ABSTRACT
The question of authenticity arose in Europe from the confrontation between individual and society. The emphasis on particularity impels authentic thought toward confrontation with frameworks that organize daily life for individuals or societies, toward autonomous choice by sharply individuated persons, toward a diversity of perspectives and outcomes, and, perhaps, toward chaos and anarchy. The radicalism of the authentic persuasion requires human autonomy. Authentic thought of all varieties sees history as the product of individual effort. Unlike the problem of group action, which may be more acute in the absence of God, the problem of equality appears to pose more critical problems for theistic approaches to authenticity. The contemporary concern for equality derives from the widespread acceptance of development theory as articulated in the West. By contrast, the need for group action stems from the fundamental radicalism of authentic thought as an attempt to restructure society and human beings.
