B Wint Essay #2

Ideas: Collectivism
Good of the group
Cooperation
Involvement from citizens is key for success of the group.
Quote uses phrases like "First Duty'', and "General Good"
Group Needs Exceed Individual Needs

My Position:
Agree Mostly, but i believe liberty is an important aspect, people need to watch out for themselves.

         The decisions we make and the way we live our lives are the foundations for our economic and political ideologies. The source tells us that it must be the first duty of each citizen to work for the general good. The author believes that the group, or society as a whole, should be of the utmost importance, this is called collectivism. I believe that a person should have complete control over his or her own life. The citizens should be focused on doing things fitting to their lifestyle, and working out their own salvation. This would ensure that the needs of each individual would be met. Collectivism tells us that we need to work together in order to be successful, but if everyone is working to better their own lives, this would mean society would be operating in an orderly fashion, and the needs of the group are met. With a collective society they also adopt collective rights, which means they must take away the freedom of the individual.

      

          Competition is a critical point of individualism; it makes people want to achieve more than others. Everyone wants to prove something, and it not only drives them to work and sustain themselves, it also helps to benefit society. Having competition with the free market greatly increases efficiency in the workplace, hence increasing production. Having the ability to compete also brings out the creativity in people. Both collectivism, and individualism focus on the "good" of the people. When people are working to do the best they can, they're also creating new ways to do things, and giving different perspectives on ideas. With all of this happening, its helping society to better itself, and the needs of the group are met. This phenomena is exactly what Adam Smith wrote about in, "The Wealth Of Nations." He suggested that as each individual strove to better benefit themselves, they we're being led by an, "Invisible Hand" which created prosperity for everyone without knowingly doing so.

         

          Freedom of choice is also a powerful aspect of an individualistic society. Everyone on this planet is different, and we all have varying degrees of success. The source tells us that the activities of the individual may not clash with the interests of the whole, although a diverse and multi faceted society can be the best thing for the whole  Take an iron worker and a particle physicist for example. In a collective environment, they would be looked at equally, although in reality they have very different needs, and require different resources in order to be successful. Each Individual has a different skill set, which can be utilized to achieve a "common good", without being conformed to fit a set social structure, this is what makes individualism so powerful.

         The nature of a person can have tremendous effects on their surroundings, from the morals they follow, to their day-to-day routine. In a collective environment it’s presumed that the people are incapable of taking care of themselves, that’s why the government has so much control over them. Someone who is motivated to accomplish something has a very dramatic impact on others around them. The source tells us that people are obligated to contribute to the group in every way they can, this suggests that without co-operation from the people, society would fail. People naturally want to succeed, and usually do things that help improve their lives, while some make poor choices which can also be beneficial in a way. Bad decisions have bad outcomes, and when people see the consequences they learn to avoid such decisions.

          Its extremely difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes a group successful. Choice is what the people desire, and when given opportunities they can do amazing things for the betterment of the whole, without having to be one and the same. Rights for the individual are absolutely necessary when looking at what makes society flourish. Without rights, people are defenceless against oppressive government control which often exploits peoples skills to use for their own advantage. Overall the most fundamental aspect of society, are actually the individuals who live within it, and they have the power to do what is necessary.