A person who believes in or advocates for communitarian principles emphasizing community welfare and shared responsibility; or relating to such principles.
From community + -arian suffix (one who practices or believes in). Emerged in the 19th century as a philosophical stance distinct from communist ideology, emphasizing community over state.
Communitarians are not communists—this distinction matters: communitarians believe communities should solve problems together, while communists believe in collective ownership of property; today's 'communitarian' philosophers critique both capitalism AND state communism.
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