Identity, violence, and the struggle for recognition: a philosophical analysis

Abstract

This study analyzes nationalism, terrorism, and far-right movements in Europe through the cases of Spain, theUnited Kingdom, and France. The central argument is that these phenomena cannot be reduced to structuralexplanations based solely on economic inequalities, unemployment, migration, or political crises. Rather,they are grounded in ontological insecurity, the struggle for recognition, and the search for existential mean-ing. Drawing on Hegel's dialectic of recognition, Sartre's phenomenology of the Other, Arendt's critique ofviolence, and Schmitt's definition of the political, the study reveals connections between these problems andidentity construction, othering practices, the legitimacy of violence, and crises of political representation. Theanalysis examines three cases: ethnic nationalism and terrorist organizations under state repression; ethno-religious conflicts shaped by sectarian and colonial histories; and the rise of far-right populist movements ex-ploiting economic and cultural anxieties. Findings show that groups perceiving their identity as denied mayembrace radical ideologies and violence to assert existence and demand recognition. When states accommo-date difference through mutual recognition, extremism declines. The study concludes that overcoming thesecrises requires moving from adversarial othering to an ethic of mutual recognition, prioritizing deliberativepower over violence, and addressing the existential insecurities underlying political radicalization.