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Individualism Gone Wild

Let’s talk values. What do the anti-vaccination campaign, outbursts of racist verbal assaults, the Republican move to turn Medicare into vouchers and the top one percent owning 40 percent of American wealth have in common? Though each is a product of many underlying dynamics, what threads through them all is hyper-individualism. Since the ascent of Ronald Reagan, the individual ethos which famously has defined the American character has crowded out and virtually deafened a counter-narrative in American society, namely that we are are one, that we are all in this together, and that we need to support each other as members of a common society. This communitarian ethic has greatly diminished and has been replaced by a crude libertarianism. It is a shift in values that we must restore if America is going to persevere as a viable society, or no less, a great one.

Entry to our 100-year-old building and meeting rooms is available for most wheelchair users with prior arrangements. Please call ahead (212-874-5210 x107) for setup of our portable system and plan to arrive one hour before start time.











When: Sun., Apr. 12, 2015 at 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Where: New York Society for Ethical Culture
2 W. 64th St.
212-874-5210
Price: Free
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Let’s talk values. What do the anti-vaccination campaign, outbursts of racist verbal assaults, the Republican move to turn Medicare into vouchers and the top one percent owning 40 percent of American wealth have in common? Though each is a product of many underlying dynamics, what threads through them all is hyper-individualism. Since the ascent of Ronald Reagan, the individual ethos which famously has defined the American character has crowded out and virtually deafened a counter-narrative in American society, namely that we are are one, that we are all in this together, and that we need to support each other as members of a common society. This communitarian ethic has greatly diminished and has been replaced by a crude libertarianism. It is a shift in values that we must restore if America is going to persevere as a viable society, or no less, a great one.

Entry to our 100-year-old building and meeting rooms is available for most wheelchair users with prior arrangements. Please call ahead (212-874-5210 x107) for setup of our portable system and plan to arrive one hour before start time.

Buy tickets/get more info now