[lbo-talk] school uniforms (was: Ehrenreich responds to BDL)

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Sun Aug 24 10:58:56 PDT 2003


On Sat, 23 Aug 2003, Carrol Cox wrote:


> I'm asking for an explanation more than an argument, actually, since I
> really don't have the slightest clue what "individuality" (as something
> to express) can possibly mean. It seems to me to be an advertising
> cliche.
>

C's perplexed response here is like that of a non-Catholic trying to make sense of the Holy Ghost. The idea of "expressing your individuality" is important in our culture simply because we use the idea and make it important. I think C's getting stuck here because he thinks it refers to something. If you participate in the Catholic religion, you'll eventually "get" the idea of the Holy Ghost; it doesn't require an empirically verified referent. --And just so with expressing individuality.

Miles



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