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Title: Individualism
Author: Raoul Odin
Date: 1934
Language: en
Topics: Anarchist Encyclopedia, individualism, individualist
Source: Retrieved on November 15, 2011 from http://marxists.org/reference/archive/faure/1934/encyclopedia.htm

Raoul Odin

Individualism

Individualism: Along with their partisanship and insufficiencies, I love

the very stupidities of dictionaries. So I went through the small and

great Larousse dictionaries looking for the definition of the word

individualism. In both dictionaries I found this by the same author:

System of isolation of individuals in society. But in the great Larousse

the author specifies: ENCYCLOPEDIA. SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY. Subordinating the

good of others to one’s own good, living as much as possible for oneself

is to be an individualist. He adds a few superficial notes in order to

show that he has read Spencer and Nietzsche.

In the first place, all of this proves that it is permitted to certain

men to teach the French language, something they’re in ignorance of,

since this (anonymous) author doesn’t know that there are no synonyms,

which leads him to give the word individualism the definition that

applies to a certain egoism, this word being taken in its strictest,

most unfavorable, pejorative sense.

This proves that certain men are capable of reading philosophical works

without understanding them...unless we are dealing here with bad faith.

Anything is possible. In any event, bad faith is nothing but a

consequence of stupidity.

Like the word anarchy, the word individualism is a victim. Scribbling

watch dogs malevolently use the one for the other the words egoism and

individualism, and only give of individualism a skimpy, restrictive and

petty conception.

We will here attempt to restore to the word its true meaning.

When the meaning of words isn’t vitiated, individualism is a system that

has the individual as base, as subject or as object. Listen to the

individualists and you will see that the three aspects of this

definition are good. Individualism is thus a system based on the

individual, which has the individual as end and the individual as agent.

Let us put that phrase in the plural and think it through. We want

humanity’s happiness. But humanity is not a real entity, only the

individuals who make it up are real entities. Thus, when I say I want

humanity’s happiness I am implicitly saying: I want happiness for

individuals. The individual is thus my object. I say individual, I don’t

say me.

It could perhaps be opposed to this that looked at in this way all

systems are individualist. This would be true if individualism were

nothing but that. But in individualism the individual is not only the

object, he is also the subject. But before dealing with the individual

subject, let us finish with the individual as object.

I believe that everything having to do with the crowd is ephemeral,

superficial, illusory and vain. If I were a talented orator it would be

easy for me to have a crowd of three thousand people adopt my ably

presented opinion. These three thousand people would applaud me “like

one man.”

At that moment it is possible to have this crowd commit enormous acts,

either heroic or odious. But I would have done nothing that was lasting,

because once the enthusiasm had passed and the crowd dispersed, the

individuals regain control of themselves or are once again taken over by

their cowardice. Thus, if I want to do something lasting I must aim, not

at the crowd but among these three thousand beings, at the few humans

capable of becoming individuals. Individualism thus applies itself to

seeking out, discovering, perfecting individuals.

Let us pass now to the individual agent or subject. It’s hardly

necessary to say after what has preceded, that it is not crowds, or

societies, but individuals who, each one working with the consciousness

of his means and responsibilities, aim not at the entire society but at

individuals for the realization of the greatest sum of happiness and the

greatest sum of means.

It can be seen that the final goal is the happiness of all through the

happiness of each.