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| Goebbels at "Degenerate Art" Exhibition (Munich 1938) |
Individualism versus universalism
by Herman Dooyeweerd
See preceding extract HERE
The radical Christian idea of human freedom. The tension between free inter-individual relations and organized integration in modern society.
Against the individualistic tendencies in free society, God’s conserving grace thus calls into play opposed organizational tendencies of an integrating character.
In this way the divine world-order is also maintained in the individualized inter-individual societal relations. But if this process develops under the predominant leading of an apostate attitude of faith absolutizing temporal interests, there is no harmonious cooperation between the free development of inter-individual relations and the increasing integrative significance of organizational bonds [ie between individual freedom and communal integration]. Indeed it appears that modern social development displays the picture of a continuous tension between the two tendencies, alternately overstraining the one or the other at the expense of the sound development of both.
Communism, Humanism, Scholasticism
After a period of extreme individualism modern society is now threatened by a communistic universalism which seeks to realize a totalitarian community of humankind by means of the State’s power, although in its ideology the State is completely depreciated. More than a third part of the human race is delivered to the political power of this totalitarian ideology. Western democracy is in fear of this tremendous adversary and seeks to defend itself by an international integration of its military forces. Nevertheless, by military means alone the freedom of humanity cannot be protected.
It should not be forgotten that communism in its Marxian and Bolshevist sense is primarily a spiritual power, a secularized eschatological faith in the final liberation of humanity in a future classless society. It should be borne in mind that, viewed from this spiritual background, it has originated in the dialectical process in which Western thought has been involved since the religious Humanist basic motive of ‘nature and freedom’ began to reveal its driving power in Western history. And the historical rise of Humanism was closely connected with the dialectical process in which Christian thought was involved by the introduction of the [inherently flawed and unbiblical] dualist scholastic basic motive of ‘nature and grace’.
Universalism and individualism
In this entire dialectical process of Western thought the view of human society was continually swayed between the poles of universalism and individualism. All attempts to find a way out of this alternative were doomed to fail so long as the immanence [timebound] standpoint was maintained, and the radical and integral freedom of the individual or the radical and integral community of humankind were sought in the temporal order of our earthly existence.
Historicism [2] [3] [4] [5], Relativism, Fascism, Nazism
It is of no avail to disregard the fact that to a large extent the spiritual basis of the modern Western ideas of freedom and authority has been undermined by historicism and relativism. The simple fact that the fascist and nazi totalitarian ideologies could be presented as the only real alternative over against the communistic system was a symptom of this process. And that this suggestion could acquire such a tremendous influence in many countries of central and Southern Europe should be a warning against an optimistic judgment of the real state of affairs.
The truth is that since the decline of individualism, even in democratic countries new universalist ideas have penetrated the practical and theoretical view of society. They are presented as a mere historical necessity and adapted to the traditional democratic ideas, which have changed their sense, and in the prevailing theories of the State have been emancipated from their former foundation in an eternal natural law order.
This is why the integrating tendencies in the inter-individual or inter-communal relationships and in the voluntary organizations are readily interpreted as a process of socialization in which the idea of community gains the upperhand. Since this view of social development is emancipated from the structural principles of the differentiated societal relationships, it results in an overestimation of the integrating role of the national and international political communities.
Human rights and Sphere-sovereignty
Even the traditional doctrine of unassailable human rights is not able to check the absolutization of temporal communal relationships, if these rights themselves are interpreted in a universalistic sense. As soon as the inter-individual and inter-communal relationships are viewed as intra-communal, and the structural idea of internal sphere-sovereignty of the different orbits of societal life is replaced by those of [devolved] autonomy or functional decentralization, there is no fundamental and radical defence against the totalitarian systems.
This radical defence is only found in the Biblical view of human freedom implied in the basic motive of creation, fall into sin and redemption by Jesus Christ. For it converts the whole view of temporal society; it excludes in principle both universalism and individualism, and it enables us to see the structural patterns in the complicated interlacements between inter-individual and communal relationships.
The internal sphere-sovereignty of the different temporal structures of societal relationships is the expression of the transcendent destination of humankind. This is the only basis of a harmonious relation of authority and freedom in social development. [NEXT]
(Extract from A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol III pp 601-603. ‘Structures of Individuality of Temporal Human Society’)
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