Collectivism Quotes - Page 2

• The historical experience of socialist countries has sadly demonstrated that collectivism does not do away with alienation but rather increases it, adding to it a lack of basic necessities and economic inefficiency.

  Pope John Paul II

  Country, Socialist Countries, Historical

  Pope John Paul II (1996). “The Encyclicals of John Paul II”, Our Sunday Visitor (IN)

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• Democracy is four wolves and a sheep voting on dinner.

  Robert A. Heinlein

  Truth, Freedom, Knowledge

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• Among other grand achievements, F. A. Hayek had a remarkable career pointing out the flaws in collectivism. One of his keenest insights was that, paradoxically, any collectivist system necessarily depends on one individual (or small group) to make key social and economic decisions. In contrast, a system based on individualism takes advantage of the aggregate, or 'collective,' information of the whole society; through his actions each participant contributes his own particular, if incomplete, knowledge-information that could never be tapped by the individual at the head of a collectivist state.

  Sheldon Richman

  Keys, Incomplete Knowledge, Careers

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• Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority.

  Ayn Rand

  Rights, Liberty, Majority

  Ayn Rand (1964). “The Virtue of Selfishness”, p.100, Penguin

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• It is true that the virtues which are less esteemed and practiced now--independence, self-reliance, and the willingness to bear risks, the readiness to back one's own conviction against a majority, and the willingness to voluntary cooperation with one's neighbors--are essentially those on which the of an individualist society rests. Collectivism has nothing to put in their place, and in so far as it already has destroyed then it has left a void filled by nothing but the demand for obedience and the compulsion of the individual to what is collectively decided to be good.

  Friedrich August von Hayek

  Self, Risk, Independence

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• The main characteristic of collectivism is that it does not take notice of the individual's will and moral self-determination. In the light of its philosophy the individual is born into a collective and it is "natural" and proper for him to behave as members of this collective are expected to behave. Expected by whom? Of course, by those individuals to whom, by the mysterious decrees of some mysterious agency, the task of determining the collective will and directing the actions of the collective has been entrusted.

  Ludwig von Mises

  Determination, Philosophy, Agency

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• The argument for collectivism is simple if false; it is an immediate emotional argument. The argument for individualism is subtle and sophisticated; it is an indirect rational argument. And the emotional faculties are more highly developed in most men than the rational, paradoxically or especially even in those who regard themselves as intellectuals.

  Milton Friedman

  Simple, Men, Emotional

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• You know, face painting in non-Western cultures is a sign of collectivism, is a sign of one representing the community, it's not unique at all.

  Joseph Jarman

  Unique, Community, Western Culture

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• I don't envisage collectivism. There is no such animal, it is always individualism, sometimes the rest vote and sometimes they do not, and if they do they do and if they do not they do not.

  Gertrude Stein

  Animal, Vote, Sometimes

  Gertrude Stein (1974). “How Writing Is Written”

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• The public school system: "Usually a twelve year sentence of mind control. Crushing creativity, smashing individualism, encouraging collectivism and compromise, destroying the exercise of intellectual inquiry, twisting it instead into meek subservience to authority."

  Walter Karp

  Crush, Creativity, School

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• The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand. The fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism.

  Paul Ryan

  Mistake, Fighting, Would Be

  "Paul Ryan and Ayn Rand's ideas: in the hot seat again". atlassociety.org. April 30, 2012.

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• ...in the negative part of Professor's Hayek's thesis there is a great deal of truth. It cannot be said too often - at any rate, it is not being said nearly often enough - that collectivism is not inherently democratic, but, on the contrary, gives to a tyrannical minority such powers as the Spanish Inquisitors never dreamt of.

  George Orwell

  Giving, Politics, Negative

  George Orwell, Ian Angus, Sheila Davison (1998). “The Complete Works of George Orwell: I have tried to tell the truth, 1943-1944”

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• Collectivism doesn't work because it's based on a faulty economic premise. There is no such thing as a person's "fair share" of wealth. The gross national product is not a pizza that must be carefully divided because if I get too many slices, you have to eat the box. The economy is expandable and, in any practical sense, limitless.

  P. J. O'Rourke

  Liberty, Libertarian, Wealth

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• If men want to oppose war, it is statism that they must oppose. So long as they hold the tribal notion that the individual is sacrificial fodder for the collective, that some men have the right to rule others by force, and that some (any) alleged “good” can justify it-there can be no peace within a nation and no peace among nations.

  Ayn Rand

  War, Men, Long

  Ayn Rand (1988). “The Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z”, p.525, Penguin

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• Collectivism answers: The power of society is unlimited. Society may make any laws it wishes, and force them upon anyone in any manner it wishes.

  Ayn Rand

  Law, Wish, Answers

  Ayn Rand (1988). “The Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z”, p.464, Penguin

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• Our founding fathers detested the idea of a democracy and labored long to prevent America becoming one. Once again - the word 'democracy' does not appear in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, or the constitution of any of the fifty states. Not once. Furthermore, take a look at State of the Union speeches. You won't find the 'D' word uttered once until the Wilson years.

  Neal Boortz

  Father, Years, Ideas

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• Libertarianism is rejected by the modern left - which preaches individualism but practices collectivism. Capitalism is rejected by the modern right-which preaches enterprise but practices protectionism.

  Karl Hess

  Practice, Individualism, Modern

  L. K. Samuels, Thomas Szasz, Douglas Casey, Brian Clelland, David Friedman (2017). “Facets of Liberty: A Libertarian Primer”, p.34, BookBaby

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• People are not embracing collectivism because they have accepted bad economics. They are accepting bad economics because they have embraced collectivism.

  Ayn Rand

  People, Economics, Accepted

  Ayn Rand (1997). “Letters of Ayn Rand”, p.278, Penguin

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• Given that the nineteenth century was the century of Socialism, of Liberalism, and of Democracy, it does not necessarily follow that the twentieth century must also be a century of Socialism, Liberalism and Democracy: political doctrines pass, but humanity remains, and it may rather be expected that this will be a century of authority ... a century of Fascism. For if the nineteenth century was a century of individualism it may be expected that this will be the century of collectivism and hence the century of the State.

  Benito Mussolini

  Government, Political, Humanity

  Benito Mussolini (2012). “My Autobiography: With "The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism"”, p.236, Courier Corporation

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• The more propaganda . . . conservatives spread for capitalist economics while at the same time preaching collectivism morally and philosophically , the more nails they’ll drive into capitalism’s coffin.

  Ayn Rand

  Nails, Coffins, Economics

  Ayn Rand (1997). “Letters of Ayn Rand”, p.281, Penguin

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• The individual cannot exist on his/her own and the collectivism should respect freedom of conscience. My struggle is about the freedom of thought.

  Asghar Ali Engineer

  Struggle, Individual, Should

  Source: www.counterpunch.org

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• Democracy in itself does not define or guarantee a free society. History has told many stories of democratic societies that have degenerated into corruption, plunder, and tyranny.

  Richard Ebeling

  Democracy, Doe, Guarantees

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• Lynch mobs are democracies.

  Neal Boortz

  Democracy

  Neal Boortz (1998). “The Terrible Truth about Liberals”, p.59, Rowman & Littlefield

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• The argument for collectivism is simple; free market is not.

  Milton Friedman

  Simple, Argument, Free Market

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• The public school system: "Usually a twelve year sentence of mind control. Crushing creativity, smashing individualism, encouraging collectivism and compromise, destroying the exercise of intellectual inquiry, twisting it instead into meek subservience to authority." - Walter Karp, Editor Harper's Magazine
  The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, and we must be contented to secure what we can get from time to time and eternally press forward for what is yet to get. It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Crush, Creativity, School

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