Questions tagged [individualism]
25 questions
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What did Kierkegaard consider to be "reflection"?
After mentioning Kierkegaard's leveling and mathematical equality concepts, this passage is quoted:
The individual no longer belongs to God, to himself, to his beloved, to his art or to his science; he is conscious of belonging in all things to an…
LitheOhm
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Can a person be Psychological Egoist and Ethical Egoist at the same time?
Can a person be Psychological Egoist and Ethical Egoist at the same time? Or those terms are not mutually exclusive and one can be both?
Darius
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Is it fair to characterise Ayn Rands philosophy 'Objectivism' as a blending of Nietzsche's Übermensch and American individualism?
I said this to a friend once, but told her to keep it quiet as I couldn't back it up as I haven't read any of her works, nor even a solid introduction. I formed my snap judgement on the basis of a synopsis of 'Atlas Shrugged', one of her novels. Is…
Mozibur Ullah
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Exploring philosophy behind "Catch-22" novel: individual in war
I am looking for the name and possibly deeper development of the system of ethics / morality exemplified by the attitude of Yossarian, the main protagonist of Catch-22 novel by Joseph Heller. Yossarian's primary concern is his own…
Roger Vadim
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Are methodological individualism and materialism compatible?
One of the fundamental principles of the Austrian school of economics, particularly the kind promoted by Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard, is methodological individualism, according to which the only way to analyze economic phenomena is with…
Keshav Srinivasan
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What is the value of the individual in Marx's writing?
Very obviously, Marx put emphasis on changes to, and the value of, society. But in his writing is he doing away with the value of the individual? Or does it simply go without saying, that individuals retain a value?
user25714
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What is the difference between a "human being" and an "individual"?
What is the difference between a "human being" and an "individual"?
I have the intuition that "human being" is more associated with concepts such as dignity, a recognition of the traits that make people humans; while "individual" is more associated…
Starckman
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How real is the distinction Durkheim makes between the 2 forms of individualism in his 'Individualism and the Intellectuals'?
A summary from Britannica:
The French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) identified two types
of individualism: the utilitarian egoism of the English sociologist
and philosopher Herbert Spencer (1820–1903), who, according to
Durkheim, reduced…
Nasan
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Should Bergson be described as an individualist?
It's claimed that Bergson's "intuition of pure duration" is the "highest and most valuable form of human experience": is this an individualist or collectivist good?
I'm asking because I'm interested in the idea of cultural vitality, which is often…
user38026
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1 answer
What is John Locke's basic idea of individuality?
Are we social or solitary by Locke's reckoning?
How can we use his argument to oppose Aristotle's idea of humans essentially being social or political?
I have read the chapter 2 'Of the state of nature' of his book Second treatise but am not able to…
Abhed Manocha
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Are there any flaws in reasoning that collectivism can apply within a capitalist economy?
This question has more to do with ideology then philosophy but something seems off in terms of logic.
The Oxford dictionary defines collectivism as:
"The practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it".
"The ownership…
James P.
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How does the Enlightenment philosophy tackle the asymmetry it has with non-Enlightenment societies/traditions?
The Enlightenment thinkers emphasize the individual human being, over his cultural or ethnical affiliation.
This is done by a faith in a universal capacity which is reason, a distrust towards despotism, a pursuit of scientific knowledge, an advocacy…
Starckman
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How would Nietzsche metaphorically apply the concept of a 'mind control parasite' to human philosophy, in relation to the will to power?
In Frederich Nietzsche's works, when he discusses a 'parasite,' he is indicating the following:
a complete lack of nobility of disposition when someone prefers to
live in dependency, at the expense of others.
When he tries to use nature to…
James Hill
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What is the difference between individualism and collectivism, in simple terms?
Wikipedia says: “Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual.” I’m not quite sure what that means – does that mean ethical egoism, i.e., individuals ought act…
Tejas
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According to Stirner, are other humans "spooks"?
Of course, Stirner was very much the individualist. I've not read much of The Ego and His Own, and doubt I'd make much sense of it.
If I were to make a big thing about other humans not being "spooks", ideological constructs set to bedevil an Ego…
user38026