In the course of his presentation, Adolf Muschg criticized the term "identity". He asked whether identity was not always the result of reduction and simplification and whether identity was not a result of external perception. In addition, he stated: "'Identity' - there is hardly a term that is used more blindly in political discourse, and I believe it is imperative to make it a little more perceptive of its practice Exclusion, to the disqualification of people and groups. Identity is insisted on when one does not see one's own boundaries, only wants to fix them. And in this insistence lies the potential for the use of cruder weapons that one no longer needs to justify. ‘Identity’ is to a certain extent the alibi that triumphs as a mark of quality for one's own stupor. "

Adolf Muschg (*1934) is one of the most important writers in Switzerland. His work, beginning with his debut "Im Sommer des Hasen" (1965), has won numerous prizes. From 1970 to 1999, Muschg was Professor of German Language and Literature at the ETH Zurich. He lives in Männedorf.

The author and literary scholar gave his lecture, broadcast live from the University of Lucerne via "Zoom", as part of the public lecture series "Identity(ies)". This is carried out by the Institute for Social Ethics ISE on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. There are still nine lectures on the program, which take place on Tuesdays at 6.15 p.m. Next, Marianne Heimbach-Steins, Professor of Christian Social Sciences and Director of the Institute for Christian Social Sciences at the University of Münster, will speak on October 13th on the subject of "Migration and Flight - Limits of Identity?".  More Information