Scholars in some disciplines (reacting against the Jewish and Christian heritage) have rejected the idea of an externally imposed law. The individual's growth to maturity is inhibited by the regulation of all aspects of life; when maturity is defined in terms of independence and autonomy, laws are seen as shackles that weigh down the human spirit. Such echoes of individualism have been heard widely. But western societies which extol such a view of maturity now face the situation of isolated individuals whose experience of illness, old age or other human limitations leads them to see every loss of independence as a defeat, a sign of failure. A model of interdependence of individuals within the family and larger communities is much more realistic and healthy for both the person and the community.