and the concept of individuation a little bit too, doncha think? I don't think the idea was totally foreign, but it could not be experienced in its utter complexity until you start having highly complex societies, divisions of labor, and, thus, extremely individuated lives. i've always found it interesting that individuation was something that a sociologist of the 50s immediately taught as part of the whole structural-functionalist package. when that approach fell under attack, the concept of individuation was discredited along with it. but it's still very useful, methinks. just as central to understanding what as going on as to understanding that it's _individualism_ that's new, not the individual, choice or responsibility.
that, by the way -- that entire story -- formed the basis of a highly engaging, grand historical overview of the individual and individualism from the greeks until the 20th century. it was the second unit in a course my german trained mentor always included in his introductory sociology class -- typically taught the old school german way where the hardest course is intro.
shag