Individual’s Role in Society

In your opinion, what is the role of the individual in helping to solve some of the problems mentioned in the paragraph above?

People as individuals can have a variety of contributions to society to help tackle the day to day challenges. Individuals can contribute to solving the problem of unemployment by acquiring skills and creating jobs. The high levels of unemployment are attributed to the lack of job opportunities and lack of skills needed in the market. The political systems can be strengthened through individual participation in policy making and regulations around politics to avert political violence (Hinton, 2016). Individuals can also ensure reduced political violence by voting in good leaders who appreciate the need for peaceful coexistence. An individual should be prepared to work to beat poverty and should encourage their family and siblings to work to avoid poverty. One can champion for poverty alleviation initiative by the government and non-governmental originations. A person can help in protecting the environment by engaging in activities that do not contribute to environmental degradation. Championing and creating awareness on the importance of environmental protection can help in solving the challenge of looming ecological disaster across the globe.

Are we more likely to solve the problems if we embrace a sense of common purpose and public spirit focused on the collective good? Or

It is true that if people embraced a sense of common purpose and public spirit focused on common good the problems will be solved. Challenges such as ecological disasters and political violence can be avoided if people are committed to addressing them collectively. However, individual responsibility and commitment are also critical in dealing with the problems. People should understand that engaging in activities that pose danger to the ecological system may not only affect the community but also the person doing it (Crosby & Bryson, 2005). It is important to embrace a sense of common purpose but also take personal responsibility to ensure that our environment is protected and we elect good leaders who value cohesion and coexistence. Poverty and unemployment are also linked to poor governance and policies, individuals can contribute to good governance and effective policy articulation. However, this is more effective when done in a combined effort focused on collective good because there are minimal chances of an individual influencing good governance and policy formulation as compared to when there is a collective effort.

Should we focus on our private pursuits and a market mentality that says our consumption is what makes the world go round? Does your argument account for differing points of view? Explain.

Focusing on private pursuit is necessary but also looking at the common good is essential. Without the input of other people, the world cannot move because people cannot live in isolation. People rely on others to get a lot of things. The market mentality that it is our consumption which makes the world go round is misguided and can result in more problems than good. While some form of independence is necessary at all times, there is the need to also focus on the common good. However, there are those that believe in private pursuit without common good because it is individual wellbeing that matters most. It is true that self-interest comes first then the common interests come second, but this is not the case in all aspects of life. There are cases where common good pursuit should come first before the private pursuit. The change and advancement in technology are changing how people socialize. One on one socialization has reduced with the change in technology people are turning out to be only social through social media but antisocial physically where many will be in their private pursuits and will not mind what is happening to the people next to them.

Is there a balance between what the individual is responsible for and what our role should be in the public sphere?

There is no balance between individual responsibility at a personal level and in the public sphere apart from the guidelines provided in the law which state out the limits for certain actions. One’s responsibility at a personal level and in a public sphere is determined by an individual or circumstances. Most people tend to be more concerned with personal responsibilities at a personal level as compared to what their role should be in the public sphere (Asen, 2017). People believe there are people tasked with the responsibility of taking care of certain things meant for the public good and as a result, they will put less focus on their role in the public sphere.  There is, therefore, no balance between what an individual is responsible and what their role is in the public sphere because more attention is directed towards personal responsibilities rather than common good.

References

Asen, R. (2017). Neoliberalism, the public sphere, and the public good. Quarterly Journal of         Speech, 103(4), 329-349.

Crosby, B. C., & Bryson, J. M. (2005). Leadership for the common good: Tackling public              problems in a shared-power world (Vol. 264). John Wiley & Sons.

Hinton, E. (2016). From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime. Harvard University Press.

 
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