It has evolved from being a theoretical concept confined to philosophy and psychology to becoming the very lens through which knowledge is interpreted, values are evaluated, and the world is restructured. However, this centrality, once celebrated as the ultimate expression of human freedom, soon revealed its darker side. The self now appears burdened by its own existence, overwhelmed by an excess of responsibility, and conflicted in its relationship with both the world and itself.
The modern Western self emerged in a historical context that promised complete freedom: freedom from the sacred, from higher authorities, from inherited traditions, and from any power imposed in the name of truth, morality, or purpose. In this perspective, reason appeared as a self-sufficient reference point, capable of creating a fully rational world governed by clear laws, granting humans unprecedented control over nature, society, and history. Yet, what began as a path toward liberation ultimately led to placing the self in an unanticipated position, the position of being the sole reference and sole responsibility in a world gradually stripped of any meaning beyond it.
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