Society vs. Individual
PAGE IN PROGRESS
What you see here is a page of my hypertext book Me, Looking for Meaning. Initially empty, it will slowly be filled with thoughts, notes, and quotes. One day, I will use them to write a coherent entry, similar to these completed pages. See this post to better understand my creative process. Thank you for your interest and patience!
What you see here is a page of my hypertext book Me, Looking for Meaning. Initially empty, it will slowly be filled with thoughts, notes, and quotes. One day, I will use them to write a coherent entry, similar to these completed pages. See this post to better understand my creative process. Thank you for your interest and patience!
paradox: society needs individuals but does not care about individuals. The most important thing: survival of the species
“Mini” forms of society: empires (see Harari, chapter 11), corporations
confusion: people who run empires and corporations have lots of micropower but they don’t have macropower (nobody does)
society doesn’t care about individual- it’s goal is survival of the species
individual repays this indifference; individual does not really understand society as a whole (and usually does not care about society as a whole)
individualism - trying to change society’s priorities
human rights, equality, etc.
individualism backfires as capitalism (see Weber, Protestantism and the spirit of capitalism - work hard to see if you are blessed by god, if you succeed, good approves your work), consumerism that has impact on the environment, identity politics —> polarization
in this sense, it’s a paradox, irony to fight for individualism abd against capitalism
Society : made up order us essential for its existence, it’s based on meanings that are artificial but perceived as natural and absolute (which is necessary for the protection of this order)
it’s easier to notice the flaws of this order for outsiders (they are less invested in preserving the order of community that us big their own); that’s why it’s easier for immigrants to criticize the culture they become a part of
“Mini” forms of society: empires (see Harari, chapter 11), corporations
confusion: people who run empires and corporations have lots of micropower but they don’t have macropower (nobody does)
society doesn’t care about individual- it’s goal is survival of the species
individual repays this indifference; individual does not really understand society as a whole (and usually does not care about society as a whole)
individualism - trying to change society’s priorities
human rights, equality, etc.
individualism backfires as capitalism (see Weber, Protestantism and the spirit of capitalism - work hard to see if you are blessed by god, if you succeed, good approves your work), consumerism that has impact on the environment, identity politics —> polarization
in this sense, it’s a paradox, irony to fight for individualism abd against capitalism
Society : made up order us essential for its existence, it’s based on meanings that are artificial but perceived as natural and absolute (which is necessary for the protection of this order)
it’s easier to notice the flaws of this order for outsiders (they are less invested in preserving the order of community that us big their own); that’s why it’s easier for immigrants to criticize the culture they become a part of
