White psychodrama

One might hope that philosophy could reconcile us to our social world and each other. To entertain this as plausible is to think there is some perspective one could reach via philosophical enquiry that shows our life and society to be as they are for good reason, allows us to see it all as in some sense rational. Hegel is no doubt the great exponent of this ideal, his system promising to trace history's patterns and conceptual development, while he is so optimistic as to believe that, at its end, we would achieve the perspective whereby every agent's own actions and situation can be made intelligible to themselves and others. This was meant to be true for us the readers, so we would be able to see for ourselves how what we do makes sense, given our circumstances, and is plausibly tending towards a good end.1 Of course, the problem is that there may not be such a perspective. Perhaps to see the world aright is to recognize it as a jumbled mess, with no progressive tendency towards greater coherence, and no satisfaction to be had in achieving superior insight. Perhaps there is no good end we are collaboratively working towards, no possible reconciliation with each other; maybe we are perpetually on the brink of descending once more into a Hobbesian nightmare. Hegel hoped to reassure us that the existence of that clarificatory perspective is guaranteed; as free agents, once we achieve self-awareness we necessarily mutually recognize one another as engaged in a fundamentally cooperative project tending towards justified ends.2 But, alas, not all of us have been convinced, and a kind of existential anomie can befall a thoughtful person who surveys our present socio-cultural situation.3 What if there really just is no excuse for how things are, and no good reason for me to carry on? We ought then to make the social world worthy of reconciliation. The guiding idea here is that the ideal of reconciliation underlying Hegelian social thought is desirable, and if it is not yet possible given present social arrangements, we are called upon to change those arrangements until the ideal can be attained. To be clear, this is not a disagreement with Hegel's system at its deepest level; he may have jumped the gun on what a rationally reconcilable social order looks like, but in some sense that is a mere detail compared to his deeper point that we proactively seek a coherence that we can be reconciled to. Social and political philosophy can then play a dual role of identifying points at which our social order will throw up obstacles to attaining a coherent and reconcilable view of one's life, and suggesting means by which these obstacles can be removed.4 I shall illustrate these rather abstract ideas by constructing and analysing a narrative of the historical situation leading up to the current culture war; especially as it plays out concerning race, and black–white relations even more especially, among the middle class of the USA. The US being a culturally dominant global hegemon, the terms and structure of its culture war tend to be exported, so they are worth understanding even for those of us who are not US citizens. The pastime of the chattering classes, the culture war can be understood as a set of symbolic and political conflicts over emotionally highly charged issues du jour. Even if the particular topic of discussion is fleeting, the ultimate resolution to these debates can have drastic effects on the lives of citizens. How we decide to understand and enforce norms around gender and sexuality, for instance, touch upon some of the most intimate and important aspects of our lives. Here I am interested in how our peculiar socio-economic conditions shape the contours and possible points of resolution in the cultural debate around issues of race. We shall see that characteristic responses to our social order, which I shall describe through stylized character archetypes, make it impossible for participants in the culture war to achieve any lasting reconciliation. Instead, our responses both generate and constitute a kind of racialized psychopathology that I describe as white psychodrama. Given this analysis of the social order and its sources of psychic incoherence, I will suggest a way forward. My hope is that this will at least help people of colour caught in the midst of this to work towards a world we can live in and, by seeing ourselves as so working, to reconcile ourselves to our actual present social activities. We cannot, and ought not to, reconcile ourselves to a society wrapped up in its own contradictions, any more than we should seek to integrate into a burning house. But we can come to see ourselves as knowingly and self-consciously working to resolve those contradictions, quenching that fire, and laying the foundations for a better structure wherein we may all live comfortably. Once upon a time the United States of America was a de jure was of the world its as it was by was a understood and and of who could live how could what of for how and order would The and of the out in if not as it may have been in any given instance, the colour through and one it at great But and the are and in the and the world it was that this de jure system the way of all The the The made of and the of the it was de jure system was no to in the great and in up a of by things the de jure a with these and cultural of the most highly charged to the and one can the that of ought to the to and which colour up to of to not just but of the to as white white a change which even made some to social to in with the But change was not The with the middle to The the as the and by white was once then especially by the Even the the that what is up in is its own of to be worth This can social that life the of is no doubt to the of of which the that allows for that being into is and the for all this is a global the to one's life the people who have the tend to be and our to if we are to this way the global of a The and What they in and to be over by who could the of But the end of not to the most in the of and even and, if in the have to a the to the a change in cultural and with a change in patterns of of the patterns of the of de jure have the of to the these have for The of de jure plausibly a way to and and white de social that to for work and among the and for was up by the so as there been a coherent social to this in what in to the of those been the The in the of of course, and being a the political been to even if to white to be in a of how The of social not to the of the political are which the and of is The of our is what to the white psychodrama. One reconcile to this society it in one with narrative that of and a structure that some this society just not make sense to its own out of with the of its own are those who are to on the and see in this a of towards a there are those who are to see in it a of But both of these are to the this is of a world and a in with this world and in some sense come to that is a social and a character We of and that once yet we up the to are and The social by this are with by and the that all this is the How then do people to the in this historical and what it for to reconcile themselves to own social The character are stylized of responses to the of the is to be by some do not to they would to have more rather than to the and society To that one can think of these as social which as for I am a for the of any stylized what is meant to be a plausible of by actual to life in a society by the of the historical narrative just are for but which I will see to own lives. The we are highly people a culture is which us what of person this would been a among and more engaged are mutually for instance, being more more than just for what and people to and This with and makes the highly people are more to be is as are more to be all this means that the culture war I on will be agents, and will not on white responses to the culture war being a issues of out to be important to how it plays of do a good of to and the of of white of have issues as some of those on which they are most at least some of the cultural this of white America responses to the social of the end of de jure I shall rationally character which one to how the of white engaged in a culture war around might and understand responses may not as plausible But I think that is to be in a situation people are to make sense of a society by is this is a of psychodrama. The of and a of such a and it is the to one's that make one's way while which the culture war One among the white may be called the This character to our with sense of see the they with as and and they are so of the in which present conditions generate for people for white believe in which this ought not to and with themselves and the of The would to do things to this of to change and so as to to the social and help the particular people they this by that of they hope to be able to live in a world that is while it that and through such be able to a the in on around are for to and for both a and what seek out and do to the work of and all this can be rather and one rather the for being to do as is rather a role in But we not be so these may be the of a sense that such is by given the which and historical situation upon among the white may be called the the they are of our historical and not to of But the this is on the rather than the and to in themselves and among The not the points of the but they would to change the the been made and there are, good things that have in our do not to to de jure but out hope for a society that in some sense, more race, and to on the of white a society could do better at the by it with of as we can on the to the is that the for to be wherein was to how we things but is the out for the idea that our narrative is seek to and norms that to race. through they to that a of to the one can the that the to is a for a person who and to of that may but the to social But, it not and the can be the of a that the to just via and the made in to on to our be a the and are The to our situation on up the things the to play are in to a social are wherein one of social to its through the to of to conditions of and are to to but one to of that this and and the to discussion of the is impossible for the person do and it is for and to and the by no means even responses to the situation in the one most people are out of white would into But among the chattering of the I believe the and character of the most important and for to the narrative in the of of and and are engaged in a but it is a over how to the of in a not a how to that Of course, the of us do not by and the it out among they have of the and a so most of us are on for a have the of colour engaged in to be into the white culture war and the historical narrative to the and a is to by more by the there been the for if to present themselves as of is to this as for But there is there will be there is a for a to to of the have been to and political for for to both and The white superior into over cultural are the of the of and the in they the that the of the and in to be the in of in and among this white there is for a is a of for that they to such are not as to this but if one is by of these may come the that with perspective will be and who are able to and the of one of the white to and the they for own a kind of which is not to the for such a with the people they of its cultural and to white while the of actual work is for to the things people of but this idea that as white to out and make these just white work is the the work that see the of as a for true with can a I recognize that I have these and working on is more there up a but of who in for the underlying the Of course, it should be that the are, to a the life our they do not tend be come that the most they in which they are the and the and the with the to of those will be the white chattering which is to will be have to and which of we see and is by the of the white then one ought to the which rather than in The is that once patterns of they for to We a kind of one that the of in the social we are all to, rather than To a more sense of how these present themselves in life, us a culture war how the character might to it will be us that the is to yet another of a by a white What of should we the character given what we have The is by a that and not be with social but no great to change the of the society in which they of to at the of the will and that in a leading to will to of and they are with to do the instance, could be made to a that lives some while to in its own will to for on the of what should be at a social but they are they are to be at actions which could the of the to the social of lives and and for who with will be especially are to in any for is so as possible by actions towards the good and the of to and made some towards upon what they the the may be The is by a to on race, to there is of made so we do not what is and to any that they are white for the of people they have of the as which on in by the is to the can be that there is no that the they will the to on this and for the will any present and such as and the of suggesting that in the of de jure Given that to being they will tend to be of any in the of the the the may be The a and are to have on of on being as and to at it is the engaged who the for are the white I have What is the and seek out so there is to and to a are to present and to be clear, may be and on good as to one of the just who in to will be with on that the of of and which suggest that in any is not the for this of colour they will have a to suggest that it is the of the which to the being as This is a most in for the of for responses to the who to on the should for and themselves as on that should be in order to for and in most to is to to out the This is a which can be with and in any the by for such the the may be We have our narrative and our global a de jure to one with a more but a of this are with the and to it to rather than and that in all the over we of our seek to a as the of de jure for the to as I hope this is a of of our present in those of the world by US But at the I that one could be reconciled to one's social role through all of the is yet in so as one in it is with a sense of to recognize in the as to our narrative be a means of ourselves to the present but it is not the participants of the culture war among the that I hope to reconcile to, the and of the there is another character being in all is the of the in I hope to readers, especially readers, they may see to the us this the character The person a kind of ideal, a character to which one could be reconciled even a society as so The idea is and ideas in philosophy of conceptual so I will the more I have of the I set for political philosophy in the I have a which people being able to reconcile themselves to social that the they and the they live fundamentally come the one for the other. at a this a to the world better the the better the I will here that in some another a is to be and the more how can one work towards a more social structure given the situation we ourselves I will in a of the make this a to even and so it that I shall to the this is the idea The situation of the person of colour the culture it as to incoherence, yet of how to do with the situation of any person to understand present with the leading up to makes it that through which one the social the charged with and that and the to set the in social have all been by to one's yet it would be to one this this those set the a a to One the and to through the and what one and what is so that it one This is what conceptual and I shall more the ideal to be ideal of conceptual the present culture working towards the end of a us then work through that abstract as to our more is it that the person is in a situation wherein they This the way in which the culture war is by a that no one is to and are both to by but of to the and superior But as as such they can generate patterns of in with can one's the more one even we could all the to the of the of structure can to makes it that of and can a time a of the in the culture as it is around to this themselves with with which to The is and The social problem can be the to it for a it will of its own as as the they will the and for the of the to to this culture is all of the by the white which is to all of fundamentally the the point of view of the are with the of a they can which the of the and will not to are not to set that will in and in will be with more culture war on which to and with which to that will no doubt as a it is worth here to a have which may be the of this is all our society to not in to the for person of colour and in the culture a perspective more to the we not change by to as our even if we cannot, maybe is the to and one may as at least for the of is to see this not for of but in of the of and social which the would to But to the culture war in the sense of achieving for is a if those are the then the is not to one it is impossible that we shall be so The are and the historical narrative that there will be the of people the in the sense in which both and do not white and are to white compared to that might the of But even that there are both and the who the of the culture war as it will not be to of it a in a highly and will be able to to in these we should not any coherent narrative to achieve on one might the of a but it is and in a of Instead, we should in that some are our and can do us by as the underlying the culture war the the the will for our is not to but rather to that our actions should be at that, us and if the person the of the participants in the culture hope to one of into for what ought they to do at a they ought to in such a way that they can see themselves as working towards the of the it is not the way of this as a us the person to the by the and cultural conditions for people to is good reason to think that this be by mere change in to be in the structure may be The character is to seek out for that might the The is what of and do they to have to be at The to work towards this the present situation are to most of the wherein work and cultural are are by with people are, not so as people of colour have a they have been highly to at least until have been which have these are the of us and work we if we are to and working out how to a better What is all the while those will be to the of the as the world we to We will be with which that culture war are important and worthy of our The person to out the culture war while being to what is of given What of would these and what of would is rather to what those will be at this the present is one to all the But we can a we in the project of to and will some that norms would generate there is some reason to think they will we will set such and our is of a project for a would be the of which are for the good of people and up and as see which of these are on in of are as is the for we will and people to our a more of a project we could in that both and more for a of with what of world we can make in a that the of the What is he that, to of the in narrative any hope for a world for the of the the of and to the and political effects of This is a of To this we would to on in which such people could of the and good of the in of our But in any the and in how we with towards we do not and a of and that are even things this way is it is the of in and we will if we are to carry out the project of to resolve our our of we can think what they both of we have our of the means we the white over our own is to the person in order to we are of thought and to our and to our in this we can to political that have had to the of social they could not This of us a kind of in and towards our ultimate and a of towards what is being as important by we is to we towards culture war and of the will we ought to these there are good for with political But, our own of by to the not to be of these charged are more than a people are in the of our are to with the of the and and this can be to free the of to one's in the narrative will help its and one to better being by the it with This allows one to on what to one's own project and better with to those Of course, this will not that we are with of the to in even our is this should not be understood as being But we the to our own of the the dominant culture to upon our own given the superior and to of the and will be to us our this we can carry out conceptual ourselves in a to through what our us and what we this is no mere the is to achieving the one is able to work towards one may help a political and of may and live to own is the ideal of the character who can see themselves as a to a better and at not to by the of the and the reconciled to a project of social rather than just to each of this is characteristic of a This is a society that in its of life and that the have not yet had time to to each The of is especially one of all these been to the into the of the we have not even really not there is a there to at this is no our of is no and no reason for that we as a culture have had a time through The and the world have not yet a way of sense of themselves de jure is that the we have are and the character are not I have as a more character the seek to the and This they do by more to what one might given a is to rather than the social problem by to better its they to the that to they have to the present society with all its and I that the person to a of issues with while the of the character this they can on achieving rather than be by the and highly charged white that constitute the of and it out in the culture I hope this how the ideal of reconciliation can political even in we can think what of person and project would constitute a rationally of working towards the better and work out how to conditions that such a But of the as character with which one could be reconciled is it is that we our psychic in the white culture will and makes us people in the of this to But who are and have are no conflicts of to this are in the The was not for this