The ethics of identity is a major overhaul of the vocabulary of contemporary political and critical thought the vocabulary of identity diversity authenticity cosmopolitanism and culture the load of hidden assumptions carried by these words had become overwhelming and someone needed to take them to the shop and give them a thorough philosophical servicing. Appiah explains several distinctions of the concept of identity which he makes in his book appiah explains one of the examples in his book a butler from the novel remains of the day ken asks how free we are to make an identity appiah answers that there are two aspects to this what others focus on and what we focus on. Jacob levy university of chicago the ethics of identity is a major overhaul of the vocabulary of contemporary political and critical thought the vocabulary of identity diversity authenticity cosmopolitanism and culture the load of hidden assumptions carried by these words had become overwhelming and someone needed to take them to the shop and give them a thorough philosophical servicing. In the ethics of identity anthony kwame appiah 2005 argues for understanding identity in terms of autonomy drawing on john stuart mill and liberalism diversity of identity then isnt valuable inherently in and of itself but is rather valuable in the enterprise of self creation 6