Individualism or Collectivism in Society

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Debate Question:

Which ideological group has had the greatest impact on modern society? Individualism or Collectivism.

Terms:

Individualism-> when you value the freedom and worth of the individual, sometimes over the security and harmony of the group or a belief in the importance of the individual and the virtue of self-reliance and personal independence

Collectivism-> is basically when you think that values and the goals of the group and the common good over the goals of any one individual are the most beneficial. It stresses human interdependence and the importance of a collective, rather than the importance of separate individuals

Ideological-> the way we view the world and other people through our beliefs and experiences which shades and changes our action and reactions to the world.

Impact-> to have an effect upon.

Modern-> pertaining to the current time.

Range of Choices:

Individualism or Collectivism

Position:

Collectivism has had the greatest impact on modern society.

Reasons & Evidence:

As said by John F. Kennedy: Ask not what your country can do for you: Ask what you can do for your country. Collectivism has had the greatest effect on society today because it helps to meet the needs of everyone equally. It helps to create equality in society and make everyone work together to benefit all. Things like making people with larger incomes pay more taxes, or people should earn equal wages for work of similar value, and no private property help to make things fair. People function best in a group. Cooperation is beneficial to individuals and groups mostly because people are unique and have different ideas on how to do things. Cooperation is the means through which members of a...

... middle of paper ...

...th it. It makes people want to work harder to make a living and support themselves and their families. Government isn’t involved and people are happier. Also it has impacted peoples thinking. With the rise of global warming and water supplies slowly diminishing people aren’t going to want to be collective when it comes to it. They are going to want to have the freedom to make an individual choice based on what is best for them not everyone else. Our culture views society as comprised of separate independent individuals who are free to pursue their own individual goals and interests without interference from others. In this individualistic culture it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to convince people that they should sacrifice some of their freedom, some of their personal goals, and some of their self-interest, for the sake of the "common good."

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