The Autonomous Self and the Dichotomy of Individualism Essay

“How is one to know and define oneself? From the inside- within a context that is self-defined, from a grounding in a community… or from the

One method one can know things about themselves is through the senses. One can see and feel that one has two arms, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, etc. One can also hear oneself when talking and smell oneself after a workout. If someone really wanted to, one could even taste themselves. One can also feel pain when one breaks a bone or when one is heartbroken. Similarly one can know love and hate, happiness and sadness, and hope and disbelief. Another method one can know things about themselves is through skill knowledge. For example, one can say that one knows how to play an instrument. One can and should know things about oneself in order to have individualism and prove to oneself that one is

Individualism is a core value of American culture. It has been influencing all the fields of society, economics, politics and culture. It has played an immense and extensive effect to shape the character and mindset of the American nation. In the colonial period of 1607 - 1776, these Europeans had come to a new land to find new opportunity. The Colonists knew nothing but the rule and culture of England, thus bringing traits of it into their new society in the New World. They did not have a keep grip on societal development until people started to speak up about new ideas and meanings of life. But they feared from straying from the past traditions of England because of a possible chance that England would see that they were not able to thrive and settle in this new place. Thus, when different opinions, ideas, or anything opposing current societal ways, it was to be banished, killed, or in some way rid of before society was able to change in any way other than what the entire group of the community wanted. This time focused on groups of people and the entire population’s views and conformity rather than the individual’s beliefs and principles. The rationalism period between 1750 and 1800 focused on major changes in society especially through religion and government life. Acts and plans imposed by the British government enabled Americans to realize the lack of true freedom and liberty they had being under control of England. This era sparked numerous new mindsets and attitudes

Throughout history, there have been many people who have had to struggle and fight for individualism. Although for some of those people, they have been able to accomplish the seemingly impossible tasks needed to obtain their own. For example, the Greensboro Four, who non-violently protested against racial segregation, or Malcolm X, a black-right’s activist who believed in a brotherhood between races. Although one of the more historical icons that showed individualism is Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights activist who peacefully fought for african-american rights as equals. Though he is not just remembered for his “I Have A Dream” speech, but for his fight for individualism, and for all humanity both present and future. But Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t simply wish or snap his fingers to win the fight for those rights that belong to him and his brethren. Unfortunately like others before him, M.L.K. had to struggle and use chief elements he found necessary for the individualism that he and so many others deserved. In order for a person to become an individual they would require chief elements that were demonstrated by Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil disobedience, others who share the same ideas of beliefs, self-reliance and peaceful tactics on how to achieve the desired goals.

     The descriptive claim made by Psychological Egoists is that humans, by nature, are motivated only by self-interest. Any act, no matter how altruistic it may seem on the outside is actually only a disguise for a selfish desire such as recognition, avoiding guilt, reward or sense of personal ‘goodness’ or morality. For example, Mother Teresa is just using the poor for her own long-term spiritual gain. Being a universal claim, it could falter with a single counterexample. And being that I believe this claim to be bunk I will tell you why!

All human beings have a self: the ego or “I” that can think, reason, and perceive. It’s an independent individual that exists separate from other things and people, with an independent identity. (Velazquez 52). From an early age to the adult stage we are still trying to figure out ourselves, and our purpose in life. According to Velazquez, to find out who we are, we have to reflect on ourselves, others, and how we live (48).

There is a question that must be addressed before there is any true exploration of knowledge of any kind. This is a knowledge that will provide the framework for all that is to come after it. What is the self and how is it formed, shaped and guided by the outside world. This is a question that has been attempted, but never really answered in a thorough manner. Many disciplines formulate ideals Sociology being one of many. Taking a firm stance that the self is something that is dependent on the responses and actions of those in question and the society that surrounds them. Four theories in particular grapple with these ideas and how to frame them in a way that enhances people's understanding of the self . William James a Sociologist born

In this report the tensions between the claim to individual autonomy, and the obligation to conform to community expectations will be identified and examined. Tensions arise due to incompatible ethical and moral principles. Personal rights, and the desire to be accepted are the main causes of these tensions. The cornerstone of communitarianism is the individual being socialised into conforming to the foundation beliefs which contribute to the ‘common good’. Individualism on the other hand, states that every person is of equal standing and has the inalienable right to do with his life what he desires. It is this belief that clashes with the principle of socialisation, this is because autonomous individuals say they have the right to express

In Walker Percy’s “A Short Quiz” he identifies 10 different “selves” that each person falls under and questions the reader to find which self he or she identifies with. The self that I was able to identify with the most was the autonomous self. The autonomous self is an independent thinker and has a sovereign conscience. Instead of having a herd mentality the autonomous self’s beliefs and actions are based on his or her own analysis. I can relate to this because I have freed myself from the belief system of Christianity due to formal and self-education. In many ways I am the autonomous one.

Who am I? What am I? Why am I? These are all questions that humans have been asking themselves for thousands of years. Some of us ponder on the question throughout our lives, attempting to find the meaning of life and a reason for us to continue on. Others, however, ask the question in a fleeting moment and barely concern themselves with these age old questions. Many philosophers have analyzed the different aspects of “the self”, one’s identity, and ones consciousness to better understand and answer these questions. This in turn has created several different theories as to what our consciousness is, what “the self” is, and what do we mean by identity. Two such philosophers that have been extremely influential to this issue are Rene Descartes

The hashtag that I have created exemplifies the ideas of individualism and rejection of traditional establishment. It emphasises American society’s notion of living as an individual and achieving one’s dreams against the odds. That in today’s society each person has the inherent right to control their reality living how they see fit and seeing the world in their own way. Furthermore, each person has the power within themselves to attain what they seek and it is only a matter of their self-intuition that holds them back from reaching their goals. I posted my hashtag on my Snapchat story, displaying to my friends the role transcendentalism plays within my life. That just like me, they too can control their reality and strive to new heights of

The clearest points that Clint explains are black people are living in a world where it conducts by personal responsibility and individualism. My reaction to the video is very powerful and strong because the video makes you realize how we raise our own child in America and the work that our parents go through when they raise their children in America with different perspectives such as skin color and nationalities, religion. The most powerful part of the video is when he explains the stories of his childhood when he was playing with his friend with water guns and his father found him. The father grabbed him from the forearm and with a scared voice. The father told him that he was sorry but he is different from his white friend and him cant

Without a distinct framework, ethical egoism fails as a moral theory to assist moral decision making because it endorses the animalistic nature of humanity, fails to provide a viable solution to a conflict of interest, and is proved to be an evolutionary unstable moral strategy.

When introducing the concept of self-consciousness, it can be very difficult for individuals to understand that there are many forms of self-consciousness. Many already have a definition in mind as soon as they hear the word self-consciousness. It is made up of many concepts because it isn’t just a cognitive state, rather, many cognitive states. The mind processes many things as opposed to just knowing things. Humans are capable of doing and desiring many things while self-evaluating and questioning oneself. Everyone is able to consider their own actions and to think about themselves. When thinking, humans are able to consider ideas and depictions regarding the self and others. Regarding oneself allows for evaluating self-worth in refinement to common social roles (Bermudez).

Individualism has swept our current society. Teenagers like myself constantly are bombarded with television, radio, social media, and music that pushes a person to be unique and strive to be themselves. With this new agenda on the rise, comes a new thinking of self-confidence. This thinking in return, has led to many teenagers making big decisions that impact them on a much larger scale than the surface level might show. The issue at hand has slowly began to create a culture in which many immature teenagers begin making mature decisions without thinking the consequences through. Over time, modern day media has turned these negative mistakes into a perception of positive results. With millions of young adults interacting with social media on a daily basis, this small issue could grow into having a major effect on society. Parents or guardians should decide whether teenagers get piercings or tattoos and society must put a stop to the idea of individualism in the minds of teenagers while getting back to the root of success; respect, standards, and work ethic.