Politics of Authenticity & Communities

Imagine a town far off Siberia, its only connection to the outside world is through a single road and it has no electricity, internet, radio, and even books about the society outside the town. The main profession of the people there is cutting wood and supplying timber for the country’s lumber industry. Still, people are happy and living their lives in accordance with the conditions. Then one-day technology arrives, enlightening the citizens with the workings of the outside world and hence opening a whole new realm of possibilities for the inhabitants. The universe expands exponentially for them. People start imagining different futures for themselves. Some want to go outside the town to change their lifestyle or try their hand at a new craft, adopt different professions and carve out new identities. However, the migration of citizens from the town affects the lumber industry and the ruler decrees that no one can leave the town anymore, they all must stay there, supply wood for the whole country, and be content with their fate.

If we consider the above-mentioned town as a despotic or inauthentic community where
freedom is absent then what might be an authentic community or organization, hence our primary point of contention then is the idea of authenticity ultimately leading to an authentic, true community.

Authenticity is a social ideal and it encompasses two dimensions; individualistic and Communal/Social. The pursuit of an authentic self is mostly considered and accepted as a personal phenomenon or process; devoid of societal intervention but the example of our inauthentic community mentioned above shows that authenticity as an idea has roots in society and in itself is a social value on top of an individual one. When people want to pursue their ideals and have freedom of choice, two main barriers stand in their way of individual authenticity journey; lack of choice and type of control. These need to be overcome if people are to pursue their interests and desires and hence achieve the zenith of their authentic selves. Each human possesses uniqueness to themselves, it must be discovered and society must aid them in this journey. However, then the question arises that if authenticity only revolves around an individual then isn’t the concept or the entire phenomenon fallible to egoism and narcissism?

What about the society at large, what about its needs and demands, what about the other individuals living in the community that collectively make it whole? At this point, a conversational space opens up the need for communal, organizational, and political conduct to understand the concept of authenticity wholly and completely. If individuals have a right to self-actualization by pursuing authenticity in their lives then surely every member of society must be given this right and if everyone possesses it then at some point individuals might come into conflict. What happens then? Surely some sort of consensus or compromise would need to be achieved to move forward. Here specifically, comes the concept of citizenship (rights and duties) and social contract theory that must be understood and practiced.

Through the example of the authenticity community in far-off Siberia, we can establish the importance of authenticity in our personal as well as societal lives. For an individual to flourish and prosper societal values must be in line with the personal ambitions, values, history, and heritage of the people but at the same time, individuals must also be aware of the responsibilities and duties that they have for the society at large. For in better communities individuals do both things; pursue authentic interests while also dutifully responding to the needs of communities. Hence this whole process is reciprocal and cooperative. But there exists a dilemma in the whole theory. Pursuing authenticity requires discovering uniqueness and for this to happen an individual must be secure, have time, and resources, and be free from various wants. Maslow’s pyramid of needs can serve well in understanding this needs-wants and self-discovery/authenticity dilemma. If members of the community and the community itself are to prosper then it must provide resources and freedoms to its inhabitants, which will then kick off the cycle of an individual-societal beneficial relationship.

But naturally not every individual can be provided for or satisfied! At this stage, Nietzsche’s concept of ‘Amor fati’ (Love of fate) must be understood, applied, and disseminated in society as a whole and also individualistically. Every individual is born in a certain context with certain qualities plus limitations, hence not everyone can have everything or be anyone so the ‘love of fate’ or at least contentment with it must be present. Moreover, individuals cannot be wholly categorized as interest-driven or completely self-centered, there exists a unique, dutiful, and holy quality in them also; that of virtue, self-sacrifice, and nobleness. Many are willing to do the hard job if only taught and convinced in the right manner and are individually at peace with their past & present traditions and core values.

On the whole, we can say that room for authenticity and creative freedom must be made available to individuals. It should be a free choice. Moreover, the need and importance of authenticity as a social value must also be acknowledged. However, in this setting, both the individual and community are under certain moral obligations. Individuals, while enjoying their freedom must also be aware of other people’s boundaries and rights, in short everyone will need to be a good citizen. While the community must also be true to its roots, (i.e. – culture, heritage, values, history, etc) accept them and educate its members about their importance and encourage them to pursue these noble ideals. A political safe space should exist where all the stakeholders have a say and input so that the whole societal and political system runs smoothly.