Individualism - is that concept?

in pre-capitalist society, people had no idea that such individualism.It was one of those words that were banned censorship and religion, all people obey the system, and view some of the individual is never taken into account.Express your thoughts each of the people could only with the advent of the Renaissance, when it became the center of world people.Then people realized that individualism - is the path to self-improvement, the ability to live independently in harmony with itself.Today this philosophical position more than is common throughout the world, because its study we are starting right now.

what this term means?

The "dry" sense of individualism - is a form of philosophy that emphasizes the freedom of the individual from society and from the system, which makes it possible to bring to the fore the personal interests and to engage directly with their implementation, rather than the public desires.To make it clear that it represents, look at the main features of individualism:

  • The primacy of personal goals and desires.As a rule, those are contrary to public or group.And the man individualist always give preference to its own needs.
  • independence in actions and deeds.Even if a person is an integral part of the team (group in the university team of employees, etc.), he may act on their own according to their own beliefs, and thus the likelihood that its activities will be successful, great.

what keeps this world?

now turn our attention to the fact that it represents the main principle of individualism, without which this philosophical trend could not exist.Thus, individualism is based on the fact that each person can, and in fact - must live in full accordance with their wishes - physical and mental.His every action must be based on his dream, needs, passions and so forth.This applies both recreational and work.In other words, individualist will always choose a profession that will bring him only pleasure and profit, but not boring, it will be with the maximum benefit and return to spend free time, all his endeavors will be somewhat selfish character.However, there is one very important rule - all this should not prevent the manifestation of individualism among others, a number of people are.

ideals and idols

Throughout history, mankind formed different values ​​of individualism, which progressed and changed, but survived.We can say that in comparison with the society of the 19th century, now the system is much more prevalent ideology from the social point of view - people have more freedoms and rights.On the basis of what our society has become so why we have reached this point of development?It's enough to look in retrospect and draw attention to the famous ancestors.In the ancient world was a maverick mythical Achilles of the Iliad.Despite the fact that he fought for power, he had all his own judgment and acted as he saw fit.In the era of the Middle Ages called rebels and individualists considered the main danger of society - is enough to recall Joan of Arc.Since the Renaissance, we see that individualism - it is mostly literature.Daniel Defoe, Jack London, Dostoevsky, all the poets of the Silver Age, and many others.The main value in the life of the above-mentioned persons had an opportunity to make their own decisions and make your life different from others.

cultural aspect

very important role in itself plays a culture of individualism, which, in fact, supports this outlook afloat.Due to the fact that for centuries our society becomes like a herd is not controlled by one shepherd, it improved.

This is manifested in everyday life (housing improvement, inventions in the field of technology), and in the tradition (for example, modern man will be raised to laugh because he did not celebrated the day of the vernal equinox, or the doornot obmazhut tar if he cheated on his wife).Developing a culture of individualism makes it possible to "break" many artists and writers.Our cultural society is beginning to emerge from a full-minded individuals who can find a compromise with each other, leaving their personal principles.

Compared with the opposite term

By contrast, try to compare collectivism and individualism, and to determine why some people tend to one thing and another - another.Collectivism - a tendency to think of the person to function in a large society.Typically, in such cases, people depend on each other or from the head of the group.The first team that gets to people - it is a family.If it is large (many children, or grandparents, aunts, uncles), the child is growing collective worldview.In the future, it is important for the opinions of others, he tends to get a job in a company with a large staff, is looking for a lot of friends.If one child in a family, it is developing an individualistic worldview, which we discussed above.

methodological individualism

This term is called the theoretical position.It is assumed that for an adequate sociological assessment of a phenomenon or object, you must contact the individual, that is to the man.Here we have in mind the human factor, and the instability of the box.In other words, if in the past century the prisoners to judge on the basis of written laws, sometimes very violent, without the right to pardon, today any crime is viewed through different prisms, while finding a sensible and humane compromise.The principle of methodological individualism is that there is nobody to appeal to the "humane reason" (does not matter, it is a living person who ask for advice, or a deity) can be carried out as a simple citizen of the world, and a representative of the government.Each of them should seek the most reasonable solution to any issue, weighing all the circumstances in this case.