The thesis examines the genesis of the term individualism, which first appeared in 1820s France. It traces the term from its initial connotations, dating back to the first definitions of egoism in the final third of the 18th century, to its first appearance as a newly coined word. Since the term first appears in the philosophical doctrine of Saintsimonism, the thesis goes on to present the doctrine's main concepts and the definitions of the term individualism in early 19th-century French socialist thought. In doing so, it juxtaposes concepts such as industrialism, association, as well as specific interpretations of liberalism and socialism. The thesis then focuses on the shifts in the labelling of the relationship between democracy and individualism in Tocqueville, while tracing the interpretation of this relationship in other publications of the second half of the 19th century. Furthermore, it analyses the 20th century relationship between democracy and individualism, on the one hand, and liberalism, on the other. The thesis concludes with a reading of contemporary authors who have analyzed the ideals of liberal democracy and viewed contemporary individualism as a social pathology.
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