The Symbolic World 388 - Mary Harrington - Identity After Postmodernism
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Apr 7, 2025 
In this conversation, Mary Harrington, a thought-provoking writer on identity and technology, shares her insights on the evolution of self from ancient soul concepts to the challenges of digital personas. She explores how technology and AI reshape personal identity, advocating for a return to the soul to clarify purpose. The discussion highlights how digital habits alter consciousness, the cultural influence of memes, and the complexities of navigating identity in a postmodern world. Harrington emphasizes AI's limitations and its alignment with human desires, offering a rich perspective on modern existential questions.
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Identity Evolution
- Modern "identity" is a degraded concept of the soul, arising from secularization.
- This shift from soul to self to identity correlates with information revolutions.
The Problem of Floating Identities
- Identifying with external participations (nation, family) is valid, but not the totality of who we are.
- Competing identifications (victimhood, tribalism) lack hierarchy and create chaos.
Reframing Postmodernism and the Soul
- Reintroduce formal and final cause (meaning and purpose) to address postmodern nihilism.
- The soul, in the classical sense, is the form and purpose of a person, not a separate entity.
