The Impact of Individualism, Ethnic Nationalism, and Class Rule on Society

The three ideologies – individualism, ethnic nationalism, and class rule emerged to connect opinions regarding social, political, and cultural nature of the society. According to Lockard (2011), nationalism unifies people who share the same culture on a particular territory. It can be argued that such an approach illuminates any possibility of diversity and cultural exchange between people. The adverse outcomes are displayed through the practical application of this theory were demonstrated by Greece, Italy, and Germany, who aimed at creating nationalistic states within their territories but failed. Liberalism focused on promoting individualism and minimizing forces that would restrain the freedom of a person. This viewpoint was inspired by the era of Enlightenment and was popularised in the US and England (Lockard, 2011). The negative outcomes of such beliefs are that due to the nature of liberalism older forms of governance become unnecessary.

Lockard (2011) states that in England, the monarchs lost their ultimate power after liberalism became popular. Elected representatives became the source of legitimate power in the country. According to Ogihara and Uchida (2014), “people in East Asian cultures do not have … strategies to overcome the negative impact of individualistic systems” (p. 135). Therefore, the system is not suitable for every culture and cannot be adopted globally. Class rule is aimed at ensuring that each person is equal. According to Lockard (2011), some feminists used the idea to promote female equality. However, the main danger of such views is the underlying aspect which was displayed by communist parties formed in 1900s Europe. Somin (2017) states that the Communist State is responsible for deaths of over a hundred million people. Mass famines and poverty of people led by collectivistic approaches to governing proved that class rule does not guarantee equality for all. This is the principal danger that is detrimental to society because of the idea that guides class rule emphasized equality while in a practical setting in results in oppression.