Question

What is the danger of excessive individualism according to Durkheims theory? Is the danger positive or negative?

Answer 1

• Egoistic Suicide occurs in a society where there is excessive individualism, that is, low social integration. Egoistic suicide is committed by people who are not strongly supported by membership in a cohesive social group.
• The egoist is unhappy because he sees nothing "real" in the world besides the individual, the egoist sees no goal to which he might commit himself, and thus feels useless and without purpose. The melancholy of the egoist is one of incurable weariness and sad depression.
• Durkheim contended that the reasons why people kill themselves by their own hand or invite it at the hands of others is far from being a random or idiosyncratic matter. For each social group, he contended, there is a specific tendency to suicide that depends upon social causes.
  
• It could be dangerous because if the individual does not considers himself to be socially integrated with the norms of the society they do consider themselves a prey to commiting suicides.
• According to Durkheim,two causes could be there for suicides.First, within the individual psychological constitution there might exist an inclination, normal or pathological, varying from country to country, which directly leads people to commit suicide. Second, the nature of the external physical environment (climate, temperature, etc.) might indirectly have the same effect.
• If a person is too egostic and too self engrossed and doesnt consider himself useful to the society or morality it can become dangerous for the person to live like this by not developing any ties with the community and therefore could lead to suicide.
• Confromity with social groups is important to lead a normal life. To be a good and contributive member of the society is important to live a social and sane life.