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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insights INSIGHT
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.
insights INSIGHT
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.
insights INSIGHT
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.
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Charles Taylor's Sources of the Self is a comprehensive exploration of the development of the self in Western thought. The book traces the evolution of self-understanding from ancient Greece to the modern era, examining how different philosophical and religious traditions have shaped our conceptions of identity. Taylor argues that the modern self is characterized by a unique sense of autonomy and individuality, but also by a profound sense of alienation and fragmentation. He explores the implications of these developments for our understanding of ethics, politics, and religion. The book is highly influential in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and religious studies. It's a challenging but rewarding read for anyone interested in the history of ideas and the nature of the self.
In this conversation with Mary Harrington, we explore how identity has evolved from the ancient idea of the soul to the concept of self and today how we talk and think about identity. We dive into how technology and AI shape this shift and why bringing back the soul might help us tackle modern challenges. We argue that purpose and hierarchy clarify identity in today’s mess of competing selves. We explore how swapping deep reading for digital scrolling shifts consciousness, how memes steer thought, and the nature of AI and its affects on culture.
Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/TJnGDEAka7I
Our conversation at ARC that prompted this: A philosophy of human identity in a digital age | Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, Mary Harrington: https://youtu.be/oa-MK6l_hgE?si=86TQRbbDCrQdqb60
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