On Tue, 24 Oct 2000, Gordon Fitch wrote:
> Actually, among human beings and, I think, most primates,
> individuality and community are interdependent; one might
> even say two facets of the same organization of life. The
> consciousness and self-consciousness of the individual are
> supported by a complex web of social relationships in which
> each individual is a unique and valued member. To the extent
> that one deprives individuals of their individuality one
> amputates their ability to form communities.
I guess we're working from different definitions of the term "individual". Yes, I agree, the individual exists in the sense of the self-aware person. But when I speak of the need for the "individual" in our society, I mean precisely the person who expresses their unique individuality via consumption and participation in bureaucratic organizations.
Is there some true, pure form of individuality behind the simulacrum you complain about? Will the person, liberated from these false forms of individuality, value autonomy and uniqueness?
Cultural research suggests not. It's a bit overwrought, but human societies vary on a continuum of individualist-- collectivist. The value placed on the unique individual is a cultural component of certain human societies, not all human societies. In collectivist societies, the person is primarily valued as a member of a group/community, not as a unique individual. So it is quite possible for humans to form communities without the glorification of the unique individual.
Miles