CEVAP:

The concept of individualism became popular as the result of social movements at the end of the 18th century. Individualism was often said to be the foundation for the kind of democracy practiced in the United States. The United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 says that the individual is the most important part of a democracy. Understanding this concept helps explain that the values of the individual were seen as more important than those of political groups, of levels of government, and, of course, the leadership of the British monarchy. Social systems were expected to support the individual’s desire for self-fulfillment and happiness. This was the official expectation of government, even though the actual communities that people lived in set different rules and standards of behavior for the sake of social protection, for national security, and for the economy. Other governments since then have reflected the same idea of values centered on the wellbeing of the individual.