is the individual more important than society?

Open discussion about any topic, as long as you abide by the rules of course!
HM-PuFFNSTuFF
Posts: 14376
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2001 8:00 am

is the individual more important than society?

Post by HM-PuFFNSTuFF »

what good is a society that doesn't look after the individual?

given our resources, why do we allow poverty to exist?
Dark Metal
Posts: 5496
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2000 8:00 am

Post by Dark Metal »

Don't make me start limiting your intellectual threads.
[WYD]
HM-PuFFNSTuFF
Posts: 14376
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2001 8:00 am

Post by HM-PuFFNSTuFF »

i only made 2
Wabbit
Posts: 1384
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2001 8:00 am

Re: is the individual more important than society?

Post by Wabbit »

HM-PuFFNSTuFF wrote:what good is a society that doesn't look after the individual?
No good.
...why do we allow poverty to exist?
Greed.
Last edited by Wabbit on Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Dark Metal
Posts: 5496
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2000 8:00 am

Post by Dark Metal »

Yes. Math is fun, eh?
[WYD]
Guest

Post by Guest »

EDIT: I'm not letting you post in this thread, it's way over your head.

-DM
Maiden
Posts: 832
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2001 8:00 am

Post by Maiden »

ok puff, back away from the vaporizer...
creep
Posts: 1007
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:00 am

Post by creep »

Hey toxic, I checked out your pictures. Most of them were in focus and everything, good job on your career, mate.
Dukester
Posts: 750
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:13 pm

Post by Dukester »

rugged individualism builds scoiety
HM-PuFFNSTuFF
Posts: 14376
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2001 8:00 am

Post by HM-PuFFNSTuFF »

Dukester wrote:rugged individualism builds scoiety
how?
Massive Quasars
Posts: 8696
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 8:00 am

Re: is the individual more important than society?

Post by Massive Quasars »

HM-PuFFNSTuFF wrote:what good is a society that doesn't look after the individual?
A society that doesn't excessively interfere with the actions of an individual, looks after the individual's interest.
Massive Quasars
Posts: 8696
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 8:00 am

Post by Massive Quasars »

a parrot confided in me
[url=http://www.marxists.org/][img]http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3050/avatarmy7.gif[/img][img]http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/1736/leninzbp5.gif[/img][img]http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/1076/modulestalinat6.jpg[/img][img]http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/9239/cheds1.jpg[/img][/url]
Tsakali_
Posts: 3778
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 5:46 pm

Post by Tsakali_ »

I refuse to do your homework
Massive Quasars
Posts: 8696
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 8:00 am

Post by Massive Quasars »

Those who can't, teach.
[url=http://www.marxists.org/][img]http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3050/avatarmy7.gif[/img][img]http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/1736/leninzbp5.gif[/img][img]http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/1076/modulestalinat6.jpg[/img][img]http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/9239/cheds1.jpg[/img][/url]
Massive Quasars
Posts: 8696
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 8:00 am

Post by Massive Quasars »

Massive Quasars wrote:a parrot confided in me
not be confused with this
User avatar
Whiskey 7
Posts: 9711
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2001 7:00 am

Re: is the individual more important than society?

Post by Whiskey 7 »

Massive Quasars wrote:
HM-PuFFNSTuFF wrote:what good is a society that doesn't look after the individual?
A society that doesn't excessively interfere with the actions of an individual, looks after the individual's interest.
Now that does make you think, doesn't it :confused:
mjrpes
Posts: 4980
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2000 8:00 am

Re: is the individual more important than society?

Post by mjrpes »

Of course the individual is more important than society. However, poor people aren't individuals, only rich people with power are.
feedback
Posts: 7449
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2002 8:00 am

Re: is the individual more important than society?

Post by feedback »

mjrpes wrote:Of course the individual is more important than society. However, poor people aren't individuals, only rich people with power are.
that's a good point, mjrpes, and I'll tell you why
I love quake!
feedback
Posts: 7449
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2002 8:00 am

Post by feedback »

FYI we allow poverty to exist for the same reasons we have ineffectual school systems. If school worked, we'd have people graduating, ready to go out and take the jobs of their parents right away. Nobody wants that, the idea is to create a low base that supports it all.
I love quake!
Massive Quasars
Posts: 8696
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 8:00 am

Re: is the individual more important than society?

Post by Massive Quasars »

mjrpes wrote:Of course the individual is more important than society. However, poor people aren't individuals, only rich people with power are.
Free market advocates seem to come off like that, and there's likely some real antipathy towards the poor because it's believed they're wholly or mostly responsible for their situation (according to some among this self-identified group).
bitWISE
Posts: 10704
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 1999 8:00 am

Post by bitWISE »

Poverty must exist to allow for riches. Evil must exist to allow for good. What is the point of doing anything at all if everything in life is gray?

If people who worked at McDonalds lived just as well as CEOs who would want the responsibility of being CEO? If CEOs lived like people who worked at McDonalds why would anyone want the responsibility of CEO?

We are not species that functions as a whole. We are nothing more than wolves competing to be the alpha male. Working had to improve our lives and the lives of our children. Emotion keeps us from outright betrayal of our own kind but given a harsh enough ultimatum, any of us would choose individual pursuits over a society's desires.
Grudge
Posts: 8587
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2002 8:00 am

Post by Grudge »

Society > Individuals
Massive Quasars
Posts: 8696
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 8:00 am

Post by Massive Quasars »

bitWISE wrote:Poverty must exist to allow for riches. Evil must exist to allow for good. What is the point of doing anything at all if everything in life is gray?

If people who worked at McDonalds lived just as well as CEOs who would want the responsibility of being CEO? If CEOs lived like people who worked at McDonalds why would anyone want the responsibility of CEO?

We are not species that functions as a whole. We are nothing more than wolves competing to be the alpha male. Working had to improve our lives and the lives of our children. Emotion keeps us from outright betrayal of our own kind but given a harsh enough ultimatum, any of us would choose individual pursuits over a society's desires.
Poverty doesn't have to exist, material wealth gains have the potential to make no nation poor in absolute terms. In relative terms of course, some nations will still be considered poorer than others.
bitWISE
Posts: 10704
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 1999 8:00 am

Post by bitWISE »

Massive Quasars wrote:
bitWISE wrote:Poverty must exist to allow for riches. Evil must exist to allow for good. What is the point of doing anything at all if everything in life is gray?

If people who worked at McDonalds lived just as well as CEOs who would want the responsibility of being CEO? If CEOs lived like people who worked at McDonalds why would anyone want the responsibility of CEO?

We are not species that functions as a whole. We are nothing more than wolves competing to be the alpha male. Working had to improve our lives and the lives of our children. Emotion keeps us from outright betrayal of our own kind but given a harsh enough ultimatum, any of us would choose individual pursuits over a society's desires.
Poverty doesn't have to exist, material wealth gains have the potential to make no nation poor in absolute terms. In relative terms of course, some nations will still be considered poorer than others.
Wouldn't that just be raising the bar of poverty? Unless everyone is equal there will always be have and have-nots.
Massive Quasars
Posts: 8696
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 8:00 am

Post by Massive Quasars »

bitWISE wrote: Wouldn't that just be raising the bar of poverty? Unless everyone is equal there will always be have and have-nots.
Yes it would raise the bar, but the crippling poverty we're familiar with would be virtually non-existant.

There's much to this discussion I'd rather not get into here, so I'll leave it at that.
Post Reply