Intro to Individualism To what extent should the values of individualism shape an ideology?

Individualism first emerged during the Renaissance in Europe (approx ) – before this people were defined by their class and only the nobility and clergy had rights. During the Enlightenment (1600s – late 1700s) the importance of the individual continued to increase as society began to change. Eventually a new political ideology developed called liberalism –Definition: an ideology based on the importance of individual liberty and the values of individualism (rights and freedoms, self- interest, competition, economic freedom, private property, rule of law)

The values of liberalism were fought for and promoted through events such as the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Liberal democracy developed as a form of government in the late 1800s and 1900s. In a democracy, individuals vote for their leaders and the rights and freedoms of the individual are guaranteed. (in theory) Individual rights and freedoms are protected by documents such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the U.S. Constitution.

Principles of Individualism Many of the legal rights we have in Western democracies today come from those found in the American Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man. Rule of law – the law itself has the greatest power in society, ALL individuals are subject to the law, every individual is equal in the eyes of the law Individual rights and freedoms are a key value of individualism and an important feature of liberal democracies.

The right to vote was initially only granted to wealthy, land-owning men in most countries. It has slowly expanded over time so that most democracies today have universal suffrage (all adult citizens can vote). Freedom of speech (which can include media) is one of the most important rights in a democracy. The rights and freedoms protected by documents like the Charter also have reasonable limits, these are decided by Canadian courts and the government. –Rights are usually limited when your freedom interferes with another person’s rights (e.g., freedom of speech vs. promoting racial hatred) Example: Jim Keegstra case in textbook (p. 73)

Private property – land, businesses, etc. (the means of production) are owned by individuals, NOT the gov’t. –Land and other goods are regarded as commodities that belong to one person and not others and can be bought, sold, traded, etc. Economic freedom – economic decisions are made by private individuals (producers & consumers) free from gov’t involvement and influence  leads to the existence of a free market Self-interest – expressed economically as profit motive, supporters of individualism believe self-interest increases economic efficiency and innovation

Adam Smith – The Wealth of Nations (1776) Smith proposed a free market economy where prices were set by the law of supply and demand Smith’s key idea: - If everyone acts in their own self- interest this will indirectly benefit society as a whole

Competition is an important part of economic individualism. Competition between producers results in lower prices and higher quality goods/services for consumers. –(counter-example: cell phone service in Canada  “Big 3”)