Category: Individualism

Introduction

Individualism has been the center of debates among researchers and literature analysts. The world is mainly divided into individualists and collectivists.

Some of the countries that promote collectivistic cultures include Korea, Taiwan and Egypt, among others. On the other hand, those that promote individualistic cultures include most western cultures such as Italy, France and England, among others. The latter groups of countries (western) usually attribute individualism to reasoning. They claim that it is an individual that reasons. However, the other groups that promote collectivism credit it with collective responsibility.

Individualism refers to ones emphasis on self or individual person. It is quite important to note that a group of people can rarely reason as required. In fact, this is what has encouraged individualism in western cultures. This paper will explore Ralph Waldos essay on self reliance. It will also endeavor to establish the characteristics of individualism in the essays as well as its significance (Western Culture Global 1).

Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo

Waldos essay on Self reliance was written in the early 1830s and published first in 1841. The main theme in self reliance was on trust thyself as he tried to encourage people to believe in themselves without fear of societal disapproval. He starts his essay with emphasis on defining Genius. He claims that intelligent people usually realize how envy is ignorance and professes self trust. He goes on to say that to heed to Gods call is to put ones thought into use, since God has made each and everyone unique.

He discusses societal disapproval as well as foolish consistency as the main obstacles to self reliance and trust in ones self. He believes that societys emphasis on conformity destroys peoples ability to be innovative and genius. The other factor he emphasizes is self-worth, in which he encourages individuals responsibility and right to think for themselves (Buell 64).

Characteristics of Individualism

There are several characteristics of individualists as conveyed by Waldo in his essay self reliance. These include the I identity, which according to him helps one to believe in his unique gifts from God. He also encourages people to think for themselves and trust in their deeds without considering societal disapproval.

In this regards, he tries to define genius as a characteristic of individualism and believing in ones thoughts. Waldo goes on to encourage self-worth as it gives people the confidence, responsibility and right to think for themselves without regard to societal disapprovals and conformity, among others. Other characteristics emphasized by Waldo include shunning societal disapprovals as well as foolish consistency (Western Culture Global 1).

Significance of individualism

Individualism as portrayed by Waldo in his essay on self reliance seeks to make geniuses and individualists who can think for themselves without involving influence from the society. Societies seek to ensure people conform to similar values and actions. In addition they emphasize the need to be consistent with these values. This is foolish consistency, according to Waldo, and he therefore encourages individuals to trust in themselves as they are uniquely created (eNotes.com, Inc. 1).

Conclusion

Ralph Waldos essay on self reliance was written as early as 1930s but was first published in 1941. He encourages people to think for themselves and trust in their deeds without considering societal disapproval or other obstacles such as foolish consistency which the society emphasizes.

The author advocates for self reliance as an initial stage of development and not the goal. He also states that self reliance is not anti-community. In essence, he encourages individuals to believe in their potentials and put efforts to achieve them without distractions (Richardson 99).

Works Cited

Buell, Lawrence. Emerson. Cambridge. Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 2003: 64.

eNotes.com, Inc. Self-Reliance Study Guide. eNotes. 2011. Web.

Richardson, Robert. Emerson: The Mind on Fire. Berkeley. California: University of California Press. 1995: 99.

Western Culture Global. Individualism. Western Culture Knowledge Center. 2010. Web.

Throughout middle school and high school years, one of the most important things to many people is fitting in or being popular. Many people change themselves to fit the trends and fads that shift every few months. The focus on popularity and trends restricts individuals from being individuals and creates a society of clones. Fitting in is so important to teens and adults, that it doesn’t allow people to become the individuals they are; being independent from these things will help one stand out as an individual. Allowing oneself to be independent from these trends and popular ideals they can become who they really are inside and out, and learn to love it. Individualism takes this want for popularity and fitting in and rejects it, to encourage uniqueness and being an individual. Individualism is an extremely important factor in becoming a more independent person, who is happier and holds individual values for particular and convincing reasons.

Individualism is defined by many different people, in many different ways, and is also practiced in diverse ways. It has been been given many definitions throughout history that change as society becomes more modern and more people strive to be the same. Individualism is “the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant.” (Lexico) This definition explains why different people define and interpret individualism in many ways. Each individual has his or her own thoughts and beliefs that can influence the way they perceive the word. Being independent and self-reliant are very important parts of becoming an individual or practicing individualism. By being independent, a person is reliant on themselves for most things, if not everything; these things could include: income, money management and bills, providing food and necessities for oneself, and having individual beliefs and values. By practicing independence and self-reliance, a person can achieve individualism and become their own unique individual.

Being one’s own individual means to truly be oneself and rely on oneself for most things. This can mean not following trends and only wearing clothing that represents oneself, showing individual traits and characteristics, as well as embodying all aspects of oneself. By doing these things, one is beginning to practice individualism. Practicing individualism also means to be self-sufficient, one can do this by providing for themselves financially, meaning purchasing food and health products, maintaining financial stability by ensuring a steady income source, and living completely reliant on oneself. These are both important aspects of individualism; by practicing these things, one can ensure they are true to themselves as well as able to provide for their own individual needs.

Holding individual values and maintaining independence are some of the significant aspects of living in an individualist manner. Individual values are essential to individualism. Individual values could be morals that represent wrong or right to an individual, characteristics that express individuality, and things that are important to one, such as religion, fitness and physical health, and mental health. By understanding one’s individual values, they can learn to determine their own beliefs, thoughts, and political views. Maintaining independence can be done by using these values to change your life style to one that is self-sufficient, as well as standing up for what one believes is right and not altering that, based on the popular ideas of current society. Having individual values such as these and living an independent lifestyle, can allow one to have an individualistic mindset.

One of the most important ideals of individualism, is embracing one’s uniqueness. By embodying one’s uniqueness, as aspects of individualism will be more practical and allow one to live an individualistic lifestyle in an effortless manner. Uniqueness is the individual aspects or characteristics of each individual person. Everyone is different, some more than others, and by embracing these differences people can allow themselves to become their own individual. By determining one’s individual values and beliefs, physical characteristics, and temperament, one can embrace what makes them who they are, and embrace their uniqueness. These differences are essential to being one’s own individual and living in a more individualistic way.

Living an individualistic lifestyle can allow one to learn to love every aspect of themselves, and therefore value their self-worth. Self-love means to truly love who you are, it is extremely important and will make one happier in their own life. Self-love can be challenging, especially when popularity and fitting in is one of the priorities of many people today. This creates a challenge because if one is trying to be like other people, they cannot be their own person and learn to love who they are. By embracing ones uniqueness, one can learn to love the things about themselves that make them different, thus practicing self-love. Self-worth is also important, once one has learned to embrace their uniqueness and has learned to love them self, they can start to value their self-worth. Valuing self-worth means to value who one is, and understand how one should be treated by everyone around them. One must practice self-love to understand and value their self-worth, once one embraces these, they are closer to be a true individualist.

Being one’s own individual can be a challenge in a social media driven society, because social media influencers are always trying to persuade their audience towards a certain path. Social media influencers have become very popular over the last several years, this takes advantage of many individuals who strive to fit in. Most of the trends of today, come from these influencers and the companies they collaborate with. They advertise products to their followers, share current fashion trends, as well as their own beliefs and values. This creates an obstacle to becoming individualistic because so many people strive to be like these influencers. Their collaborations with companies and brands convince followers to use these products in order to have perfect skin, better fashion, and belief in the causes they believe in. This can be detrimental to people who want to live individualistic, because these influencers are everywhere on social media, even if you do not follow them, their collaborations are advertised by the platform. Social media is today’s biggest enemy of individualism, because it encourages people to be like everyone else.

Individualism has been shown throughout human history through many different cultures and religions. These “cultures include the United States, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, and Australia” (Cherry). These cultures focus on the needs of individuals rather than the needs of the group. They encourage individual success and goals as well as celebrate individual accomplishments. Being raised in an individualistic culture can help influence an individualistic lifestyle as an adult, but also cause a reliance on the approval of others. Growing up in an individualistic home, can help one live effortlessly as an individual, while growing up in a group-centered culture can make living this way more challenging. Many individualistic cultures today have been individualistic throughout history, or are developed from individualistic thoughts and beliefs of different groups of people.

Practicing individualism allows people to become more independent, value and love themselves, embrace their uniqueness and become happier in many different ways. Instead of people focusing on fitting in, being popular or becoming what society wants them to be, they should focus of their uniqueness and individual beliefs. All of these things will help one become true to themselves, develop their own thoughts and ideas, and be able to value themselves and be happy for who they are. People should embrace all of these ideas and concepts, while working towards living an individualistic lifestyle and learning to love every aspect of themselves.

Individualism was born as a philosophy and dates way back to the early 19th century, which followed the American revolution and Declaration of Independence,(a statement of extreme individualism). It signifies elevating the interest of the individual above the collective interest.

It is based on the idea that the relevant units of ethical or political inquiry are the individual human beings, as opposed to a race, society, sex, class, or other groups. Individualism places an emphasis on the moral worth of an individual. Even though the concept of individualism seems straightforward, there are different ways of understanding it better, both in practice and in theory. It has resulted in becoming an essential part of different ideologies. Individualism in America was idealist and universalist but later on, it acquired a harsher approach as it became infused with the elements of social Darwinism (survival of the fittest).

Individualism believes in ones individuality, their diversity, and their freedom over conformity and authority. It emphasizes the uniqueness, independence and separateness of people. It’s a part of many political and philosophical movements’ like- egoism, liberalism, humanism, anarchism, libertarianism, and existentialism.

While individualism involves conceiving people as autonomous and self-directed and prioritizes uniqueness and independence as cultural values, collectivist cultures see people as connected with others and places an emphasis on interdependence, family relationships, and social conformity. While individualism seems harmless, we will now analyse it a little further and look into the impact and effects it has on the community as a whole and on the family structure.

The Impact of Individualism on The Community and on The Family Structure

Individualism is often accused of promoting selfishness and greed at the expense of the common good. Some argue that individualism causes economic inequality, corporate and political corruption, and leads to the fragmentation of the society. Individualism has been criticized and condemned from both the secular and religious perspectives and from both the right and left. It glorifies oneself, their private, personal environments, while neglecting the involvement of the public and communal attachment.

It is equated with selfishness and narcissism. Republicans are of the perception that individualism deprives the state of the support and active involvement of the citizens, thereby threatening democratic institutions. Some of the individualists also support egotism, social inequality, and the termination of social and political institutions. Individualism is a concept that can be applied many ways and the biggest difference among philosophies of individualism is whether they promote concern only for oneself, or for every individual.

With the advent of individualism, family life has declined to a great extent. Instead of the couple being a team, adults are considered as autonomous beings and marriage is nothing but a mere contract between individuals which can easily be broken by agreement.

A published research indicated that above 40% of marriages now end in a divorce, and for the first time (in American history), more than 50% of the adult population are unmarried. Besides, over one-quarter of households comprise of people living alone, and this rate is quickly rising. Individualism is affecting the purity and sacredness of familial ties, and the move away from collectivism is resulting in consequences for the family. Ultimately, it is not just the parents, but also the children who suffer as a result of divorce. Children are often being treated as objects when families split.

Research has shown that children whose parents divorce are more likely to be less healthy, suffer from mental health problems, acquire fewer qualifications, die earlier and get involved in crimes. The reason behind this is the absence of a proper family, where both the mother and father play a role in raising their child, negotiate through problems and find solutions. This provides a healthy atmosphere for the child to grow. Without that experience the children are more likely to have difficulties in relationships and may have broken marriages themselves. What also needs to be noted is that family values have eroded to the extent of a serious crisis. The family unit is essential to uphold society. And it is undeniable that a healthy marriage boosts happiness in individuals and is the primary vehicle to give rise to responsible individuals for the future generations.

Individualism not only weakens the family in terms of parental rights but also influences the marital bond between the husband and wife negatively.

It has also progressed in the Supreme Court jurisprudence to incorporate a number of rights that give an individual, the right to sodomy. Many countries now permit homosexual individuals to sanctify their sodomy in marriage even though marriage has always been understood to be between a man and a woman.

What also needs to be taken into account is that there has been a sharp decline in the membership of organisations that brought meaning, goal and social opportunities to the people and the communities. One of the strongest indicators of heightened individualism is the increase in socioeconomic development. Although this makes sense, what makes it a problem is that, in such a setting, the more the individuals and their families are better off and well-to-do, the more concern they show towards remaining that way. This need is the basis of the growth of the economy—numbers have to constantly rise in order to retain social position, while creating a strong sense of competition, on which the free market relies. But what one acquires in personal wealth the society loses in collective power.

Parallel to this declination has been an upsurge in the use of social media, as well as an increase in the use of computer games and other related solitary activities. All of this indicates a considerable decline in the time spent socializing and an increase in the time spent alone.

Research also shows that social ties and social support act as protection for an individual’s mental health, especially in the presence of chronic and acute stress. It is proven that social support can contribute greatly towards the prevention of a depressive episode. This is especially so when faced with particularly harmful and life changing events such as a divorce, unemployment or the death of a loved one.

Studies have found that the rise in proportion of people living alone is directly proportional to the rising rates of suicide. Another finding by French sociologist- Emile Durkheim, showed that people who include themselves socially have lower rates of suicide as compared to those who are socially isolated, because social isolation can be extremely painful.

Mental health research shows that, social ties, social support, and the community as a whole improves mental health to a great extent and reduces mental illnesses. While on the other hand, individualism can lead to isolation, loneliness and more alienation, which in the long run can be detrimental to the individual’s mental health.

All of the above factors solidify the argument against individualism. It affects the family, the society, the government, the country and the world. In the future, it seems, individualism will continue to rise and its rule will never end. As for religion, it will decline; as for marriage, it will be postponed; as for ideologies, they will be rejected; as for patriotism, it will be abandoned and as for strangers, they shall be distrusted. The rise of individualism can only end when we adopt a selfless attitude, when the welfare of the community is placed above our own selfish interests.

Introduction

The family structure is the bedrock of society that helps create a nurturing and secure space for all its members. It is an institution that has existed in some form, from time immemorial and will continue in spite of all the social evolution that we are experiencing. Irrespective of our race or nationality, homes have traditionally been seen as safe havens from the hustle of the outside world, however, we now see the traditional household structure cracking at the core, across cultures and religion – all in the name of freedom and personal autonomy. The idea to put one’s own interest above the family and hence community, is now catching speed causing us to witness a real human relationship catastrophe. We have so many apps and websites to keep us connected but we still crave the old fashioned hug and time spent talking to a close friend or relative in person. We thought that by spending all our energy in building our skills and talents that we would find happiness, but the truth is that, real joy comes from being confident in one’s abilities and using them to help others. An individualist simply cannot imagine this.

The Family Change

In the West, more couples are now choosing to cohabit instead of getting married, finding it more convenient and less demanding. More children are being born out of wedlock and the percentage of single mothers is at an all time high (Lewis, 2001). Divorces are sharply increasing in Muslim and Non-Muslim homes, and children from these broken homes when left on their own to cope, end up doing drugs, develop mental disorders or get involved in juvenile crimes. Up till recently, a ‘normal’ family constituted having a father and mother and their resulting offspring. And this nuclear family would be bolstered by grandparents, aunts and uncles who would always be there to assist and guide. However, materialism, the new-found religion of the West, has led each person to fend for themselves without thinking about the rest of the ‘herd’ (Shafique, n.d.)so we are floating in our lives with utter disregard for where we are ‘all’ headed (Asad, 2007, p. 28). In Islam marriage has a two fold objective, to live harmoniously as a family unit while also contributing to the betterment of society at large (Mawdudi, 2019, p.107). And the current of individualism targets this specifically, thereby rendering the family and society as a whole, value-less.

Individualist vs Collective Cultures

In the European-American culture we see a dominant individualistic group formation where values like independence, self-efficacy, autonomy and uniqueness are highly encouraged and nurtured through parenting, classroom dynamics and popular media (Cherry, 2019). While it may have its economic advantages, research shows that individualists have fewer close friends and experience a lower subjective wellbeing which implies that the European culture does more harm than good when enforced on a culture based on entirely different values (Ogihara & Uchida, 2014). In the Muslim culture, men and women have roles assigned to them by their Creator and not by the patriarchy, so equity for women in Islam is about them being able to preserve their femininity and not equate themselves with men (Raja, 2014). Muslim thinkers like Iqbal saw a fundamental change in the people’s understanding of self vs society as early as in the 30’s and mentioned the importance of the ‘group principle’ where each member of society is not obsessed with mere self-aggrandizement but thinks of the greater good and wellbeing of all around him (Shafique, n.d.).

Effects of Individualism on the Family Structure

Role Imbalance

Women who value family but want to live the modern life face a big dilemma between belonging and individual performance. While it is noble to pursue the cause of women’s right, it should not be an exercise to equate men with women. More women are stepping out to work, not always out of dire financial strain, but to build their careers and have an independent life outside the home. There is nothing wrong with working and using one’s abilities as long as the family doesn’t suffer. More often, we see cases of families breaking down because there is no anchor at home managing the family (Raja, 2014). As a result, the family breaks down.

Power Shift

Individualism also upsets the power structure of a family because financial independence makes two heads of the family and soon enough, conflict erupts. It’s like having two CEO’s of a company, both with their own vision for how to run things. It seems that the ultimate focus of the western influences is to not only equate men to women, but to erode our religious understanding of family roles (Kazemi, 2000). When the power shifts from men to women, one party may abuse the excess power and divorces become casual while domestic abuse is rampant. While Islam gives men a grade of respect over women, it also expects them to carry out their duties with responsibility. And when women are given the role of being care-takers, its because they are best suited for this multi-faceted role. No man can fulfill the challenging requirements of an organized and caring wife and mother.

Value-less generation

In the Islamic paradigm, not only are we trained to live within our families, many South Asian cultures have the concept of extended families living in one accommodating residence. The idea was perhaps similar to the one captured in the African proverb, ‘it takes a village to raise a child.” This meant that it takes many different people from various age groups and walks of life to nurture a child in its most formative years. However the ground reality is that although we have many modern means of communication, we are severely isolated. Mothers are supposed to figure out ‘mothering’ on their own and so hardly ever feel confident in parenting. Children often see their immediate relatives once in a few years, thereby losing a meaningful connection and a sense of belonging. When they don’t have experiences with their uncles and grandparents, they relate less with them and their children. This means that the next generation of the family will barely know each other.

Lack of Support

The traditional family setup with extended family being physically and emotionally near is losing its charm. Stay at home mothers feel more isolated today and this forced seclusion cannot be undone with the modern means of communication. Couples choose to leave family homes for better job opportunities abroad and seldom take into account the emotional wellbeing of everyone involved. While Muslim women are encouraged to grow their families, they seldom have any familial support to manage the home with their growing brood.

Group Mentality

So far we have looked at the impact of individualism on families. Now let’s extend that to communities, that are nothing but a grouping of families working for a common cause. Allama Iqbal, a political and philosopher thinker was convinced that the ummah cannot revive unless individuals accept that their existence is only purposeful when working towards the fulfillment of a collective goal. He worried that we were losing the ‘herd instinct’ and only thinking for our individual progress without much care or concern for how our actions translate to the greater community (Shafique, n.d.). A strict individualistic interpretation of life creates a deception where we think that we are doing well for ourselves and somehow amorphously contributing to the community we belong to, but this is a mirage. In order for our communities to thrive, we have to actively think about our role in the community and how we can put down common goals and then work towards achieving them. When families come together and start working on small projects that help change mindsets, end poverty, educate the young, then a big change can be expected.

Conclusion

Individualism has not only impacted the wellbeing and functioning of our families, it has caused the Ummah to become a sleeping giant. With everyone working to realize their own dream, we have deliberately sidelined the agenda of our communities. Only when marriages are seen to be a way to implement the Islamic lifestyle and families come together for a common goal, will the narrative of the 21st century muslims be taken seriously. Our dispersion and scattered way of being has caused our families to struggle because we are not looking at the common vision of implementing Islam in our daily lives. If we are to change our condition as Muslims and bring about change, it starts from the self to the family and will eventually transform society as we know it.

In today’s society, all are encouraged to be true to oneself (be unique) and to express inner thoughts through emotions and actions. Society often takes the meaning of memories and feelings, lightly yet it is so crucial to have such features in a society! However, in the novel “The Giver”, those luxuries were not given in the community that Jonas, a crucial character in the novel, and his family lived in. One must understand the significance of having a community that thrives based off of diversity, emotion, joy, and pain.

To give backstory, the book takes place in a community filled with no emotions, diversity, color, etc. and everyone is quite literally the same. They receive the exact amount of nutrition necessary to survive, given jobs as soon as they reach a certain age, and basically are given all the essentials for life. Yet, they are given no memories, no “out of the box” thoughts, ability to see color, make choices and many more things one would see in today’s society; “two children – one male, one female – to each family unit. It was written very clearly in the rules” (Lowry 57). The story centralizes on Jonas, a young teen who seems to not quite fit in with the rest of his community. When the day comes to choose his occupation for the remainder of his life, he is gifted the job “The Receiver of Memory”. The job mostly entails receiving the memories and feelings from the past so that they are not lost forever, and the community has someone to contact to make sure history does not repeat itself. It may seem quite easy but with memories there is pain. The book revolves around how Jonas takes in the memories and his choice on what to do with them.

The significance of the book can be summarized as the importance of individuality in a society. In the novel, around the age of twelve the children of the community seem to struggle when trying to become an individual. According to Lowry, the community notices the difference in Jonas, and instead of rejoicing and allowing him to express himself he is viewed with a blind eye. The society had a “hidden rule” that was not truly a rule but “was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals” (Lowry 46). It is strange to think that uniqueness and individuality is not crucial in the society that Jonas lives in. Many can not see that today the communities thrive on differences and thoughts created based off of individuality. It is clear that what one is, what makes an individual, and what differentiates the individual from others is what defines the individual. If everyone was the same, there would never be no change, no advancements just the same bland thoughts. As well as, ones interests. According to Lowry, the children for the most part have no interests, they remain stuck in the same pattern of entertainment. Sadly, they do not understand if it is truly entertaining or not due to their lack of emotion. Jonas expresses that, “it was an activity that he had performed countless times: throw, catch, throw, catch. It was effortless for Jonas, and even boring, though Asher enjoyed it” (Lowry 23). It seems that Jonas thinks of his life so bland, to not search for an interest that truly grabs him, yet at the time he did not know any better. He did not think to search for something that truly entertained him. The importance of interests is really what defines life. If one does not enjoy the activities that they do, it is pointless in the idea of life. Consider this, what is the point in living in sameness? How would it benefit the current society?

That question is truly why readers read the story, to see if the benefits of having no color, emotion, memories, truth, etc. outweigh the opposite. To see if it is truly better, to not have the differences that we have. But it is clear that without individuality there would be revolutions against the government. Due to the fact that the individuals would be unhappy and take it out on the highest of power. Not only is that theme, a significant reason why readers read this. It is also due to the fact that the plot in general is interesting! The book twists and turns in so many directions, that the ending kind of sets readers up in shock. It also goes from past to present, which is always neat to read about the differences in times. One of the biggest cliffhangers was when Jonas was skipped at the ceremony. He says, “She skipped me, Jonas thought, stunned … A mistake. She had made a mistake. But Jonas knew, as he had the thought, that she hadn’t. The Chief Elder made no mistakes. Not at the Ceremony of Twelve“(Lowry 57-58). The story just overall is a rollercoaster ride which really grabs readers in.

All in all, it is clear that the significance of The Giver is the importance of individuality in a society. Readers are hooked in by its interesting plot, and ideas from a society of sameness. Without the encouragement of individuality and the opportunity to express ideas there would be no advancements and true joy in the world. That is why The Giver, is an important novel in today’s society.

Do you belong to yourself or do you belong to the state? Individualism focuses on personal benefits/rewards and encourages people to set personal objectives and goals. While collectivism focuses entirely on a group or society’s goals, prioritizing the community’s needs over the individual. Both of these concepts are addressed in the novels; Macbeth by Shakespeare, Anthem by Ayn Rand and countless times in history. While some may think that an individualistic society is too independent and ineffective, its not, and a limited individualistic society leads to happiness and innovation.

It is often argued that individualistic ideas lead to people being antisocial, selfish and overly competitive. Some people say that individualists are unable to be social since they have isolated themselves from relationships in order to pursue their ambitions. However, individualists can still learn from other people, they can still share what they have learned and they can also do that in groups, but the individual should always make that choice, no one can decide that for him. In Anthem, after finding out the forbidden word, Equality 7-2521 said “I am neither foe nor friend to my brothers, but such as each of them shall deserve of me. And to earn my love, my brothers must do more than to have been born” (Rand 96). Equality is willing to have relationships with others, he is willing to love others but they need to earn it. He won’t force a relationship with someone just because society demands so, he cherishes his freedom to make that choice. He is a prime example of an individualist who has freedom but isn’t lonely. Some people say that individualists are generally selfish and will do anything for their own interests. However, an individualist isn’t selfish since they regard every man as an independent person entitled with rights to his own life, so they do care for others but always prioritize their own needs. While as a selfish person completely undermines other people’s feelings and is willing to impose on another’s rights for personal gain. The founding fathers of the US stated that all men are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence. The word ‘liberty’ is clearly mentioned alongside ‘life” among the inalienable right of all individuals, meaning that even back then, they believed that every person is given freedom at birth, and allowed to live life as they please, as long as it doesn’t impose on the lives of others, which is anything but selfish. Some people say that individualists are overly competitive which they imply is a negative trait, but this trait of competitiveness isn’t bad. Competition to succeed motivates people to try their hardest and more competition encourages creativity and innovation. America’s economy has debatably become one of the best in the world because of this competition. In this economy, companies are faced with never-ending competition and are continually pressed to become more productive and efficient. For instance, many green houses or plant stores sell similar plants. However, consumers may pick one over the other, because they sell the plants at a lower price. This would encourage the losing plant stores to make their prices even lower, and the opposition would do the same, leading to a never ending cycle. Competition results in goods and services being given at the best prices, or in the highest quality/quantity. The companies do whatever is necessary in order to individuate themselves from other producers. The innovations produced from this economy can lead to the overall well being of society, which is why competition isn’t bad. Individualism helps both our economy and the individual’s in our society, which collectivism fails to do.

Limited Individualism leads to happiness as is shown by Macbeth, Equality 7-2521, and America’s culture since it allows individuals to act autonomously and choose their relationships freely. Limited Individualism is the notion of allowing an individual to have freedom as long as it doesn’t impose on the safety and freedom of others. With limited individualism, societies can prioritize the individual’s ambitions while not letting them go overboard, and this balance is what truly leads to happiness. Near the beginning of Macbeth, the novel portrayed Macbeth as a loyal soldier, who had worked his way up through the ranks with sheer effort. After fighting in the battle with the Norwegians, Macbeth heard of a few prophecies regarding him from the witches. One of them had surprisingly come true after Ross tells Macbeth that Duncan had bestowed him with the title of Thane of Cawdor due to his valiant effort and ability on the battlefield. Shortly after, Macbeth said “Two truths are told./ As happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme./ -I thank you, gentlemen” (1.3.140-142). Although this happiness was only temporary, Macbeth was truly happy. He had chosen to work that hard for himself and chose to stand out from the rest. He is happy not only because he is now higher in the social hierarchy, but also because his efforts were paid back in due respect. However, his happiness was only temporary because his ambition was kept unchecked, his desire to grow better started turning into greed, and became excessive, which is why freedom should be allowed to a certain extent. Equality had escaped with Liberty from his collectivist society, and had sworn to live his life by his own standards. After encountering a house outside the forest, they seek shelter in it, and find it to be a remnant of the unspeakable times. All of the books stored there used the word I which until recently had been an unfamiliar word to equality. However, after learning it, he said “My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose” (Rand 95). She is saying that every person should live for their own purpose, not that of anyone else. Happiness can be found in the happiness of others, doing benevolent acts or even in your family, but our own personal motives should be the driving force. Never succumb to the orders of another, unless its done willingly. Our acknowledgment of this strength of ours is what enables us to pick our path in life, and succeed hereafter.

Individualism leads to innovation as was shown by Elon Musk, Equality 7-2521, and statistics since it encourages the individual to try to be unique which consequently leads to creative thinking. The prohibition of free-thinking, which is promoted by collectivism creates a technologically backward society since their coerced minds are told what to do, but not allowed to be creative. This creativity is vital for entrepreneurs to find new ideas and turn them into innovative solutions. Elon Musk was a South African-born American who was often known as an introverted kid. He had a rough childhood but it developed him into an extraordinary man since he has now made Tesla and SpaceX, two remarkably big companies. During an interview with The Guardian, Musk said ‘People work better when they know what the goal is and why. It is important that people look forward to coming to work in the morning and enjoy working’ (Elon). Elon says that people need to be able to know what their goal is, they can’t just blindly follow orders since it won’t lead to innovation or happiness. As implied by Elon, goals help keep you on track and force you to come up with creative ways in achieving them. Happiness in the workplace improves cognitive thinking which makes you more productive while working. This mindset is the same as Elon’s since he knew what he wanted to achieve, and he also knew of the rewards (profit and status) given to people for their achievements in an individualist society. Elon had brought new innovative ideas to life, which made the lives of others better, and also generated him lots of profit. Equality 7-2521 had found an underground railway station that held many items from the past including electrical wires and lightbulbs. These items were unknown to him, but they also made him curious. He started experimenting with all of the things found there and was able to make a lightbulb, which if exposed would help make countless people’s lives better. Shortly after, he said “We could not conceive of that which we had created. We had touched no flint, made no fire. Yet here was light, light that came from nowhere, light from the heart of metal” (Rand 59). Equality had come to the realization that he himself had created something that no other person in his time had. He had found light through unconventional methods and became proud of this invention. In the tunnel, he was isolated from his collectivist society and was only focusing on himself, which is the main reason why he had discovered something like this now, and never earlier. His society didn’t value uniqueness, so people never brought forth unique ideas, which led to their technologically backward society. Individualistic societies are objectively very innovative and have high levels of productivity. In a 2012 study, Georgia Institute of Technology and George Washington University analyzed the correlation between individualism and Innovation lasting two decades and spanning 62 countries. The data was conducted based off the gdp per capita/person, productivity of each individual, and the growth of entrepreneurship throughout the country. They concluded that “most measures of individualism have a strong, significant, and positive effect on innovation, even when controlling for major policy variables” (Taylor). Individualism had a direct correlation with innovation, leading to economic growth which consequently improved the lives of the people. As I explained earlier, innovation is good for our society, because the consumers are provided with the best price and quality. An individualist culture not only provides the individual with a monetary incentive, but also allows for them to move up the social ladder through effort. These factors encourage the individual to allocate more time and labor to his innovative activities. Despite what the opposition says, evidence has time and again confirmed that individualism has helped the individual, the society and the economy far more than collectivism ever can.

It is often argued that individualistic ideas make people antisocial, selfish, and overly competitive, but evidence shows that this is not entirely true and is mainly rhetoric. Limited Individualism leads to happiness since it allows individuals to act autonomously and choose their relationships freely. Individualism also leads to innovation since it encourages the individual to try to be unique which consequently leads to creative thinking. A limited individualistic society leads to happiness and innovation, evidence proves its effectiveness and it doesn’t encourage individualists to be too independent. Contrary to what collectivists believe, human beings aren’t metaphysically attached or dependent on others; each human directs his own body and uses his own mind; no one else can do either for him.

i. Introduction

“The Prisoner” by Omar Shahid Hamid is a literary work that can be seen through the ideology of rugged individualism. This work is an endeavor to show areas of conflict for the two different characters in the novel. Character of Akbar shows similarity with ideology of rugged individualism while the character of Mehar Maqsood is an embodiment of Marxist criticism on rugged individualism.

ii. Findings for the Research Questions

Findings for the research questions are the following:

a. Main research question: Is rugged individualism a blessing or a curse? How does the writer project contrasting ideas of rugged individualism in characters of protagonist and antagonist?

Through the descriptive approach and the close reading of the text, it can be inferred that the idea of rugged individualism works differently in both the characters for the protagonist it proves to be a blessing on the contrary it acts as a curse for the antagonist through this research work. Akbar the protagonist falls fit in paradigms of the ideology that was produced by Herbert Hoover to let the person feel free to work his own betterment without aid and here through the evidence of the events it is proved that Akbar not only worked for his betterment but also for the betterment of the commonality. He thrives to come out of his present stance of hardships in the imprisonment and also worked for the betterment of the public and country in this way the theory of Hoover becomes proven in its applicability and the assertion. While for Mehar Maqsood the antagonist it becomes a curse as it brings no benefits to him and causes difficulties and problems for the people. And the benefits he gain proves to be temporary for him as well. So this is how the Marxist critics criticizes the ideology of the rugged individualism proves to be applicable on the antagonist’s character. So this operates differently in both the characters.

b. Subsidiary Questions

A: How does the author characterizes the protagonist through Hoover’s ideology of rugged individualism?

Herbert Hoover, the American president gave this idea of rugged individualism in which a person may be allowed to work for his own aid and benefits without seeking help from the government. It may give them a better opportunity to boost themselves for their financial careers. This is quite evident in the character of Akbar khan the protagonist of the novel “The Prisoner”. It can be seen in the novel that Akbar khan is in prison and he has set himself aloof after being deceived by his own superior IG named as Doctor Death. Akbar knows the sensitivity of the shift of focus of the government from United Front to the Jihadis. So in the wake of learning from Muslim religious scholars he increases his connections with Jihadis so as to remain a member of the hot cake of a certain time. Then kidnapping of an American journalist paves ways for Akbar’s emancipation and he manages to have a deal with colonel Tarkeen and sets free and a respectable figure of the department and the country by setting the journalist free from the jaws of Jihadis. Out of the ways encounters by Akbar create ease and peace for the whole city and the citizens of Karachi it gives him an out of turn promotion as a benefit from the government.

B: How does the author characterize the antagonist through ideology of Marxist critics for rugged individualism?

The character of antagonist named Mehar Maqsood is the one that is pure reflection of the characteristics that are criticized by the Marxist critics. Through the instances taken in analysis, it is very evident that Mehar Maqsood is only interested in his own loafs and fishes and the benefits for himself only. The way he performs his duties creates ease and enjoyment only for him but not for the others. In fact it causes trouble for the other people. He is not patriotic at all as he has nothing to do with the country’s honor and he keeps on performing his duties the way a corrupt police officer can perform. He shares rugged individualism in his character this way proves good for him for a certain time only but later this proves fatal for him. The way he creates problems for Akbar is another attribute that the author crafts in this character. He always tries to suppress Akbar so as to remain in power as Akbar can be a threat to his designation and power. So this is how the author crafts this ideology of rugged individualism in this character that can be traced out through this research work.

References

1. Bazzi, S., Fiszbein, M., & Gebresilasse, M. (2017). Frontier Culture: The Roots and Persistence of’ Rugged Individualism’ in the United States (No. w23997). National Bureau of Economic Research.
2. Ensmenger, N. (2015). “Beards, Sandals, and Other Signs of Rugged Individualism”: Masculine Culture within the Computing Professions. Osiris, 30(1), 38-65.
3. Hamid, O. S. (2015). The Prisoner. New York: Arcade Publishing.
4. Hirschman, E. C. (2003). Men, Dogs, Guns, and Cars–The Semiotics of Rugged Individualism. Journal of Advertising, 32(1), 9-22.

The opening scene is trying to portray a joyful society, where everyone is cheerful in Omelas. It establishes a theme that the society and the individual are against each other by illustrating the joyous society of Omelas. In the beginning they are also focusing in on the children and their innocent childhood, a critical part of this short story is trying to present this society as perfect if you will.

As the story continues they start to suggest Omelas is a fantized city. They then begin to relate this to the modern society and magnify the vision of suffering as interesting and happiness as the opposite telling us that happiness is not simple and that being unhappy is a causation of suffering. After this we can start to see Omelas’s happiness be found and it reveals Omelas is not an actual place that it is imaginary and it is trying to show a picture perfect world. I think a key factor in knowing this short story is trying to describe a make believe world is to show us how the world we live in today is so opposite and we do not have many of these aspects that would benefit our society. The narrator wants the readers to dismiss their preconceived thoughts about happiness while they are grasping the city of Omelas. We are looking at the similarities and differences between Omelas and modern society. It then goes into thoughts about drugs and war in the city, do drugs really have to go hand and hand with destruction. The Festival of Summer again focuses on the individual versus the society primarily looking at the children once again and there positivity and their emotional connection with their horses depicting childhood as idealistic which is very important for the foundation of kids growing up. This must be deeply thought about in our beliefs about modern society in a more broad way. In the story the ones who walk about it goes into to detail about a young kid who is locked in a room underneath a building in this “city” going into detail about how unstable this environment is for one to be living in, with descriptions about the floors being damp to touch and there being no light in there besides the littlest amount that peaks through the cracks.

The young girl yells to let her out and that she will behave while crying which is depicting neglect. This young child so greatly wants to be let out and begs anytime a noise is heard from the outside. The noises from the Festival of Summer was showing cheerfulness and the lightness and joy of the world the little girl crying and screaming is showing the complete opposite, abandonment and neglect. The children in Omelas are naked because they lack their everyday needs and are so mistreated. Everyone is this so called city is aware how these children are mistreated nobody has ever done anything to stop this, it is almost like nobody is willing to stand up and stop this horrific situation. In Omelas “one child must suffer for everyone else’s happiness” which correlates to LOOK UP.

The people of this place live in such happiness because of the children suffering. The way the adults raise the children to have good morals are not the ones who are suffering going into detail about the differences in happiness and suffering, everything in this short story leads us back to joy and suffering. While society continues to rationalize mistreating a child, they do understand it is a big deal and they do take it very seriously they still are making the choice to ignore it. In Omelas “happiness does not and cannot exist without suffering” and consenting that this is the reality and how humans grow up and become a part of the society. The people have accepted that they are tied into this arrangement just like that child is locked away in the little closet. Le Guin wraps up this story by introducing individualism in a completely different way, this story all connects to even though people are not able to change the suffering of the world, we can choose our own path on how we treat people and how we have the ability to choose happiness. Leaving Omelas (leaving the negative place) is the key element of individualism, as a person in modern society we need the skill to be able to stand for our own morality.

“Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas. One state, under God. One and indivisible”. I was born and raised in Texas and chances are if you grew up here too these seventeen words are how you began your school day. Reciting this pledge was second nature to me, so much so that I never give much thought to the words or the meaning. Texas’s unique conservative political culture is the reason we recite a state pledge when a majority of other states do not even have a pledge. Texas’s conservative political culture is shaped by traditionalism and individualism. This political culture has impacted regulation in Texas’s political climate. In this essay, I want to examine the individualistic nature of Texas political culture.

Background of Traditionalism and Individualism

Daniel J. Elazar, a leading political scientist, identified three forms of political culture (individualism, traditionalism, and moralism) in his 1972 novel titled ‘American Federalism: A View from The States’. In traditionalism the government intervenes to preserve the existing social order, power is held by a small group of established elites and there is an elitist conception of commonwealth. In individualistic political culture the government only intervenes to create opportunity to promote individual initiatives and entrepreneurship. In his novel Elazar believed each state’s political culture was shaped by its original settlers (Elazar 94-99).

Influence of Individualism

Individualism can be traced back to the establishment of Texas’s independence as the Republic of Texas. Texas’s commonwealth frontier was home to Sam Houston, who led his army to victory against Mexican forces at San Jacinto gaining Texas’s independence, and other averse leaders like him. Their characteristics were reflected in Texas politics where there was a resentment of encroachments on personal rights and most would rather settle their issues on their own without any legal interference. The influence of individualism can be observed in a diary entry written by William Barret Travis, who showed great courage leading his men into battle at the Alamo knowing they would face certain death. On March 9th of 1834 Travis wrote the following: “Started to Mill Creek waters all swimming and prairie so boggy-could not go. The first time I ever turned back in my life”. It is also true that the Texas reputation for toughness in the 1830’s and 1840’s, whether deserved or not, repelled timid prospective immigrants. And many were rejected in the usual process of frontier selectivity. As one recently arrived man wrote in 1839: “This country is full of enterprising and persevering people the timid and the lazy generally return to the States”. In 1846 a visitor found an economic basis for Texas independence, and concluded that the Texans are the most independent people under the whole canopy of heaven the wealth of the old states not excepted (Hogan, 454-455) Regardless of social class individualism became a part of many Texans lives. It was a part of the medical profession where each member of the medical profession operated in a separate independency. Some doctors adopted an armed neutrality system. In 1850 there was no medical organization and according to Dr. Ashbel Smith, there was not any signs of change ahead. Individualism even made its way into religion in Texas. In a report made to Alexander Campbell on the prospects of the Disciples of Christ in Texas it was stated that across all denominations in Texas there was a ‘manly independence’ that was not found anywhere in the United States (Hogan, 455).

The Italian Renaissance is an event that can be compared to Texas individualism. After the Middle Ages a rebirth of culture, learning, art and literature took place known as the Italian Renaissance between the 14th and 17th century. This period marked a turning point in history with dynamic cultural change. Italy was on top of ancient Rome’s ruins and was near the Arabs and Byzantines, which led to the Italian Renaissance being heavily influenced by Greek and Roman heritage. The geographic location of Italy was important to the Renaissance similar to how the frontier location with sparse settlement on an area of newly acquired open and free land was important for individualism in Texas to thrive (“FC76: The Italian Renaissance”). Society in the Middle Ages was communal, God-fearing and group oriented. This was reflected in the art where all of it was religious and faces and bodies had no individual features or detail and were similar to cartoons. Details of the artwork such as perspective and background were non-existent. In contrast, art during the Renaissance was secular and of the artwork that was religious individual details were used to glorify the human form and human accomplishments. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci began to place an emphasis on perspective, background and the individual by doing portraits, which is one of the reasons his painting the Mona Lisa has become so famous. Individualism is also seen by artists beginning to sign their paintings and take individualistic pride because of the shift away from focusing away from religious hierarchy and towards the capabilities of the individual.

An individualistic system of capitalism that encouraged private enterprise also emerged similar to what took place along the frontier in Texas (“FC76: The Italian Renaissance”). The Homestead Act of 1862 provided settlers with 160 acres of public land providing that they turned their acres into a private farm. This law made the common man a king in his own domain. Homesteaders became icons of individualism in the American West, although the act was not very successful in helping poor tenant farmers and sharecroppers. Building and maintain a farm on the frontier in the Far West was not affordable for most even when the land was provided for free. Homesteaders were given incentives to develop their private farms, but due to the rising prices of agricultural equipment, livestock, unpredictable rain, and the quality of the free land was not as good as that occupied by railroads and other settlers along the frontier. After 1862 the rate of farmers moving to the city increased and most of the successful farmers in the West earned their farms by purchasing them from railroads and other large land owners (‘Primary Documents in American History’). In the work of fiction ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll Alice notices a white rabbit go down a hole and when she looks through the hole she accidently falls in and enters into a magical world. In the end Alice wakes up and realizes her adventures in the magical land were all a dream. Homesteaders represent Alice, by following the white rabbit, which can be seen as the Homestead Act leading them down the hole where their successful farmland along the frontier awaits. The future that the Homestead Act was supposed to provide settlers can be seen as the magical world that was supposed to be created by giving settlers land to build private farms. Homesteaders had high hopes for the Act, but in the end having a successful private farm proved to be far from a reality for most homesteaders similar to Alice’s dream of the magical world and her adventures.

Regulation in Texas Political Culture

Individualism can be seen in Texas’s limited government. The Texas constitution views the powers of the government as highly restrictive and only limited to those specifically outlined in the Texas state constitution and any changes to it require a majority of Texas voters’ approval. Which is why a legislative change that may seem insignificant can require a constitutional amendment and referendum (Samuels). The Texas governor has limited appointment and removal powers, which are considered to be weak. Along with many other Texas elected officials the governor has a plural executive structure where power is distributed across several elected leaders. Texas voters elect the governor, lieutenant governor, Texas State Board of Education, attorney general, comptroller of public accounts, and the railroad, land, and agricultural commissioner (Young).

The Texas political climate is favorable to business where taxes are kept low. Texas remains one of the seven states without an income tax making it one of its key attractions for businesses. On November 5, 2019 Texans voted on a constitutional ban to make it even more difficult for state leaders to impose an income tax in the future, which passed with flying colors. According to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, “This ban on such a disastrous tax will keep our economy prosperous, protect taxpayers, and ensure that Texas remains the best state to live, work, and raise a family”. Two Dallas senators, Royce West and Nathan Johnson, even went as far as to change the language of the income tax ban to apply to ‘natural persons’ and not ‘individuals’ because they believed that by using ‘individual’ corporations may be exempt. While their efforts were unsuccessful, the Legislature amended Texas tax code to define ‘individual’ as ‘natural person’. The Center for Public Policy Priorities and the Texas State Teachers Association have stated that this ban “eliminates a potential source of revenue for public education funding and property tax relief” (‘Texas Voters Say Yes to Ban’). This ban shows how the government acts in line with individualistic values and intervenes to create opportunity to promote entrepreneurship and business rather than the community as a whole.

The Plot of the movie ‘The Hunger Games’ can be compared to Texas’s ban on a state income tax. In ‘The Hunger Games’ there are communities called districts which live under complete rule of the Capitol. They host an annual hunger game where one boy and one girl are chosen from each district to fight to stay alive and it’s broadcasted to all districts. Katniss Everdeen is the main character who was chosen to participate in the annual hunger game. Katniss takes a stand in the game and wins it and in doing so she creates a revolution to set the people free of the Capitol’s rule (‘The Hunger Games’). The state of Texas is under the rule of the United States government similar to how the districts are to obey the Capitol. Katniss can be seen as the majority of Texas winning the election of the constitutional ban on Texas state income tax similar to Katniss wining the hunger game. Katniss just like Texas voters wanted to be free from the rules imposed by a higher authority so she started a revolution to make sure they remain free from rule similar to how the ban was to keep Texans free of a state income tax for a longer period of time. Katniss and Texans both fought for individualistic values. Texas has developed a reputation for contradicting its hands-off approach to regulation by interfering with local control of political issues and blocking local laws.

Texas’s regulation on labor unions under right-to-work laws is influenced by individualism, but primarily by traditionalism. Under the Texas Labor Code a person cannot be barred from employment based off of whether or not they do or do not have membership to a union. Right-to-work laws make it illegal for unions and employers to require payment of union dues as a condition of employment. These ‘right to work’ laws make forming and operating labor unions difficult because given the option people will tend to opt out of payment especially when these union membership dues can add up to a couple hundred dollars annually. These laws are supported by individualism in Texas because many Texans believe requiring payment for something whether they support it or not infringes on their freedom and they want to be able to make their own decisions without being forced to by the government. Also, by having less unions and less union participation, Texas is a more attractive place for businesses. By eliminating union influence, business owners will have more control over their employees and not have to answer to unions negotiating contracts and working conditions for their employees. Typically, this means business owners can get away with paying employees less than if they were to have union representation. On average members of unions make 30% more than non-union members (Rodriguez).

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite the fact that the political culture of Texas is mixed with traditionalism and individualism, in my opinion, its individualistic side is more significant. And it is this side that exerts a greater influence on the policies carried out by the state government and on its residents.

In this post-colonial world, we live in, an old philosophy such as Individualism can still be used by scholars of philosophy and social sciences to interpret the world. The ideology of individualism denotes that the individual life has a place with him and that he has a basic idea to live it as he sees fit, to follow up on their own judgment, to keep and utilize the result of his exertion, and to seek after the estimations based on his personal preference. The thought the individual is sovereign, an end in himself, and the crucial unit of good distress (Moore, 2015:17).

Individualism. Is a philosophy, political theory, belief system, or societal viewpoint that accentuates, the entire individual. Moreover, Individualism advances the. the activity of the individual objectives and wants thus appreciation of freedom. and independence and. Supporter, that interests of the individual ought.to accomplish priority. over the state, or a social group while. At the. same time contradicting outside.obstruction upon individual own. advantages.by society or. organizations, for example, the government’s structures. Additionally, Individualism is regularly, characterized as opposed tyranny, cooperation, and increasingly. corporate social structures (Combrink, 2015:17).

Individualism philosophy depends on atomistic metaphysics implying that what exists is developed by its most fundamental (smallest) components. Connected to society, these components or ‘atoms’ are individuals. As indicated by individualism, individuals exist first and afterward make social groupings and societies. This view surmises the misrepresented autonomy of people to make and break contracts (Heyns, 2002:54. As a general rule, individuals have significantly less power (for example decision of family). Heyns again contends for a progressively complementary connection among individuals and gatherings. Individualism brought some beneficial things to present-day advancement of science and innovation liberal popular government (Heyns, 2002:54). Yet, in addition, identified with innovation and bureaucracy of present-day states expanded disengagement and depression loss of importance.

Although individualism philosophy is concerned with the power of the state over the individual it also sees the need for the state to play a role in society in development and management issues including law, security, and general government developments. Individualism fulfills the social side of an individual by methods of agreement hypothesis this assumes the individual surrenders portions of his capacity to the group thus people now and then feel weak opposite the state According to individualism, individuals exist first and then create groups (Heyns, 2002:54). The same notion is applied in this context philosophers such as John Locke advocated that there are natural rights or rather god given rights which inter alia possession of the property, life and liberty and the state should not encroach on those rights but rather act as an arbiter to safeguard this rights (Locke & Yolton, 2002). John Locke portrayed the social contract as authoritative on individuals. He included Allman, by consenting by groups by providing body politic under one government, puts individuals under a commitment to every individual of that society to submit to by assurance within larger part (Locke and Yolton, 2002). Under this agreement, the existence of government is legitimized upon the evidence of assent. Critically, the general population has intermittent chances to re-establish the government’s command or choose an option (Heyns, 2002:54). The legislature additionally consents to work as per characteristic law and to maintain our rights while the general population acknowledges the government’s power. Besides, the general population may likewise agree to some abridgment of their common freedoms given they hold the alternative of recovering such rights. Finally, Individuals are fearlessly optimistic about the limit with regard to human accomplishment and individual development under the state.

Finally, the Individualism philosophy empowers political pioneers and social gatherings to participate in and present social changes and political changes. Strength to create life as indicated by an individual’s plan is genuine happiness (Heyns, 2002:54). Finding other people who need to associate in the philosophy of shared advantage, instead of sentiments of commitment or superficiality. Basically, assuming individual liability for individuals’ very own activities can influence things to appear to be progressively difficult. Be that as it may, at last, this rationality encourages you to really value individual achievement. Additionally, it causes you to discover more of an incentive in individualism that can help other individuals, and look for a reason consequently. The final product is generally speaking more an incentive in everybody’s lives (Combrink, 2015:17). The way is picked by individuals, in light of your actual interests. What is more, your associations remain with individuals really fit for individuals, in light of the fact which are neither one individuals will draw in is it cannot be justified, despite any potential benefits.

Modernists are individuals that are in support of the demographic of modernism and how it can be effective within management studies. One term relating to modernism is Ontology and this can be seen in relation to the existence of reality. Modernism comes through traditional aspects of creation and innovation which can be supported by modernists because it’s a form of believability. Ontology can be concerned with realism, quantitative, and positivism through modernist relations. Realism can be the traditional ways of how management is perceived and how it is brought up, also the extent of how real it is. This can be seen in an organizational environment such as traditional rules and regulations that have been used in previous decades. The behavior of members within an organization can be affected by the realistic approach of modernism and how adaptions of traditions have been implemented.

Another Ontological approach is the quantitative style of how members within organizations can be affected through the relation of modernism. A traditional modernism approach is to be efficient as possible within the work environment, just like when Fredrick Taylor Winslow created this in his scientific management ideology with the placement of different workers in different areas. Efficiency through a quantitative approach within an organizational environment can be to hit sales targets and make sure the individuals can reach the organizational needs. Quantitative are numerical variables that can be presented as facts and this can be related to the modernist approach to reality.

The behavior of members of organizations can act accordingly to the tradition of modernists such as becoming efficient, finding truth and reality through reason and logic within the organizational needs, and improving performance which can provide better results for the organization. The motivation to work faster and harder can be seen in individuals due to these traditional methods of modernism.