Liberated individuals turn from equality toward distinguishing themselves from others

Evidence

As soon as the ego had become sufficiently strengthened by the feeling of equality and universality, it sought once again inequality—but this time an inequality determined only from within. After the individual had been liberated in principle from the rusty chains of guild, hereditary status, and church, the quest for independence continued to the point where individuals who had been rendered independent in this way wanted also to distinguish themselves from one another. What mattered now was no longer that one was a free individual as such, but that one was a particular and irreplaceable individual. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 535

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Pretended sociable equality is art-like play, not a lie, until reality intrudes — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 378; Unlimited individual freedom breeds new repression through natural inequality — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 534; Individuality and universal equality historically arise as twin reactions to inequality — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 687 (+16 more)

Related

• Equality achieved becomes the platform for further competition and surpassing (similarity 0.93)
• The eighteenth century equated individuality with freedom and assumed natural human equality (similarity 0.89)
• Individuality and universal equality historically arise as twin reactions to inequality (similarity 0.89)
• Unlimited individual freedom breeds new repression through natural inequality (similarity 0.89)
• Modern individuality values being this specific irreplaceable person, not mere freedom (similarity 0.86)
• True equality among people is impossible due to inescapable uniqueness (similarity 0.86)
• Modern individualism shifted from freedom-as-such to the value of being this specific irreplaceable self (similarity 0.85)
• Individual uniqueness as a value denies equality rather than grounds it (similarity 0.84)
• Inclusive universal claims arise from within the particular (similarity 0.84)
• Individualism of equality and individualism of inequality both require large social circles. (similarity 0.84)
• Eighteenth-century rights theory assumes rights hold even for an isolated single human. (similarity 0.83)
• Pretended sociable equality is art-like play, not a lie, until reality intrudes (similarity 0.82)
• Rising individuality necessarily yields belief in mankind’s ideal unity (similarity 0.82)
• Equality must govern politics even though it is technically a fiction (similarity 0.82)
• Individual liberty has become a cosmopolitan value beyond its Western origins (similarity 0.82)

Broader Connections

• Individuality and universal equality historically arise as twin reactions to inequality #complicates (0.60) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 687
• The eighteenth century equated individuality with freedom and assumed natural human equality #expands (0.55) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 650