'All of humanity's problems come from a man’s inability to sit in a room by himself,' wrote Blaise Pascal.
In early modernity, Pascal’s words were perhaps right. But now the more appropriate comment would be: 'All humanity’s problems come from each one of us being unable to sit in a room with others.'
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Drew Nauman 12 December 2018
I signed up just to comment. Your article demonstrates a wonderful understanding of so much excellent (and varied) political theory, yet at the conclusion the titular claim and premise are still unfounded. I think you make an excellent claim for "loneliness/social isolation" as a tool of the modern oppressor, but it is completely divorced from Pascal's notion of "the inability to be with one's self" (which remains largely unaddressed). I think Pascal's is still primary alienization of the human condition followed by the alienizations brought on by modern capitalism and nascent authoritarianism (those you pointed out)
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