name suggests a higher, divine power. Instead, it refers to the essence of existence itself, the ultimate reality of being. The lowercase being refers to the everyday, common existence that people experience.
Hannah Arendt, in her critique of the concept of authenticity, took issue with the idea, as presented by Martin Heidegger, that the authentic self is something to be discovered or recovered. Arendt proposed an alternative to this notion, which she articulated in her work The Crisis in Western Education.
For Arendt, authenticity was not about finding a true self that lay hidden beneath the superficial trappings of everyday life. Instead, she argued that authenticity is about living out the potential that each individual possesses to make a contribution to the world. It is not about uncovering an already existing self but about creating a self through action and engagement with the world.
Arendt’s alternative to authenticity can be summarized in several key points:
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Authenticity as Action: Arendt believed that the self is not something that is found, but something that is created through action. It is through the choices we make and the actions we take that we define ourselves.
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Public Life: For Arendt, the essence of the human condition is the capacity for action, and this action is most fully realized in the public sphere. The authentic self is thus not an isolated entity, but one that is shaped by and contributes to the collective life of society.
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Virtue and Character: Arendt emphasized the importance of virtue and character in living authentically. True authenticity, she suggested, involves the development of certain virtues that enable individuals to engage with the world responsibly and ethically.
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Freedom: Arendt saw freedom as the cornerstone of authenticity. The authentic individual is one who is free to make choices, to engage with the world, and to create their own life story.
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Pursuit of the Good Life: For Arendt, the goal of living authentically was not to find one’s true self, but to live a good life. This involves engaging with the world, contributing to the common good, and developing one’s unique talents and abilities.
In essence, Arendt’s alternative to authenticity is a call to live a life that is publicly engaged, morally responsible, and free. It is a vision of authenticity that is less about the discovery of an inner truth and more about the active creation of a meaningful life through engagement with the world.
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