Chapter 4 showed that emancipative values are on the rise throughout the postindustrial world and beyond. Furthermore, Chapter 5 illustrated that the rise of emancipative values involves profound changes in people’s entire life strategy. In light of these findings, emancipative values constitute a significant phenomenon. Hence, it is important to understand the further implications of these values. Unless we do so, we miss the gist of global cultural change.

There is a heated controversy over the implications of emancipative values. The debate centers on the accurate interpretation of modernization and one of its signature features: individualization. The dispute echoes a fundamental dissent among social observers on whether individualization is in harmony or in conflict with human nature, whether individualization diminishes or advances human well-being, and whether it is a curse or a blessing for society. With their emphasis on freedom of choice and equality of opportunities, emancipative values embody the spirit of individualization: as we have seen in Chapter 2, emancipative values correlate closely with societal-level measures of individualism. Accordingly, the debate over the good and evil of individualization touches directly on emancipative values.