Authenticity

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Philosophy is, centrally, the study of how to live a good life. Yet almost all of us have had occasion to think and talk about this question in some form before ever entering the philosophy classroom. In our ordinary, popular conception of the good life, one dominant theme is authenticity. We often hear that to live a good life one must be true to oneself, and make decisions in a way that accords with one's true self. But for all its ubiquity, the concept of authenticity is quite philosophically puzzling. What does it mean for one's motives, values, etc. to be true to oneself? Is the idea that each person ought to act in the way that is true to themself compatible with the demands of morality, which we tend to think of as universally binding? Does following the ideal of authenticity lead us to close ourselves off from other people or deny our social nature in some problematic way? In this course, we will explore all of these questions by reading a mix of twentieth century Anglophone moral philosophy and nineteenth century continental philosophy. We may also look at some relevant pieces of literature along the way.