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Individualism (Public Administration)
Considered the very cornerstone of modern identity, this concept grants primacy to the individual actor. Interestingly, the celebration of a person's unique identity denotes a relatively recent phenomenon; people have long been historically defined more by their role within the collective (whether this be tribal or otherwise) than by any distinct or singular sense of self. Modern philosophers have deeply contemplated what being an individual therefore entails; is the notion of a sole identity granted at birth or only through one's membership within a larger collective? Furthermore, do individuals possess inherent rights, and if so, under what scenarios or circumstances may these rights be rescinded or restricted? While Kantians see individual agents as “ends in themselves,” utilitarians consider the individual's interests only in relation to ...