6/6 AP English Language Argument Essay: Individualism

The Prompt

The Essay

Throughout the history of the human race, individualism has played an important role in the direction that societies and populations take. The ability to think and act independently has empowered people to challenge the status quo and spur the evolution of humans and societies. Yet when it becomes extreme, it can often cause more harm than benefit. Individualism has forever been essential to society because it drives innovation and evolves moral justice, yet it must be balanced with empathy and responsibility to ensure collective progress. Individualism is vital in modern society because it drives progress by empowering people to challenge injustice and pursue innovation. Throughout history individualism has been central to many necessary and significant moral changes, especially in America. For example, the Civil Rights movement that struck down discrimination in the 1960s, required individualism. It needed the will of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to speak up against societal norms, and also the broader ability of those against it to separate themselves from society. They did this through boycotts, a physical manifestation of individualism, not buckling to societal expectations and mechanisms, instead acting based on your own conscience. Everyone in that movement embodied individualism in their actions to follow their own conscience to promote moral justice rather than succumbing to the immoral societal restrictions and policy at the time. Without that individualism, a passive movement with peaceful negotiation rather than a more drastic separation from society’s constraints wouldn’t have had nearly as much impact, or brought about the same extent of change. The 1960s civil rights movement is an important example of how individualism can improve society by empowering people to bring about moral justice. In addition to being central to fighting against injustice, individualism is key to scientific progress and innovation. Broadly, many central scientific truths that surround us today were once assumed to be false. Notably, for millenniamillenia people assumed the Earth was at the center of the universe, and everything revolved around us. Yet scientific pioneers in the Middle Ages such as Galileo, used their individualism through their ability to think according to their own scientific observations rather than conforming to societal beliefs, to challenge these claims. Galileo claimed that we revolved around the Sun, a claim that angered many, and even placed him in prison at one point. However, due to his relentless individualism and unwithering commitment to his own beliefs and resistance to societal expectations, eventually his claims were accepted as truths, and now as we know today, almost everyone is aware of the reality of the solar system. It’s one of many examples of how breaking from societal norms is often key to scientific progress, and questioning these societal expectations using your own individual ability to think and act is an important part of progress for humans. The examples of Galileo and MLK Jr. altogether show how the ability to think for oneself and support one’s beliefs through individualism to fight back against societal expectations has proven time and time again to be necessary to societal progress. However, individualism when separated from social responsibility can often fracture unity in communities, and cause harm for others. Broadly, the selfish use of individualism is one that hurts more than it helps others. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many refused to meet public health standards because they felt it violated their personal freedoms and human rights. People refused to wear masks, get vaccinated, abide by quarantine regulations, and more, showcasing their own ability to think, act, and live, according to their own beliefs, that they didn’t need to follow these standards. This is an example of how selfish individualism can harm others. These decisions led to a less inhibited spread of the disease, and made it rampant in many communities, due to one person’s selfish actions. Some would argue that this is a reason for why it is important to primarily think about your role and obligations within society, rather than focusing on your own conscience and inclinations. However, in reality, the use of individualism to protect one’s freedoms and challenge regulations is often very important, and while some might misuse that for personal gain, it brings greater benefits to society when used correctly collectively. An example of this would be the early days of the American revolution in the late 1760s and early 1770s. It was important for intellectual figures at the time to challenge the unfair rule of the British, and to identify the need to protect their freedoms, and mobilize the colonial population with that individualistic spirit. While indeed it is important that individualism is used through the frame of societal progress, it is incorrect to say that its usage to protect one’s rights is entirely incorrect, it just needs to be with empathetic undertones to ensure it is for the betterment of others in addition to oneself. Although originally some would say the American revolution started as wealthy colonists simply upset to be taxed, that original use of individualism evolved into something broader to protect the rights of all colonists, rich or poor, and fighting against the British rule was necessary for the betterment of that entire population, even if it started as something slightly selfish. In the end, it reiterates how individualism can be used to drive progress in society, as long as it is used for collective good. Altogether, throughout the history of the human race, individualism has been central to innovative and moral progress in all societies. From Galileo in the 1500s, to the recent social justice movements, it has always been essential to our intellectual and social evolution, and a key method of betterment. However, it is always important, as with everything, to remember that it be used unselfishly, and with the goal of a better life for others, not just oneself.

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