The new state : $b Group organization the solution of popular governmentFollett, Mary Parker
Science
The new state : $b Group organization the solution of popular government
Follett, Mary Parker
Democracy; Political participation; Social psychology; State, The
Thus no one of course undertakes to deny the obvious fact that in order
to have a society a certain amount of similarity must exist. In one
sense society rests on likeness: the likeness between men is deeper than
their difference. We could not have an enemy unless there was much in
common between us. With my friend all the aims that we share unite us.
In a given society the members have the same interests, the same ends,
in the main, and seek a common fulfilment. Differences are always
grounded in an underlying similarity. But all this kind of “similarity”
isn’t worth mentioning because we _have_ it. The very fact that it is
common to us all condemns it from the point of view of progress.
Progress does not depend upon the similarity which we _find_ but upon
the similarity which we _achieve_.
The new psychology, therefore, gives us individual responsibility as the
central fact of life because it demands that we grow our own
like-mindedness. To-day we are basing all our hopes not on the given
likeness but the created unity. To rest in the given likeness would be
to annihilate social progress. The organization of industry and the
settlement of international relations must come under the domination of
this law. The Allies are fighting to-day with one impulse, one desire,
one aim, but at the peace table many differences will arise between
them. The progress of the whole world at that moment will depend upon
the “similarity” we can create. This “similarity” will consist of all we
now hold in common and also, of the utmost importance for the
continuance of civilization, upon our ability to unify our differences.
If we go to that peace table with the idea that the new world is to be
based on that community of interest and aim which now animates us, the
disillusion will be great, the result an overwhelming failure.
Let us henceforth, therefore, use the word unifying instead of
similarity to represent the basis of association. And let us clearly
understand that unifying is a process involving the continuous activity
of every man. To await “variation-giving” individuals would be to make
life a mere chance. We cannot wait for new ideas to appear among us, we
must ourselves produce them. This makes possible the endless creation of
new social values. The old like-minded theory is too fortuitous, too
passive and too negative to attract us; creating is the divine
adventure.
Let us imagine a group of people whom we know. If we find the life of
that group consisting chiefly of imitation, we see that it involves no
activity of the real self but crushes and smothers it. Imitation
condemns the human race. Even if up to the present moment imitation has
been a large factor in man’s development, from this moment on such a
smothering of all the forces of life must cease.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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