Narcissism and identity-determinism

A lecture by Claire Fox at The Academy 2017.

Narcissism is now - according to the New York Times - ‘the go-to diagnosis’ for commentators. Why has cultural narcissism become so deeply woven into the fabric of contemporary society? Why has individualistic self-preoccupation with identity become dominant at the very time when individual autonomy and agency are so weak? Are there any positive aspects in constructing Brand Me and a ‘Narrative of Self’ in terms of reclaiming subjective selfhood? Is narcissism too clichéd a concept to help us understand today’s crisis of identity?

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