The Problem with Individualism

Editor's Note: The video based on this essay can be found here.

The Alt-Right is quite often accused of collectivism. We generally hear this from libertarians and conservatives who hold individualism to be a near-religious value. While there is certainly some truth to such a claim, there are a number of incorrect assumptions about individualism and collectivism that I want to dispel.

But before I do, I should clarify exactly what these terms mean. The words individualism and collectivism can mean slightly different things depending on the context; but for the purpose of this video, individualism refers to an emphasis on the individual over the whole, whereas collectivism refers to the opposite.

Given that civilization is a group endeavor – and that individuals all benefit from a healthy, functional society – it seems silly to place individual needs before those of society overall. In fact, excessive individualism is a large factor in why the West is currently sleepwalking towards an existential cliff.

Thanks to individualism, happily encouraged by mass media and pop culture, many people of European heritage no longer see themselves as part of an ethnic group. They pass their time in frivolous ways, seemingly indifferent to the survival of their culture and civilization. Why bother having children, if the highest goal in life is comfort and personal, hedonistic pleasure?

Individualism also prevents people of European heritage from understanding the nature of ethnic group interests. Used to only thinking for themselves, Europeans are unable to fathom the idea that third world invaders are working towards their own group interests, and are, at best, indifferent those of Europeans.

In other words, individualism encourages people to compete as individuals, whereas collectivism encourages people to compete as groups. And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that groups will have no problem outcompeting individuals.

This is arguably the biggest flaw of individualism, and it’s why the Left is so intent on deconstructing Whiteness. By convincing White people to compete as individuals, our enemies – be they ethnic advocates or self-hating Whites – ensure our destruction.

Proponents of individualism, such as libertarians or conservatives, have a very one-dimensional understanding of this. To them, collectivism implies inclusion in a hive mind and being unable to think for oneself, whereas individualism implies that one is a true freethinker, unbeholden to the herd.

The irony here is that in order to arrive at Alt-Right conclusions, which are, as we discussed earlier, somewhat collectivist, one has to engage in a serious philosophical journey, which includes questioning virtually everything one has been taught from an early age.

Moreover, an individual is surely capable of thinking for himself while recognizing that he is part of a group, and therefore has group interests.

And given that most self-proclaimed individualists happen to share status quo friendly views on race, multiculturalism, and equality, – views that pose no threat to the universalist establishment – I can’t help but wonder if these enlightened individualists actually represent the true hivemind.

In conclusion, free thinking can go hand-in-hand with ethnic consciousness. In fact, the classical liberal ideals championed by contemporary individualists were created by ethnonationalists – a fact that they are seemingly content to ignore.