The Trend toward Individualism Analytical Essay by Nicky

A philosophical look at the individual in Western culture.
# 146167 | 1,788 words | 6 sources | MLA | 2010 | US
Published on Dec 19, 2010 in Philosophy (Religion) , History (European - 19th century) , Philosophy (History - 19th Century)


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Description:

This paper traces the rise in the acknowledgment and importance of the individual in Western society, with an emphasis on the Age of Enlightenment. In particular, it notes the shift from religion to science during this time. Also considered are the political trends which included several European revolutions. Philosophies of various great thinkers of this time period are also analyzed and seen as contributing the new focus on the individual. The paper also addresses the impact of the burgeoning Industrial Revolution on the philosophical outlooks of the day. The paper concludes by examining the continuing impact of the Industrial Revolution on our lives today.

From the Paper:

"The eighteenth-century's view of the individual was not a permanent thing, however. Great changes in the way people lived continued to occur as scientific, technological, and societal advances were made, and the idea of the individual was one of the most changeable concepts during the next century. Through such subtle things as changes in political philosophies and shifts in religious dogma, and through such major world events as the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon, and the later Industrial Revolution, the idea of the individual changed from the Enlightenment ideal to a less self-sufficient and even less individual concept."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Bonaparte, Napoleon. "A Citizen Devoted to the Republic" in Aspects of Western Civilizations: Problems and Sources in History, Volume 2, 6th Edition, Perry M. Rogers, ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 2008.
  • Burke, Edmund. "Reflections on the Revolution" in Aspects of Western Civilizations: Problems and Sources in History, Volume 2, 6th Edition, Perry M. Rogers, ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 2008.
  • Montesquieu, Charles Secondat, Baron de. Persian Letters. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
  • Owen, Robert. "Utopina Socialism" in in Aspects of Western Civilizations: Problems and Sources in History, Volume 2, 6th Edition, Perry M. Rogers, ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 2008.
  • Ure, Andrew. "A Defense of the Factory system" in Aspects of Western Civilizations: Problems and Sources in History, Volume 2, 6th Edition, Perry M. Rogers, ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 2008.

Cite this Analytical Essay:

APA Format

The Trend toward Individualism (2010, December 19) Retrieved September 29, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-trend-toward-individualism-146167/

MLA Format

"The Trend toward Individualism" 19 December 2010. Web. 29 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-trend-toward-individualism-146167/>

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