What Is True Individualism and False One, According to Hayek - Essay Example

The process of decision-making must be such that it follows a universal rationality approach. Systemic rationality refers to the occurrences of the majority as defined by traditions, fiscal prices, communal norms, and customs, all of which cause free men to develop things that are superior to their understanding (Hayek 7-8). The implication is that true individualism values ordinary efforts by community or group, and family.

Conversely, Hayek (22) the understanding of individuals is done best by separating them from the shared processes since society and the individuals exist autonomously of each other. According to Hayek, the assumption is that individuals are strictly rational (10), and to participate in social processes, individuals are expected to readily and willingly adjust to alterations and remain submissive to standards that are beyond knowledgeable design (22). Additionally, false individualism disregards collaboration and the joint efforts of small groups to acknowledge coercive rules forced by states as responsible for establishing social ties. In this case, the state liberates individuals from forceful powers imposed on them by small groups. Rene Descartes and John Stuart Mill among others expressed this view.

Hayek, however, warns that the individual has to be free for society to be greater than the individual, but provided the man is controlled and directed, the individual is greater than the society (Hayek 31-32). Read More