Identity, Authority and Freedom; The Potentate and the Traveler by Essay

Identity, Authority and Freedom; The Potentate and the Traveler by Said Edward W - Essay Example He believes that the missing element of criticism which is lacking in academies or educational institutes in most parts of the world is something that needs to be added to academic life to resolve issues of politics which include race, gender, religion, national identity and culture. The fact is, that most people are convicted of stereotyping, being ethnocentric, geocentric or faced with a national superiority or a supremacy over other cultures (Said, 2005). Analysis and Evaluation The problem highlighted by the author here relates to identity, authority and freedom of speech and expression in the world in general. The fact that, nothing in this world is seen in isolation but is relative to other things or dependent on other elements such as culture, religion, geographic similarity, religion, nationality or politics. In light of social sciences and humanities, the author considers race, gender, ethnicity and religion as political factors that hinder learning and knowledge at all leve ls especially in the academia which is suffering from a lack of academic freedom as the author terms it. He believes that academics forms a basis of what the students would later be like once they leave the academic institute and the social, political and general environment is what defines their future and how they deal with adversities.