originally published 12/15/2015

Philosopher and motorcycle mechanic Matthew Crawford attracted attention with his 2009 book Shop Class as Soulcraft, An Inquiry into the Value of Work. His newest book, The World beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction, continues Crawford’s investigation into what forms the self. In this interview, Crawford suggests that individuality is very different from the radical individualism often underwriting discussions of self identity. As selves, our individuality is not so much a right granted to us through our capacity to choose as it is an earned competence achieved through habits of submission to various tasks, traditions, and authorities. This Archive Feature is from Volume 128 of the Journal.

20 minutes

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