What does the individual human being mean in your world view? In my opinion the individual is the primary unit of society. All culture , society , politics , economics is one individual interacting with other individuals . Social groups do not exist as single , thinking entities. They are the accumulation of actions and thoughts of single individuals interacting in a complex way. How does your politics , moral outlook etc. , and sociological perspective rate the role of the minority of one? Do we have a social contract binding individuals to each other in a clearly defined way ? Should the needs of large demographic groups outweigh the liberties of non-aggressive individuals ? What do we owe to one another? If we declare something as a fundamental right { health care } does that mean individuals are legally and morally required to provide that to one another?
Subscription Note:
Choosing to subscribe to this topic will automatically register you for email notifications for comments and updates on this thread.
Email notifications will be sent out daily by default unless specified otherwise on your account which you can edit by going to your userpage here and clicking on the subscriptions tab.
If the role of the individual is to contribute to politics, culture, society and morality then a balance must be struck between the rights of the individual and majority rule. Rules that allow that balance to be identified and maintained need to be accepted by all of humanity. Libertarians and anarchists might challenge the need for government or wish to minimise it, but it is the morality of the whole that will and should prevail. Where individuals disagree or behave in unacceptable ways law and order must intervene.
In practice this means that secular principles rather than an ideology, nationalism or religion must become more widely accepted.
What is the "morality of the whole". Is it encoded? Could not an ideology or form of nationalism be secular ? Do not laws that protect individuals - laws against rape , murder , theft , assault - also protect society ?
The Founding Fathers of the USA dealt explicitly with this issue. They determined that individual freedom would be paramount and the basis for this nation. However, they did not ignore the society as a whole. Confronting the fact that all individuals have to work and live in a society they left a living document that has iron clad clauses that cannot be breached to protect the fundamental rights of the individual and a fluid evolving contract that addresses needs of the society.
Even as individuals we have an obligation to the whole of society, whether it be local, national, or worldwide. Those whom are well off as a result of benefiting by the society have a disproportional obligation to help those less fortunate. Meaning creating opportunities and actually caring for those who cannot care for themselves. Notice I said "cannot" not "will not".
All rights are distinctively "individual". States don't have rights, corporations don't have rights, all rights are individual period.
Hate to disagree on one of those points, Myk, but Citizens United states that corporations have rights, at least in the US...sorry, had to go off on an angry tangent there.
To the OP, I think the concept of morality and rationality is irrespective of the concept of individuality. I bring to mind that picture of Captain America telling Spider-Man to hold fast to his convictions even in the face of 'the whole world' telling him something is wrong. It is possible, however unlikely, to be the only right person on Earth, so long as you're able to justify your idea with evidence and reason.
Yes the republican controlled SCOTUS ruled that corporations had rights and that money represented freedom of speech. They were wrong,....dead wrong. Here's why:
http://www.demos.org/publication/10-ways-citizens-united-endangers-democ...
https://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/10/18/11527/citizens-united-decisio...
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/who-are-citizens-united/
As I said above groups do not have a mind. The individuals within a group do but there is no such entity as a collective mind. Corporations having a voice is simply a way for their owners to speak twice.
"Corporations having a voice is simply a way for their owners to speak twice."
Totally agree.
All things that have an explanation should be explained. All things that have reason behind the should be reasoned. All things that show truth should be taken as truth (so long as they have evidence to support them) All things that have places should be placed. But at the end of the day, you have to except that people aren't rational. We have moments in which we are, but reason is not inherent in human nature. Taking unessesary risks is what brought about exploration. True, it has lead to great discovery's, but if it wasen for the insanity and irrational (though natural) thing we call curiosity, it wouldn't have happened. That, and blind, random chance is alwase their to ruin things. You shouldn't expect it to (that leads to paranoia) but you shouldn't dismiss it (then you won't be even slightly prepared for the worst possible senarios.). These are the principal's on which I base my life. I except that total rationality is impossible for humanity, and I exept that I will never be perfect. Dosent stop me from trying.
There is a movie about how a community that is trying hard to do the right thing becomes overzealous.
It's call 'Footloose.'