"Individual" is a term that I often discuss. "Individualism" is also a principle that I adhere to. Therefore, it is necessary to explore this topic.
Within the Individual#
In "Can Thinking be Rooted?", I have discussed what "defines a person". Social relationships define a person, natural attributes define a person, and I have also left room for a "pure subjectivity", such as the possibility of a soul. Outside of the individual, most things belong to the realm of social relationships, while within the individual, they belong to the realm of natural relationships.
The Individual is the Subject#
"All things are objects, and all people are objects. Only one subject remains, and that is the individual." - "Can Thinking be Rooted?"
Within the individual, the individual is the subject. This is not a hypothesis, it is a fact.
This means that whether it is Satan or Jesus, a son or a father, a master or a rogue, they are all objects to the individual. Of course, the example of Satan and Jesus may not be appropriate, as they may be all-knowing and all-powerful, and they may also be hidden within a person's heart.
If the sense of self is real, even if I fall into the depths of hell, it is my own affair, to be experienced alone. If the sense of self is not real, then there is nothing to worry about falling into hell.
Some people may think that treating everyone as objects is evil. It is not. It is a fact. And once a connection is established between objects and subjects, they are no longer objects, but a part of the subject. This is not imagination. Because all information needs "me" to process it. "I" certainly know that the outside world is objective, but the "you" that I know is not in the objective world, but in "my" mind, and this itself is a very objective thing.
The Sense of Self#
At this level, the distinction between subject and object becomes meaningful. The gap between subject and object will always exist in every intelligent being with self-awareness. This may be the price of intelligence existing independently in the world.
The individual as the subject and the individual as the object are reflected in us during our childhood. I have mentioned many times before that it feels as if I cannot sense the existence of others, and the world consists only of me, with no one else. Everyone is like an actor, playing a role for the subject. And I, like a god, possess great power, because this is my world. I suddenly remembered that I used to easily feel fear when I was a child, which may be related to a strong sense of self. Because the world consists only of me, there is no image in my mind to share the fear. Just like how children like to hold a doll when they sleep. It is just to resist the fear of the night.
Shakespeare once said, "We cry when we are born into this group of ugly people. At that time, we were alone. As more and more peers appear, we think they are the same as us. We begin to think that we can understand each other, play together, and spend a happy and carefree time together. Gradually, our sense of self is suppressed by various social circumstances, and we gain more and more realism.
Money and attractive men and women have become so real that we are completely immersed in the world. We run around for pre-set goals, influenced by various ideologies and isms, and settle into various social roles, reaching a state of bliss. But good times don't last long, after all, humans are a kind of intelligence, and the subjectivity of intelligence determines its loneliness. With the reduction of social relationships and the decrease of desires, the sense of self emerges again...
Belief in various things cannot escape the sense of self. Because in your world, you have been a god, as long as you coordinate the relationship between the objective world and your understanding, you will be crowned again.
The Gap Between Subject and Object#
Within the individual is the subject, but what is outside the individual? What does the individual see when looking outward? What the individual sees when looking outward is still the subject, but a subject that follows certain rules. The gap between subject and object still exists, but we are trying to bridge it. We slowly discover some rules of the objective world and experience the rewards and punishments of the objective world. This gap is also covered by a sense of reality. We have also transformed from subjects into "individuals".
I adhere to objectivism, and it is unnecessary to discuss subjectivity. The reason is that I believe that so-called "subjectivity" follows objective rules.
So how do rules connect the subject and the object, and then bridge the gap between subject and object?
First, the gap between subject and object does exist and cannot be bridged, because the existence of intelligence is to reflect the rules of the objective world, and the degree of intelligence is reflected by the degree of mastery of the rules. If intelligence is to exist, it must separate itself from the material world. In addition, our brains are not connected.
Second, intelligence is built on top of objective rules. The understanding of intelligence is the understanding of objective rules, and rules are the hard currency for individuals to navigate the objective world. By mastering the rules, individuals can smooth out the scars of the gap between subject and object as much as possible.
Imagine, when we are all-knowing and all-powerful, the gap between subject and object loses its meaning, because then you will already know everything. How the brain thinks, the traces of thought, everything is deconstructed. Of course, when you are all-knowing and all-powerful, you also lose the meaning of existence. You are the universe, and the universe is you.
As the saying goes, a bottle that is not full makes a loud noise when shaken. Ignorance is the reason for the existence of intelligence. Wisdom is the sound of that noise.
The Significance of Rules#
I often use the concept of a group, the relationship between individuals and groups. But anything related to a group is not what I want to explore. For example, politics, or some social issues. I have mentioned them before.
Thinking about these social topics is not the goal, it is actually just a means for individuals to explore the world. - "Some People Believe that Christianity is the Foundation of Western Prosperity"
I know that I love to talk about these social topics, but what is the meaning of discussing these issues in itself? These social issues, when viewed over a hundred years or a thousand years, are unquestionable. Or rather, they are something that is as objective as can be. It is not just "If I don't pay attention to politics, politics will pay attention to me", but above politics, there are many other things to do. In other words, humans are political animals, but not just political animals.
The rules are there, and they cannot be fully grasped in a lifetime. Can humanity grasp them all before its extinction? Of course, we must transform the world, but this transformation is based on rules. We can only use rules within the limits allowed by rules, and we can only do what rules can accomplish.
Outside the Individual#
Coming from within the individual, everything is an object. Some questions become self-evident.
Individual and Individual#
You, sometimes you look at me, sometimes you look at the clouds. I feel that when you look at me, you are far away, and when you look at the clouds, you are close. - Gu Cheng, "Far and Near"
Family, friendship, love, all try to break the gap between subject and object and achieve resonance. But there are few filial children, few true friends, and few partners. The reason is that humans are individuals, individuals with a sense of self, and individuals who cannot break the gap between subject and object. What guides individuals are various appearances, and because humans cannot be all-knowing and all-powerful, they cannot understand each other absolutely. As long as the appearances change, emotions can easily change.
Furthermore, human emotions are the emotions of the subject. People always want to regard the objects of their emotions as a part of the subject, but they are objects. Therefore, we are all people with emotions, but only we ourselves know this emotion.
If we want stable relationships, they can be based on stable interests. But this is no longer pure.
Therefore, "together in adversity, better to forget each other in the world". The reasons for all this are that there are two difficult gaps to cross between individuals and individuals. If we want to connect with each other, we can only rely on the bridge of rules. Even the thinnest bridge of rules needs material support. A stable relationship requires the establishment of more bridges of rules, but this stability is not what many people want. What they want is within the individual, and within the individual, there is nothing but the self. This is the heartless person.
Individual and Group#
When we step out of the individual, we enter the realm of social relationships. Emotions are just an episode, and what is more real is social relationships. Compared to the traditional emotional and material ties based on the family unit, individuals now directly establish contracts with society. We do not rely on people with emotions, but establish relationships with the group, in order to survive. Therefore, outside the individual, the group is more important.
The Relationship Between the Individual and the Group#
Since we have come from within the individual and from the emotions between individuals, it is even more impossible to enter into a relationship with the group. Although the group exists, it cannot be felt. Although the group exists, it is manifested through individual actions. Trying to establish an emotional relationship with an abstract group is just wishful thinking. But this wishful thinking is not impossible. Because the desire for a relationship with the group is a mentality that follows rules and desires to bridge the gap between subject and object.
However, this kind of emotion must be treated calmly. We have tasted enough of the whirlpool of collectivism and socialism. We always have an emotion that tries to rely on the group and then gets manipulated by a certain regime, becoming cannon fodder like a consumable.
The Ideal Relationship Between the Individual and the Group#
The opposite of individualism is not collectivism or socialism. Individualism is just a term that I use. Individualism is not directly related to politics, but it is a starting point and habit for me to think about issues.
The ideal relationship between the individual and the group is not the leap to the kingdom of freedom depicted by communism, is it?
Once a person enters a group, it is like a speck of dust captured by a galaxy. In the face of absolute power disparity, it is no longer a mantis trying to stop a chariot, but a tiny grain in the vast ocean. It is because of this that being exploited is the norm and inevitability in a group. - "How Can Humanity Transcend Exploitation"
We must face the weakness of the individual and the fact that the individual is the subject. We must surrender to the group while insisting on the position of the subject.
If you ask me to imagine a way of life, I would definitely create a world where individuals can live independently. Just like in the world of words, I can roam freely alone, and the feeling of being able to do whatever I want without harming others is indescribable, just like the smell of vitality in spring, gentle and comfortable, rotten and full of life... So, returning to reality, this way of life must be aimed at decentralization. The decentralization of social relationships requires the absolute centralization of individuals. For example, one person is a bank, one person is a country, one person is an army, a power plant, a farm, a hospital, a game, a planet, a car... It sounds stupid, but it is a hopeful direction, just like the feeling spring gives me. Like embarking on a journey with a sword, like writing an article that never ends, like going to a personal planet. - "The Best Life is the Ability to Live Alone"
Returning to Individualism#
The world is currently undergoing unprecedented changes. Traditional checks and balances, representative democracy has reached its limit. Any country can find a few constitutional and political science experts to create a cabinet or presidential system. However, institutional innovation is actually a process of trying to stop boiling water with a ladle. The reason why exploitation occurs is the existence of groups. The fundamental solution to all political problems is to return to individualism. This state is like Laozi's desire for a small country with few people. Individualism also pursues the individual, but it is not separate from the group. Simply put, individualism requires the strength of the individual and requires the group to create conditions for it. People turn to communities to avoid self-destruction, but if they do not have the ability to leave the community, they will also be destroyed by the community. - "A Brief Discussion on Individualism"
Summary of Individualism#
This article mainly focuses on the individual. There are still many issues that have not been discussed, such as "self-consistency". I think self-consistency is a kind of freedom between the subject and the object, achieved by using rules to bridge the gap between subject and object.
For many people and many doubts, communication is "difficult to cut, and difficult to understand" due to the two gaps. Moreover, even if you explain it clearly, what is the meaning? Therefore, some meaningless disputes should really be avoided. As the saying goes, "The article lasts forever, and the gains and losses are known only to oneself." I am a subject, what does it matter to me for eternity? I only seek to know the gains and losses in my heart.
Regarding "outside the individual", it is largely a summary of past individualism. Individualism is just a starting point that I believe is necessary, as for how to do it, how to act, these are more precise matters that can only be done slowly.