Role of Individualism in Europe from 1700 to 1950

“The surest defense against Evil is extreme individualism, originality of thinking, whimsicality, even-if you will-eccentricity. That is, something that can’t be feigned, faked, imitated; something even a seasoned imposter couldn’t be happy with” (Brodsky). Up until the late 1600s, European history was marked by a medieval structure consisting of religious traditions and practices. People’s ideals were recognized by the rulers of their nations and the clergy. Individualism became crucial to people’s lives throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries because of the key social movements and changing political structures.

The enlightenment was one of the key eras that challenging the role of religion in people’s lives and therefore brought fundamental change. Two of the big promoters of change for the individual were John Locke and Adam Smith. Together, they worked to put the individual at the top echelon of society instead of the bottom. The ideas that he promoted for the individual went totally against all modes of thought for his day. To him, the individual was the most important element of society, even coming before government. In his "Two Treatises of

In conclusion, life in society for an individual went through many changes from 1750 to 1950 and the role of change was one that placed greater emphasis on each person as a separate entity. It was no longer selfish to act for one's own fulfillment. This view came about because of innovative thinkers like Locke and Smith, proving that if you have a big enough lever you can move the world. Also through the movements of Nationalism, Romanticism, Industrialization, and WWII, individualism was more emphasized and explored by people leading to our modern society.

WWII was another vital step to the increasing role of individuals in the social structure of Europe. The war made people rebel against the political tyranny of the dictators such as Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler and prefer a more democratic form of government. It also increased the demand for Women workers to replace the men, which gave Women more control over their wages and their working conditions. After WWII, the dictator form of government lost much of its former popularity and democracy began to spread into Italy and Germany. The war created political structures that favored individual ideas over that of one ruler.

Romanticism and Nationalism were two political movements that assisted the ideas individualism on a larger scale. Romanticism stressed the liberation of human emotions and the free

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