Methodological Individualist
Methodological Individualism is a philosophical system that privileges the Individual as sovereign. According to methodological individualism, social phenomena can be explained by showing that they are the outcome of individual behaviors.
Especially in terms of Economics, where the individual person is thought to make certain 'rational' judgements to maximise utility. From this premise the entire organisation of economic system can to be explained.
In politics it is the underlying assumption of Liberalism which has a naive conception of a self that is unhistorical and universal. Often methodological individualists will claim that they have no political opinion - rather that they are just rational and using common-sense. Critics have argued that 'rationality' is itself a typically male, western construction and that more important is the question of who's commonsense? For example, commonsense notions in the US, eg women's rights, are very different from those in Iran.
In science the use of methodological individualism can be used to claim an objective stance from reality which has been criticised by postmodernists and feminists amongst others.
Critics of methodological individualism have been philosophers and sociologists such as Karl Marx
A much neglected aspect of methodical individualism is the realisation that reality can, by definition, only be experienced and mediated by an individual's consciousness.
Famous Methodological Individualists
Referenced By
Liberalism
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