Individualism Essay, Research Paper

The Chains of SocietyIndividualism, or the belief that an individual should possess the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence, has forever been looked upon as a positive quality by any society. In every society however, every man that is completely a part of society has undoubtedly been corrupted by that society. Similar to the beliefs of Swiss-French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, every man is essential good in nature but it is society that corrupts him. With components of a society being property, agriculture, science, and commerce, the individual s good nature is abandoned with the confinements that society imposes. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, author Mark Twain suggests that the uncivilized way of life away from society is better, and implies that society is what corrupts rather than improves human beings. First seen in the early chapters where Miss Watson and Widow Douglas impose certain limitations on Huck. For instance, the two women attempt to civilize Huck, a young boy who is brought up with no rules, by forcing him to learn the Bible, wear new clothes, give up smoking, and stick to a regimented schedule. Huck obviously is extremely unhappy with these new constraints and resists by running away where he lives life on a day to day basis, not knowing where his next meal and adventure will be. Evidently, Huck enjoys this way of life far better than those with limitations.

For an individual to wholly become a part of society, he must welcome in the virtues, practices, and beliefs that it comes with. Society is a group of human beings broadly distinguished from other groups by mutual interests, participation in characteristic relationships, shared institutions, and a common culture. Thus, in order for a person to completely be a part of a society, he must share their institutions and culture. In any case, this is not the man s natural state and therefore, the individual is corrupted by society. Society is surrounded with greed, restrictions, and impositions. To completely be a part of society, one must adapt these virtues and be confined, taken out of his natural state. Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said “Man is born free but everywhere is in chains.” Every man is born in his natural state but by becoming a complete member of society will indubitably corrupt him.