Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The problem explored in this study concerns authenticity, and can be formulated as
the question: 'How does one become oneself? In order to answer this query, related
issues must be addressed, for example: the nature of consciousness/ self-awareness;
the individual's relationship to society; the meaning of existence, and so forth. The
reply's of three thinkers, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Jung, will be discussed in this
investigation. They have been selected for several reasons: Each of their respective
theories addresses issues that are generally pertinent in contemporary society, such as:
the alienation and dissociation of individuals from each other and themselves through
mass-mindedness and the impersonal nature of state and religious institutions; the
anxiety that many experience due to, firstly, a lack of confidence in the abovementioned
institutions and, secondly, a loss of trust in existing (political, religious,
moral, social) life-strategies, because these often fail to give a convincing sense of
meaning and purpose to life. Each of the three thinkers places the 'self at the center of
their philosophy, and addresses many similar themes which share between them a
family resemblance that admits of comparison. The theories are presented in an order
that ยท allows for a dialectical approach to the problem of self: Kierkegaard's
fundamentally Christian theory is presented as thesis, and Sartre's atheistic position as
anti-thesis. Jung's theory of the psyche is presented as synthesis, because it is antimetaphysical,
but nevertheless claims to prove empirically that a convincing religious/
spiritual experience is the key ingredient for authenticity. The outcome of the
enquiry will show that the three thinkers point from different directions towards the
same basic conceptualization of the 'self: The self is both a project and a goal or, to
put it differently, a journey and a destination, the goal/destination being the
synthesis of the various disparate and conflicting elements that influence or make up
the personality. The study as a whole echoes the three individual approaches in
describing the condition of modem man as a malady or sickness, which is the lack of
authenticity, of which the symptoms are falsehood, anxiety, alienation, crippled
relationships, lack of responsibility and adaptibility, and perhaps, on a larger scale,
issues such as social/ political injustice and conflict. The cure for this malady is an
enhancement of consciousness/ awareness that is known as 'the self. The self is seen
as a 'becoming' and a choice, a dynamic synthesis, something which is not given and
cannot be taken for granted, but must be actively striven for. The study outlines and
explores the nature and value of such a project towards the self. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie beskou die probleem van outentisiteit, wat as die vraag, 'Hoe word ek
myself?', gestel kan word. Om hierdie vraag te beantwoord, moet verdere kwessies,
soos byvoorbeeld die aard van (self)bewussyn, die verhouding waarin die indivudu tot
die samelewing staan, en die betekenis van 'bestaan' ( eksistensie ), ook aangespreek
word. Die voorstelle van drie denkers, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Jung, word bespreek in
hierdie tesis. Die drie is vir verskeie redes uitgesoek: Elkeen van hulle spreek
pertinente kwessies rondom die modeme samelewing aan, byvoorbeeld: individue se
vervreemding en verwydering van hulself en ander weens die massa-mentaliteit en
onpersoonlike aard van staats- en godsdienstige instellings; die angs en spanning wat
baie ervaar as gevolg van 'n gebrek aan vertroue in bogenoemde instellings, asook 'n
gebrekkige geloof in bestaande (politiese, godsdienstige, more le, so si ale)
lewensstrategiee wat nie meer daarin slaag om sin of rede aan die lewe te gee nie.
Elkeen van die drie denkers plaas die 'self sentraal tot hulle filosofie, en spreek temas
aan wat onderling familie-ooreenkomste vertoon, en daarom onderlinge vergelyking
toelaat. Die teoriee word aangebied in 'n volgorde wat 'n dialekti~se aanslag tot die
probleem moontlik maak: Kierkegaard se Christelike teorie word as tese aangebied,
en Sartre se ateistiese posisie as anti-tese. Jung se teorie van die psige word as sintese
voorgehou, want, alhoewel dit geen metafisiese aansprake maak nie, beskou dit 'n
oortuigende religieuse/ geestelike ervaring as die hoofbestandeel vir outentisiteit. Die
gevolgtrekking van die ondersoek sal wys dat die drie denkers vanuit verskillende
rigtings na dieselfde konsepsie van die 'self wys: Die self is sowel 'n projek as 'n doel,
of, anders gestel, 'n reis en 'n bestemming. Die doel/ bestemming is 'n sintese van die
verskillende, onderling botsend~ elemente waaruit die self bestaan en waardeur dit
beinvloed word. Die studie in geheel volg die voorbeeld van die drie denkers deur die
modeme mens se 'toestand' as 'n soort siekte te beskryf. Die simptome van hierdie
siekte, of gebrek aan outentisiteit, is valsheid, angs, vervreemding, gebrekkige
verhoudings, die afwesigheid van persoonlike verantwoordelikheid en
aanpasbaarheid, en ook miskien kwessies soos sosiale en politiese onreg en konflik.
Die remedie vir so 'n siekte is die 'self: 'n verheldering en intensifisering van
bewussyn, wat gesien kan word as 'n 'wording' en 'n keuse, 'n dinamiese sintese, iets
wat nie as voor-die-hand-liggend beskou kan word nie, maar wat aktief nagestreef
moet word. Hierdie studie ondersoek die aard en waarde van so 'n projek gerig op die
self
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52575 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Jonker, Christine |
| Contributors | Van der Merwe, W. L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 224 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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