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Mike Winther talks about another clash of worldviews with this lecture on individualism versus collectivism. The individual has value and the group has value, but collectivism puts the group higher than the individual. Whereas, individualism elevates the individual as the most important.
We learn about the biblical perspective of these two theories. Mike talks about authors who were in favor of collectivism including Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Communism was founded on the idea of collectivism. When it comes to public policy, we need to be able to recognize when one concept is elevated and understand the consequences of this. Mike shares wisdom, insights, and more!
You’ll Learn:
- [00:45] The theory of individualism places the individual as having the highest value. The theory of collectivism places the group as having the highest value.
- [01:56] Who should be allowed to get into the life raft? It’s probably not best to use human wisdom to decide who lives and dies.
- [04:24] Thinking collectively and devaluing the individual and valuing the group.
- [05:37] The economic system of communism is founded on the group being more important than the individual.
- [06:05] Is it okay to treat someone unjustly, because it’s better for the group?
- [08:07] The collectivist mindset and imposing the greater good on individuals.
- [11:27] The Bible has more passages on civil government than family and church government combined. We need to be more careful with the government that can use force.
- [12:39] The three God ordained institutions include family government, church government, and civil government. These are tools used to regulate society.
- [15:05] Government needs to work the way that God intended it to work.
- [16:22] Family government is given the broadest powers, then church, then society. When one government is stronger another is weaker.
- [17:48] Family government is given the tool of the rod. The Church government can remove fellowship and excommunicate.
- [19:40] The biblically modeled tool of discipline for the state is the sword.
- [21:41] Civil government is always a collective activity.
- [22:31] Another worldview battle we have is the ends versus the means.
- [25:46] The reason things are so contentious is because we have trained students to believe that the ends justify the means.
- [27:53] The Christian answer is that we are not responsible for the end result.
- [30:56] We need to focus on the path of the means.