Individual responsibilty and social responsibility

[Lark]

Do you think that your society operates under the individual responsibility or social responsibilty paradigm? Why? Do you think there are trends towards one or the other? Are they complete alternatives? If they are do you think they are competiting and incompatible or complimentary to one another?

I have read one source at least which suggested along with co-operation, planning and I think democracy that social responsibility was a corner stone of socialism, the book was from the seventies and I think probably written at a time when the left wing was trying to adjust to the popularity of certain principles the right wing had laid exclusive claim to (had been allowed to lay exclusive claim to I would say) such as personal responsibility. The mood of that time seems to have been that whatever was considered right wing, if you were "agin" (against) the right wing then you endorsed the opposite.

I actually dont believe that, I know of at least one earlier socialist theorist, GDH Cole who would've been confused by that, he was a big, big proponent of personal or individual responsibilty, in fact saw it as both fact and principle, and requisite to democracy or socialism as alternatives to the sorts of servility which he didnt like and believed characterised capitalism and class stratification.

There are, I think, tendencies globally and locally towards a sort of "socialising" of responsibilty, that is to say there is less personal responsibility, even at times when personal responsibility is popular with political pundits, at least those making cuts to public spending, and I think its not a conscious or deliberative thing.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Do you think that your society operates under the individual responsibility or social responsibilty paradigm? Why? Do you think there are trends towards one or the other? Are they complete alternatives? If they are do you think they are competiting and incompatible or complimentary to one another?

I have read one source at least which suggested along with co-operation, planning and I think democracy that social responsibility was a corner stone of socialism, the book was from the seventies and I think probably written at a time when the left wing was trying to adjust to the popularity of certain principles the right wing had laid exclusive claim to (had been allowed to lay exclusive claim to I would say) such as personal responsibility. The mood of that time seems to have been that whatever was considered right wing, if you were "agin" (against) the right wing then you endorsed the opposite.

I actually dont believe that, I know of at least one earlier socialist theorist, GDH Cole who would've been confused by that, he was a big, big proponent of personal or individual responsibilty, in fact saw it as both fact and principle, and requisite to democracy or socialism as alternatives to the sorts of servility which he didnt like and believed characterised capitalism and class stratification.

There are, I think, tendencies globally and locally towards a sort of "socialising" of responsibilty, that is to say there is less personal responsibility, even at times when personal responsibility is popular with political pundits, at least those making cuts to public spending, and I think its not a conscious or deliberative thing.

I don't think American style-capitalism represents a pinnacle of individual responsibility. How many of those investment bankers that drove the economy into the ground because of their greed and clueless took responsiblity? Hell, only a select few seem to have been prosecuted.

"America is about personal responsiblity" is more of a myth some people like to tell themselves to justify why some people get so wealthy doing nothing more than moving money around than people who actually produce things and provide services.

 

[roman67]

We all are living in social world if we want to exist in the society then everyone have to take some social responsibility.

 

[Coriolis]

Do you think that your society operates under the individual responsibility or social responsibilty paradigm? Why? Do you think there are trends towards one or the other? Are they complete alternatives? If they are do you think they are competiting and incompatible or complimentary to one another?

This question presents a false dichotomy, at least for anyone who does not live as a hermit. Many individual responsibilities concern the good of others, and many of society's responsibilities concern the good of the one. As such, they cannot be separated.

 

[cafe]

I think my country (the US) tries to do the individual responsibility thing. It just does it really badly.

 

[Mole]

Do you think that your society operates under the individual responsibility or social responsibilty paradigm? Why? Do you think there are trends towards one or the other? Are they complete alternatives? If they are do you think they are competiting and incompatible or complimentary to one another?

I have read one source at least which suggested along with co-operation, planning and I think democracy that social responsibility was a corner stone of socialism, the book was from the seventies and I think probably written at a time when the left wing was trying to adjust to the popularity of certain principles the right wing had laid exclusive claim to (had been allowed to lay exclusive claim to I would say) such as personal responsibility. The mood of that time seems to have been that whatever was considered right wing, if you were "agin" (against) the right wing then you endorsed the opposite.

I actually dont believe that, I know of at least one earlier socialist theorist, GDH Cole who would've been confused by that, he was a big, big proponent of personal or individual responsibilty, in fact saw it as both fact and principle, and requisite to democracy or socialism as alternatives to the sorts of servility which he didnt like and believed characterised capitalism and class stratification.

There are, I think, tendencies globally and locally towards a sort of "socialising" of responsibilty, that is to say there is less personal responsibility, even at times when personal responsibility is popular with political pundits, at least those making cuts to public spending, and I think its not a conscious or deliberative thing.

Print gave us the Enlightenment and freedom and equality.

And individual freedom limits social equality, and social equality limits individual freedom. This is a negative feedback loop which gives stability.

But we are now entering a period of instability where print and the Enlightement give way to the electronic tribe in the global vlllage.

And we are unstable because we still cling to the habits of thought of print and the Enlightenment, and our minds and hearts have not yet caught up with the electronic tribe in the global village.