SST3771-ABED: 1.3.8 Collectivism as an Ideology

"From each according to his ability; to each according to his need"

Karl Marx

When you think about collectivist societies, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

...a highly controlled communist state where private property is illegal and citizens have few freedoms?
...a communal society where people live in harmony and share their wealth?
...a society in which people are free to make most of their own decisions but also contribute to the common good through taxation?

All of these societies reflect various degrees of collectivism.

Consider the quote on the left:

How does it reflect collectivist principles?
Do you agree with the perspective that is reflected on the T-shirt?

Using the diagram below, review the principles of collectivism introduced on page 1.3.3. It is imperative you understand and can apply these principles in subsequent tasks.

It is very challenging to study ideologies, as they tend to evolve over time. Two societies may call themselves socialist, but they will slightly differ depending on their practice. Some countries may place greater emphasis on some collectivist principles, while other more extreme ideologies like communism, will prioritize every principle above individual rights and freedoms. Despite their emphasis, these collectivist principles can be found in all left wing ideologies. We study the following ideologies in subsequent units.

Communism

Communism is an ideology based on revolution and the premise "From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need". Essentially, the needs of the state or the collective are prized above individual wants.

The ideology was founded on the ideas of Karl Marx, who believed that history revealed a cycle of oppression, where the owners of production exploited the working poor. Marx believed that the workers of the nation must rise up and take power through revolution to establish a truly equal and classless society.

In practice, communist states have been unsuccessful both economically and politically. You will study communism in Unit Three and Six.

Socialism

Public Domain

Socialism is used to describe several ideologies. Historically, socialism was an ideology based on the belief that resources should be owned and controlled by the public for the benefit of everyone in society.

However, many countries today practise what is known as social democracy or democratic socialism. These are democratic countries in which people vote for changes to the economic structure so that there will be greater equality.

This can include greater taxes for the rich, more social programs to help the disadvantaged, and the nationalization of resources.
To differing degrees, both Canada and Sweden are social democracies. This will be studied in greater depth during Unit Six.