| Summary: | Abstract
One of the most fundamental needs of all human beings is the need for recognition. This need for recognition
can only be met if a society is structured in such a way to provide support, acknowledgement, and positive
imagery for groups and individuals to use in the production of identity. In normative terms, recognition is a key
aspect of critical social theory because it provides a standard by which we can assess an individual’s perception
of the social treatment they receive. The institutions and social arrangements which allow the full and free
development of identity are, from this point of reference, more acceptable than those which do not. In a posttraditional world, recognition is a human need, a social good, and a point of reference that can be used to
compare the validity of social arrangements. In this paper, the cultural and legal assumption that rights and
citizenship are based on the Enlightenment’s conception of universal human equality is contrasted with the
demand for recognition from particular groups based on specific characteristics or unique experiences of
oppression.
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