Objectivism vs. Collectivism: Socialism, Progressivism, and the Left

6.1 The Philosophical Roots of Collectivism

Collectivism is the doctrine that the group—the collective, the class, the nation, the race, the community—is the primary unit of moral concern, and that the individual exists to serve it. It has taken many forms in history: fascism, communism, socialism, nationalism, and modern progressivism are all variations on the same fundamental theme.

6.2 The Failure of Socialism

Socialism—in its pure form, state ownership and central planning of the means of production—has been tried in more than a dozen countries. Without exception, it has produced poverty, shortages, tyranny, and mass death. The Soviet Union, Mao's China, Cuba, North Korea, Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, Venezuela under Chavez and M ...