Discussion Starter: The Danger of Individuality

The perception of the American cultural identity is often centered on individualism. The freedoms that are characteristic of American society are favorable to the development of individualism, thus the burgeoning of ipseity comes at no surprise. Tocqueville considers the tendency for discretization as a force that impedes association and consequently rattles the continuity of a national identity. Tocqueville portrays individualism as a derivation of egotism, asserting that individualism subjugates national interest in the pursuit of a personal good. He proclaims, “Selfishness originates in blind instinct; individualism proceeds from erroneous judgment more than from depraved feelings; it originates as much in deficiencies of mind as in perversity of heart”(2.2) This focus on individualism leads to dissolution of factions (which can be interpreted as a positive, see Federalist X), however, the eradication of networks that tie individuals together (e.g., family, community, political affiliation) is antithetical to a crucial aspect of our humanity; the establishment of relationships between individuals. In the impetuous push for individualistic freedom, these non-democratic proponents of society are damaged leading to a society void of cohesiveness. Along with the tumult brought upon by an absolutely inhomogeneous society, rampant individualism is untenable for a progressive society. Pure individualism can only manifest in absolute solitude as any link between individuals diminishes the very essence of the aforementioned independence. Tocqueville propounds this notion writing, “… not only does democracy make every man forget his ancestors, but it hides his descendants and separates his contemporaries from him; it throws him back forever upon himself alone and threatens in the end to confine him entirely within the solitude of his own heart”(2.2). The lack of intra-human affection in tandem with the absence of devotion to humanity in a regard more general then the self, leads to a society which plateaus, restrained from growth by a reluctance to use the aggregate experience obtained from human connections. This sentiment is echoed by Tocqueville as he describes the individualists mentality, stating, “They owe nothing to any man, they expect nothing from any man; they acquire the habit of always considering themselves as standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their own hands”(2.2). It appears that an adaptation of individualism requires a stoic philosophy which naturally lends itself to solidarity and self-reliance. Yet stoicism is problematic when applied on a societal scale, as a dynamic culture and the consequent divergence of ideologies leads to a plethora of incongruous views on the American identity. This preponderance of the individual, sets society in an arbitrary “progression” as the cohort relinquishes the power to create a pan-societal influence in the pursuit of individuality.