Individualism, Slavery, and the Right Side of History
Understanding the Philosophies of Abolitionists and Their Opponents.
Individualism, as a means to analyze and operate in the world, is likely the most misunderstood concept in popular political discourse. Descriptions of it from its detractors are rarely articulated as anything outside of being selfish. In truth it is primarily focused on a proper analysis of society through understanding the details of individual incentives and actions, and not a call for individuals to shun any collective action. And to be fair, most people are not very interested in philosophical discussion regardless of how deeply important those ideas are in shaping our culture. Most of us are much more interested in what we would call practical ideas that apply to whatever it is we are concerned with that day. And fair enough. The construction of society is not a topic for everyone.
But for those who are sticking around, using a practical application of those arguments can help communicate how important they are in creating our societies. And for…
