> Would it be impolite to ask if you consider yourself one of these
authentic humans?
I wouldn't consider it impolite, but would say it's an unproductive
question like all such questions of "identity" that unravel in the
slightest breeze.
Perhaps a useful concept is the Hegelian take on "freedom"; that in
any epoch freedom is defined by the will to overcome the obstacles one
faces. There is no firmer definition of it than "intent".
A better modern word might be "lifestance" [0], a word I learned from
hanging around with Rationalist/Humanist thinkers.
And here's what I think is a beautiful lifestance quote;
""" Act as though you are free, you might get lucky. You might be
free, who knows! Act that way it's worth trying! -- Rick
Roderick """
I wouldn't consider it impolite, but would say it's an unproductive question like all such questions of "identity" that unravel in the slightest breeze.
Perhaps a useful concept is the Hegelian take on "freedom"; that in any epoch freedom is defined by the will to overcome the obstacles one faces. There is no firmer definition of it than "intent".
A better modern word might be "lifestance" [0], a word I learned from hanging around with Rationalist/Humanist thinkers.
And here's what I think is a beautiful lifestance quote;
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_stance