“The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self” is a thought-provoking exploration of the evolution of the modern concept of self and identity in Western society. Author Carl R. Trueman delves into the intellectual, cultural, and philosophical roots of our contemporary understanding of selfhood, examining how the self has come to be defined through feelings and personal autonomy.
Trueman traces the development of the modern self through the works of key thinkers, including Rousseau, Freud, and Marx. He argues that these philosophers, along with others, have contributed to the radical shift in how the self is understood and experienced, moving away from traditional definitions tied to community, family, and religion, and embracing a more individualistic, subjective perspective.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an influential philosopher of the Enlightenment, laid the groundwork for the modern self by prioritizing individual feelings and emotions over rationality and social norms. In his work, “The Social Contract,” Rousseau emphasized the importance of the individual’s inner emotional life and asserted that societal norms corrupt the innate goodness of human beings. This emphasis on personal feelings and the belief in the inherent goodness of the individual provided the foundation for the rise of expressive individualism, which values the expression of one’s emotions and desires as the ultimate form of authenticity.
Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, further advanced the subjective nature of the modern self by exploring the inner workings of the human mind. Freud’s theory of the unconscious, as discussed in works such as “The Interpretation of Dreams” and “The Ego and the Id,” posited that individual behavior is driven by unconscious desires and conflicts. By asserting the primacy of the unconscious and elevating the importance of personal desires, Freud’s theories contributed to the growing emphasis on the individual’s inner experience and the need to understand and express one’s true self.
Karl Marx, a prominent philosopher and economist, played a significant role in shaping the modern self through his critique of capitalism and the alienation it causes. In works such as “The Communist Manifesto” and “Capital,” Marx argued that the capitalist system commodifies human beings, separating them from their true nature and needs. This critique of capitalism and its impact on the individual prompted a reevaluation of the role of society in shaping the self, ultimately contributing to the shift toward a more individualistic and subjective understanding of identity.
The book highlights this growing prominence of expressive individualism, which values the expression of personal feelings and desires as the ultimate form of authenticity. This cultural shift has had profound implications for morality, politics, and the concept of human dignity, as the focus has increasingly become the pursuit of personal happiness and the assertion of one’s own identity.
Trueman’s examination of the impact of philosophical changes on contemporary social issues, notably LGBTQ+ rights and gender identity, reveals the inescapable influence of an underlying cultural transformation. This metamorphosis, characterized by the elevation of subjective feelings above objective reality, has manifested itself in various real-world scenarios.
Consider the case of the evolving understanding of gender identity. No longer confined to the binary constraints of male and female, the spectrum of gender identity has expanded in recent years, driven largely by individuals’ subjective experiences and self-identification. The emergence of non-binary, genderqueer, and other gender identities underscores the triumph of personal feeling over objective criteria such as biological sex. This shift has prompted legal and social changes, such as the adoption of gender-neutral pronouns and the recognition of a third gender option on official documents.
Another example can be found in the discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, where the focus on subjective feelings has led to a more inclusive and compassionate society. The right to marry, regardless of sexual orientation, exemplifies the acknowledgment of the profound emotional bond between partners, transcending the objective, traditional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This evolution in understanding, as championed by the LGBTQ+ rights movement, demonstrates the reorientation of societal values toward the subjective realm.
Moreover, the cultural transformation Trueman discusses has fostered a climate of increased empathy and acceptance, as the prioritization of subjective feelings has nurtured a greater willingness to listen to and validate the experiences of others. By acknowledging the subjective nature of identity and emotions, society has become more attuned to the diverse array of human experiences, allowing for the creation of safe spaces and support networks for those who may have previously been marginalized.
Below are five quotes that capture Trueman’s thesis:
- “The self must now be understood as a completely autonomous individual, free from any kind of external authority or transcendental truth.”
- “The therapeutic society is one in which the ultimate goal of life is personal happiness, and where the key to happiness is self-expression and personal authenticity.”
- “One of the great ironies of the triumph of the expressive individual is that it has not led to a more inclusive and accepting society; it has simply led to a more fragmented and chaotic one.”
- “The expressive individual has not only come to dominate the social and political landscape but also to redefine it in his or her own image.”
- “In a world where the self is understood in purely subjective terms, the notion of truth itself becomes a casualty.”
Trueman’s exploration of the modern self as an autonomous individual, emancipated from external authority or transcendental truth, finds resonance in the works of Philip Rieff. In his magnum opus, “The Triumph of the Therapeutic,” Rieff elucidates the emergence of the therapeutic society, where self-expression and personal authenticity become the ultimate goals. Both Trueman and Rieff dissect the cultural and philosophical milieu in which the subjective self is prized above all else, exposing the ramifications of a society that has abandoned traditional sources of meaning and authority.
Similarly, Christopher Lasch’s seminal work, “The Culture of Narcissism,” investigates the societal consequences of the rise of the modern self. Like Trueman, Lasch contends that the shift toward subjective selfhood has not led to an inclusive, harmonious society. Rather, the triumph of expressive individualism has fostered a culture of narcissism, marked by self-absorption, fragmentation, and an inability to engage in meaningful communal relationships. The insights of Trueman, Rieff, and Lasch converge, painting a sobering portrait of a society in which the individual’s subjective experience takes precedence over shared values and collective aspirations.
Furthermore, Trueman’s observation that the ascendance of the subjective self has resulted in the erosion of objective truth echoes the concerns of both Rieff and Lasch. As the individual becomes the arbiter of truth, society loses its capacity to engage in reasoned discourse, foster mutual understanding, and develop a shared vision of the common good.
This collective loss of objective truth has precipitated a crisis of meaning, as individuals struggle to anchor their identities and find purpose in a world where subjective feelings reign supreme.