RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
July 27, 2012 at 1:54 pm
(This post was last modified: July 27, 2012 at 1:56 pm by Hovik.)
(July 27, 2012 at 1:47 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Working towards one's own survival is a pretty authentic -albeit not entirely or completely satisfying in every particular- activity. Instead of considering the jobs you find menial or unsatisfying as an endeavour separate from your education, consider them a part of it?
By authentic, Annik means affecting one's own choices. In a world where one is forced to survive, one is not being true to one's own desires and authentic motives. In every action I make, I am free to choose for myself what I wish to do, and at no point can I say that I have no ability to do so. However, when one is forced to survive, his or her available avenues of choice are limited, and therefore one does not act as though they were completely free.
This is a topic that I think Star Trek: TNG touched on nicely. In their time, money doesn't exist, and people are free to live to their own affected ideal. They needn't worry about survival.
This then gives rise to the question, can a person truly be free if he or she must devote time to surviving?