Philosophical Arena – Identity, Authenticity & the Modern Self

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A STUDENT TO JOIN

THE EVENT WILL BE IN DANISH

Throughout the autumn, Studenterhuset will host a series of talks and discussion evenings under the name Philosophical Arena. Each event will explore philosophical, existential, and societal themes. The goal is not to win debates, but to exchange ideas and learn from one another. The evenings are curated by Martin Romulo from Applied Philosophy (AAU).

Philosophical Arena is a space for free thinking. The word philosophy literally means “love of knowledge.” And no matter what kind of knowledge it may be, knowing more can never be a bad thing. We, as human beings, learn from one another—through both progress and struggle. With Philosophical Arena, we want to show that the best way to grow is through open and honest dialogue, and that we can always become wiser together.

Identity, Authenticity & the Modern Self

In this edition of Philosophical Arena, we’ll take a deeper look at the personal and explore identity and authenticity in the modern world. Starting from social media’s tendency toward self-presentation, heightened body ideals, debates around gender and sexuality, and authenticity as a lifestyle trend, we’ll examine what it truly means to be authentic. More specifically, we’ll question whether it’s even possible to be authentic in a world where many of our own judgments are shaped by likes, comments, and evaluations from complete strangers rather than from close friends and family.

According to philosopher Charles Taylor, who wrote The Ethics of Authenticity, before we can understand what is authentic for our identity, we must necessarily consider where our so-called originality comes from. Taylor argues that we cannot understand ourselves in a vacuum—we do so together with others and within something we find meaningful.

But have we lost the meaningful in the modern world? Has our authenticity become a reflection of what looks best and gains the most likes and views? To find out whether it’s that simple—or if there’s more to it—we will tackle the topic of authenticity in this edition of Philosophical Arena, hopefully gaining new perspectives and a deeper understanding.