ABSTRACT
Richard Cornuelle rightly thought that the inability to understand properly the character of associations was a consequence of an overly individualist emphasis, a suspicious aversion to any kind of communal activity beyond the commercial. Human action is the action and reaction of individuals; thus the analysis of any social relation must begin with the individual hence the principle of methodological individualism. The principle of methodological individualism is to be viewed not only in terms of analyzing human action, but also in terms of understanding the development of self-understanding arising from the individual's participation in different traditions. The methodological obligation to begin with the individual applies not only in the analysis of the relation of one individual to another, but also in the relation of the mind of the individual to objective knowledge or tradition. The individual today not only pursues his or her own interests but also understands himself or herself as a participant in the traditions of various associations.
