Political Philosophy: Liberty and Rights
4. Individualism vs. Collectivism
Aeon J. Skoble is a professor of philosophy at Bridgewater State University. His research in moral and political philosophy includes theories of rights, the nature and justification of authority, virtue ethics, and theories of legal interpretation.
Prof. Aeon J. Skoble claims that if we really care about the wellbeing of communities, we should keep in mind the unique and autonomous individuals that make them. Individuals are deserving of respect and dignity and should be free to pursue their own ends as long as they don't infringe upon the freedom of others. Although the concept of community is important, it does not warrant overlooking the individuals that comprise communities.
- Methodological Individualism [Article]: Arnold Kling shares a quote from Donald J. Boudreaux underscoring the importance of methodological individualism when looking at the whole range of social phenomena.
- The Collectivist Illusion [Article]: Tibor R. Machan examines the problem of grouping human beings and ascribing to them capacities only individuals can have.
- The Dangers of Collectivism [Article]: Dennis Bechara explains how government intervention alters the nature of society and our relationship to government.
- Liberalism [Article]: Gerald Gaus and Shane D. Courtland provide a broad philosophical overview of liberalism, highlighting in particular the classical liberal philosophical perspective.
Use these questions to enhance your understanding of the topic. We recommend watching the featured video first; the suggested resources will also help.
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Comments
I respectfully disagree with the use of the word "yes" in your suggested response to the third question in this segment. Below is my response, followed by yours. They both express similar ideas (hence, the 'correct' grade on this question) but to say 'yes', that community is 'required' in this context is not technically accurate. A person could survive without community, although, the preference would be for community, so community is the preferred state but it is NOT required.
My response: No, they don't require community. But community is preferred because it allows for the individual to flourish.
Your suggested response: Yes. Individuals are not atomistic. They have needs satisfied by living in communities: specializing and trading, making friends and establishing bonds, and partaking in the creation of culture and enjoyment of entertainment. Society is ultimately the manifestation of all individuals’ preferences and actions.
I consider a person since it's begining, and that means since just borned, and that individual needs it's particular community as his mother completes it. Neither a 3 year old individual can survive in a city or any other geographical environment. They also need to be supported by a community to it's own adventage. So, which person could survive without community? Or, under your thoughts, when a person should be considered not to require a community when in all cases he had benefits from it?
Ultimately, the thought of an individual surviving outside of a community is a temporal abnormality at best, and a useless thought experiment at worst. Sure an individual could be ostracized from a community or found on a deserted island and be able to survive, and perhaps have offspring to which they can teach to survive without a community. But practically speaking, and individual can't really survive or thrive without the knowledge, skills and material benefits that a community provides.
I have this shirt which has a quote by Ludwig von Mises on the back which reads: “Freedom in society means that a man depends as much upon other people as other people depend on him.” It hints at a fundamental truth of freedom and prosperity in society.
We need each other.
“If I have seen farther, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants”, Newton once told us. He knew it, too. Prosperity is indivisible from community, and the strongest communities are fostered through voluntary association.