What a democratic nation must do is not to accept human nature as it is, but to move in the direction of its improvement.

The question it must answer is: How can it contribute to the increase of American individuality?
The defender of the existing system must be able to show either (1) that it does contribute to the increase of American individuality; or that (2) whatever its limitations, the substitution of some better system is impossible.
Of course, a great many defenders of the existing system will unequivocally declare that it does contribute effectually to the increase of individuality, and it is this defense which is most dangerous, because it is due, not to any candid consideration of the facts, but to unreasoning popular prejudice and personal self-justification.

The existing system contributes to the increase of individuality only in case individuality is deprived of all serious moral and intellectual meaning.

In order to sustain their assertion they must define individuality, not as a living ideal, but as the psychological condition produced by any individual action.

In the light of such a definition every action performed by an individual would contribute to individuality; and, conversely, every action performed by the state, which conceivably could be left to individuals, would diminish individuality.