Towards a good society

Individualism and collectivism are not incompatible, mutually exclusive views; they are simply different ways of looking at social issues. They coexist, because people in society are at one and the same time both individuals and members of groups. In epistemological terms, people might act individually at some points, and at others they act in a group role. There are times when only an individual or collective perspective will explain what is happening, but there are others where there is a choice to be made. In moral terms, too, individualist and collectivist accounts both have to be taken into account. Individual responsibility does not excuse collective groups from moral judgment, any more than collective action exempts the individuals who participate in it. The idea of ‘dualism’ has mainly been used to describe the epistemology, but I think it can be extended to cover the moral issues, too. Moral individualism is important as a protection for the position of individuals in relation to groups; at the same time, moral collectivism is important for understanding group responsibility.

The arguments that I have made in this book are compatible with a wide range of approaches to policy. That is only to be expected; much of the political mainstream, including conservatism, socialism and social democracy, is built on principles that recognise the force of individualist, collectivist and social perspectives at the same time. In my previous work on individualism, I pointed to three very broad areas of activity legitimately implied by an emphasis on individuals: rights, basic security and empowerment. In the discussion of collectivism, I have pointed to the importance of political participation, solidarity and social inclusion. These are different agendas, but they have a substantial overlap, and even in areas where they are distinct – the individualist emphasis on basic security, or the collectivist emphasis on inclusion – they can be seen as mutually reinforcing rather than as contradictory.

It is possible to construct the issues negatively – to use both individualism and collectivism as implying a critique of the other dimension – but it may be more helpful to look at the ways they can strengthen each other. In the first place, there are areas which seem to be substantially different. Issues like basic security, dignity and respect for persons belong primarily in the field of individualism – a belief that each and every person is valuable in their own right.