonhuman kin, landscapes, and forces?
• If democracy is framed as a human-to-human contract, what possibilities open up when we acknowledge more-than-human agents shaping our world?

4. The Myth of Participation as a Remedy

Sandel sees participation in national and local communities as a way to restore dignity and belonging. But Akomolafe might question whether participation in the current system—whether through democracy, labor, or civic life—truly addresses the deeper sense of displacement, exhaustion, and loss.

• What if participation is itself a kind of captivity?
• What if the problem is not that we need more engagement, but that we need different modes of being-together—ones that aren’t so easily co-opted into political and economic structures?

5. Instead of "Reinvigoration," What About Unsettling?

Akomolafe’s approach would likely move away from the idea of fixing, restoring, or strengthening civic ties. Instead, he might propose:

• Attuning to uncertainty rather than rushing to solve the problem of disconnection.
• Exploring other ways of gathering that are not necessarily tied to liberal democracy, the nation-state, or even the humanist notion of "community."
• Slowing down and attending to the cracks in the old order, instead of rushing to repair them.

Final Thought: What If We Let Go?

While Sandel seeks to reclaim a lost sense of civic identity, Akomolafe might instead ask:

• What happens if we let go of the need for coherence and stability?
• What if instead of trying to find our way back, we wander differently?

Where Sandel calls for reinvigoration, Akomolafe might invite us to sit with the uncertainty, messiness, and ambiguity of identity’s undoing—to embrace the possibility that we are not meant to return, but to find new ways of getting lost.