Last night I read an article from The Banner on what was called, "The Heresy of Individualism." I went into it expecting some kind of anti-conservative rant about the evils of small, but, smart government. However, I found not much delving into which side of the political compass you fall in. Instead it was a very well written column talking about radical or extremist individuals that support atomistic individualism that ignores the need for civil society or group belonging.
I wanted to use this article as a starting point of my own post on the atomistic individualism of the anti-biblical Narcists in the Rand Wing of the political right. I used too be an Objectivist and a strong one at that. However, the atomistic selfishness is good individualist extremism wing of the Right lack any understanding of group belonging or the importance of civil society to curb the excesses of self interest within society.
I need to point out that free and virtuous societies have a plethora of civil society groups including mutual aid societies and collective coming together for the sake of group cohesion. The church itself is a collective body of Christ to which all saved individuals belong. Our bodies are not our own, but, the Temple of the Holy Spirit bought with the Blood of Christ.
However, even smaller groups are still groups. The most important being the intact family unit of Mother, Father and Children. You do not or are not supposed to abandon your Family you are to honor and assist when necessary your parents. The only time you have a reason to distance yourself from your family is if they will not accept you being saved or abuse.
When you distance yourself from your Family then you still search for group belonging except this time it comes from your local Church community. It comes from Christian's being together for each other as a Church Family. If said person is a non believer and unsaved that group will often be ones peers and friends.
When you leave your home which itself is a voluntary collective group unit you enter the broader community called society. That does not mean that believers give up the truth of being in the world not of it. Everytime you go outside your family to trade with others in the market you are interacting with one member of a bigger collective group called a specific Company or other entrepreneurs vision of cooperation.
Every Hospital, roads, Firefight departments, police departments and the entire civil society are representing different collective entities that people voluntarily form due to the nature of our creation. It is built into our human nature from God himself to look for group cohesion and to come together into our own communities. Civil society requires collective actions.
Notice I did not say Big Government nationalized actions. Collective belonging exists in us even outside of governmental collective economic systems. More than that pushing an atomistic rugged individualism makes a truly free and virtuous society not possible. If you do not support bigger government over spending you need to be against free institutions that are no more than selfish and greed is good.
Mutual aid societies which are collective pooling of resources for the sharing amongst those that need assistance are collectivist by their very nature. The biggest assistance for those in need should come from the pockets of fellow members of The Body of Christ in the Churches.
Having NGO based regulatory agencies for actors on a free(d) market are collaborative and collectivist in nature. Where deregulation from Government is proper non-government collectivist and when needed non-profit oversight is used to watch over individual actors in society. Society is more than just atomistic individuals or faceless, nameless and needless consumers.
A world with smaller and smarter government as championed by the conservative right still needs lots of different forms of non-governmental oversight by those groups that will watch the markets actors to make sure they do not get out of control. As well in certain particular sectors and areas, yes Government oversight. (Sorry Utopian Randians and Libertarians.)
If something is to be deregulated and privatized it must have non-government oversight from somewhere. We cannot just have a hyper individualized free for all. Underwriters Laboratory's for example watches out to make sure electronics are safe from a non-government third party regulatory body that collectively looks after electrical elements globally. It is both not government and a regulatory agency at the same time.
There has to be external controls on actors even if that is not the government itself, but, a group outsourced in a sense to do the job privatized. Nor does deregulation equal the Libertarian and atomistic individualist dream of no regulations at all. One can cut the red tape and balance the budgets of future governments without removing the Safety Net for those in need that are unable to find mutual aid within the nonprofit non-government sphere of civil society.
We can argue amongst ourselves the best and most effective means of using our taxes where they matter most along with freeing up the economy. Deregulation not complete Laissez-faire. Privatizing what can be done by nonprofit groups or for profit organizations better and keeping what must be done by government under the government. Cutting taxes wherever and whenever possible, but, taking into consideration the need to finance those government institutions required for ordered and virtuous liberty.
Conservatives; even the most budget hawks are not winner takes all defenders of totally unfettered and unregulated markets. Free(d) market Capitalism is not and cannot be Anarchic free for all Anarcho-Capitalism where anything goes and no regulations or rules exist. However, that is exactly what an imbalanced view of individualism vs collective action gives you by default.
As pointed out by the previous article from gotquestions on individualism vs collectivism in the Word of God we are both of individual human worth (the foundation of individuals human value as Gods creation made in his image and likeness) and belong to a myriad of groups that take collective action when nessecary. The Holy Bible does not in anyway support rugged I am only in this for myself individualism mentality.
Well we must always fight against the collective tyrannies of facism, Marxism, Communism, and, yes true and Pure Socalism. However, that does not mean that the answer is Randian Objectivism or Rothbardian Libertarianism. Nor pure Misien Praxology. The answer must include some place for government for we are told in Gods own words he setup governments to be obeyed as a means of dealing with the sin filled post fall world. To keep the peace and protect ordered Liberty for his creation.
The answer to big government, inefficiency and deficits going off the rails is not Laissez-faire unfettered Capitalism. It is smaller, smarter and efficient government that takes on no more burdens than absolutely needed to keep ordered liberty and social cohesion. This includes giving as much economic choice and freedom compatible with maintaining people are kept from undue externalities.
Which requires that the Randianism and Libertarianism come to grasp with the fact that individualism is not some God replacement. That collective solutions are sometimes needed and collecting into groups is not evil it is an intricate part of maintaining an ordered liberty. A truly possible liberty that can be conserved and passed down to future generations.
Caring about future generations and a cohesive society/Nation provides the very civil society and mutual aid NGOs that can be used as a first line of assistance prior to turning to government assistance. As well as provides the only truly possible framework to maintain a free and virtuous society.
Rugged atomistic selfish individualism is an idol a false God that The Right needs to not succumb to. It is anti-biblical and foundationally anti-conservative at its core. It is self autonomous rebellion against the very existence of rules or commandments to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.
