The Politics of Authenticity - Arden Rushwood (Progress Review 3)

This thesis examines the precise nature and structure of authenticity in order to locate its proper role in political life. My aim will be to show what it means to be an authentic individual within the context of one’s political community, arguing that an authentic political existence constitutes reflective open minded expression of sceptical opinion. I investigate the notion of authenticity as it appears in existential philosophy and pragmatism, identifying the auxiliary concepts of individual freedom and genuine doubt as both critical to understanding what it means to be an authentic individual. From these two notions I draw out the divergent radical and conservative dimensions of authenticity and describe their ethical and political implications. Finally, by synthesising the radical and critical dimension of authenticity with its more conservative aspects, I aim to show how the ideal of authenticity supports deliberative models of democratic politics.