[MD] Roots of Individualism

[John Carl]

What is an "msnbc" Mary?  I speculate. "Mary's Social Notions Becoming
Commonplace?"

There's so many acronyms I can't keep up with them all.

LOL.

J

On Sat, May 22, 2010 at 4:48 PM, Mary <marysonthego at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi John,
>
> Seems an overlooked post in the general flurry.  Yes, you, who are so
> focused on the Social Level.  I watch my MSNBC too.  The irony is, the
> TeaGaggers will not know what has happened to them until it happens to them
> too.
>
> Yes, I see the typo.  Made a conscious decision not to fix it. ;)
>
> Mary
>
> On Behalf Of John Carl
> > Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 2:29 PM
> >
> > Individualism is a pretty popular idea around here (usa) so it gets
> > assumed
> > a lot.  But I'd like to look at it a little deeper than usual.
> >
> > First, of course, comes analysis of its metaphysical underpinnings and
> > here
> > Royce is helpful in pointing out what should be painfully obvious, that
> > the
> > individual is socially defined and created.
> >
> > But even more interestingly pertinent, is how Royce points out that the
> > highest value of the community, ought to be in the creation of quality
> > individuals and the highest value of the individual, must be the
> > creation of
> > a quality community.
> >
> > The one great common mistake  individuals make, especially Randian
> > individuals, is valuing the needs of  individualism over and against
> > the
> > needs the community.
> >
> > Now as I say, this idea is actually pretty popular in America, and I
> > have a
> > theory as to why.
> >
> > Cultural influences, of course.  I don't blame Ayn Rand for
> > Individualism,
> > she's just an intellectual, after all.  Doing what intellectuals do
> > best.
> > Coming in and analyzing intellectually what everybody has already
> > assimilated through the arts.  Figuring out later, where to draw the
> > lines
> > and encapsulate the knowing.
> >
> > But the individualism itself arose through the artistic impulses of a
> > newly-industrialized people.  A new system developed where a man's
> > individual worth became meaningless since all we need from him is the
> > ability to be a widget maker in a factory.  This development, while
> > useful
> > for building a prosperous society, has an inherent biological danger in
> > store for a species, of obviating the mechanism which got us here -
> > natural
> > selection.
> >
> > "Survival of the fittest" loses all its oomph when fitness becomes a
> > fashion
> > statement more than a criterion for survival.
> >
> > And thus a barely-felt need by the populace at large, for the heroic
> > exaltation of individual excellence.  That's just the dna pleading for
> > some
> > help here.
> >
> > Thus the heroic exaltation of Shane - riding into town, then riding out
> > again.  The rebel without a cause, sneering at social traps.  The free
> > wheeling poet, on the road and on the screen.
> >
> > The big trouble with this impulse, is that its so easily manipulated.
> > Remember, individuals are created by the community-at-large.  When this
> > process gets turned over completely to the industrialized society, you
> > can
> > expect a warpage to occur.  You can expect a model for individuals to
> > evolve
> > that isolates and weakens people and community, for it is in the
> > weakness of
> > the small that the Giant gains strength.
> >
> > And when EVERYBODY is fiercely individualistic, together they comprise
> > one
> > vast and easily manipulated collective.  Thus emphasizing
> > individualism,
> > actually weakens individuals.  Becomes weak through the degeneracy that
> > all
> > self-worship eventually entails.
> >
> > The irony of course, is that by standing up against the collective
> > impulse
> > of society, I'm actually making a pretty good argument for the worth of
> > an
> > individual perspective, over and against the collective wisdom.
> >
> > Oh well.  I like irony.  That's just me.
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