Individualism facts for kids

Individualism is a way of thinking that focuses on the importance of each individual person. It's about valuing your own independence and being able to rely on yourself. People who believe in individualism think that a person's goals and wishes should come before the needs of the government or a large group. They also believe that outside groups or rules should not interfere with a person's interests.

Individualism is often seen as the opposite of collectivism, which focuses on the group. It also differs from totalitarianism, where the government controls everything.

The idea of individualism is also linked to artistic and bohemian (unconventional) ways of life. Here, people like to create their own path and try new things. They don't just follow traditions or popular opinions. This is similar to humanist ideas, which value human beings and their abilities.

What Does "Individualism" Mean?

In the English language, the word individualism first appeared in the 1830s. Some early thinkers, like the Owenites, used it in a negative way. They thought it meant being selfish.

However, others like James Elishama Smith started using it more positively. Smith believed individualism helped people grow and become unique. He thought it allowed individuals to gain things that would make them happy. Later, William Maccall also wrote about individualism in a positive light, seeing it as a way for people to develop their "original genius."

Understanding the Individual

An individual is simply a single person or a unique item in a group. Long ago, in the 1400s, "individual" meant "indivisible," like something that couldn't be split up. Today, it still means a single thing, but also often refers to a person.

Since the 1600s, "individual" has also meant being separate and unique. Your individuality is what makes you different from everyone else. It means you have your own needs, goals, and desires.

How We Become Individuals

The idea of "individuation" explains how a person becomes a distinct individual. For Carl Jung, a famous psychologist, individuation is a process of growth. It's when parts of our unconscious mind become known to us. This helps us become a complete and whole person. Jung thought this was a natural and very important part of human development.

Other thinkers, like Gilbert Simondon, saw individuation as a never-ending process. He believed that we are always becoming individuals, and this process is never truly finished.

Individualism and Society

Individualism suggests that people in society should figure out their own interests. They don't have to just follow what society expects. An individualist doesn't have to be selfish. They might combine ideas from many different philosophies to create their own way of thinking.

In society, individualists make their own choices about politics and morals. Being an independent thinker is a key part of being an individualist.

Societies around the world differ in how much they value individualism versus collectivism. Individualistic cultures focus on personal freedom and initiative. Collectivistic cultures focus on following group rules and traditions.

Countries with strong economies, like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, North America, and Western Europe, tend to be more individualistic. Regions with developing economies, like the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, tend to be more collectivistic.

Competing as Individuals

"Competitive individualism" is a idea that says success should depend on a person's effort and ability. It sees competition as a fair way to share limited resources and rewards.

Understanding Society Through Individuals

Methodological individualism is a way of looking at how society works. It suggests that to understand big social events, we need to look at the actions and reasons of individual people. For example, in economics, people's choices are explained by what they want and what they can afford.

Individualism in Politics

Individualists care a lot about protecting personal freedom. They want to be free from rules made by social groups or governments.

Civil libertarianism is a political idea that supports individual rights and personal freedom. It believes these are more important than any authority, like the government or social pressure. Civil libertarianism isn't a complete political system itself. Instead, it's a set of beliefs about specific issues like freedom of speech and privacy. Because of this, you can find civil libertarians on both the right and left of politics.

British historians have noted that by the 1970s, many people in Britain wanted more personal freedom and less control from outside forces. This desire for individual rights helped shape political changes in the country.

Anarchism: No Rulers

Within anarchism, individualist anarchism is a way of thinking that puts the individual and their will first. It believes that individuals should not be controlled by groups, society, traditions, or political systems. Individualist anarchism isn't just one idea; it's a group of different philosophies that sometimes have different views.

In 1793, William Godwin, who is often called the first anarchist, wrote Political Justice. He believed that people should cooperate less and that a very small government was a "necessary evil" that would eventually disappear as people became more knowledgeable.

A very important form of individualist anarchism is egoism, or egoist anarchism. It was developed by the German thinker Max Stirner. In his 1844 book The Ego and Its Own, Stirner argued that the only limit on a person's rights is their power to get what they want. He believed that society doesn't really exist, only individuals do. Stirner suggested that people form "unions of egoists" – groups that are freely chosen and based on what each person wants.

In America, Josiah Warren is seen as the first American anarchist. He published The Peaceful Revolutionist in 1833, the first anarchist newspaper. Henry David Thoreau, a famous American writer, also had a big influence on individualist anarchist thought. He is known for his book Walden about simple living and his essay Civil Disobedience, which argued that individuals should resist unfair governments.

Later, Benjamin Tucker combined Stirner's ideas with the economic ideas of Warren. He published an influential magazine called Liberty.

Many other writers and activists were inspired by these ideas, including Oscar Wilde. In his essay The Soul of Man Under Socialism (1891), Wilde argued that socialism could actually help people achieve true individualism. He believed that without private property, people would be free to truly live, rather than just spend their lives collecting things. Wilde saw art as the highest goal, bringing enlightenment and new life.

Ruling Yourself: Autarchism

Autarchism is a philosophy that supports individualism and self-reliance. It rejects the idea of a forced government. Instead, it believes people should rule themselves and not be ruled by others.

Liberalism: Freedom for All

Liberalism is a belief in the importance of individual freedom. This idea is very popular in Western countries like the United States, Europe, and Australia. Many thinkers since the Age of Enlightenment have valued it.

Liberalism started during the Enlightenment. It rejected old ideas like kings ruling by "divine right" (God's will) or people being born into a certain social class. John Locke is often seen as a key thinker for classical liberalism. He wrote that "no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions."

In the 17th century, liberal ideas began to influence governments in places like the Netherlands and England. In the 18th century, the United States became the first modern liberal state without a king. The US Declaration of Independence says that "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Liberalism comes in many forms. At its heart, liberalism is about accepting different beliefs and different ideas about what makes a good life.

Individualism in Philosophy

Egoist Anarchism: Being Your Own Boss

Max Stirner was an important thinker in egoist anarchism.

Egoist anarchism is a type of anarchist thought based on the ideas of Max Stirner from the 1800s. Stirner believed that the only limit on a person's rights is their own power to get what they want. He thought people shouldn't care about God, the government, or traditional morals.

Stirner encouraged people to assert themselves. He imagined "unions of egoists" – groups where people join freely because they want to, not because they are forced. Egoist anarchists believe that this kind of egoism can lead to real and natural connections between people.

Ethical Egoism: Doing What's Best for You

Ethical egoism is a moral idea that says people should do what is in their own self-interest. It's different from just saying people do act in their self-interest (which is called psychological egoism).

Ethical egoism is not about harming others. It just means that when you make a moral choice, you should consider what is best for yourself. Sometimes, what's good for you might also help others, or it might not affect them at all. It also doesn't mean always doing what feels good right now. Sometimes, doing what's best for you in the long run means making smart choices, even if they aren't fun in the short term. As James Rachels said, ethical egoism "endorses selfishness, but it doesn't endorse foolishness."

Existentialism: Finding Your Own Meaning

Existentialism is a philosophy that focuses on the individual person's existence. It looks at our emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts. Søren Kierkegaard, often called the father of existentialism, believed that each person is responsible for giving their own life meaning. He thought we should live our lives with passion and honesty, even when facing challenges like despair or boredom.

Later existentialist thinkers also focused on the individual. They explored how people can live a fulfilling life, what challenges they face, and how outside factors play a role. Existentialism became popular after World War II. It helped people remember the importance of human individuality and freedom.

Freethought: Thinking for Yourself

Freethought is the idea that people should not just accept ideas as true without thinking about them. Freethinkers try to form their opinions based on facts, scientific inquiry, and logic. They try to avoid being influenced by authority, popular opinions, or old traditions. When it comes to religion, freethinkers believe there isn't enough scientific proof for supernatural things.

Humanism: Valuing People

Humanism is a way of thinking that values human dignity, concerns, and abilities, especially our ability to reason. It focuses on human beings rather than on supernatural ideas or religious authority. Modern humanism strongly supports human rights, gender equality, social justice, and the separation of church and state.

Hedonism: Seeking Pleasure

Philosophical hedonism is a theory that says pleasure is the only thing that is good in itself, and pain is the only thing that is bad in itself. This means that the moral value of an action is judged by how much pleasure it creates compared to the pain it causes.

Objectivism: Reality and Reason

Objectivism is a philosophy created by Ayn Rand. It teaches that reality exists independently of our thoughts. Humans gain knowledge by using reason and logic. The main goal of life, according to Objectivism, is to pursue one's own happiness and rational self-interest. Rand believed that the only social system that fits this idea is pure laissez-faire capitalism, which fully respects individual rights.

Philosophical Anarchism: No Moral Duty to the State

Benjamin Tucker was an American individualist anarchist who focused on economic ideas.

Philosophical anarchism is a type of anarchist school of thought that believes the government does not have a moral right to rule. Unlike revolutionary anarchism, it doesn't call for violent overthrow of the government. Instead, it suggests a peaceful change over time. Philosophical anarchists don't believe they have a duty to obey the government, nor that the government has a right to command them.

Important philosophical anarchists include Mohandas Gandhi, William Godwin, Max Stirner, Benjamin Tucker, and Henry David Thoreau.

Subjectivism: Your Own Reality

Subjectivism is a philosophical idea that says our own personal experience is the most important thing. In its extreme form, it might suggest that nothing exists outside of our own mind.

Ethical subjectivism is a part of this idea. It says that moral truths depend on what each person or culture believes. For example, some views suggest that there are as many ideas of good and evil as there are people in the world.

Individualism in Economics

The idea of economic individualism says that each person should be free to make their own economic choices. These choices should not be made by the community, a company, or the government.

Classical Liberalism: Free Markets

Classical liberalism is a political idea that became popular in the 1800s in the Americas, England, and Western Europe. It believed in personal freedom and popular government, but it also strongly supported classical economics and free markets.

Important classical liberals in the 19th century included Jean-Baptiste Say and David Ricardo. This form of liberalism was brought back in the 20th century by thinkers like Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek.

Libertarianism: Maximizing Freedom

Libertarianism is a philosophy that values liberty (freedom) above all else. Libertarians want to maximize personal autonomy and political freedom. They emphasize free association, freedom of choice, individualism, and voluntary association.

Libertarians are generally skeptical of authority and government power. However, different types of libertarians have different ideas about how much the government should be limited. They often call for reducing or getting rid of forced social rules.

Left-Libertarianism: Freedom and Fairness

Left-libertarianism includes several ideas that emphasize both individual and political freedom along with social justice. Unlike right-libertarians, left-libertarians believe that natural resources (like land or oil) should be shared fairly or not owned privately. If private property is allowed, they believe that compensation should be given to the local or global community.

This includes ideas like libertarian socialism and geolibertarianism.

Right-Libertarianism: Strong Private Property

Right-libertarianism includes different libertarian views that are seen as more conservative. This includes ideas like anarcho-capitalism and minarchism (a very small government). In the United States, this is the most common form of libertarianism. It supports civil liberties, natural law, free-market capitalism, and a big reduction in government welfare programs.

Socialism: Individual Freedom Through Cooperation

Émile Armand was an influential French individualist anarchist.

Some forms of individualist socialist thought, like individualist anarchism, have different economic ideas. Some support mutualism, where people own their own means of production and trade based on equal labor value. Others, like Max Stirner, were less concerned with traditional ideas of private property.

Kevin Carson, a modern individualist anarchist, says that these anarchists believed that workers in a free market should earn the full value of their labor. They thought that economic exploitation only happened when powerful people used the government to help their own interests.

Libertarian Socialism: Freedom Without State Control

Libertarian socialism is an anti-authoritarian and anti-statist idea within the socialist movement. It rejects the idea that socialism means the government controls everything. Libertarian socialists criticize unfair work relationships and emphasize that workers should manage their own workplaces. They also support decentralized (local) forms of political organization, like direct democracy and workers' councils.

This philosophy believes that a fair and free society can be achieved by getting rid of powerful institutions that control how things are made and that put the majority under the control of a small group. They want freedom and free association by challenging and removing unfair authority in all parts of life.

Mutualism: Fair Exchange of Labor

Mutualism is an anarchist school of thought that comes from the writings of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. He imagined a socialist society where everyone owns their own way of producing things, either alone or with others. Trade would involve exchanging goods or services that represent equal amounts of labor.

A key part of this idea was a "mutual-credit bank" that would lend money to producers with very low interest rates, just enough to cover costs. Mutualism is based on the idea that if you sell your labor or what you produce, you should get goods or services in return that took the same amount of labor to create. Getting less than that would be seen as exploitation.

Criticisms of Individualism

Not everyone agrees with individualism. Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, believed that individuals must follow laws and do their duties. He didn't think individuals should have rights to limit or reject government interference.

The German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel criticized individualism. He argued that people's self-awareness depends on being recognized by others. He believed in a holistic view, where the world is not just a collection of separate individuals.

Some groups, like fascists, believe that focusing too much on individual freedom can divide a nation.

Other Ways of Looking at Individualism

As a Creative and Independent Lifestyle

Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, saw art as a way to express individualism.

The anarchist writer Oscar Wilde wrote in his famous essay The Soul of Man under Socialism that "Art is individualism, and individualism is a disturbing and disintegrating force. There lies its immense value." He believed that art helps break up boring routines, old customs, and habits that make people like machines. Wilde saw art as the most important goal, bringing new ideas and life. He thought that art shows the anarchist as an aesthete (someone who loves beauty).

In this way, individualism can mean having a personality that strongly tends towards creating your own path and trying new things. This is different from just following traditions or popular opinions.

The French individualist anarchist Émile Armand believed in rejecting social rules and dogmas. He thought people should live according to their own ways and desires every day. He saw anarchism as a way of life and practice.

The Russian-American poet Joseph Brodsky once wrote that "The surest defense against Evil is extreme individualism, originality of thinking, whimsicality, even—if you will—eccentricity." He meant that being truly unique and original is the best way to fight against bad things. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous American writer, said that "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist." He believed that people should insist on being themselves and never just imitate others.

Religion and Individualism

Some religious views have criticized individualism. For example, Pope Leo XIII's letter Testem benevolentiae nostrae criticized "Americanism," which was linked to individualism.

The Catholic Church teaches that when people pray together, they leave individualism behind. Many in the Church believed that Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation led to more individualism.

See also

In Spanish: Individualismo para niños

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