We use terms such as "culture", "society", "societal problem", "common good", without really checking ourselves against incorrect understanding of these terms. Because they are designated by words, we implicitly treat them as monolithic blocs. There are singular cultures, societies, and we can brandish them around as atomic standards. Thus we say that a person is part of this or that culture, this or that society, this or that race, and so on.
But if we look at the issue ontologically, we do not observe such entities around us. All that we do see, are individuals with specific attributes and preferences. There is no singular "culture", but rather individuals with preferences. There is no "society", but rather individuals living under the self-appointed jurisdiction of certain institutions. There is no "societal problem", but rather some individuals burdened with a problem and others trying to exploit that problem for their benefit. There is no "common good", but rather some individuals who benefit from others.
Usage of these terms usually indicates that someone is trying to control a situation to his advantage. "Society" and "culture" are used as means to keep everyone in line with the accepted authorities and accepted beliefs. "Societal problems" and "common good" are used as means to get everyone burdened with a "solution" which usually involves deepening the problem for the profit of authorities. The authorities I am referring to, of course, are usually the governments in place, big corporations, intellectual elites, and friends of the state.
Failing to grasp the ontological individualism of systems has far-reaching consequences. It has led a great deal of people, even good-meaning people, to a great deal of suffering. In fact, this collectivist illusion is perhaps one of the worst evils ever fostered in the mind of man.
I am talking about the assumption that we need a singular, fundamental entity to explain or control systems. Included in this assumption are many of the anti-spiritual delusions that science and philosophy have dispelled, but which remain strongly imprinted in Western thought : that a god is necessary to explain the complexity of nature, that a soul is necessary to explain the functioning of the mind, that a government is necessary to control society, and more loosely, that a doctrine or leader is necessary to control our personal lives (all different types of collectivist thinking).
