Conclusion

Abstract

Conceptions of authenticity---what it means to be `true' to a self or an essence---are deeply intertwined with ideological presuppositions. Authenticity is a ubiquitous idea, as particular conceptions of it are adapted and re-cycled between different historical epochs and domains of activity. It can be seen as a highly exclusive quality, available only to a self-selecting cultural elite who own positional goods, or, as `everyday authenticity,' a demotic attribute available to all through a process of `self-authentication', as anyone can extract meaning for themselves from both goods and experiences. Ultimately, as long as we ask ourselves how we should `be' as well as what we should `do', there will always be a demand for a politics of authenticity.