Individualism denies that a community or a society has an existence apart from the individuals that make up that community or society. A community or society is a collection of individuals it is not some concrete thing or living organism distinct from its members. To use an abstract term such as community or society is to refer to certain persons sharing particular characteristics and related in specifiable ways. There is no such thing as the general will, collective reason, or group welfare apart from, and other than, that possessed by each individual in a group. A community or a society is simply the association of persons for cooperative action.
Individualism involves the idea that society is no more than the sum of individuals comprising it.
Created by the interaction of individuals, society is what individuals make it. The social contract is a fiction. Corporations are viewed as expressions of individual freedom, do not derive their power from society, owe nothing to the community, and need only pay taxes and adhere to government regulations. Closely related to individualism are the ideas of equal opportunity and contract. It follows that the social responsibility of the corporation, through its directors, managers, and other employees, is simply to respect the natural rights of individuals.