Your starting point seems to be the autonomous individual
subject, who decides from their own vantage of free will what to agree or disagree with. But aren’t most of our agreements and disagreements features of shared conventions and norms of thinking that bind us together within the communities that we are immersed in? — Joshs
The OP seems to rely on a presumption of general rationality. — Pantagruel
It all comes down to the ideology in-question; some ideologies are beneficial to those in power, and others are not. Whenever you have a group of people assimilating under a problematic ideology, the powerful agents act as a force for individuation by fragmenting the group. However, those same powerful agents act as a force for assimilation when the ideology is beneficial to them. — Ø implies everything
The assimilating vs individuating distinction is probably valid from a naturalistic standpoint, representing a polar-dyad of competing drives, both of which are operational both individually and collectively, with one or other dominating in a give phase. But modern power-structures have tended to both shatter and shackle the forces governing natural social evolution. — Pantagruel
As in, individuation is the process by which people choose or create groups? — Ø implies everything
The majority of people in the West seem to have been gathered under science and mathematics as their new religion (even if they barely understand it) — Ø implies everything
This however, is not incompatible with the possibility of individuation. You are not just part of one group; you are a part of many, and this intersectionality gives rise to individuality even under an assignment of identity via group membership. — Ø implies everything
I misunderstood this paragraph, mainly due to the last sentence, as saying the assimilation-individuation framework was flawed due to the existence of modern power-structures. But instead, you are saying that you lean more towards the view that we, across time, do not tend more towards assimilation or individuation, but if something is going to break the tie, it would be the modern power-structures. — Ø implies everything
Yes. — green flag
I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. — Tom Storm
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