Foredrag

This text examines a pivotal moment in modern Western thought through the lens of Drachmann's famous declaration, "I wear my hat as I please." Written during an era of unprecedented progress and optimism, the work traces how this motto of radical individualism came to define not just the liberal epoch, but the fundamental worldview of contemporary society. The author explores what this seemingly simple assertion actually means: the conviction that one owes no account to anyone, that personal authenticity supersedes all external constraints, and that individual freedom is the highest good. The text contextualizes this philosophy within the broader intellectual landscape of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century thought, referencing figures like Gunnar Heiberg and his concept of "holy relativity," wherein traditional absolutes have been swept away by reason, science, and humanitarianism. As the author reflects on this ideology forty years into its dominance, questions emerge about whether this philosophy of uncompromising personal sovereignty has proven as successful and beneficial as its proponents believed. This meditation on individualism, progress, and human nature invites readers to reconsider the foundational assumptions of modern life.