What does it mean to be yourself

In the Shakespearean play “Hamlet,” Polonius said, 'To thine own self be true.' But what is the self, and what does it mean to be true to it? With increasing individualism in society, authenticity is en vogue, and honesty and non-conformity are admired and sought after. But do we do the right thing because we judge it to be so, or because others praise our deeds? Are morality and compassion compatible with being authentic? KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian talks with Denis McManus, professor of philosophy at the University of Southampton and author of "Heidegger, Authenticity and the Self"


In his book "Heidegger, Authenticity and the Self" Denis McManus explores the notion of what it means to be yourself. Photo by Joanna McManus.