Well, this is going to be a long one…
This week’s reading explore the ideas of self in the ways that they relate to the world as a whole and the community that we exist in. The part that I found most impactful and insightful was the sense of the three maladies; that there were things inherently “wrong” with how we were prescribing ourselves to society. Most importantly, the fact that these maladies are already commonly discussed, yet not acted on. This preposition is what intrigued me most: the idea that these concepts float right in front of people’s noses, but no one bothers to truly see them.
“I believe that this great familiarity hides bewilderment, that we don’t really understand these changes that worry us, that the usual run of debate about them in fact misrepresents them — and thus makes us misconceive what we can do about them” (2).
The first maladie that Taylor discusses is that of individualism. He explains how the masses have defined one of the great achievements of the modern era as independence from the need to define ourselves by the social order in which we are prescribed. In this sense, we are able to define for ourselves what it is we want from life and where our desired path leads. However, this sense of independence has also lead to a decline. As Taylor describes, “People no longer have a sense of higher purpose, of something worth dying for. […] People lost the broader vision because they focused on their individual lives” (4). I feel that I see this frequently, not only among my peers and generation but in society as a whole.
Everyone is concerned with what they are doing, and how things affect them; coming from a big family, I have an inverted sense of thinking. I am very conscious of my actions and how they affect others as well as how I can help others around me, normally at no detriment to myself. This ability to empathize was also fostered by my love of books at a young age; by learning to see stories from other’s perspectives, children are clinically proven to become more empathetic and aware of those around them. I use this empathy to help define my sense of self: because of the things I see and the people I belong to, I am who I am.
I always thought I was odd because of these sentiments.
The fact that I was able to define myself by things outside me rather than within me made me, in some fashion, unlike the people around me. They were more concerned with things that only applied to them and what they were experiencing, I was concerned with not only my own self, but also the thoughts, ideas, and hopes of those around me.
[Unfortunately, at this point this post will cease to be as in depth as the previous page has been. This concept of how I view the world in a united and interconnected sense compared to those around me who are more individual-centric is a concept I’ve been juggling for quite some time, so as such, I had a lot to say on the subject.]
Another maladie that Taylor identifies is the calculated approach most people take to making decisions, which he calls “instrumental reason”. Instead of weighing based off of morals and consequences, individuals will “calculate the most economical application of means to a given end”(5). This results in decisions being made based on what is most efficient and convenient for consumers.
This can be seen in the appropriation of resources for individual need, outside of the sense of society and morality that would prevent individuals from over consuming. Instead of sharing and distributing resources, the consumer nature that has taken root, specifically in Western societies. Instead of being conscientious of the needs of others, human or otherwise, individuals in the modern era have the tendency to take with reckless abandon. While this may not have been Taylor’s intention, my mind couldn’t help by wander to the increased trend of consumerism while reading this. Taylor uses this maladie to argue that our decision making skills have been impaired, that our ability to do things fast or easily makes us more likely to say “yes” simply because it is convenient. This is harmful to the individual, as well as society as a whole, because it can lead to choices that destroy the environment or society that the individual inhabits, or risk the safety and well being of the individual when they are confronted with complex choices. The latter point is often seen in politics, which Taylor tackles next.
The last point that Taylor makes is how individualism and instrumental realism affect politics as a whole. As with the effects of consumerism, these aspects influence politics in a similar way. It causes otherwise well informed individuals to make choices that are not morally based on what they believe, but instead based on what is easiest for them to execute. With the introduction of individualism, or the lack of community, as well as instrumental realism that affects how we make choices, there is nothing encouraging society members to participate in government; yes, it will influence them directly, and it is the logical choice to make, however, with the large numbers of participants in today’s government system, many feel as if their voices are being ignored. This makes individuals less likely to participate because they see it outside their realm of concern.
“A society in which people end up as the kind of individuals who are “enclosed in their own hearts” is one where few will want to participate actively In self-government”(9).
With the 2016 presidential elections coming up, there is a large push by the older generation to get the younger generation, my generation, into politics. This can be seen by platform inventions such as TurboVote that allow voters to register online in a convenient manner as well as keeps track of different elections for them so that they do not need to worry about knowing when it will happen. Campaigns such as the DU Debates have been launched across the nation in an effort to attract attention; anything to spark the curiosity of the younger generation and get them involved in politics. While this will encourage some young people to enter the political scene, real progress will not be made unless my generation chooses to trade in their apathy for empathy and become involved in struggles outside their immediate self.
Taylor’s arguments are both interesting and common. They are statements that have often been examined, but never re-examined closely to understand what they are truly saying. Never the less, I was incredibly drawn in by his statements and could not help but link them back to thoughts and situations that have occurred in my daily life.
