Important and The Most Important

Problems in Individualism and Holism in logic of Philosophy Of Social Science is one of the most complicated issue that one can encounter. Its implications are far reaching. 

Socially, it expresses in the forms of division between man and the society. Metaphysically, it is the same problem that plays out in the discussion on the nature of reality, of being; whether ultimate reality is a one whole or multiple wholes, or multiple non-wholes come together to form the single whole or none of these. Epistemologically, it can play out as as knowledge of oneself vs the knowledge of mankind, along with its numerous variation. Ethically, it can express as the value of judgement of one person vs the value of judgement of people at large, whether life in itself is valuable or if the value changes from one to another then on what grounds. Probably, it is the same problem between the theist and the atheist; former believing in a typical collective entity, the latter denying that entity. In Indian context its playing out between the Astika and the NAstika. Existentially, it is the same problem playing out between the self and world, between consciousness and matter, between nothing and everything.

In my view, Individual is primary. World cannot be known with as much certainty as the self. If everyone began with oneself then the other, the social, the better, the good will become still clearer.