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Individualism: A Reader
Individualism is one of the most criticized and least understood ideas in social and political thought. Is Individualism the ability ot act independently amidst a web of social forces? A vital element of personal liberty and a shield against conformity? Does it lead to or away from unifying individuals with communities? A Reader provides a wealth of illuminating essays from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. In 26 selections from 25 writers, individualism is explained and defended, often from unusual perspectives. This anthology includes not only selections from well-known writers, but also many lesser-known pieces—reprinted here for the first time—by philosophers, social theorists, and economists who have been overlooked in standard accounts of individualism. Both richly historical and sharply contemporary, A Reader provides a multitude of perspectives and insights on personal liberty and the history of freedom.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
20 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
George H. Smith
112 books63 followersGeorge Hamilton Smith was an American author, editor, educator, and speaker, known for his writings on atheism and libertarianism.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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October 21, 2022Fascinating collection of authors.
The introduction by George Smith goes from easy and compelling to difficult and complex.
I was struck by how late in intellectual history the concept of individualism started.
The introduction by George Smith goes from easy and compelling to difficult and complex.
I was struck by how late in intellectual history the concept of individualism started.
February 23, 2019
George H. Smith provided a collection of work focusing on "atheist individualism". I enjoyed the read overall, the obscure articles were interesting. However, I believe these articles were more focused on atheism in comparison to liberty.
The highlights were:
-"What is an American?" by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur.
-From Voluntary Socialism by Francis Dashwood Tandy.
-From True Civilization by Josiah Warren.
-From the Voluntaryist Creed by Auberon Herbert.
-From Individuality by Robert G. Ingersoll.
The highlights were:
-"What is an American?" by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur.
-From Voluntary Socialism by Francis Dashwood Tandy.
-From True Civilization by Josiah Warren.
-From the Voluntaryist Creed by Auberon Herbert.
-From Individuality by Robert G. Ingersoll.
November 18, 2017
This book is a gem. Here's my complete review. http://jollylibertarian.blogspot.ca/2...
June 21, 2015
A nice collection of readings defending a much-maligned value. The selections are thoughtful and wide-ranging. Smith sets out to offer an overview of the prevailing arguments against individualism in the introduction, doing such a fine job that one might very well leave the introduction unsure of one's commitment to individualism. The writings of folks like Mill, Wilde, and Ingersoll help settle the issue. My only real criticisms: the section on economic individualism struck me as fairly weak - I wasn't crazy about the interview format - and short introductions to each section would have helped the explain what was meant by the various types of individualisms. Those issues aside, the strength of this reader leaves me excited about future entries into the series.
May 25, 2023
The problem with libertarianism is simply that it thinks it has all the answers to all the social, economic, and political problems. It believes that the state and/or the government is the enemy. Socialism, libertarianism's opposite, believes that the government is there to solve all of these problems. These are the two polar ends on a continuum. Give me balance, taking from each side the best and the most workable solutions! I need freedom from these extremists.
August 14, 2021
An anthology of essays in defence of individualism, this collection include writings from the best and worst elements of the individualist perspective.
The best essays articulate and defend the seminal importance of freedom of speech, freedom to dissent, the association of property rights and personal liberty, and empowerment of the person.
A favourite quote: “Surely every human being ought to attain to the dignity of the unit. Surely it is worth something to be one, and to feel that the census of the universe would be incomplete without counting you.“
The best essays articulate and defend the seminal importance of freedom of speech, freedom to dissent, the association of property rights and personal liberty, and empowerment of the person.
A favourite quote: “Surely every human being ought to attain to the dignity of the unit. Surely it is worth something to be one, and to feel that the census of the universe would be incomplete without counting you.“
September 3, 2018
A very interesting collection of various essays on the subject. Certain viewpoints are definitely dated but some are still very relevant. The introduction brings to the fore the opinions against. The the slant is in favor of individualism it manages a fairly unbiased outlook as all content are direct excerpts from the selected authors. An interesting look at the history of the subject though perhaps it would have benefited from a modern viewpoint as well.
March 28, 2016
The editors get an A+ for digging up obscure and little known readings, but a C- for finding ones that might engage a 21st century audience.
October 12, 2018
Great anthology of individualist excerpts dating all the way back to Saint Augustine. Some chapters are difficult for a modern reader to get through. Tried my best!
August 26, 2023
A bloke came up to me on the tube while I was reading this and asked to take a picture of the cover - he wanted to know more about individualism. Was it any good?
What I said: 'Eh, it's alright.'
What I wanted to say: 'How much time have you got?'
It's nice to hear from the other side for a change. There's a lot of (fairly reasonable) criticism of individualism. I happen to quite like it, despite potential to spiral into social atomisation and so on.
My primary concern with it is that it feels disingenuous in how it's framing its argument. I don't think it's intentional, and I suppose you only have to look at those giant Norton anthologies of English Literature to find stacks of excerpts from essays and books and poems around a vague theme of X, Y, Z. Nonetheless, the excerpts this tends to go with are so small and generally seem like a tangentially supplement to another main argument, that you very quickly get the idea that there really aren't many people who aren't raving libertarian lunatics who are in vocal support of individualism, despite it being the dominant social 'mode' in the western world in the 21st century - which is a shame, because it could do with more consideration from the supportive side.
It's not like this is a large book by any means, either. They weren't strapped for space, so I'm curious as to why they felt to need to pull 2-300 words at a time out of almost random essays and insert them into this reader. There's an impression that we're really not getting the full context.
Compare this to the #Accelerate reader published by Urbanomic back in 2014, which has a tonne of essays in full, trying to outline the weird history of this odd, fairly nebulous idea. What, I have to wonder, was going on with 'Individualism: A Reader' that we only really got a few very specific paragraphs at a time.
Towards the end of the book there's a comically inane interview courtesy of Henry Wilson that is, aside from a couple of at-a-glance reasonable assertions, just a 10-page strawman.
I suppose it depends on where you fall on the question of how honest a person is being with the context of an essay if they isolate one small chunk of the essay, potentially decontextualised from the rest. Is this just an exercise in stapling respected names onto some decontextualised pro-individualism sentiment for the purpose of clout? Could you use this book to build a reasonable argument? To some extent, I remain sceptical.
The book is connected to libertarian.org, who I have zero experience with, so if that connection has any implications for anybody, then more power to you.
What I said: 'Eh, it's alright.'
What I wanted to say: 'How much time have you got?'
It's nice to hear from the other side for a change. There's a lot of (fairly reasonable) criticism of individualism. I happen to quite like it, despite potential to spiral into social atomisation and so on.
My primary concern with it is that it feels disingenuous in how it's framing its argument. I don't think it's intentional, and I suppose you only have to look at those giant Norton anthologies of English Literature to find stacks of excerpts from essays and books and poems around a vague theme of X, Y, Z. Nonetheless, the excerpts this tends to go with are so small and generally seem like a tangentially supplement to another main argument, that you very quickly get the idea that there really aren't many people who aren't raving libertarian lunatics who are in vocal support of individualism, despite it being the dominant social 'mode' in the western world in the 21st century - which is a shame, because it could do with more consideration from the supportive side.
It's not like this is a large book by any means, either. They weren't strapped for space, so I'm curious as to why they felt to need to pull 2-300 words at a time out of almost random essays and insert them into this reader. There's an impression that we're really not getting the full context.
Compare this to the #Accelerate reader published by Urbanomic back in 2014, which has a tonne of essays in full, trying to outline the weird history of this odd, fairly nebulous idea. What, I have to wonder, was going on with 'Individualism: A Reader' that we only really got a few very specific paragraphs at a time.
Towards the end of the book there's a comically inane interview courtesy of Henry Wilson that is, aside from a couple of at-a-glance reasonable assertions, just a 10-page strawman.
I suppose it depends on where you fall on the question of how honest a person is being with the context of an essay if they isolate one small chunk of the essay, potentially decontextualised from the rest. Is this just an exercise in stapling respected names onto some decontextualised pro-individualism sentiment for the purpose of clout? Could you use this book to build a reasonable argument? To some extent, I remain sceptical.
The book is connected to libertarian.org, who I have zero experience with, so if that connection has any implications for anybody, then more power to you.
wish-to-read
September 20, 2020"What is Individualism?
Individualism is one of the most criticized and least understood ideas in social and political thought. Both richly historical and sharply contemporary, "Individualism: A Reader" provides a multitude of perspectives and insights on personal liberty and the history of freedom“ examining individualism overall, along with social, moral, political, religious, and economic individualism. Its wealth of essays from the 17th to the early 20th century includes 26 selections from 25 authors with works from well-known writers along with many lesser-known pieces reprinted here for the first time by respected philosophers, social theorists, and economists."
Individualism is one of the most criticized and least understood ideas in social and political thought. Both richly historical and sharply contemporary, "Individualism: A Reader" provides a multitude of perspectives and insights on personal liberty and the history of freedom“ examining individualism overall, along with social, moral, political, religious, and economic individualism. Its wealth of essays from the 17th to the early 20th century includes 26 selections from 25 authors with works from well-known writers along with many lesser-known pieces reprinted here for the first time by respected philosophers, social theorists, and economists."
June 8, 2025
Brilliant selection of authors and essays. Every piece portrays individualism from different point and gives a lot of space to think and contemplate.
August 1, 2018
Took me few days to read. Well, its not a revelation and not a discovery but interesting views from different thinkers about individualism and if u consider yourself individualist its a must to read :) if not, dont bother :)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews