Hudson and Spalding have different views on individualism, self-government, and libertarianism. Spalding knows that individualism is one of the founding principles that the United States is supposed to believe in. We are a country founded on doing things yourself and not relying on others to do them for you, being self-reliant is one of the biggest things that they believed in. He talks about being willing to work for the things you need and not relying on the rich or the government to take care of you. He believes that the free market and the economy with limited government intervention is the best way to create a prosperous America that can lift all people regardless of where they begin into a more prosperous position economically and socially.
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He quotes Alexis de Tocqueville “Individualism is a calm and considered feeling that disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of family and friends; with this little society formed to his taste, he gladly leaves the greater society to look after itself… Such folk owe no man anything and hardly expect anything from anybody. They form the habit of thinking of themselves in isolation and imagine that their whole destiny is in their hands.” (de Tocqueville 1835, as cited in Hudson 2016, 106) These were the observations Alexis made when he visited the United States in order to see how our form of government was working, he understood that Americans loved the idea of individualism but feared what he called “egoism” or what Hudson calls “radical individualism” (Hudson, 2016 pg. 107/108) This means that the person would only think about one person when making a decision and that person was themselves, no one else. He continues this discussion of “radical individualism” by bringing up the “prisoner’s dilemma.” There have been two people arrested for a crime, both extremely individualistic, and the police have told them “snitch on your friend and admit your crimes, and you’ll go free,” and they decide to snitch on each other in hopes that the other wouldn’t and they both end up getting 10 years. This is supposed to illustrate the idea of “suboptimization” which is the failure to achieve as much as one could have been achieved through cooperation. (Hudson, 2016 pg. 116/117) He also utilizes the “Tragedy of the Commons” along with the “Prisoner's Dilemma” to illustrate flaws in Libertarian philosophy. However, although extreme radical individualism could be a problem if you were to shut yourself out from the rest of the world I believe Hudson has a flawed
He quotes Alexis de Tocqueville “Individualism is a calm and considered feeling that disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of family and friends; with this little society formed to his taste, he gladly leaves the greater society to look after itself… Such folk owe no man anything and hardly expect anything from anybody. They form the habit of thinking of themselves in isolation and imagine that their whole destiny is in their hands.” (de Tocqueville 1835, as cited in Hudson 2016, 106) These were the observations Alexis made when he visited the United States in order to see how our form of government was working, he understood that Americans loved the idea of individualism but feared what he called “egoism” or what Hudson calls “radical individualism” (Hudson, 2016 pg. 107/108) This means that the person would only think about one person when making a decision and that person was themselves, no one else. He continues this discussion of “radical individualism” by bringing up the “prisoner’s dilemma.” There have been two people arrested for a crime, both extremely individualistic, and the police have told them “snitch on your friend and admit your crimes, and you’ll go free,” and they decide to snitch on each other in hopes that the other wouldn’t and they both end up getting 10 years. This is supposed to illustrate the idea of “suboptimization” which is the failure to achieve as much as one could have been achieved through cooperation. (Hudson, 2016 pg. 116/117) He also utilizes the “Tragedy of the Commons” along with the “Prisoner's Dilemma” to illustrate flaws in Libertarian philosophy. However, although extreme radical individualism could be a problem if you were to shut yourself out from the rest of the world I believe Hudson has a flawed