Western Individualism & Eastern Collectivism
Before anything else, let me quote from the ever-reliable Wikipedia to define and create the parameters for my discussion:
Individualism
"is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own interests, whether by society, family or any other group or institution" (Wikipedia)
Collectivism
"is any philosophic, political, economic or social outlook that emphasizes the interdependence of every human in some collective group and the priority of group goals over individual goals. Collectivists usually focus on community, society or nation. Collectivism has been widely used to refer to a number of different political and economic philosophies, ranging from communism and democracy to totalitarian nationalism" (Wikipedia)
Individualism has been most linked to Democracy, Capitalism, Intellectual Property Rights, and many more. Such a concept has been most valued in the development of the western thought. Collectivism, on the other hand, has characterized confucianism, communism, bureaucracy and etc, which are mostly valued in Asia (or the east).
In CULPOLI class, we discussed that "The history, culture, language, customs and beliefs of the white colonizers are to be considered as universal, normative and superior to the local indigenous culture of the colonized", and this is the case we see today. Time and time again, we read in the news that certain countries (which i feel i don't need to mention for you to understand) impose their beliefs by asserting that capitalism and democracy are applicable to other countries, that the western path to development is also applicable to countries whom they formerly colonize.
I assert this point because I feel like in most cases, both perspectives fail to see that they all fail to realize the underlying fundamental universal values at stake when countries go to war with each other, impose sanctions, create economic barriers, and create unnecessary tension among states because most of them fail to see that the root of all differences in most international political conflict are the polarizing values between individualism and collectivism which are both prevalent in both the east and the west respectively. I believe that this is why there is still conflict, why countries and world leaders never see eye-to-eye and why some countries who adapt economic and political systems of those who have formerly colonized them are still in poverty, and why there are still not "developed" for international standards.
The link to Post-Colonialism
The post-colonial theory ΕΎ"Seeks to uncover the damaging effects of colonialism on both the self-identity of the colonized and the instability of the conceptual underpinnings of the colonizers", and in this sense i view international conflict as a product of western colonizers who still impose their belief systems to modern day post-colonial countries, thus, still hindering their development as countries independent from the control of other states.
Individualism
"is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own interests, whether by society, family or any other group or institution" (Wikipedia)
Collectivism
"is any philosophic, political, economic or social outlook that emphasizes the interdependence of every human in some collective group and the priority of group goals over individual goals. Collectivists usually focus on community, society or nation. Collectivism has been widely used to refer to a number of different political and economic philosophies, ranging from communism and democracy to totalitarian nationalism" (Wikipedia)
Individualism has been most linked to Democracy, Capitalism, Intellectual Property Rights, and many more. Such a concept has been most valued in the development of the western thought. Collectivism, on the other hand, has characterized confucianism, communism, bureaucracy and etc, which are mostly valued in Asia (or the east).
In CULPOLI class, we discussed that "The history, culture, language, customs and beliefs of the white colonizers are to be considered as universal, normative and superior to the local indigenous culture of the colonized", and this is the case we see today. Time and time again, we read in the news that certain countries (which i feel i don't need to mention for you to understand) impose their beliefs by asserting that capitalism and democracy are applicable to other countries, that the western path to development is also applicable to countries whom they formerly colonize.
I assert this point because I feel like in most cases, both perspectives fail to see that they all fail to realize the underlying fundamental universal values at stake when countries go to war with each other, impose sanctions, create economic barriers, and create unnecessary tension among states because most of them fail to see that the root of all differences in most international political conflict are the polarizing values between individualism and collectivism which are both prevalent in both the east and the west respectively. I believe that this is why there is still conflict, why countries and world leaders never see eye-to-eye and why some countries who adapt economic and political systems of those who have formerly colonized them are still in poverty, and why there are still not "developed" for international standards.
The link to Post-Colonialism
The post-colonial theory ΕΎ"Seeks to uncover the damaging effects of colonialism on both the self-identity of the colonized and the instability of the conceptual underpinnings of the colonizers", and in this sense i view international conflict as a product of western colonizers who still impose their belief systems to modern day post-colonial countries, thus, still hindering their development as countries independent from the control of other states.
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