In the search of our true Self you have trouble to evade the binary thinking and reasoning, I referred to last Tuesday.
Although Rousseau did not accurately explained, what our true and natural self is, he pointed at least at some features, which are not part of our true self: competition and egoism.
And these traits are almost unnoticed forced upon us by society. Feelings of pride and vanity are stimulated in us due to social expectations.
The quintessence is that we thus alienate from our true self, according to Rousseau.
This conviction, that we get out of touch with our basic needs, alienate from our true roots, you also find in the ideas of Karl Marx (1818 - 1883).
The culprit is here the free market economy and the industrial revolution.
Workers spend their lives at conveyor belts in huge factories, producing just a small part of some product.
The craftsman, for instance the carpenter, is in an essential way connected with the things he makes, while the worker in the factory only makes legs for chairs.
He may even never have seen the complete and finished chair of which he makes parts all day. The only thing he sees at the end of the month is his salary.
Of course this way of production makes mass production possible, but in the eyes of Marx it also undermines the close relation between worker, production process and end product.
In that sense the worker not only becomes alienated from the end product of his work but also from his true self,
Like Rousseau Marx has a lot to say about how we alienate from our true self. On the other hand they both are not really clear about what this natural state of man is, which he is alienating from.
At the base of their thoughts is a kind of utopia, where we all live and can enjoy our true self. Unfortunately it has led to often seriously totalitarian societies .
Nevertheless philosophers like Rousseau and Marx bring negative features of our social organization to our attention. Things like greed and exploitation of human labor.
But also here we can become trapped in a binary approach. For instance in a debate about what is greedy behavior and what is not.
At the beginning of "One-Dimensional Man" (1964) Marcuse writes, "The people recognize themselves in their commodities;
they find their soul in their automobile, hi-fi set, split-level home, kitchen equipment,"
Do we need all these products, the latest smartphones, Nike shoes and Gucci bags? Are they our basic needs? Is consumerism our true self?
I am always amazed, when I hear that for instance Facebook made a profit of billions of dollars. And how? Only by selling advertisement space for companies.
It means that we are constantly bombarded with advertisement through all kinds of channels. Are they offering what we really need?
As you see, Rousseau, Marx, Marcuse, they all show us how we lose sight on our true self. I'll use this weekend to try and find my authentic self.
Give it a try too.... and thank you for your attention again ^_^
The Discussion
[13:19] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): been looking for weeks!!
[13:19] herman Bergson: Any luck already, Gemma? ^_^
[13:20] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): the same as you
[13:20] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): still looking
[13:21] herman Bergson smiles
[13:21] herman Bergson: I am having ideas about this Self....
[13:21] herman Bergson: To begin with we all have a feeling of personal identity....
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:22] herman Bergson: When you get up every morning you still feel you are the same person as yesterday
[13:22] herman Bergson: You might say to yourself...no I am not the same for I have changed my mind om some serious matters
[13:23] herman Bergson: But still there is that transcendent I
[13:23] herman Bergson: The spectator in yourself
[13:24] herman Bergson: I am still wondering about this lin eof thinking....
[13:24] herman Bergson: For in a way I have the idea that this "I" is empty.......
[13:25] herman Bergson: But yet an active coordinator and organizer
[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:25] herman Bergson: Our conscious is a constant flow of information....
[13:25] herman Bergson: coming from inside and outside....
[13:26] herman Bergson: Just the constant buzzing of the central nervoussystem
[13:26] herman Bergson: and then there is that organizer.....
[13:27] bergfrau Apfelbaum: my husband will be able to tell me. or my children :-)
[13:27] herman Bergson: our own consciousness....our "This is me" :-)
[13:27] herman Bergson: What will he tell Bergie?
[13:28] bergfrau Apfelbaum: i think he know my ME better
[13:28] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): aha
[13:28] herman Bergson: hmmm...
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:29] herman Bergson: Some lectures ago I told you about the biases we have.....biases we are not aware of
[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes
[13:30] herman Bergson: it is quite well possible that an other person could bring them to your attention indeed
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): that awful test
[13:30] herman Bergson: ahh yes...those tests :-)
[13:31] herman Bergson: On the other hand I'd say that such biases are normal....
[13:31] herman Bergson: a pert of this ME/organizer
[13:31] herman Bergson: a part
[13:32] herman Bergson: It wouldl be exhausting when we had to be aware of how to organize all our input each second...
[13:32] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes
[13:32] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): it would
[13:32] herman Bergson: We develop patterns, habits....
[13:32] herman Bergson: Like David Hume said: Custom is the great guide of life
[13:33] herman Bergson: So maybe analyzing this organizer in us tells us about our true Self ??!!
[13:33] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): hmmm
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:33] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): how to do that
[13:34] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): isnt that all introspection??
[13:34] herman Bergson: yes Gemma.....how....
[13:34] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): we talked about ages ago?
[13:34] herman Bergson: Not necessarily....
[13:34] herman Bergson: Can be part of it.....
[13:35] herman Bergson: But analyzing the way you interact with your environment in the broadest sense .....might also be wa y to insight
[13:35] CB Axel: Hello, Beertje
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Hi there Beertje
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:35] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): sooo sorry
[13:35] herman Bergson: Hello Beertje :-)
[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): hihi
[13:35] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): hello Herman and class
[13:36] bergfrau Apfelbaum: hi:-)) Beertje
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): we are still struggling
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): with self
[13:36] herman Bergson: As you see....I am still thinking about it....
[13:37] Ciska Riverstone: Hello Beertje ㋡
[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): hallo Ciska
[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): I missed a lot I guess
[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): The Self is a tricky beast indeed
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): it will be in the blog
[13:38] herman Bergson: It is elusive...yes....but maybe we can catch it yet
[13:38] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): me, myself and I were forgotten the class
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): hope so
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe¨
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): catching is hard
[13:39] herman Bergson: I still have the feeling that we eventually can come to conclusions that make sense
[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): o thank you Bergie:)
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): hopw so
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): hope so
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:39] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yvw:-)
[13:40] herman Bergson: Where there is time, there is hope Gemma....and we still have time :-)
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): just that
[13:40] herman Bergson: He not yet pressed his big RED BUTTON :-)
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed we are still here
[13:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): and we have not blown away by the storm
[13:41] herman Bergson: And it's one that works, he has promissed
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): or cold
[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa i heard there is a massive storm now ongoing
[13:42] herman Bergson: Ok....I'd better dismiss the class, now that we start talking about the weather ^_^
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): up here in Sweden there is no sign of the storm however
[13:42] herman Bergson: Class dismissed :-)))
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well was interesting as usual
[13:42] herman Bergson: Thank you all again for your participation :-)
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes
[13:42] Ciska Riverstone: thank you herman - thanx everyone
[13:42] CB Axel: Thank you, Herman.
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): thought provoking
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): as usual
[13:43] herman Bergson: good ^_^
[13:43] CB Axel: I'll see you all on Tuesday. I'm off to search for myself in a theater. °͜°
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu ㋡
[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh good cb
[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): have fun
[13:43] bergfrau Apfelbaum: thank you all:-)
[13:43] herman Bergson: Very nice CB
[13:43] herman Bergson: I have to search for some flowers now in my inventory :-)