Why are economists individualists? There is a two-part  
answer: we aim to explain growth and we know that we  
possess imagination, creativity, and inventiveness.  
  
We can identify qualities that appear similar to the  
imagination, creativity, and inventiveness of human  
beings in the higher animals. The forces of evolution  
produce qualities that can also be superficially  
described by using these words.  
  
But in economics, these words are ordinarily used for  
a specific purpose. They are used to help explain the  
wealth of nations (progress) under the system of  
"natural liberty" (the free market economy). In this  
use, their meaning is completely unrelated to higher  
animals and the forces of evolution.  
  
Economists adopt the viewpoint of individualism partly  
because of their goal of explaining the wealth of  
nations. Of course, many economists do not even think  
about a goal. And others have more mundane goals that  
are unrelated to that of Adam Smith. But it seems to  
me that we should focus on the driver of the cart  
rather than on the cart, the horse, or the objects  
that the horse and cart disturb along the highway.  
  
Pat Gunning