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The present essay discusses how law can satisfy demands for recognition of personal identity. First discussed are Honneth’s reflections on the role recognition plays in the construction of personal identity, reflections fueled by recent developments in psychology and psychoanalysis. This is followed by an analysis of the Honnethian model as it pertains to the intervention of law in the distribution of recognition. Unfortunately, Honneth’s “paradigmatic over-focusing” leads him to develop a normative theory based on “modern society” only. Nonetheless, by unveiling the intimate connection between legal theory and psychoanalysis, “recognition” as conceived of by Honneth proves a powerful theoretical tool for social critique.