I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who bemoaned the thick-headedness of his peers in his political philosophy course. As he noted, political conversations, especially those held on campus today, have become increasingly hostile in nature. I’m sure anyone who has talked politics has had a similar experience at some point or another. It truly points to an inherent problem rife in American politics: egoism.
As fellow Technician columnist Lauren Richards explained in her column about the importance of accepting mistakes, “There is no place that better displays this type of thinking than the political arena.” And as she points out, no one is guiltless in this. Another one of my fellow writers, Benjamin Guadarrama made it clear that now, more than ever, political discourse is vital to the progress of the nation.
We as a people have pushed for more democratic institutions, a decision that will necessitate more involvement from everyone. If we don’t talk with each other, Guadarrama suggests, it “will propel the nation further apart.”
Guadarrama answered the question of why we should talk with each other about politics. Richards then pointed out the lack of ability of most people to hold fruitful conversations about tough topics. For me, the question then becomes: “Why do we have such unproductive political discussions in the United States?”
Richards did a good job of highlighting the psychological reasons, so I’d like to identify the cultural reasons. After all, psychological conditions can exist anywhere, but egoism seems to be much more potent in the United States.
In searching for this answer, I asked Dr. Jason Bivins, a professor in the philosophy and religion studies department, why our culture is so conducive to egoism. He identified a sharp level of individualism that was promoted as a pinnacle of American virtue.
“Dating as far back as the 1830s … the most popular tales have been the pioneers and individual go-getter stories like Davy Crockett, the California Gold Rush miners and the Wild West cowboys,” Bivins said.
In more modern contexts, get-rich-quick schemes still capture the eye of any American viewer, whether it be an influencer day-trading cryptocurrency or hypermasculine men like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson flashing wealth and fame as attainable only through misogynistic conquest.
It is clear individualism in America has produced a culture that reeks of materialism, status and greed. These ideals have been ingrained in the American psyche, engulfing us in a society of near-narcissism and toxic isolation.
In discussing ego with Dr. Anthony Solari, an assistant professor in the school of public and international affairs, he noted this toxic development as an intrinsic part of our society. In speaking of American culture, Solari said, “Our culture, and capitalism as a driver of that culture, is going to create individuals that have an inflated sense of self.”
Many political thinkers, dating back to the early days of our republic, have warned of this narcissistic individualism.
Notably, Alexis de Tocqueville said in Democracy in America, the degradation of community institutions as a result of isolation results in the degradation of democracy. More importantly, Tocqueville tells us we need to find the commonality of Americans.
What makes America great is that, as a result of our high levels of ethnic and ancestral diversity, we connect with one another through a common idealistic thread — the American dream. This dream is not to make ourselves better, but to form a better society.
The narcissistic nature of Americans today however is a product of the reckless, capitalist drive to create something new — not for the betterment of society, but for the recognition of greatness and wealth for the individual. This narcissism has fundamentally changed how we speak about politics today.
Therefore, the best way to begin reforming our political conversations, whether they be with the Brickyard preachers or in a political philosophy class, is to remember why the conversation is being held. Politics in America exist to better all people, not to belittle them. Insulting and diminishing individuals during a debate does nothing but force them to double down and get unnecessarily defensive.
In addition to this, it reinforces preconceived notions of the necessity of individual isolation. The last thing a burgeoning democracy needs is isolation and fear of retribution for contributing to a debate.
We need a reckoning in American society — one that infuses individualism with reasonability. Many American failures, however you may define them, stem from a lack of faith in each other. Once these two ideas can work together, we can begin conversations on the premise of lifting up other Americans, rather than tearing each other down.
