Facts Not Explained by Methodological Collectivism
(optional material, p. 7)
Why does "the people" turn against itself in a fully socialized society? Since the intent of such societies is to integrate the "social will" fully into a common unit, why do we witness massive purges, concentration camps, power struggles, and widespread cynicism, suspiciousness, and paranoia?
Why is the birth rate higher among Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles than among their culturally similar cousins in Mexico City, even though the immigrants enjoy a higher standard of living? What causes this exception to the generally accepted principle of the "demographic transition"? (Section 5 will explain this anomaly, by reference to individual human action.)
What causes the widely observable phenomenon of "the tragedy of the commons"? Why do sheepherders who share a common grazing area use that area wastefully, when conservation would be to the clear benefit of the group? If they act as a group, then why do they act against their own interest? Why are the African elephant and black rhino disappearing only from those African countries that recognize them as a national resource? If these animals belong to "society," then why does it act against its own interest, by driving them to the edge of extinction instead of conserving them?
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