Staresina 1

Christian Staresina
Mr. David Turley
English I Honors
23 May 2016
The Individual is More Important than the Society
Are humans granted natural and civil rights in which they can choose and do whatever they
want with their own lives? Or, do they have no rights, and their lives do not truly belong to
them? Instead, they must sacrifice their values and goals for the greater good of a society so
that their lives only hold value as long as they contribute to everyone else (Biddle, Craig). This
first idea is called individualism. The second is called collectivism, which is when a persons
life belongs not to himself or herself, but to their society. The most important part of the human
race is the individual and not the society.
In the case of individualism, natural rights and civil rights are crucial to human life. Natural
rights are defined as God-given rights because they are unalienable (Lafage, Alyssa), like those
famously listed in the Declaration of Independence (sec.2, cl.1)Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness, which are ones that cannot be taken away or denied. Civil rights are legal rights
given by a political system and usually refer to the rights of individuals to receive equal
treatment and to be free from discrimination regardless of race, gender, age, disability,
nationality, religion, or another characteristic. In 2005, Mark Levin said that We, as human
beings, have a right to live, live freely, and pursue that which motivates us not because man or
some government says so, but because these are God-given natural rights. This quote shows
how the American Dream is based on individualism because it is about people going after their
own personal dreams. Another example of Mark Levins quote is in the book, A Raisin in the

Staresina 2
Sun, in which a black family chooses to move into a white neighborhood, even though they are
advised not to. Their decision works out well because they end up living happily (Hansberry,
Lorraine). Natural and civil rights give the individual freedom to seek personal success, which
contributes positively to all of society.
The idea of collectivism is defined as the practice or principle of giving a group priority over
each individual within it. Those who believe in collectivism think that society should come
before the individual. An example of this type of society is the country of China, which
emphasizes the needs and goals of society as a whole before those of individual citizens. To
accomplish collectivism in Chinas culture, social rules focus on promoting selflessness and
putting community needs above individual ones. It is essential for people to build relationships
and to work together to ensure the best for society. People in China, as well as in other such
societies, are considered good if they are generous and attentive to the needs of others (Cherry,
Kendra). This is opposite to individualistic cultures, like that in America, which more promotes
assertiveness and independence. Another example of a collectivist society is shown in the book
Animal Farm. When Napoleon became the farms new leader, he made all of the other animals
work for him and the farm and not for themselves, unlike their original leader, Old Major. They
were forced to do what was best for the entire farm and not for themselves individually (Orwell,
George).
Many people believe that it is ideal for society to have people working together to reach
common goals by giving up personal gain for the good of the overall benefit to society. However,
it is actually far better to allow individuals to excel, raising the level of their societys success. In
collectivist systems, people sacrifice personal promotion and do not reach their full potential,
which makes the overall gain less than what it could be. An excellent society cannot be made

Staresina 3
without the best possible individuals first because they are the building blocks of the entire
system. America, for example, in just a couple of hundred years, grew to be the strongest and
most prosperous country in the world due to its individualist model that raised up inventors,
entrepreneurs, and other individuals whose ideas and creations lead the country to rise above the
rest economically.
The most important part of the human race is the individual, not the society. When people
have the right to live freely and to pursue their own dreams, they rise to high levels, thus raising
the level of their society. This also makes people much happier when they can work for
themselves and achieve their own personal goals. By the way, the greatest country in the world
was based on individualism. Now what do you think is more important, the individual or
society?

Works Cited
Biddle, Craig. "Individualism vs. Collectivism: Our Future, Our Choice." The Objective
Standard. The Objective Standard, n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.

Staresina 4
<https://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2012-spring/individualism-collectivism/>.
Cherry, Kendra. "What Are Collectivist Cultures?" Verywell. N.p., 13 Feb. 2016. Web. 23 May
2016. <https://www.verywell.com/what-are-collectivistic-cultures-2794962>.
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun: Lorraine Hansberry. New York: Spark Pub., 2002.
Print.
Lafage, Alyssa. "Individualism Vs. Collectivism In America." Convictions of Faith. N.p., 26
Dec. 2013. Web. 17 May 2016.
<http://convictionsoffaith.com/2013/2012/05/14/individualism-vs-collectivism-in-ameri
a>.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. N.p.: Signet Classics, 1996. Print.