• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Tambourine

Well-Known Member
Individual vs. Collective is a dumb dichotomy that only serves to obfuscate the realities of living in a human society.
Our society is a precondition for our individualism, and vice versa. No single human individual would survive without the rest of humanity. To condition people to only rely on themselves is the greatest thought crime in the history of philosophy.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I don't see one better than the other. Though many people tend to put down individualism for collectivism in one way or another. Individualism helps promote progress and change. It's seen as "bettering oneself" so one can better others. Parents tell their children to leave of age like mother birds pushing their babies out. A lot of times they come back. Depending on what part locality your'e from. US has many sub-culturish-some more collectivist oriented and others not.

As for party system, I see more individualism in the news than collectivism. Probably cause of the nature of the cultures-individualist are more personal spoken and collectivist group spoken. So, unless people have the same mindset (In the States), individualist is pretty much what we have. Collaboration rather than integration.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Focus on the individual or group varies by culture and time from what I've seen. In some places and times one is emphasized whereas other times it's different. Personally I loved the way this was explored in Star Trek

 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Imo it really depends more on culture. Britain isn't what I would call a two-party system and we tend to be individualistic in contrast to many nations, but when compared to the US we can be quite collectivist.
 

Tambourine

Well-Known Member
Imo it really depends more on culture. Britain isn't what I would call a two-party system and we tend to be individualistic in contrast to many nations, but when compared to the US we can be quite collectivist.
"We tend to be individualistic" is one of the most ironic statements I've read in a long time.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
Individual vs. Collective is a dumb dichotomy that only serves to obfuscate the realities of living in a human society.
Our society is a precondition for our individualism, and vice versa. No single human individual would survive without the rest of humanity. To condition people to only rely on themselves is the greatest thought crime in the history of philosophy.

And when or where was this crime ever committed
 

MNoBody

Well-Known Member
In nations without two party systems, is individualism or collectivism held to a higher degree?

Which means more to you?
collective individualism, mutual self help society of friends who are decent company, because they seek excellence
collaborative-ism, the cooperative laboratory
 
Individual vs. Collective is a dumb dichotomy that only serves to obfuscate the realities of living in a human society.
Our society is a precondition for our individualism, and vice versa. No single human individual would survive without the rest of humanity. To condition people to only rely on themselves is the greatest thought crime in the history of philosophy.

Bit of a misrepresentation imo. It's not really a dichotomy, but 2 points on a continuum where modern societies fall somewhere in between.

Individualism in this context is not really about 'relying only on themselves', it's about the extent to which a given society places emphasis on the rights of the individual vis-a-vis the rights of the group (tribe, family, religion, nation, etc.).

The greater the degree of collectivism the more the individual is expected to subjugate some of their own desires to fulfil traditions or limit their behaviours to meet group expectations.
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
In nations without two party systems, is individualism or collectivism held to a higher degree?

Which means more to you?

the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. the collective is an individual
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
In nations without two party systems, is individualism or collectivism held to a higher degree?

Which means more to you?

To me individualism. There seems to those individuals that everyone else relies on and those that can't get through the day without relying on someone else.

Without those few self-reliant individuals, most of society would end up in the crapper.

The collective in my experience isn't that smart. Look at the type of folks we keep electing to run the country. :shrug:

I like to see people become more self-reliant. We need more people supporting the system and less being supported by it.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
no you lean any way you want I AM
I'll elaborate...
People are social animals in a spectrum.
Some lean more in the individualism direction.
Others in the hive direction.
It's not about extremes....purity is a rarity.
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
I'll elaborate...
People are social animals in a spectrum.
Some lean more in the individualism direction.
Others in the hive direction.
It's not about extremes....purity is a rarity.


service to self is necessary for the individual to grow physically and psychologically/spiritually.


once the basics are met, then that one can share its excess through philanthropy


thank you
 
Top