American Individualism

Why do people struggle when it comes to our political system? Why is it so confusing to some and basically second nature to others? Why do some people feel strongly towards the government while others prefer a more individualistic approach? The dilemma of how we think about our political system is not a new problem. Individuals have been debating on what system is the right one, which beliefs should be the dominant ones and so on for generations. I presume this problem lies in our individualistic tendencies and the want for the colonists to have a government that is completely different from Great Britain. We place so much weight on individualism and doing things by ourselves, without the governments help, that we don’t realize how complex
The way individualists thought and acted in the time of the Puritans would be completely different than, say, the libertarians would today. Back in ancient times, Indian tribes believed that the status of the individual was due to what had occurred in their past life. And with this status and current life, they believed the individual had a path laid out, but it was up to them whether or not they wanted to follow it. Socrates also displayed a type of individualism that he spoke constantly by saying “Know Yourself.” By this, he meant that nobody was able to tell an individual what he or she could or could not do, it was up to the individual to find out for themselves. And finally, a name we all know, Augustine of Hippo gives us yet another example of individualism. He exclaims that, in a matter of free will, man has a right to choose what they want and the direction they want to go. They are not totally dependent on God’s grace alone. Today, I would argue our thoughts of individualism are not anything like those. Today we are more focused on the individuals right to have a gun or the individuals right to get an abortion. I would argue that today’s world is more material and not as deep of a topic. The change, however, is interesting to look
To characters like Hutchinson and Williams, this possibility for strong authority also came with a possibility of corruption or abuse of power. Not only did they believe in individualism when it came to government, but Hutchinson expressed her opinion on an individual response to religion. She displayed that one did not have to rely on the church to obtain grace, it was more about achieving a personal communion with God. Her counterpart who criticized the centralized government, Williams, displayed his belief of a separation of church and state in order to let the superior conscience of the individual take effect. I think both of these Puritans show us, early on in American history, the first real signs of individualistic tendencies in our young country. They both express extreme beliefs in the power of the individual and the ability to get the job done without the need of help. Especially for Hutchinson, she almost claims that the church is useless, in a sense, because one can be in a relationship with God without it. I think this part is fairly relatable in today’s world due to the bad reputation Christianity and the church is receiving. Many Christians are deciding against joining a church because of some of the things it involves itself in. They decide that they are most definitely followers of Christ but not members of a church. I