Edmund Burke, The Individualist?
Did Edmund Burke criticize true individualism? Or something else entirely?
In his letter to Charles-Jean-François Depont, Edmund Burke presents a view of liberty as "social freedom," or the ability to live freely in a society where everyone is subject to the same laws and restrictions. Burke criticizes what he calls "solitary, unconnected, individual, selfish liberty," suggesting that the philosophy of individualism is misguided. However, Burke's ideas and criticisms of individualism are not necessarily contradictory with those of libertarian proponents of individualism.
Harsh critics of individualism often point out that individuals are not atomized and independent. They say that we are born into families and have many different and important social relationships throughout our lives. While these observations are true, they are nothing more than strawmen of the true individualist position. Libertarian thinker Murray Rothbard has noted
Libertarians are methodological and political individualists, to be sure. They believe that only individuals think, value, act, and choose. They believe that each individual has the right to own his own body, free of coercive interference. But no individualist denies that people are influencing each other all the time in their goals, values, pursuits, and occupations.1
Friedrich A. Hayek, in his book Individualism and Economic Order, notes the confusion surrounding the meaning of individualism and the fact that Burke, a representative of true individualism, is often seen as an opponent of the "individualism" of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Hayek writes that Burke, De Tocqueville, and Adam Smith, among others, all stand for true individualism, which he defines as
a theory of society, an attempt to understand the forces which determine the social life of man, and only in the second instance a set of political maxims derived from this view of society.
He traces the development of this philosophy from its roots in the work of John Locke and its full development in the work of Scottish philosophers and English Whigs.2
At first glance, Burke's emphasis on the importance of social constraints and limitations on individual freedom may appear to be at odds with the individualist focus on maximizing personal autonomy. However, upon closer examination, it is clear that Burke's conception of liberty is not incompatible with the individualist values of scholars like Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard.
In his critique of collectivism, Mises asserts that "society is nothing but the combination of individuals for cooperative effort."3 He argues that within the sphere of private property and the laws protecting it against encroachments, the pursuit of individual interests is not at odds with the interests of society as a whole. Burke pointed out in a similar vein that the marketplace
obliges men, whether they will or not, in pursuing their own selfish interests, to connect the general good with their own individual success.
Mises highlights that society is created through the cooperation of individuals and that individualism and social cooperation are not mutually exclusive. In other words, individuals can pursue their own goals and interests within the framework of a cooperative society rather than being forced to conform to the will of the state or a dominant group.
Similarly, Rothbard writes that
what libertarians are opposed to is not voluntary persuasion, but the coercive imposition of values by the use of force and police power.
He emphasizes the importance of individual freedom to persuade and be persuaded, but not the use of force to impose one's values on others.4 Like Mises, Rothbard recognizes that individuals can interact and cooperate voluntarily without the need for government coercion. Burke, seemingly, was in agreement with this viewpoint. He once wrote:
It is better to cherish virtue and humanity, leaving much to free will . . . than to attempt to make men machines and instruments of political benevolence. The world as a whole will gain by a liberty without which virtue cannot exist.5
Given these views, it becomes clear that Burke, Mises, and Rothbard all value individual freedom and recognize the importance of social cooperation in a free society. Burke's emphasis on the necessity of social constraints and limitations on individual freedom may seem at odds with individualist values at first glance, but upon closer examination, it is clear that Burke's conception of liberty is not incompatible with the individualist values of Mises and Rothbard. Rather than seeing social constraints as a threat to individual freedom, Burke sees them as necessary for protecting individual rights and maintaining a just and virtuous society.
Although Edmund Burke, Ludwig von Mises, and Murray Rothbard may use different terms and emphasize different aspects, all three authors value individual freedom and recognize the importance of social cooperation in a free society. Rather than immediately labeling Burke as an all-around opponent of individualism, it is important to examine and understand different perspectives on this complex and multifaceted concept. By considering the full range of ideas on individualism and liberty, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which individuals can live freely and cooperatively in society.
Rothbard, Murray, Myth and Truth About Libertarianism (1979)
Hayek, Friedrich A. Individualism and Economic Order (1948), pp. 4-6.
Mises, Ludwig von, Human Action (1949), p. 143.
Rothbard, Murray, Myth and Truth About Libertarianism (1979)
Burke, Edmund, Reflections (1790), p. 88.
When collectists mean collectivism they mean the state enforcing the collectivist larp, individualists mean freedom of association.
We shouldnt call it individualism but rather freedom of assciation and when socialists say they are collectivists we should question if this association is enforced or voluntary