Western Modernity and Rugged Individualism

[methodius]

Someone posted a picture on a social medium recently, I think it was Twitter, which seemed to me to encapsulate the spirit of Western Modernity, and the ideal of rugged individualism.

Comments

[kalimac]

What "It takes a village to raise a child means" is that the entire community, not just the parents and family, contribute to the child's growing maturity and socialization. Without that experience, the child may be stunted.

And it isn't Western Civilization which disagrees with this. Actually Western Civilization tends to teach the same lesson, as witness any number of children's stories about children interacting with and learning life lessons from neighbors and friends. It was Republicans who disputed this, and they disputed it not because they'd actually thought through the question, but as an opportunity to bash Hillary Clinton.

It takes a village to raise a child

[methodius]

The Republicans may have popularised the phrase in order to bash Hillary Clinton, but the assumption that such a bashing would have the desired effect is that the majority of people are suspicious of, distrust, or are opposed to human community.