Statelessness and the Politics of Misrecognition

Abstract

This article focuses on the account of disrespect found in Honneth's theory of recognition. In it, I am particularly interested in the form of misrecognition or disrespect which is the negation of respect, and which is clearly represented by statelessness. Respect, for him, is closely connected to legal recognition. Guided by Honneth's view of critical theory as 'not entirely without a foundation in social reality' (Honneth 1994, p.264), the article puts together an analysis of the political dynamics of his model of disrespect. This analysis is used to challenge certain aspects of Honneth's political theory and in particular the implications of his conception of the state. The article argues that the way in which the state is used has the effect of obscuring significant political obstacles to recognition, and in particular, the way in which the state limits respect.

Misrecognition and Political Agency. The Case of Muslim Organisations in a General Election

“…More recently, there has been a political turn in understanding misrecognition, as a means to contextualise political mobilisations that span different categories of political recognition: from seeking statehood (Seymour 2012; Staples 2012) to pursing participation in the public sphere as co-citizens (Lægaard 2012; Martineau 2012; Meer 2012). Indeed, we suggest that this is what makes it helpful to our interest in the strands and processes that make up Muslim political mobilisations.…”