An article written by: Lee Sonogan
“Nothing is precious except that part of you which is in other people, and that part of others which is in you. Up there, on high, everything is one.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Are our values determined by the rules of our culture or the thoughts and opinions of individuals? Collectivism is described by the ideology that favours the collective. While individualism can be described as the ideology that favours the individual. Both influence the way we behave, organise and think in society. All of us want a civilized society that also gives us individual rights.
Since the dawn of the first cities of humanity, individual and the collective ideologies has been debated. On the political spectrum, the collective and individual can either be more right or left in authority or the left and right in liberty. And in addition, collective culture is more right-leaning in conservative traits and the individual culture is left leaning more in the ideologies of liberty.
The connections between all humans may be the most important trait of collectivism. People should be encouraged to do what’s best for society. Putting the needs of the community ahead of the individual is important with moderation and necessity. Although the community and individual groups are very different things.
In comparison, the individual may not be as important as the collective some times though it is more important for many reasons. Firstly there are more individuals than groups of various sizes. Secondly, the individual has a greater chance to be a leader while being educated on specific subjects. And has the independence to be self-sufficient, autonomous and unique.
To sum up everything I have just mentioned, like anything I believe in a balance. If we improve the overall quality of the individual we would improve the quality of identity and life. Then the conservative social rules of life would make sense by the groups of quality individuals. If we were all taught to be leaders we could essentially rule ourselves with a strong connection within all people.
“There can be no such thing, in law or in morality, as actions forbidden to an individual, but permitted to a mob.” – Ayn Rand
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