Friend, caregiver, student, sister, politician, nurse, etc., are all examples of titles that come with responsibilities for an individual. However, one is not just defined by these roles. There are no limits to what a human being can do. Humans are powerful and unique individuals. George Kateb celebrates this individualism by emphasizing his theoretical definition in his text, “Democratic Individualism and its critics.” Kateb suggests that individualism supports the viewpoint that individuals matter aside from their roles, works, and functions. Additionally, he advocates that human beings have identities that are indefinable because they are creatures filled with uniqueness. Because I believe that people are not ultimately defined by their roles in society, I agree with George Kateb’s definition and view of individualism.
Human beings are dynamic and distinctive individuals. Apart from the fact that each person is unique based upon appearances, they also have different cultural backgrounds. Individuals are capable of various great acts that are beyond imagination. For instance, to be curious and adventurous are embedded characteristics that denote individualism that humans are capable of. Human beings are distinctive species that roam the earth with creative thinking abilities, which is evident in today’s advanced civilization. Humans have made such great change in the world just by existing. An example of change that has occurred in various societies is technological advancement. After all, people have the ability to take on several tasks without limit. Kateb asserts that, “Whatever the performance or behavior of a person, or the outward expression in work or everyday life, the person’s uniqueness (or individuation) remains; it...
... middle of paper ...
...e essence of Kateb’s statement is that the role reversal that people take part in is incorporated in relationships daily. For example, an individual can change their current role and play the role of their significant other or someone else. This can help that individual learn and understand another perspective, which develops an objective view of the individual’s interpersonal relationships. Switching roles is a communicative factor that leads to the success of understanding between individuals. For example, based my past observations, role reversal is prominent in successful marriages.
Consequently, no individual can be exhaustively defined by an act or role. People have undefined identities that no fixed value can be placed on. Each person is filled with uniqueness that is incomprehensible because there are no limits to an individual’s ability.
There are numerous ethical schools of individualism and copious individualists with different perspectives on the idea of individualism. In this paper, I have selected the following ethical individualism to expose and critique: 1) ontological individualism, 2) methodological individualism, and 3) moral or political individualism.
"Is a person, One who can consciously perform personal acts? If so, people who are asleep are not people and we may kill them. One with a present capacity to perform personal acts? If so, that would include sleepers but not those in a coma. One with a history of performing personal acts? That would mean that a 17-year old who was born in a coma 17 years ago and is just now coming out of it is not a person. Also, by this definition, there can be no first personal act, no personal acts without a history of past personal acts. One with a future capacity for performing personal acts? That would mean that dying persons are not
Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. "American Society and Individualism." American Society and Individualism. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2010. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Individualism is the only alternative to the racism of political correctness. We must recognize that everyone is a sovereign entity, with the power of choice and independent judgment. The values of self-esteem and Western civilization should be proudly proclaimed.
“A human being’s sense of self is established in the context of their ethics and morals. The concept of identity is related to ‘who I am’. Individuals situate themselves in a contextual environment that may include their relationships with family and friends, and their abilities and the occupations in which they are, or have been. This identifies what is ultimately important to an individual and how that relates to where their identity is in relation to this.” (Thomas, 2013)
It is easy to see how the defining of what a person is can be a tedious endeavor. As stated earlier, it is a common perception that in order to be a person one must be a human being. Midgley states, “It is my main business here to point out that this attitude is to crude” (Stephens ed. 316). Midgley brings up that man...
Furthermore, identity comes from how people choose to comprehend and perceive their own self. The elements of identity are limitless because you can choose to be whoever you want to be, despite the opinions of others. Thus, one’s identity tends to be unique, in a sense, compared to other
The notion of individualism is extremely important in exercising the duty people have to cease from the...
Many philosophers and psychologist from Jean Piaget to William James have theorized what makes a person who they are, their identity. Jean Piaget believed that the identity is formed in the sensorimotor stage and the preoperational stage. This means that a child is forming his identity as late to the age of seven (Schellenberg, 29) However, identity is strongly impacted by society such as school, church, government,and other institutions. Through our interactions with different situations our personality develops (Schellenberg 34). "In most situations there is a more diversified opportunity for the development of social identities, reflecting what the individual wants to put forth to define the self as well as what others want to accept,"(Schellenberg 35). Therefore, humans, much like animals, adapt to different situations based on who they are with. Individuals are always changi...
Individualism in today’s society is the “belief that each person is unique, special, and a ‘basic unit of nature’.” The individualism concept puts an “emphasis on individual initiative” where people act independently of others and use self-motivation to prosper. The individualists “value privacy” over community the individual thrives to move ahead in life (U S Values).
...clusion, Caitlin Tom’s essay Individuality vs. Fitting in, the American novel Little Women by Louisa Alcott, and the romantic yet empowering dramatic film Jane Eyre all exemplify the importance of a society pertaining individualism as it leads to overcoming societal barriers and stereotypes through recognition, it encourages individuals to bring about change through their unique individualism, and aids them in valuing the invoked change in relation to their individualist characteristics and traits. It is evident that individualism is very crucial for a society willing to maintain its civilization successfully. Thus, individualistic traits are the fuel which drive a society to its development and initiation through evolution. As a reminder, Individuals should use their unique individualistic traits and characteristics in order to help improve society as a whole.
In his 1971 paper “Personal Identity”, Derek Parfit posits that it is possible and indeed desirable to free important questions from presuppositions about personal identity without losing all that matters. In working out how to do so, Parfit comes to the conclusion that “the question about identity has no importance” (Parfit, 1971, p. 4.2:3). In this essay, I will attempt to show that Parfit’s thesis is a valid one, with positive implications for human behaviour. The first section of the essay will examine the thesis in further detail and the second will assess how Parfit’s claims fare in the face of criticism.
Our intelligence, therefore, is our singular, collective ability to act and react in an everchanging world (1)
The idea of individualism can seem rather abstract in our society today. People get preoccupied with how they believe others perceive them, which is in stark contrast to the idea of individualism. Take, for instance, peer pressure, which can affect not only younger children and teens but also adults. All members of a structured society will at some point be impacted by the pressures of society to be normal, and to reach the same milestones as their peers. In Edward Albee’s play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the reader gets shown firsthand how the desire to conform, and to be normal, can drive our actions as well as our behavior.
If you were to look at what makes us human from a purely physical perspective you would be looking at everything that was empirical about a human being. This category could be divided into two sections: the first would be the actual appearance of human beings and the second would be the genetic make-up. Basically it would be made up of what you can see at first glance and what you could see at an even closer glance. The physical perspective can be summarised as the things one can see about human beings. Some appearance traits that make us human are quite obvious; nimble hands, soft skin and bipedal. Others are not quite so obvious from first glance such as a large brain (Cartmill & Brown, 2012). If we were to list every single thing that made us look human it would take quite some time. This is the most obvious thing that makes us human, the way we look.