Individualism

Individualism, in political and economic philosophy, the doctrine, promulgated by such theorists as English philosopher Thomas Hobbes and Scottish economist Adam Smith, that society is an artificial device, existing only for the sake of its members as individuals, and properly judged only according to criteria established by them as individuals. Individualists do not necessarily subscribe to the doctrine of egoism, which regards self-interest as the only logical human motivation. They may instead be guided in political and economic thinking by motives of altruism, holding that the end of social, political, and economic organization is the greatest good for the greatest number. What characterizes such individualist thinkers, however, is their conception of the “greatest number” as composed of independent units and an opposition to the interference of the state with the happiness or freedom of these units.

Individualist tendencies or theories play a part in all the sciences that deal with a person as a social being. Although individualism would theoretically consider the state as placing an artificial restraint on a person's individual tendencies, practical distinctions between individualism and its antitheses, such as socialism, are often difficult to make. Like individualism, socialist or collectivist (see Collectivism) theories may place high value on the well-being and free initiative of the individual. Individualism differs from such theories in asserting that the welfare of the individual is of the highest value and that each individual exists as a unique end, with society serving only as a means to accomplish the ends of the individual.