Much of the debate surrounding Covid has been framed in terms of individualism vs. collectivism
- Individualists are motivated by self-interest while collectivists put their community first
- This dichotomy paints the collective voice, or the community, as the prosocial option of two choices
- The individual threatens the common good because they won't go along with the program everyone else has decided upon
- There are several immediate problems with this logic
- Loaded assumptions and false equivalencies
- Equates the philosophy of collectivism with the idea of prosocial motivation
- It equates prosocial behavior with conformity to a collective voice
- emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity
- No mention here of internal motivations
When "Common Good" is Not Collective Will
- Social groups are made up of individuals. Social concern involves negotiation, tolerance of value differences, and the ability to compromise or see nuance.
- Someone motivated by genuine social concern asks the question: "What are the priorities and goals of all community members, and how can we try to satisfy these priorities in a way that everyone finds acceptable?"
Collective Narcissism and Conformity
- In social psychology, collective narcissism is the extension of one's ego beyond oneself to a group or collective to which one belongs.
- The emergent "personality" of the group mirrors the traits of narcissistic individuals
- A heavy emphasis on binary themes
- Discouraging free thinking
- Prioritizing conformity
- Distrusting or dishonoring differences of opinion
- Pressure to display loyalty
- An idealized group self-image
The Hidden Logic of Lockdown
- The pro-mandate case follows the logic of the selfish collective
- Restrictions and mandates will "stop the spread" of the virus, thereby saving lives and shielding people from harm it causes
- How dangerous would the virus have to be in order for the restrictions and mandates to be justified?
- Is any level of "dangerousness" enough? Or is there a threshold? Can we quantify these thresholds
- What other "socially beneficial outcomes" are desirable, and from whose perspective? What other social priorities exist for various factions within the collective?
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