Why I'm an Individualist
Comparing Individualism vs. Collectivism
Understanding political and moral theories requires recognizing fundamental differences in how they view human beings and society. A critical distinction is between individualism and collectivism. However, these don't neatly map onto the familiar left-right political spectrum; rather, they describe fundamentally different ethical and philosophical frameworks.
The Essential Difference
Collectivism views the group (society, nation, class) as the primary moral unit. Individuals are valued according to their contributions and alignment with collective goals. Rights are derived from membership, and individual autonomy can ethically be subordinated to collective interests.
Individualism, in contrast, views the individual as the primary moral unit. Individuals have inherent worth, and their rights and freedoms cannot ethically be subordinated without voluntary consent. Groups are useful abstractions but lack independent moral priority.
Why the Left-Right Spectrum Doesn't Map Cleanly
Political ideologies on the traditional left-right spectrum are often organized around economic policies, governance structures, and wealth distribution. However, collectivism-individualism concerns the ethical and ontological primacy of groups versus individuals.
Recognizing this orthogonality helps clarify why simplistic classifications (e.g., left as collectivist, right as individualist) are misleading.
Evaluating Correctness: Individualism vs. Collectivism
To determine which perspective is fundamentally more correct, we examine several critical criteria:
1. Ontological Clarity and Coherence
Advantage: Individualism
Only individuals exist concretely as conscious agents capable of experiencing pain, joy, and choice. Collectives are conceptual abstractions.
2. Ethical Justification
Advantage: Individualism
Ethics grounded in individual autonomy, dignity, and consent are more consistently defensible. Collectivism often justifies ethically problematic subordination of individual autonomy.
3. Historical Pragmatism
Advantage: Individualism (moderate)
Historical evidence shows individualist societies (liberal democracies) consistently outperform strongly collectivist societies in innovation, economic prosperity, and human rights protection.
4. Psychological Realism
Advantage: Individualism (moderate)
While humans have natural social tendencies, extreme collectivism neglects deep human drives for autonomy and individual expression. Individualism accommodates voluntary and diverse forms of social integration.
5. Logical and Epistemic Soundness
Advantage: Individualism
Individualism avoids logical errors common in collectivist thought, such as attributing mental states or choices to abstract groups rather than to actual decision-making agents.
Overall Verdict
Individualism is fundamentally more correct. It offers superior ethical, ontological, logical, and pragmatic foundations. Collectivism's legitimate benefits—such as cooperation and mutual aid—can be fully realized within an individualist framework through voluntary association and consensual collective action.
Thus, while collective efforts and cooperation remain crucial, they are best understood as instrumental rather than fundamental. Individualism provides the necessary philosophical clarity and moral grounding to navigate the complexities of human societies effectively.