ABSTRACT
Renaissance individualism has left behind a brilliant image of great men, but without great consequence as far as individualism is concerned. The novelists in particular had a great influence in this respect, for they promoted the individualism of character formation by focusing on the sentiments and passions of their protagonists, depicting the struggles of emotion and conscience, the conflict of love and duty, and other such personal predicaments. Science and technology had an even more profound influence on individualism through the spread of a rational and enlightened mentality beyond the small circles of so-called natural philosophers, who were the earliest scientists. The main reason that individualism is on the rise everywhere is because traditionalism is on the wane. The collectivist and communal restrictions on individuals of traditional societies are breaking down under the catalytic impact of the Forces of Modernity.
