Just Say No to Collectivism

The "fire" of personal agency (individualism) represents the unquenchable spark of self-determination that the U.S. Constitution bestows upon every American citizen. This agency is not a mere privilege granted by government but a natural endowment, a burning force that empowers individuals to pursue their destinies free from arbitrary constraints.

The Founders, drawing from Enlightenment ideals and their own revolutionary experiences, envisioned a nation where personal sovereignty reigns supreme, rejecting the shackles of inherited hierarchies and collective identities that had plagued human history. By embedding principles of equality, free speech, and freedom of religion—or, more broadly, free thought—into the nation's framework, they lit a beacon for individual rights that continues to illuminate the American experiment and its success. 

At the heart of this vision lies the foundational belief that every human being possesses inherent, unalienable rights. The Declaration of Independence, penned primarily by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, articulates this clearly: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This assertion was not mere rhetoric; it was a radical departure from centuries of collectivism, where rights were doled out based on class, skin color, nationality, or religion. The Founders sought to excise these divisions, forging a society of sovereign individuals rather than subordinated groups. Jefferson further elaborated on this in his writings, defining rightful liberty as "unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."

Here, liberty is individualized—bounded only by the equal claims of fellow citizens, not by collective mandates or royal decrees.This emphasis on individual over group rights was a deliberate rejection of Old World tyrannies. In Europe, feudal systems and monarchies had long prioritized communal obligations and inherited statuses, often at the expense of personal autonomy.

The Founders, influenced by thinkers like John Locke, inverted this paradigm. John Adams captured the divine origin of these rights, stating, "Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker." Benjamin Franklin echoed this sentiment: "Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature." Such declarations underscore that rights inhere in the person, not the collective.

The Constitution's Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, operationalized this by safeguarding free speech and freedom of religion in the First Amendment, ensuring that no group—be it a majority faction or a religious sect—could infringe upon an individual's conscience or expression. James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," warned in Federalist No. 10 of the dangers of factions, arguing that the protection of diverse individual faculties, from which property rights arise, is "the first object of government."

This framework prioritized the unique sovereignty of each citizen, dismantling barriers rooted in arbitrary group identities.Quotes from the Founders and founding documents further verify this entitlement to individual freedom. Patrick Henry, in his fiery oratory, proclaimed, "The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government—lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."

This reflects the Founders' intent to empower citizens as active agents in their governance, not passive subjects of collective will. Madison reinforced equality's centrality, noting, "All too will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression."

The Virginia Declaration of Rights, authored by George Mason in 1776 and influential on the Bill of Rights, declared that "all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights." These statements affirm that American citizenship confers a personal mantle of freedom, unencumbered by group-based privileges or penalties.Economic liberty, too, served as a vital catalyst for this individual agency and the nation's unparalleled financial success.

The Founders viewed property rights and free enterprise as extensions of personal sovereignty, essential for self-reliance and prosperity. Jefferson's inclusion of the "pursuit of Happiness" in the Declaration encompassed the right to acquire and dispose of property freely, drawing from Locke's emphasis on life, liberty, and estate.

Madison elaborated that "the diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate," must be protected to foster economic vitality. This philosophy unleashed entrepreneurial energies, transforming America from a colonial outpost into an economic powerhouse.

George Washington advocated for broad-based property ownership to ensure "the happiness of the lowest class of people because of the equal distribution of property." By rejecting monopolies, embracing free markets, and limiting government interference—principles embedded in the Constitution's Contract Clause—the Founders created a system where individual initiative drove innovation and wealth creation.

This economic individualism, untethered from collectivist controls, propelled the U.S. to global preeminence, as citizens pursued opportunities without the drag of class-bound economies.

Yet, the United States is not perfect nor will it ever be. No other country is either. The Founders' ideals clashed with realities which have been modified based on individual rights, not group rights.

Nonetheless, America remains the most original nation founded on the ideal of individual freedom, never collectives. As Franklin warned, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

This fire of personal agency, kindled in 1776 and enshrined in 1787, burns as a testament to human potential when individuals, not groups, are the locus of rights and responsibilities. It calls each generation to fan the flames, ensuring that liberty's warmth reaches every American.