In this blog post, we explore whether the relationship between individuals and society is a fixed existence or a process of constant creation and interaction.
The further back in history we go, the greater the importance of individuals seems to have been compared to society. This is because social structures were centered around individuals, and industry and politics did not require the complex societies we see today. Society at that time did not require complex systems or large organizations like today, and families and small communities served as the basic units of society. In such an environment, the role of the individual was more than that of a simple member of society, and individuals were often recognized as important figures who led the entire community through leadership and wisdom. Since society is made up of individuals, it was thought that society existed for the sake of individuals, and that individuals were the masters of society. This way of thinking was a natural product of a time when society was closer to people. However, with the advent of modern society, all areas of society, including politics and economics, began to operate with a focus on society rather than the individual. The Industrial Revolution, which began in England, forced the socialization of the economy, and the French Revolution emphasized political socialization. These revolutions served as catalysts for changing the existing individual-centered social structure and introduced a new form of collective thinking. As a result, people began to place greater importance on the welfare and stability of society as a whole rather than on individuals, which became one of the main characteristics of modern society. Looking at the various social sciences that emerged in the mid-19th century, we can see how rapidly our lives have changed to a society-centered system.
The development of social science has played an important role in systematically analyzing and understanding the complexity of human society. In the process, there has been a growing tendency to study the structure and functions of society as a whole rather than individuals, and as a result, society has come to occupy an increasingly important position. Therefore, in the past, individuals were at the center and society was perceived as a secondary phenomenon, but today, society is at the center and individuals are considered to be part of that society. This shift became more pronounced with the emergence of the idea that society shapes the people of its time. Indeed, if we examine the lives of people living in the modern era, we see that we do not live alone but rather together. Here, “together” refers to society as a collective entity encompassing politics, economics, and other aspects of life.
These changes in modern society are deeply connected to technological developments. In particular, advances in information technology and communication have connected the entire world and made individuals’ lives more closely linked to the overall flow of society. This interconnectedness makes it even clearer that individuals cannot exist independently, and shows that social norms and structures have a significant impact on individuals’ lives.
However, the fact that modern society has become this way does not necessarily mean that it is justified or that it should remain this way. Long ago, thinkers such as Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche strongly advocated for the dignity and value of the individual. They emphasized the importance of individuals maintaining their independent value within the framework of society and warned against societal uniformity. Even today, opposing views on society and the individual continue to persist. However, this does not mean that society is everything and the individual is meaningless, or that asserting the absolute nature of the individual weakens the role of society. Rather, today we discover society within the individual and the individual within society. Society and the individual interact deeply with each other. A society without individuals cannot exist, and it is impossible to conceive of an individual who does not belong to a society.
Then, what is the relationship between the individual and society? Some people seem to think of the relationship between the two as similar to the mechanical relationship between atoms and matter. Matter cannot exist without atoms, and if there is no matter, the existence of atoms is not an issue. If we focus solely on existence, the relationship between the individual and society would be similar. However, this does not fully explain the relationship between the individual and society. Others think of the relationship between the individual and society as similar to the relationship between cells and organisms. This is because the principle of generation for living beings is inherent in them. Herbert Spencer, influenced by Charles Robert Darwin, also held similar views. However, the true relationship between the individual and society belongs to a higher dimension that goes beyond existence and the process of creation. It is a relationship that exists while creating, and creates culture and history while creating. Therefore, it is more appropriate to view this relationship as a dialectical relationship that enables development and leaps forward.
This dialectical relationship is becoming more prominent in modern society. For example, modern political systems guarantee individual freedom and rights while regulating individual behavior to maintain social order and stability. Similarly, the economy encourages individual creativity and productivity while introducing various institutions to address social inequality and economic instability. In this way, individuals and society influence each other, and their relationship is composed of complex interactions that go beyond mere existence or generation.
