The ethics of identity takes seriously both the claims of individuality the task of making a life and the claims of identity these large and often abstract social categories through which we define ourselves what sort of life one should lead is a subject that has preoccupied moral and political thinkers from aristotle to mill here appiah develops an account of ethics in just this . The ethics of identity takes seriously both the claims of individuality the task of making a life and the claims of identity these large and often abstract social categories through which we define ourselves what sort of life one should lead is a subject that has preoccupied moral and political thinkers from aristotle to mill. 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 but anthony appiah has done . 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