Despite claims that individualism leads to narcissism and is an overall menace to society, individualism can be seen to have profound positive effects throughout history particularly during the Reformation, as well as the Renaissance.
A recent article in the New York times, titled “The Age of Individualism”, explains that because of individualism, our country and our world will eventually become a disaster of self-absorbed individuals only concerned with trivial, self-centered things.
However, the Reformation and Renaissance are clear indicators of what happens when a society turns to individualism. The society flourishes. Without individualism, there would be no-one standing up to age-old theories, accepted as absolute truth and successfully prohibiting any forward progression. In his journal article about religion and modern individualism, Herbert Butterfield explains, “The individual must be able to confront the tyranny of majorities, the prejudices of prevailing culture, and the dominating spirit of the age itself.” This is why individualism is needed. Personal ideas and convictions were recognized by our predecessors as something that needed to be shared and addressed, especially if it went against what was popular and accepted at the time.
It was mentioned in one of my discussions that individualism was the reason that Martin Luther experienced success in his fight for religious reform. Martin Luther is celebrated throughout the world for the courage he had to “oppose the dominating spirit of the age itself.” Without individualism inspired by Renaissance humanism, the Reformation could be a very different story. Without the few who believed strongly in humanism and the individuals potential to be moral and good, the higher powers against change would have destroyed the Reformation before it even really began.
I’m sure, much like individualism is presented today, some in the reformation viewed Luther as an extremist, a fanatic, someone so blinded by their own ideas and ideals that they were past reason and actually detrimental to the good of everyone around them. People feared individualism because they knew it would bring change. Their solution? Persecution. However, despite the animosity and violence they experienced, reformers endured, bringing the world all kinds of new religious and social possibilities.
Individualism continued to change society. It encouraged Thomas Moore to write about brave new worlds that could lead to literal new worlds. It was what allowed plough boys to receive bibles of their own and Shakespeare to become a theatrical genius, despite his poverty. America itself was born from ideas created by individualistic minds during the enlightenment. That is why we continue to need individuals who celebrate individualism, who have enough conviction in their own ideas and ideals to do something about it. And through that, we can continue to change the world for the better.
