Communitarianism

Category: Theoretical approaches

Communitarianism is a moral, social, and political intellectual endeavor that originated in the early 1980s as a critical reaction to John Rawls’s book A Theory of Justice (1971), and also as an opposition to classical liberalism. Unlike liberalism's emphasis on individual rights, communitarians emphasize the value of community and community life. Communitarians also oppose the political priority of the state. They champion a conception of community based on the values of responsibility, morality, family, and civic values. The communitarian idea of citizenship is based on the individual responsibility to their community (communal commitments, obligations, and allegiances), which come with being a member of some community, especially in areas of schooling, neighborhood control, and policing.

Communitarians oppose ‘atomism’ and individualism of liberalism and stress the social nature of individuals and their identities. The „unencumbered self” (Sandel), which precedes its social roles and values to communitarians, does not exist. They also accentuate the importance of historical and social contexts when constructing their theories and values. For them, the content of values and norms is directly linked to their particular and local contexts, and not to abstract principles. Values and norms are formed and made stronger by family, workplace, and democratic participation in the life of the community. Some of the most famous and influential communitarians are Daniel Bell, Amitai Etzioni, Alasdair MacIntyre, Michael Sandel, Philip Selznick, Charles Taylor, and Michael Walzer.

Etzioni believes that the individual should act and develop within their community. Due to capitalism and excessive individualism, communities are collapsing. Etzioni sees this process as very dangerous because only strong communities can respond to the needs of society efficiently and reflectively. On the other hand, individuals who actively participate in the development of their community become more responsible citizens. Etzioni believes that it is necessary, in cases of a serious emergency and great danger, to limit some constitutionally guaranteed rights to protect the community and individuals, because, according to him, "radical individualism" would jeopardize social responsibility. He also emphasizes the need to increase tolerance and mutual understanding between different communities. In the book Moral Dimension (1988), Etzioni studied the motives of individuals that influence their social behavior. The behavior of individuals is guided by two key types of motives: achieving happiness and fulfilling a moral duty. The relationship between these two motives is changing from society to society, as well as throughout history, so social theory must understand the dynamics of forces that affect these two forms of motivation.

Benjamin Barber was one of the leading American theorists of communitarian democracy. Barber values communities of all kinds and political engagement at every level, contending that both human fulfillment and social justice require direct participation in collective governance. In his seminal work Strong Democracy (1984), he argues—drawing on Aristotle—that human beings are inherently social due to their capacities for reason, language, and political deliberation. Influenced by thinkers such as Rousseau and Hegel, Barber critiques the individualism of British liberalism and advocates for political participation, direct democracy, and active citizen involvement in collective decision-making. He maintains that democracy is not only a system of government but also a way of life, one in which power flows from the grassroots upward and individual rights are balanced by social responsibilities. Since individuals are fundamentally interdependent, true freedom, in his view, lies in participating in the creation of the laws that govern society. His emphasis on participatory democracy distinguishes his dialectical approach to politics, in which theory must be joined to action as practical engagement. Barber rejects the notion of moral absolutes, arguing instead that concepts such as justice, freedom, equality, rights, and liberty acquire their meaning through democratic practice. In Strong Democracy, he also proposes concrete reforms to realize these ideals, including interactive public television, multi-option referenda, universal national service, and democratic oversight of the economy.

Authors: Benjamin Barber, Daniel Bell, Amitai Etzioni, Alasdair MacIntyre, Martin Buber, Michael Sandel, Philip Selznick, Charles Taylor, and Michael Walzer.

References:

Barber, Benjamin. Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age (1984);

- Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age, Twentieth Anniversary Revision (2004)

- If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities (2013);

- Cool Cities: Urban Sovereignty and the Fix for Global Warming (2017).

Bell. Communitarianism and its Critics (1993);

Bellah, Robert. The Good Society (1991);

Coughlin, Richard. Morality, Rationality, and Efficiency (1991);

Etzioni, Amitai. The Essential Communitarian Reader (1998);

- The New Golden Rule (1996);

- New Communitarian Thinking (1995);

- The Spirit of Community (1993);