"... does not think that cultural identity is therefore
intrinsically valuable. On the contrary, he regards it as potentially
harmful. In ‘A Dissent on Cultural Identity’, he sets out his position
with brutal candour: ‘That cultural identity is “a permanent feature of
human life” is trivially true. We all come from somewhere … But why must
each of us be more than matter-of-fact in committing our lives to our
history, our culture, our identity? They – culture, history, identity –
have done many things for us and many things to us. What makes us affect
gratitude instead of anger in return?’"
The Intellectual Life of Edmund Burke from the Sublime and Beautiful to American Independence; Moral Imagination: Essays
