Collectivism (disambiguation)

Collectivism, in general, is a term used to describe a theoretical or practical emphasis on the group, as opposed to, and seen by its opponents to be at the expense of, the individual. It is thus directly opposed to individualism, although many collectivists also derive their philosophy from a concern for the well-being of the individual.

The term collectivism is often used by opponents of the concept. As a result, collectivism can be seen as a pejorative term. Varieties of collectivism are distinguished in part by which group they mean, for example corporation, national, racial, religious, economic class, or all of humanity.

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 altruism.

Politics

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 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).

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 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.

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.

Anti-collectivism

As noted in the opening paragraphs of this article, the term "collectivism" itself is more often used by anti-collectivists than by anyone else. Some, such as Ayn Rand and those influenced by her, claim that collectivism is fallacious in theory and immoral in practice. Others make specific objections to specific issues that they see as part of collectivism. 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 either never truly existed, cannot exist, or cannot be sustained over time.

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Collectivism is also the name of a free magazine for Wolverhampton; see Collectivism (magazine).