The Bible and Rugged Individualism

Biblical traditions recall the deeds of many women who acted decisively and effectively on behalf of both themselves and others in the community. Unlike the contemporary ideal – or idol – of the entrepreneur or self-made man, most of these women, while certainly enterprising, as well as courageous, were not simply out to advance their own interests. Instead, their actions were meant to contribute to the well-being of other persons and of the larger communities in which they lived.

Several biblical texts emphasize the importance of caring for widows and other vulnerable persons in the community. Laws intended to assist such persons can be characterized aptly as “biblical social welfare legislation,” which provided them a kind of safety net or social security through a series of practical arrangements. Throughout the Old Testament it is understood that YHWH was concerned with the welfare of his people. Biblical laws regularly give expression to this same concern.

Old Testament law and practice can be contrasted with the modern ideology of autonomous (or rugged) individualism. In its extreme form, proponents of this ideology insist that it is right to seek one’s own advantage, but wrong to assist others except in exchange for equal value received.[1] According to this vision, life from cradle to grave consists of a perpetual process of bargaining or trading value for value.[2] The tacit corollary is that social safety nets are anathema, and that people who are unable to pay their own way should be so obliging as to perish quietly, preferably out of sight, without disturbing the more fortunate. Those who cannot pay their way, including children, the ill, disabled, unemployed, disaster victims, future generations, and all kinds of domestic animals and wildlife, do not count, since, necessarily, they are unable to exchange quid pro quo with present-day entrepreneurs.

It may be appropriate to mention that something like rugged individualism is said to have been at the root of the brutal anarchy, characterized by rape, murder, civil war, genocide, and the nearly total disintegration of what had been the emerging nation of Israel that obtained during the latter part of the Period of the Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.”[3]

In our time, people who care about others are sometimes dismissed as bleeding hearts or liberals. And persons who serve in helping professions such as school teachers, nurses, public defenders, and primary care physicians – whether male or female – are likely to be paid substantially less than those who undertake to advance their careers in more prestigious and remunerative vocations. The apparent rational for such low esteem and compensation seems to be that helping others is considered less important than helping one’s self.[4] Only a few decades ago, in the McCarthy era, many Americans believed that people who were concerned about others in the community must be “communists,” “socialists,” and anyhow “un-American.” It is significant that there is no basis in biblical tradition for the notion that there is something wrong or unworthy about caring for or serving the welfare of others and the larger community. Quite the contrary.

Richard Hiers ’54 B.A, ’57 B.D., ’59 M.A., ’61 Ph.D. is Professor of Religion, emeritus, and Affiliate Professor of Law, emeritus, at the University of Florida. This excerpt from his new book, Women’s Rights and the Bible: Implications for Christian Ethics and Social Policy (Pickwick Publications), is granted with permission of the publisher.