A political and social philosophy emphasizing the importance of community and collective welfare over individual interests, while respecting personal rights.
From communitarian + -ism suffix. Developed as a philosophical movement in the 20th century, particularly gaining prominence in the 1980s-90s as a 'third way' between capitalism and communism.
Communitarianism had a genuine intellectual revival in the 1980s-90s—philosophers like Michael Sandel, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Charles Taylor challenged the 'individual first' assumptions of liberal democracy, making it one of the few political philosophies actually gaining followers in recent decades.
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