Jargon of Authenticity

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Abstract
During the 1920's a new religion was arising in Germany: the religion of authenticity. With the publication of Sein und Zeit in 1927, Heidegger became the philosopher of the authentic ones and his followers propagated the language of authenticity that spread through diverse sectors of society. Their linguistic trick was to construct a litany of noble nouns such as authenticity, individuality, being, mineness, spirit, encounter, etc. that served as magic tokens loaded with significance that could be uttered with profound intonation. For example, Heidegger's follower Bollnow writes: “Sunday really begins on Saturday evening. When the tradesman straightens his shop, when the housewife has put the whole house into clean and shining condition, and has even swept the street in front of the house and freed it from all the dirt which it has collected during the week; when, finally, even the children are bathed; then the adults wash off the week's dust, scrub themselves thoroughly; and go to the fresh clothes which are lying ready for them: when all of that is arranged, with rural lengthiness and care, then a deep warm feeling of resting settles down over the people.”

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