Western Individualism

Non-fiction (Liberalism, Business Ethics)

A book in the collection: The West

A book in the series: Individualism

Individualism is not individuality. Individualism is our new, uniquely Western insistence that people are single, solitary selves: I am just I, you are just you, and he or she is just he or she. Individuality is different tastes, opinions, and so forth we traditionally cherished. Paradoxically, we’ve become much alike.

The author’s experiences through his corporate legal career demonstrate that the only sustainable basis for morality between people has proven to be tribalism of some form, inspiring us to a common good. People in big corporations are like people outside, but with our characters most obvious in tightly confined spaces.

Without tribalism, ethics are just marketing. We might treat our friends and family well, but not people whose paths we cross. If tribalism leaves people without empathy for people of other tribes, then Western individualism produces people without empathy for anyone.

Contents

Preface

Chapters:

  1. Individualism without Individuality
  2. New Soviet Man
  3. New Western Person
  4. The Corporation as Fiefdoms
  5. The Corporation as a Tribe
  6. Commercial Aristocracy
  7. The Rule of Rights
  8. The Rule of Ethics
  9. Subordinated Families
  10. The Right to Stupidity
  11. The Right to Lie
  12. The Right to Suppress the Truth
  13. The Corporation as a Killing Field
  14. The Corporation as Individual Interests
  15. Our Need to Consume
  16. Work without Production
  17. Work as Ego
  18. The Corporation as a Gaol
  19. Economics without End
  20. The Rights of Others
  21. Individualism with a Human Face
  22. The End of Ideology

Bibliography