The concept of the individual continues to change over time, although few would notice or really care, since it is such a slow process. A simple analysis can be described this way.  In pre-modern times, people had a soul.  In modern times, they have a "self."  In pre-modern times, people had character.  In modern times, they have a personality.  And lastly, in pre-modern times, the individual had spirituality.  In modern times, spirituality has been replaced by psychology. The conclusion that can be drawn from this analysis is that the definition of an individual when put into historical context is not a static thing, but fluid.  This presents a paradox and a conundrum as we move into an era of postmodernism, one that arrived with the triumph of relativism, deconstruction, and the subjectivization of just about everything – i.e., fixed definitions are out, and personal interpretation is in.  The end result, which has...(Read Full Post)