Preview

The Pros And Cons Of Individualism

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
479 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Pros And Cons Of Individualism
The idea of one for all, or all for one. Total monarchy or equal shares. Undeniable control or democracy. The ideas of Individualism and Communitarianism clearly contrast each other, but who's to say which belief is the right or wrong way? Is it the rights of many or the privileges of few that is meant to be held higher than the other? This essay will contain the beliefs of Utilitarianism and Individualism, and the similarities and differences that both of these beliefs hold in common. First let's start of with the views and beliefs of Communitarianism. The first example is from an article titled “ The Dangers of Individualism; Rape in the Fields.” This article, written June 25,2013 by Jason M. Breslow is about the nightmare that female immigrant

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The Myth of Individualism

    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages

    America is famous for the reputation of being the land of opportunity, and for generations immigrants have fled to the United States to experience the freedom and equality our government lays claim to. The fundamental of this reputation is the American Dream, the belief that life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each by hard working regardless of social class or circumstances of birth(by James Truslow Adams). The American Dream is different for everyone, though it is most commonly associated with success, freedom, and happiness. The concept of the American Dream seems to have dwindled from where it was in the past few generations. It has gone from success, freedom, and happiness to having lots of money and the nicest possessions. Also, it is believed to be blind to race, sex, or socio-economic status. In today’s society we all hope and strive for this dream, but how many actually achieve the American Dream? Is it a reasonable goal that Americans should strive for, or is it a myth that only leads to self-destruction? Repeated examples and statistics of the lower-classes, those continually facing the harsh reality that opportunity and equality are empty promises, only prove the opposite. The countless stories of failure to reach the American Dream significantly override the few success stories that keep the myth alive. However, these few success stories keep Americans, as well as the rest of the world, believing in the false opportunities the American Dream puts forth.…

    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    ETH/316 Final Exam

    • 998 Words
    • 6 Pages

    1. “There is no I in Team.” One for all and all for one best describes _utilitarianism_______________.…

    • 998 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Utilitarianism or the greatest happiness principle, is mainly characterized by happiness and consequentialism. The measure of good and evil is balanced between individual 's happiness and the happiness of the community. (Sommers & Sommers, 2013) If you treat others how you wish to be treated, you are acting in the greater good for the most amounts of people, and in doing so, you are acting with morals. To act selfishly, you are acting morally wrong. This theory relies on producing the greatest amount of happiness. (Sommers & Sommers, 2013)…

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psci 231 Midterm Review

    • 2130 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Section One: 1. What is, “Utilitarianism” and why is it important to the study of businessgovernment relations? Utilitarianism is a usually described as the greatest happiness for the greatest number. It reflects the action that produces the most happiness for people; meaning that an action is good if it produces a higher ultility of happiness. The thoery treats all members of a society equally, balances the inequalities in wealth between rich and poor people and justifies human acts. For example, consider a single mother stealing baby formlua. In this case, the mother is not harming anyone else and her baby is getting the food it needs. The happiness of the mother is justified because her actions did not harm anyone, and her baby having enough food increases her ulitily. John S. Mill would focus on the things that give people happiness rather than judeging actions based on religion and culture. Critisicsms of utilitariansim can also be made. It is understood that utilitarianism measures the total hapiness of people. However, it is not not right to assume that two people will have the same level of utility over something. An example of this can be depicted in the following scenario. Person A loves horses and buys a new sadle which gives her a total util of 50. Person B rather, is interested in sports car. Person B is uninterested in the saddle and would most likely produce a util of about 10. Therefore it is unpossible to say that levels of utility are compareable amongst people. Another criticsm of utilitarianism is that it fails to promote individual rights. Say that a mother likes hitting her child, and while doing so, her level of utility increases. Utilitarianism would support the mother and justify her acts because she is obtaining an increasing amont of utility. However, hitting your child repetively is morally and ethically wrong. But, in this case, according to utilitarianism, the utility gain of the mother is greater than the utility cost endured by the…

    • 2130 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    American themes are displayed adamantly in the book Into the Wild, and in the film White Fang. Topics like Self, Society, and Rugged Individualism are depicted making a deep impression on the lives of both main characters. Chris McCandless, in Into the Wild, leaves his whole life behind to journey across the country to Alaska. Most of his trip he is alone, but he does make contact with society on a few occasions. Similar to the nonfiction story of Chris McCandless, is the fiction story of White Fang. A lonely wolf who finds sanctuary in a miners son. Unlike Chris, White Fang is forced in to an isolated life, away from society, when his mother dies of a gunshot wound. Although Chris and White Fang lived similar lives, the…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A wonderful blessed life where I have the choice to where I work, what I study, who I love, what I think, what I want. A life where I matter. It saddens me Equality’s situation a place where he has no life basically but even though he has no opinion he still has a “life” but this is where I wonder both him and I still have a life but which is more valuable? A price cannot be put onto a life but is individualism better or collectivism? Collectivism doesn’t allow humans to be different but with collectivism everyone is equal so not one person is too powerful or too poor. At the end of the day everybody gets to eat because it is an equal world. This is helpful because if someone is hurt and cannot work then they can still eat. Individualism however allows everyone to be unique and chose for themselves. Individualism allows people to chose their own jobs so they wouldn’t be stuck doing what they don’t like or believe in. But then again if a person were to fall ill then they would still be responsible for finding food because if you don’t work then you don’t get to eat in a society like that. And in collectivism people can misuse the system but not working and still getting a share to…

    • 1724 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Utilitarianism is an action which is morally right producing an effect benefiting the group. Individual beliefs…

    • 612 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Thesis: Society thrives most by promoting the superior ideology Individualism for it allows freedom of the individual to prosper in society.…

    • 2014 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Brave New World it shows many different advances and beliefs than what we’re used to. I will be stating a few of these examples such as the differences in technology and how different they live, and what they believe in.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this technological time, students more than ever are relying on the necessities of society in order to make their lives easier. But these “necessities” come at the cost of feelings, individualism, and the free-will of mankind, ultimately trading off free will for temporary gratification. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World expresses this transformation from the times of the past, relying on emotions to govern decisions, to the times of the future where technology has an iron grasp on the thoughts and ideas of society.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1.)Individuality- Every person is trying to be their own person. This is a big part of our culture because that is all you hear people talk about is how you should be your own individual person. Many people are expressing individuality in the form of different colors of hair in the high schools we go to. 2.)Equality- America is the idea of equality because of the equal opportunities that every person is entitled to.…

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the past few hundreds of years, western countries like United States and British have boosted their productivity and military power since the industrial revolution. And their colonialism and oppression to those relative weak countries in the Southern Hemisphere do simulate a huge conflict for the problem of independence. And in past one hundred year conflict, a lot of historical figures, like Mohandas Gandhi, Che Guevara, and Osama bin Laden, have appeared in the Southern Hemisphere countries to fight for the independence for their hometown. And for these leaders of movement of independence, they do have very different arguments and tactics in both political and religious ways, which result in different consequences.…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This paper explores the concept of individualism versus collectivism, from a public health perspective. The harm done when we as a nation view issues, specifically public health issues, from a singular lens. As defined in the text by F. Scutchifeld and C. Keck public health is an organized activity of society to promote, protect, improve, and when neccssary, restore the health of individuals, specified groups or the entire population. With this definition, one could make the argument for what is good for community or what is good for the individual. My believe and stands is that what is good for the indivdule when dealing with public health, is also good for the community. One cannot discuses one without the other, what affects an individual…

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Democratic egalitarianism and individualism and how hypocritical society is in regards to the two are the subject matter of this essay. Various notable philosophers and authors have dissected these terms and their meanings relative to human life and society many times in the past. It is obvious to most how democratic egalitarianism and individualism can contradictory in many ways. The complexity of the two is not readily abundant due to examining the values of an American society. In society, these values do not hold up to the true meanings of democratic egalitarianism and individualism.…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    6. Individualism - Individualism is the philosophy that all actions take place for the benefit of the individual and not for society as a whole. Individualism also pertains to the pursuit of the individual rather than common or collective interests.…

    • 5943 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Powerful Essays