Final answer:
The first Western thought to assert inherent individual self-sufficiency and society's role in preserving freedom is libertarianism, linked to classical liberalism. This theory promotes minimal government interference with personal autonomy, reflected in works by Rousseau, Sartre, and Adam Smith.
Step-by-step explanation:
The influential theory in Western thought that posited individuals as inherently self-sufficient and argued that society's existence is primarily to preserve an individual's freedom is libertarianism, also known as classical liberalism. This theory, alongside modern liberalism, existentialism, and anarchism, emphasizes the individual's primacy over the state and promotes personal autonomy and rights.
Libertarianism advocates for minimal government interference, arguing that individuals possess natural rights that should be respected and protected by the government, but without imposing excessive constraints that could compromise personal freedoms. It is paralleled by arguments found in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract, although he contends that a balance between individual freedoms and state sovereignty is necessary for a legitimate state.
Existentialists, like Jean-Paul Sartre, take the concept of individual freedom to an even more radical level, viewing it as inherent to human existence and accompanied by a profound sense of responsibility. Anarchist theory furthers these ideologies, suggesting that there is little to no justification for a state to impose its will upon individuals, championing absolute autonomy.
These ideas are deeply rooted in Western thought and can be traced back to Enlightenment philosophers like Adam Smith and to the essence of economic liberalism, which posits that government should not interfere in free markets and that natural rights should be safeguarded.