It is an interesting ob-

eedom in Western society s traditionally been tied advancing the separation the individual from the ate, thus securing the sin- uar «One from the mass hey. Indeed, with the ergence of the modernist ovement of the past cen- ry, what one sees is a re- ‘tion to mass collectiviza- n in society as it contin- s to fragment and exter- lize the life of the individ- 1, making one feel more a mponent of a mass rather an a significant integral

”

among other I's.

And in the present age hich many now call post- nodern, we indeed remain ed to the post, bound y rules, routines, and re- ponsibilities which we of- pn feel are completely be- Pee our control or com- ehension. We feel con- rraint and limitation ev- rywhere in our day to. day ves. Frequently we are ot even aware of this, since 1ese rountines have be- pe so familiar and in- rnalized. And just as it possible to do something ithout necessarily under- Pe all it entails, so o is it possible to re- rt against a set of circum- ances without being fully ee of such a rebel- on. This is exemplified fy examining how and why inglasses have become so ppular an item in West- n society. Sunglasses, you ight say? Granted, this ay seem somewhat un- ual at first glance; how- fen if one explores what nglasses achieve, and the eans by which this is ac- mplished, it becomes ev- ent that there is actually ore transpiring here from

>f 8:30 am — noon +

hysicians: Dr.

srvation that the notion of -

by Robert Bodrog

-a philosophical perspective than meets the eye. : As mentioned earlier, the individual in today’s society must confront the feeling of insignificance and alienation of mass culture on a daily basis. By grow- ing up in such a culture, the groundwork is not laid for one to develop a cohe- sive sense of belonging and high self-esteem. Further- more, the mass media nei- ther instills nor uurtures a seuse of pride ia individu- als, but rather merely al- Jots anenymeus status, al- lowing them to be vrivy to the day’s sensory events as relayed by that media. However, in “real-life” the only way to retain this detached voyeuristic per-

' spective is to literally hide

behind dark shades which cloak our identity. In ad- dition, by hiding one’s face as such, essentially what one is doing is simultane- ously forsaking and alienat- ing one’s personal identity in favor of the chance to perceive and observe “pri- vately” without, being rec- ognized as an I, but rather, if anything, a mere Other.

What becomes esting at this point is the sort of interplay among individuals which comes into effect. By wear- ing sunglasses in a large anonymous mass with other such individuals, whether at concerts, malls, or sim- ply in public, it’s almost as if a sort of secret member- ship and bonding is formed with others who are wear- ing their shades, simply by virtue of their respective wearings. This establishes the foundation of member- ship to a pseudo-group, and thus. allows those collec- tive people to feel a sense

inter-

HEALTH CENTRE

The University Health Centre which is located on the round floor of Marian Hall, will be open to all university bersonnel beginning Monday, Sept. 14 between the hours 1:00 pm — 4:00 pm Once again we will have the services of several local Christine Veale, Dr. nd Dr. Doug Tweel. They will be visiting the campus = a regular weekly basis beginning Monday, Sept. 14. lease check with the Health Centre concerning their of- ce hours and details regarding appointments. : Sharon Mullin is the University Nurse and she will be appy to assist you throughout the forthcoming year.

David MacKenzie

2 Please feel free to contact her at any time by either isiting the Health Centre or by calling 566-0616.

eptember 17, 1987 _

A PLACE IN THE SHADES:

SUNGLASSES AS A PHILOSOPHICAL BY - PRODUCT. .

of belonging, simply be- they can feel se- cure in the knowledge that they are among others who

cause

share (supposedly) similiar tastes, styles and natures. I think it also noteworthy at this time to mention that in wearing mirrored shades, one can observe at once the fragmented reflection of the surronding world while per- ceiving one’s faceless pres- ence within it. Also, and perhaps most significantly, shades prevent wisual con- frontation of the individual with himself should he per- ceive his reflection in any mirror or windew.

Furthermore, as the

shade movement evolves and becomes more sophis- ticated, the sheer diversity of frames, colors, and styles is at once shocking and ap- pauling at times. Even the most respected of today’s fashion designing elite have deed if anonymity and sanc- tuary have their price in socicty, such is the case with sunglasses; the prices of some designer shades now topping upwards of the

$150 U.S. mark. So; in the final analysis

where does this leave us you may ask? Stated in the sim- plest terms, it is difficult to say with any certainty ex- actly what this all means. However I do think it’s fair to say that there is some- thing going on here which transcends a mere attempt at a simple fashion state- ment. For example, why do people continue toswear

sunglasses at night, in the

winter, or while indoors? All of which behaviors I have observed in many ma- jor North American cities. If nothing else I think it is clear that however un- conscious it might be, there is definitely a philosophical basis of some sort underly- ing this form of mass be- havior, which has somehow found an outlet for its ex- pression by utilizing these means. And if truth is now being defined by the Law of Large Numbers as intellec- tuals such as Kierkegaard, Riesman, and Whyte have told us, it is quite. possi- ble that a part of the new reality has already arrived. And (at least for the mo-

ment) it rests confortably ~

and anonymously—right in front of our faces. s

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