The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

Have you ever wondered how we got here, to this new world where people can define who they are by simply thinking so? How did the fetters of society falter to create a world where people can do just about anything and be applauded for it? Where do we go from here, especially as Christians, living in this strange time of seemingly sudden and radical change? Carl Trueman answers these questions, and many more, in his book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.

Trueman begins the book by tracing our current thought patterns all the way back to the 1600s. He explains how philosophers and artists, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Percy Bysshe Shelley, influenced how we think in our modern society. He discusses the connection between Marxism and Sigmund Freud–a “shotgun wedding” type of relationship–and then explains how this connection, along with the ideas of the Romantics, overthrew traditional views of marriage, family, the church, and the traditions of basically every society that has survived up until now.

Trueman does an excellent job explaining the ideas of the philosophers who influence much of our society today. I no longer feel confused when someone mentions Nietzsche, Marx, or Rousseau. I can outline their basic beliefs, why they believed what they did, and how they sought to apply those beliefs to society. He also elaborates well on how we changed from a society that looked for affirmation and meaning outside ourselves to a society that looks for affirmation and meaning inside ourselves. People used to consider how they would fit into society and how they might contribute to the greater good; now, they consider how they can shape society to highlight their own strengths, abilities, and preferences. In modern life, we make our own meaning (poiesis) instead of searching for meaning already present (mimesis). Trueman says, “To use another of the concepts outlined above, this new view of the self also reflects and facilitates a distinct move away from a mimetic view of the world as possessing intrinsic meaning to a poietic one, where the onus for meaning lies with the human self as constructive agent.” These two aspects of the book–an explanation of philosophers that still influence our society today and the difference between mimesis and poiesis–made the biggest difference in how I view the current societal changes of our day, and also myself.

I wondered as I read how I fit into all these ideas, thoughts, and theories. I do lean towards thinking of myself in a more “expressive individualist” sense. I have gifts and callings that society needs. I can help people, if only they recognize my creative genius and flock to what I have to say. Why hasn’t anyone noticed me yet?! My thoughts in this regard blend right in with the rest of society-at-large. I also find myself drawn to the “therapeutic culture” of our day, in which every person searches for self-fulfillment in the way they think is best for them. Trueman says, “Ethics, therefore, becomes a function of feeling. Again, we can also draw connections to the expressive individualism of Charles Taylor: cultures of the third world/immanent frame are preoccupied with the self-actualization and fulfillment of the individual because there is no greater purpose that can be justified in any ultimately authoritative sense.”

For example, I struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety (PPD/A) after my daughter was born. How does one resolve something like PPD/A? Our therapeutic culture says that medicine and talk therapy work the best; previous cultures, like those that were part of Taylor’s first and second worlds, say help comes from community and a higher power. In other words, help can come from within or help can come from without. I tend to agree with those who live in first and second world cultures. During the height of my PPD/A, I clung to Bible verses filled with hope and reminders of God’s power and spent hours talking with my sister about my feelings. However, I also took medicine, read books, and attended talk therapy–all more self-focused activities. I’m not necessarily saying that any of these things is something negative. They simply show how our culture has changed over time, and also how I fit into the current cultural ideas.

In the previous paragraphs, I mentioned Charles Taylor. He believed cultures could be divided into three types: first world, second world, and third world. As I stated above, first and second world cultures believed in a higher power. They looked outside of themselves for meaning and purpose. Third world cultures, like ours, look for meaning inside themselves or they simply create their own meaning.

(A quick note: I’m about to write about my views of abortion. Jesus welcomes those with humble, repentant hearts into his kingdom and freely offers them forgiveness and grace, even if they’ve had an abortion. You can learn more about processing through your grief and the healing Jesus provides here, through New Life Family Service’s Conquerors program.)

One mark of the development of third world cultures is something called deathworks. Deathworks seek to destroy what first and second world cultures consider sacred, such as traditional views of marriage, the church, and human life. I’m going to do something I haven’t done before on this website, which is take a stand on an issue that I believe is very important. I’ll start by quoting Trueman, “Abortion, too, is a deathwork–not simply because it works the death of the unborn child but because it profanes that which the second world regarded as sacred: human life made in the image of God from the moment of conception. It revises the definition of what it means to be a person and also makes that which was once thought to be a person into something akin to a piece of garbage or excrement.” I completely and heartily agree with Trueman. Abortion is wrong. It is the killing of a human life–a beautiful and sacred human life, that if left to live, would become an individual with unique ideas and abilities. God created each human being in his image; therefore, human life is sacred. Life brings hope, joy, and more life; death brings sorrow, pain, and more death. If you kill a flower, that flower’s seeds cannot float through the breeze and settle somewhere, to create more lovely and fragrant flowers. How much more with human beings? If you take a human life, you’ve just destroyed something infinitely more valuable than a flower. That human being will never get to experience a deep belly laugh or help a fellow human in need. That human being will never know what it’s like to be wrapped in a hug from a friend or watch a sunset paint the evening sky. That human being will never get to experience the raw emotion and abundant joy that comes from bringing another human being into the world. Reproductive rights? For whom?

I think this goes back to the idea of mimesis and poiesis. When you believe you can create your own reality, the views of other people simply don’t matter, even unborn people. You create what you want to create; you try to have your best life now. Anyone who gets in your way must be snuffed out, bulldozed, or cancelled. I understand that some children may be born into adverse circumstances. I don’t think this is an argument for abortion, however. Humans need to be present in order to help other humans. I think this is an argument for more or better adoption agencies to connect children to families, and also a call to the church to help downtrodden women struggling in their circumstances. This is what mimesis reflects: a higher power dictates what is right and wrong. We must work within the bounds of creation, and God will provide a way–he always does.

Trueman touches on this idea again as he discusses Freud’s ideas. He says, “If happiness is the desired goal of all human beings, then for Freud the pleasure principle–the quest for pleasure focused on sexual gratification–is central to what it means to be a self. The purpose of life, and the content of the good life, is personal sexual fulfillment. This principle also reorients thinking on the purpose of sex: the purpose of procreation is subordinated to the purpose of personal pleasure.” You can easily draw the line from this type of Freudian thinking to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and then to the LGBTQ+ and transgender movements of our day. Human nature–the way God created us–no longer has any sway over us as a society. We’ve become “plastic people”, to quote Trueman, who, through technology and science, can change anything we want to about ourselves. Everything from consumerism to school curriculum reflects this idea.

This is also where Marxism enters the picture. Marxism looks at history, culture, and society from the standpoint of the oppressors and the oppressed. What institutions oppress those who want to express their sexuality in ways that don’t fit traditional values? Marriage and the church. Therefore, traditional marriage and church values must be eliminated, so that the oppressed are free to fully express themselves. Trueman says, “Sex focused on procreation and family is the repressive weapon of the bourgeois capitalist society. And free love and untrammeled sexual experimentation are a central part of the revolutionary liberation of society.” In a society like this, where no boundaries exist, the erotic triumphs. In recent years, this has taken the form of the one of the most debasing mediums: pornography. Pornography erases human dignity and treats the person on the other end of the screen as no more than an object. Pornography is one of the most destructive deathworks–the outpouring of a society gone horribly astray not only from God, but from the common good. We’re destroying ourselves, one internet encounter at a time.

You may have noticed that I say “we” as I type. This is the first time I’ve spoken up about my views on such matters as abortion and sexuality. I’m certain that in some way my silence has contributed to the current state of society. Those of us in the church must speak loudly and often about what is true, good, and beautiful, especially as history is being rewritten before our eyes. I would like to speak up more often, and thanks to The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, I have a much clearer idea of what to say.

Trueman says toward the end of the book, “Human nature may not change in the sense that we are always made in the image of God, but our desires and our deep sense of self are, in fact, shaped in profound ways by the specific conditions of the society in which we actually live.” Expressive individualism has it’s merits, and I think some aspects of our therapeutic society do too. For example, without Zoloft I would not have been able to process everything that happened during my PPD/A days. Expressive individualism reminds us that each person has value. This means a lot to me as a parent–I would like to nurture the gifts God gave to my children. I’d like to see them grow and mature into the adults God desires them to be in Christ, using their skills and abilities for the glory of God instead of squandering them for the pleasure of the moment.

Trueman ends the book with encouragement for Christians, which I appreciate and will remember, “It was that second-century world, of course, that laid down the foundations for the later success of the third and fourth centuries. And she [the church] did it by what means? By existing as a close-knit, doctrinally bounded community that required her members to act consistently with their faith and to be good citizens of the earthly city as far as good citizenship was compatible with faithfulness to Christ.” If you feel frustrated and unsure about the state of the world, and you place your trust in Christ, take this quote to heart, dear reader! If you don’t know Jesus, or anything I said in this post makes you so angry you might never read anything I write again, send me an email with any questions you have. I care about you–no matter what you believe or who you side with politically. As a human being, you have intrinsic value, and don’t ever forget that.

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Thank you to Crossway for providing me with a free copy of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self in exchange for an honest review, as part of their Blog Review Program.