Is the typical American self-centered and greedy, or is there a civic-mindedness that yearns to bracket one's own interests? In other words, is there more to American society than being the sum of the parts? Is there something more than the aggregate? I don’t mean to criticize individualism here; creativity and liberty, for example, are individualistic traits that highlight a person's character and virtue. Nor do I mean to point to one of the two major parties. One could point to the democrats protecting unions at the expense of a free market for labor just as one could point to rich republicans holding tax cuts hostage unless they are included even though they could afford higher taxes. If there is something more to American politics than asserting one's own interests, who is to represent the civic component?
The full essay is at "Private Financial Interests."
