Collectivism Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
- For the descriptive terminology as used in anthropology and psychology, see Collectivist and Individualist cultures.
- For the collectivism in the economic sense, see Collectivism (communist).
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2 Supporters and detractors 3 Theory 4 Politics 5 Economics 6 Practice 7 Anti-collectivism 8 References |
Usage
The term collectivism is often used by opponents of the concept. As a result, collectivism can be seen as a pejorative term. Thus the various ideologies labeled as collectivist are not unanimously agreed to. Some of those referred to at times by use of the term are:
Some types of collectivism state that the good of the group is more important than the good of the individual, while others argue that, since any group is ultimately made up of individuals, the individual serves his own interests by serving the group's interests (in other words, as the group prospers, all members of the group prosper). Collectivism may also be associated with enforced altruism, such as publicly funded medicine.
Supporters and detractors
There is much baggage with the term, and is considered diametrically opposed to Individualism and libertarianism, with Noam Chomsky and Ayn Rand among its detractors. Marxism, communism and democratic socialism, as well as some labor organizations and certain forms of anarchism, are its most ardent proponents.
Both collectivism and individualism are interpreted differently by different people. In some cases, the same people may characterize themselves as both individualists and collectivists, depending on the situation. Anarchists, for example, are "individualists" in the sense that they believe in the absolute sovereignty of the individual, but "collectivists" in the sense that they believe a free society must abolish private property and that the best form of organization for free individuals would be communes.
In theory, collectivism is related closely, but not exclusive to, Socialism. Use of collectivism often refers to the strictly economomic side of socialist theory. The ideal of collectivism is the abolition of capitalist monopolies on property and capital. This capital most often includes public utilities, production machinery, natural resources and mineral rights, labour and especially real estate.
Some political systems are based on a form of collectivism known as corporatism - fascism in particular. Nationalism regards people with reference to their nationality. Marxism regards people with reference to their economic class.
Collectivism in the Marxist point of view could be considered anti-capitalistic, with emphasis on worker welfare over profit motive. Kinds of collectivism run the gamut of strict abolition of all personal property to much more moderate views, such as those in Israeli kibbutzes, where land is the collective propety. Socialized medicine could also be considered collectivism, the expense of health care and it's administration decided by democratic vote instead of private ownership.
Some political collectivists hold that different groups have competing interests, and that the individual's interests and characteristics are in fact tied up with the interests and characteristics of his or her group. In this line of thought, differences between groups are considered significant, while differences between individuals within groups, to the extent that they are acknowledged at all, are considered unimportant. Others feel that differences between groups are merely considered more significant than differences between individuals within groups.
Other political collectivists emphasize the notions of equality and solidarity, and see all human beings as part of the same group, with common interests. They maintain that competition and rivalry between individuals or smaller groups is overall counter-productive or detrimental, and should therefore be replaced with some form of cooperation.
There are also collectivists who combine the two views presented above, arguing, for example, that the present-day situation is the one presented in the first view (there are several competing groups), but that we should strive to reach the situation presented in the second view (one large cooperating group).
Anti-collectivists and others point out how this sort of reasoning has historically led to the repression of individual rights, which were sacrificed for the alleged good of the group.
Relying on individual choice for the provision of public goods is seen to lead to market failure and the free rider problem. Collective action, enforced by authorities, social pressure or coercion, is thus seen to be the only reliable means of ensuring a supply of a public good.
There are many examples of societies around the world which have characterized themselves or have been characterized by outsiders as "collectivist".
communist governments are the mainstay of such systems, with agricultural and industrial programs administrated by the government. Collectivism is used widely in China and was the basis of the Soviet Union's economic policies.
Other examples include Israeli kibbutzes on which the people live and farm together without ownership. In Denmark, the Freetown Christiania, a small anarchist political experiment centered around an abandoned military installation in Copenhagen, has laws abolishing private property, and can also be cited as a collectivist community.
Collectivism was implemented as a governmental institution after the October Revolution in Russia with the collectivist farms implemented by V.I. Lenin and the confiscation of agricultural monopolies owned by the Kulaks, or feudal lords who thrived during czarist rule.
Collectivism is not without criticism. The rejection of capitalism is often cited as causing a lack of incentive in the labor market, since no one will either make a profit or advance in position through accumulation of wealth. The development of a welfare state to support those who cannot or refuse to work can lead to abuse of that system, leading to no production.
Another opposing view is that collectivism lends itself to extreme inefficiency and an oligarchic control over property and capital.
There are those who argue (such as Karl Kautsky) that mixed collectivism, with only partial control of capital by the government and a minority of capitalist entrepeneurs, may ameliorate this problem. Communist regimes rely on totalitarianism and often resort to quotas and Police state, Anti-Democratic politics in order to maintain production.
If controlled by democratic process, concensus is needed in most matters for the administration of the resources and property, which can lead to partisan disputes and delays. Regardless of the govenmental system, Collectivism nearly always leads to economic stagnation.
The other side of the coin is government control of property, leading to another kind of monopoly more oppressive than the capitalist system it replaces.
Some, such as Ayn Rand and many influenced by her, supporters of an ideology called objectivism, claim that collectivism is fallacious in theory and immoral in practice. Many anti-collectivists argue that collectivist emphasis on the group suppresses individual rights (while many collectivists argue that their policy is aimed at maximizing the rights and benefits of all - or most - individuals within a group).
In The strange death of capitalist individualism J A Banks argues that liberal capitalism has been succeeded by a system of "private collectivism", based upon large, hierarchical, and often transnational corporations. These corporations regard their employees as dispensable, interchangeable commodities, ignoring their individuality and only purchasing labour that requires a minimum set of skills. Oligarchic directors with vastly inflated salaries lead from the top of steep corporate hierarchies and are often unaccountable even to shareholders. Private collectivism contrasts with the traditional capitalist mode of production, in which individual capitalists employed workers, invested in capital and collected profits directly, rather than a collective organization (the joint stock corporation).
Anti-capitalists generally see such developments as the inevitable result of capitalism, and argue that the idealized version of capitalism that is supported by Banks and others is something that never truly existed, cannot exist, or cannot be sustained over time.
This is an Article on Collectivism. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Collectivism Theory
Politics
Economics
Since collectivism is a very broad category, it is very difficult to define what exactly constitutes a "collectivist" position on a certain issue. However, generally speaking, collectivism in the field of economics holds that capital and land should be owned by the group (and presumably used for the benefit of all) rather than being owned by individuals. Central to this view is the concept of the commons, as opposed to private property. Often, collectivists argue that many (perhaps all) valued commodities are public goods, and are difficult to, or should not be privatized, such as environmental goods, national defense, law enforcement and information goods. Practice
Anti-collectivism
References
Collectivism is also the name of a free magazine for Wolverhampton; see Collectivism (magazine).