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The Politics of Authenticity: Radical Individualism and the Emergence of Modern Society
An examination of authenticity as a revolutionary concept. In this acclaimed exploration of the search for “authentic†individual identity, Marshall Berman explores the historical experiences and needs out of which this new radicalism arose. Focussing on eighteenth-century Paris, a time and place in which a distinctively modern form of society was just coming into its own, Berman shows how the ideal of authenticity of a "self that could organize the individual's energy and direct it toward his own happiness” articulated eighteenth-century man's deepest responses to this brave new world, and his most ardent hope for a new life in it. Exploring in particular the ideas of Montesquieu and Rousseau, Berman shows how the ideal of authenticity was radically opposed to the bourgeois, capitalistic idea of self-interest.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
Marshall Berman
20 books127 followersMarshall Berman (born 1940, The Bronx, New York City) is an American philosopher and Marxist Humanist writer. He is currently Distinguished Professor of Political Science at The City College of New York and at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, teaching Political Philosophy and Urbanism.
An alumnus of Columbia University, Berman completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1968. He is on the editorial board of Dissent and a regular contributor to The Nation, The New York Times Book Review, Bennington Review, New Left Review, New Politics and the Village Voice Literary Supplement.
His major work is All That Is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience Of Modernity. His most recent publication is the anthology, New York Calling: From Blackout To Bloomberg, for which he was co-editor, with Brian Berger, and also wrote the introductory essay. In Adventures in Marxism, Berman tells of how while a Columbia University student in 1959, the chance discovery of Karl Marx's Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 proved a revelation and inspiration, and became the foundation for all his future work. This personal tone pervades his work, linking historical trends with individual observations and inflections from the situation.
Bibliography
* The Politics of Authenticity: Radical Individualism and the Emergence of Modern Society (1970)
* All That Is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience of Modernity (1982)
* Adventures in Marxism (1999)
* On the Town: One Hundred Years of Spectacle in Times Square (2006)
* New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg (2007), edited by Marshall Berman and Brian Berger.
An alumnus of Columbia University, Berman completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1968. He is on the editorial board of Dissent and a regular contributor to The Nation, The New York Times Book Review, Bennington Review, New Left Review, New Politics and the Village Voice Literary Supplement.
His major work is All That Is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience Of Modernity. His most recent publication is the anthology, New York Calling: From Blackout To Bloomberg, for which he was co-editor, with Brian Berger, and also wrote the introductory essay. In Adventures in Marxism, Berman tells of how while a Columbia University student in 1959, the chance discovery of Karl Marx's Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 proved a revelation and inspiration, and became the foundation for all his future work. This personal tone pervades his work, linking historical trends with individual observations and inflections from the situation.
Bibliography
* The Politics of Authenticity: Radical Individualism and the Emergence of Modern Society (1970)
* All That Is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience of Modernity (1982)
* Adventures in Marxism (1999)
* On the Town: One Hundred Years of Spectacle in Times Square (2006)
* New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg (2007), edited by Marshall Berman and Brian Berger.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 8, 2014
Berman's study of Montesquieu and Rousseau's works as the beginnings of modern thought on the problems of authenticity. Lots of detailed exposition and close attention to the texts, though in positing J-J as a "theorist of totalitarianism" there's a considerable blurring of what that term denotes. The conclusion is a hopeful note that the new protest movements (the book was first published in 1970) may mark a new start on the old problems; that's the only place that seems truly dated.
April 22, 2020
"Bir insan başka birinin topladığı meyveleri, yakaladığı avı, barınak olarak kullandığı mağarayı gasp edebilir; fakat itaati nasıl elde edecektir, hiçbir şeye sahip olmayan insanlar arasında nasıl bağımlılık zincirleri olabilir?" (İnsanlar Arasındaki Eşitsizliğin Kaynağı)
Devletin o zamana dek elde ettiği en büyük başarı esas olarak zincirleri yaratmak, insanları bulundukları yerde tutmak için gereken şiddet içermeyen, ruhani araçları geliştirmek olmuştur. Tabi ki, bulundukları yerde kalmak tüm insanların yararına olan bir şey değildi, ancak yukarıda yer alan insanların yararınaydı. Mevcut tüm devletlerde ve kanunlarda kazanan ve kaybeden Rousseau için çok açıktı: "Doğal durumda insanlar arasında gerçek ve yıkılmaz bir eşitlik vardır. Sivil toplumda gösterişli ve gerçek olmayan bir hak eşitliği vardır." Sivil eşitlik, gerçekte, sadece "tüm toplumun gücünün zayıfları ezmek için kuvvetlinin gücüne eklendiği" bir araçtı. / s. 126
"Fakat bir insanın başka bir insana ihtiyaç duymaya başladığı andan itibaren, iki kişiye yetecek malzemeye tek bir insanın sahip olmasının daha kullanışlı görünmeye başladığı andan itibaren, eşitlik ortadan kalkmış, mülkiyet gelmiş, iş zorunlu olmuş, uçsuz bucaksız ormanlar, insanların alın teriyle sulanan ve köleliğin ve sefaletin bir süre sonra bu tarlalardan filizlenip büyüyeceği küçük çayırlara dönüşmüştür."(İnsanlar Arasındaki Eşitsizliğin Kaynağı)
Öz-gelişimin başlangıcı olması nedeniyle ihtiyaçlarının genişlemeye başladığı an insanlık tarihinde çok önemli bir andır. Fakat en baştan beri her bir insanın öz-gelişimi tüm insanların öz-gelişimlerine karşı olmuştur. Bir toprak parçasını sınırlandırıp "Burası benim" diyen ilk mülk sahibi kendine çoğalan ihtiyaçlarının özgürce karşılanmasını sağlayacak bir etkinlik dünyası yaratmıştır. Öte yandan, aynı anda herkesin özgürlük ve kendini ifade alnını kapatmıştır. Mülkiyet kurumu, insan yaşamına rekabet boyutu getirmiştir. Bir insana verilenler fiilen başka insanlardan alınmış demektir. o andan itibaren bir insanın yararlandığı her şey başka bir insanın zararına yol açmıştır. Üstelik, herhangi bir insan bir kez mülk edinme arayışı içine girmeyi seçince, tüm insanlar mülk aramak zorunda kalmıştır. / s. 136-137
Devletin o zamana dek elde ettiği en büyük başarı esas olarak zincirleri yaratmak, insanları bulundukları yerde tutmak için gereken şiddet içermeyen, ruhani araçları geliştirmek olmuştur. Tabi ki, bulundukları yerde kalmak tüm insanların yararına olan bir şey değildi, ancak yukarıda yer alan insanların yararınaydı. Mevcut tüm devletlerde ve kanunlarda kazanan ve kaybeden Rousseau için çok açıktı: "Doğal durumda insanlar arasında gerçek ve yıkılmaz bir eşitlik vardır. Sivil toplumda gösterişli ve gerçek olmayan bir hak eşitliği vardır." Sivil eşitlik, gerçekte, sadece "tüm toplumun gücünün zayıfları ezmek için kuvvetlinin gücüne eklendiği" bir araçtı. / s. 126
"Fakat bir insanın başka bir insana ihtiyaç duymaya başladığı andan itibaren, iki kişiye yetecek malzemeye tek bir insanın sahip olmasının daha kullanışlı görünmeye başladığı andan itibaren, eşitlik ortadan kalkmış, mülkiyet gelmiş, iş zorunlu olmuş, uçsuz bucaksız ormanlar, insanların alın teriyle sulanan ve köleliğin ve sefaletin bir süre sonra bu tarlalardan filizlenip büyüyeceği küçük çayırlara dönüşmüştür."(İnsanlar Arasındaki Eşitsizliğin Kaynağı)
Öz-gelişimin başlangıcı olması nedeniyle ihtiyaçlarının genişlemeye başladığı an insanlık tarihinde çok önemli bir andır. Fakat en baştan beri her bir insanın öz-gelişimi tüm insanların öz-gelişimlerine karşı olmuştur. Bir toprak parçasını sınırlandırıp "Burası benim" diyen ilk mülk sahibi kendine çoğalan ihtiyaçlarının özgürce karşılanmasını sağlayacak bir etkinlik dünyası yaratmıştır. Öte yandan, aynı anda herkesin özgürlük ve kendini ifade alnını kapatmıştır. Mülkiyet kurumu, insan yaşamına rekabet boyutu getirmiştir. Bir insana verilenler fiilen başka insanlardan alınmış demektir. o andan itibaren bir insanın yararlandığı her şey başka bir insanın zararına yol açmıştır. Üstelik, herhangi bir insan bir kez mülk edinme arayışı içine girmeyi seçince, tüm insanlar mülk aramak zorunda kalmıştır. / s. 136-137
May 29, 2025
Favorite Excerpt:
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚, 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 [𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙞è𝙧𝙚𝙨] 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙙; 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠. 𝙏𝙝𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣'𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝. [𝙄𝙑. 307]
As a sensuous being becomes active, he gains a discernment proportional to his strength.” Emile should learn first of all to grasp what goes on around him, so that he knows how “to judge, to use forethought, to reason in everything that relates to him directly.” He might “not know anything about the way things are done in the world, but he really knows about what touches him.” His “mind and body [will] move together,” reciprocally, “with each one guiding the other.” Thus, “acting according to his own ideas, and not anyone else’s, he unites thought and action.” Every child, if he were only taught to explore and to penetrate his own immediate experience, could attain “what is generally thought to be incompatible, though in fact most great men have achieved it: a union of power in body and soul, the intellect of a sage and the vigor of an athlete.” (II. 82–4)
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚, 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 [𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙞è𝙧𝙚𝙨] 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙙; 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠. 𝙏𝙝𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣'𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝. [𝙄𝙑. 307]
As a sensuous being becomes active, he gains a discernment proportional to his strength.” Emile should learn first of all to grasp what goes on around him, so that he knows how “to judge, to use forethought, to reason in everything that relates to him directly.” He might “not know anything about the way things are done in the world, but he really knows about what touches him.” His “mind and body [will] move together,” reciprocally, “with each one guiding the other.” Thus, “acting according to his own ideas, and not anyone else’s, he unites thought and action.” Every child, if he were only taught to explore and to penetrate his own immediate experience, could attain “what is generally thought to be incompatible, though in fact most great men have achieved it: a union of power in body and soul, the intellect of a sage and the vigor of an athlete.” (II. 82–4)
May 20, 2022
Berman is an engaging writer who has much to say about the writings of others. Unfortunately he plunks us in the middle of a dialectic between Montesquieu and Rousseau's work without ever setting the ground rules of the argument.
The idea of 'authenticity' is as ambiguous as ideasa can get. Often weaponized to excuse poor behaviour, authenticity is a slippery eel that even a subject when asked likely cannot easily identify in themselves. Am I being my true self? Am I truly making my own decisions? What even IS free will and how does that create implications for authenticity?
The argument from Montesquieu is far clearer than that of Rousseau. In his analysis, Berman is clearly honing in on the inauthenticity of totalitarian regimes and the reversal of fortune that can break down social order when the oppressed seek authenticity.
On the other hand, Rousseau is complaining about society as a corruption of the human condition without any redeeming values. While he doesn't think we are going to be able to repeal society as a whole, he continues a fruitless search for an objective, permanent 'thou' that simply cannot exist. Second order desires and mental illness not withstanding, the fluid nature of the human condition simply cannot support such a stringent view of authenticity. What is frustrating about this book is that Berman never calls Rousseau out on this point.
The idea of 'authenticity' is as ambiguous as ideasa can get. Often weaponized to excuse poor behaviour, authenticity is a slippery eel that even a subject when asked likely cannot easily identify in themselves. Am I being my true self? Am I truly making my own decisions? What even IS free will and how does that create implications for authenticity?
The argument from Montesquieu is far clearer than that of Rousseau. In his analysis, Berman is clearly honing in on the inauthenticity of totalitarian regimes and the reversal of fortune that can break down social order when the oppressed seek authenticity.
On the other hand, Rousseau is complaining about society as a corruption of the human condition without any redeeming values. While he doesn't think we are going to be able to repeal society as a whole, he continues a fruitless search for an objective, permanent 'thou' that simply cannot exist. Second order desires and mental illness not withstanding, the fluid nature of the human condition simply cannot support such a stringent view of authenticity. What is frustrating about this book is that Berman never calls Rousseau out on this point.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews