Won't Libertarian Socialism Destroy Individuality?
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No. Libertarian socialism only suppresses individuality for those who are so shallow that they can't separate their identity from what they own. However, be that as it may, this is an important objection to any form of socialism and, given the example of "socialist" Russia, needs to be discussed more.
The basic assumption behind this question is that capitalism encourages individuality, but this assumption can be faulted on many levels. As Kropotkin noted, "individual freedom [has] remained, both in theory and in practice, more illusory than real" [Ethics, p. 27] and that "the want of development of the personality [leading to herd-psychology] and the lack of individual creative power ...
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at all. Far from increasing individuality, capitalism standardizes it and so restricts it - that it survives at all is more an expression of the strength of humanity than any benefits of the capitalist system. This impoverishment of individuality is hardly surprising in a society based on hierarchical institutions which are designed to assure obedience and subordination.
So, can we say that libertarian socialism will increase individuality or is this conformity and lack of "individualism" a constant feature of the human race? In order to make some sort of statement on this, we have to look at non-hierarchical societies and organisations. We will discuss "primitive" cultures as an example of non-hierarchical societies in section I.7.1. Here, however, we indicate how anarchist organisations will protect and increase an individual's sense of self.
Anarchist organisations and tactics are designed to promote individuality. They are decentralised, participatory organisations ...
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As Max Horkheimer once observed, "individuality is impaired when each man decides to fend for himself. . . . The absolutely isolated individual has always been an illusion. The most esteemed personal qualities, such as independence, will to freedom, sympathy, and the sense of justice, are social as well as individual virtues. The fully developed individual is the consummation of a fully developed society." [The Eclipse of Reason, p. 135]
The sovereign, self-sufficient individual is as much a product of a healthy community as it is from individual self-realization and the fulfillment of desire. Kropotkin, in Mutual Aid, documented the tendency for community to enrich and develop ...
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"Won't Libertarian Socialism Destroy Individuality?." Essayworld.com. February 11, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Wont-Libertarian-Socialism-Destroy-Individuality/22083.
"Won't Libertarian Socialism Destroy Individuality?." Essayworld.com. February 11, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Wont-Libertarian-Socialism-Destroy-Individuality/22083.
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