Individualism is the belief that human beings are morally worthy, autonomous and self-sufficient. It serves as a cornerstone principle in both economics and politics alike.
Individualist political systems usually favor limited government intervention, a free market economy and private property rights. Countries such as the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom are prime examples of individualistic countries.
The Origins of American Individualism
American individualism has a rich and colorful heritage. Its foundations were laid during the turbulent political upheavals of Jacksonian era (1820-1850), when three myths–the independent proprietor, rights bearer, and self-made man–became iconic images for personal liberty and American exceptionalism.
Individualism is a significant philosophical concept, encompassing various views that consider how groups and social processes impact individuals. One view, known as methodological individualism, asserts that facts about social or historical groups must be deduced from facts about the beliefs, desires, and actions of individuals.
The Roots of American Liberalism
In the United States, liberals and conservatives have long been on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Unfortunately, right-wing politicians and news outlets often use derogatory terms to label anyone who opposes conservatism a “liberal.”
American liberalism has its roots in the classical tradition of free markets and individual rights, which emerged out of the Enlightenment, when philosophers such as John Locke and Adam Smith advocated that governments should not meddle in people’s lives.
It was also significantly shaped by a long and devastating conflict known as the Thirty Years’ War, which lasted two centuries and affected many nations throughout Europe.
As the 19th century came to a close, liberal governments began emerging around the globe. These governments were often founded upon economic theories promoted by economists such as Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill that promoted free markets and laissez-faire governance.
The Roots of American Liberal Feminism
American liberal feministism began in the late 18th century when pioneers such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Judith Sargent Murray, Frances Wright and Elizabeth Cady Stanton campaigned to abolish sex discrimination within society and ensure women had equal access to suffrage and political representation.
Through the 1920s, women achieved legal equality and were granted suffrage as well as the right to serve in public office. Furthermore, this movement has expanded access to education and reproductive rights for all.
Classical-liberal feminism holds that, in societies such as the United States, states must treat both women and men equally under law. Therefore, any form of sexual discrimination by the state – whether in employment or elsewhere – is completely unacceptable.
The Roots of American Anarchism
American anarchism can trace its roots back to at least the eighteenth century. Thomas Jefferson expressed elements of anarchist thinking in his writings, and this movement gained steam during the nineteenth century.
At that time, anarchism split into two distinct directions: one violent and radical, the other pacifist-philosophical. Those advocating violence often took inspiration from Proudhon’s mutualist philosophy and Bakunin’s anti-authoritarian ideas; on the other hand, pacifists drawn inspiration from Henry David Thoreau and Josiah Warren.
In the United States, a nonviolent branch of anarchism emerged during the 19th century with writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Josiah Warren and Benjamin Tucker. These American anarchists, or radical pacifists, took inspiration from Proudhon and Bakunin but also worked to promote women’s suffrage, religious tolerance and fair labour legislation.
