Unit 2 Individualism Research Paper

Sharla D. Walker

Professor Frye

English

28 September 2014

Unit 1 - Essay

Do individuals have the inherent right to disobey what they see as unjust laws? What would be consequences of this? Is there any reasonable basis for concluding that this behavior would be justified in a society or community? Philosophical questions such as these have been pondered for centuries and will never be antiquated. Interpreting what an individuals’ personal internal locus of control is guiding, urging them to believe and what is true or just is in our nature just as the desire to evaluate and determine the validity of the government’s actions is a fundamental right.

The problem that arises in the quest for determining these limitations only leads to additional

(TAKEN FROM PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED ASSIGNMENT – WEEK TWO, PT 2 – SDW) The integrity, morality and principles of a human may provide support to justify an individuals’ radical view on individualism. Individualism is defined as “1. the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant; and, 2. a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.” (Google Define) Thoreau defines human conscience, as influenced by Immanuel Kant, as “human beings possess an “innate moral sense” that precedes culture and experience.” (225) I would agree with Thoreau in that each of us has an instinctive internal indicator that guides us through life’s challenges and questions our, as a nations, lost integrity. He provides a vivid example of mute soldiers under the control of the government with a negative connotation; he writes, “undue respect for law is that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, and all marching in admirable order over a hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed and produces a palpitation of the heart.” So why would anyone zombie walk into an atmosphere of unreasonable chaos? Are we all like ‘machines’ with no individual voice? Thoreau is

These principles may be grandiose concepts; however, without reaching for a higher level of individual accountability, we would all become comfortable just as we are. Striving to become a better person, is why we do what we do; to have meaning in our lives, for our families, for our legacy. It is these higher expectations, these rays of inspiration that embody particular individuals in a position of respect (and yes, power) that encourage us to strive for better personal traits. Great leaders, such as Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, and Martin Luther King Jr, were inspired by Gandhi’s exuberant standards. Even King was known to carry a piece of paper in his wallet that said, “Gandhi speaks for us,” as a reminder about the man he was trying to be/become. It begins with one. It begins with