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INDIVIDUALISM: GENUINE AND FAKE

Friedrich August von Hayek

Abstract

The fundamental attitude of genuine individualism is humility towards the process by which humankind has achieved things not designed or comprehended by a single individual and which go beyond individual acumen. It remains to be seen whether human intelligence is to be allowed to grow as part of these processes or human reason is to confine itself with the chains of its own design. Individualism teaches us that the society is bigger than the individual only when free. When controlled or directed, it is limited to the powers of individual brains that control or direct it. If the presumptuousness of modern spirit that dismisses everything not consciously controlled by the individual mind is not checked in time, Edmund Burke cautions us that we may “be sure everything around us is to gradually disappear, until our interests eventually shrink to the dimensions of our brains.”

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

24992

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/24992

Publication date:

10.3.2001.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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