buddhabillybob
buddhabillybob t1_j01yn4i wrote
Reply to Existence is infinitely richer than our descriptions of it. So, rather than cling to reductive explanations that only ‘close’ life’s possibilities, we should ‘open’ reality by seeing ourselves as perpetual students | Interview with Black Existentialist Lewis Gordon by philosophybreak
I did think the distinction between “black” consciousness and “Black” consciousness was pretty interesting.
I do, however, wonder how far existentialism is compatible with any form of “identity” in the normal sense of the word. As Gordon points out, experience is relational. This means that our identities are radically open and hybrid.
Example: Growing up in the post-segregation South left an indelible imprint on my consciousness in terms of music-jazz—and language, especially improvisational humor. Of course, none of this stops me from being a nerdy white guy. And yet these experiences and loves reshaped me in a way that I can’t fully articulate. What is my “identity”?
buddhabillybob t1_j04v8mg wrote
Reply to comment by bobbyfiend in Existence is infinitely richer than our descriptions of it. So, rather than cling to reductive explanations that only ‘close’ life’s possibilities, we should ‘open’ reality by seeing ourselves as perpetual students | Interview with Black Existentialist Lewis Gordon by philosophybreak
Quite true, experience is the primary concern for existentialists; however, there may not be a simple relationship between experience and the labels we normally use for identity. The question “Who am I?” is at the heart of existentialism. The question “What is my identity?” isn’t quite same question, at least in the terms we usually use for identity—class, race, gender,etc.
At least, that’s where my thinking is at right now.