HEIDEGGERIAN CONCEPT OF AUTHENTICITY AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR NIGERIAN YOUTHS: HERMENUETIC APPROACH

Abstract

Authenticity is defined as the act of living a genuine and original life. There is no doubt that man is a being (Dasein-in Heidegger’s word) who desires freedom and wishes to make his choice of action at all times, yet he is caught up in the habit of running away from his responsibility by following the crowd and having nonchalant attitude towards his personal growth. And from running away from his responsibility, he gets thrown into the anonymous world (the world of “the_ they self”) and into the crowd and becomes a Das man. This development seems to characterize the Nigerian youths’ behavior in today’s society. Because of this inauthentic behavior, it calls for existential engagement so as to redirect youths towards genuine and original selfhood. In other to address this problem, the research employs Hermeneutic method which is the interpretation of Heidegger’s concept of authenticity and how inauthentic lifestyle is capable of denying Nigerian youths what it takes to be truly human. This research posits that until youths begin to be true to themselves in actions and words, and disengage themselves from the anonymous world, society will continue to fail and human condition will continue to degenerate. This work shows ways (drawing from Heidegger’s concept on authentic existence on the state of being where a person fully embraces their own unique potential and freely chooses their own path in life) youths can accept their existence by constantly striving to live true to themselves in actions and words.