Authentic Orange

Submitted by Nathan Harlan,

Being orange authentically is a goal for most of us attending Oregon State. This goal however means different things to different people, which is obvious or it wouldn’t be authenticity. This can present a special kind of struggle because we have to define authenticity for ourselves. I think that Kierkegaard does the best job at explaining this for me so I will look to his work to find an answer. Kierkegaard defined this as becoming aware of ones true self, there are two main parts that encompass what it means to be human for Kierkegaard, the finite and the infinite. The finite is the earthly, the body that is temporal. While the infinite is the spiritual, the eternal, it is forever. Kierkegaard was a Christian man who believed in life after this one, unlike some other philosophers, so to him it was obvious that the eternal plays a part in becoming authentic. Although having finite and infinite realities of life for every person, not everyone acknowledges both of them. Kierkegaard calls this despair, and he names three types of this “despair”(Lecture 4/21/15). The first is not to be conscious of having self, although he acknowledges that this is not truly despair because ignorance is bliss, this means that the individual is not aware of the struggle between the finite and the infinite. That is the worst kind. The second is not to will to be one’s self this is to be aware of the tension but to deny either the finite or the infinite, to deny either would be inauthentic. the third and final despair is to will to be one’s self, this is the acceptance of both the finite and the infinite, but it is to try and make the finite infinite by works done in this world. These are all ways to be inauthentic, but we have not yet defined what it means to be authentic. To be true to one’s self sounds good but we want to go deeper so we can aim to do it. After this point the definition of authenticity is different for everyone. Kierkegaard had three spheres of existence that authenticity can be partially found in the aesthetic sphere, the ethical sphere, or the religious sphere(Lecture 4/23/15 slides 1-11). The aesthetic sphere is living for self and seeking pleasure and adventure for self. The ethical sphere is doing what is “right” this could mean by the law or even by a religion if that is the law you follow. The religious sphere is different than the ethical sphere and can fit with it but also override it. To me, being authentic is trying to live in the religious sphere, because I am Christian and I choose to live that way, although many times I do not live up to that expectation of myself a lot of the time, but that is expected and forgiven in my religion. Religion is maybe not the best word for it though, because as Kierkegaard said, the religious sphere is a personal passionate relationship with the living God of the universe(Lecture 4/23/15 slides 12-15), to me it is not adequate to call it religion. Maintaining that relationship by choice of my own is what it means for me to be authentic.

Now that I have my definition of authenticity for me laid out and clear, I can look at how I plan on going about becoming authentic. There are some obstacles that I have already ran into and that I will continue to face while trying to authentically be orange and Christian. The challenges I face are similar to the ones that anyone trying to be authentic, no matter what that means,  would face. That obstacle is the temptation to conform to ” The Herd”. This herd instinct for Nietzsche, is the very thing that I want to towards being! Nietzsche says that Religion and morality creates a herd mentality of all of use thinking the same way, he thinks this because he did not believe in a god or in absolute truth(Nietzsche, The Gay Science, pg. 130). I believe that there is such a thing as absolute truth, and that it comes from God. I want to work towards living out that truth in my own authentic way and if Nietzsche would call that the herd mentality then I would love to join the herd!  However, to me, the herd mentality to avoid is the mentality in the world. The partying and drinking that is basically expected from college students is the mentality of the crowed that Kierkegaard speaks of as untruth(Kierkegaard, The crowed is untruth, link 5/5/15). It is tempting to conform to fit in and have a good time, but this would not be authentic for me because I would be partying to hang out with others, to fit in, to join “The crowed” as I would define it.

This struggle to be authentic will continue for the rest of my life and the best way to deal with it will be to take it day by day and be true to the person I choose to be. After doing that, what more is there to do?