Communitarianism

Spirituality can refer to an ultimate reality or transcendent dimension of the world; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his or her being, or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live. Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life. Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life. It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world. (Spirituality) In the following paper I’m going to discuss if Communitarianism is secular which means not spiritual or if it does requires a spiritual connection in order to succeed. I will also discuss if communitarianism can be viewed as liberal, conservative or neither.

Communitarianism, as a group of related but distinct philosophies, began in the late 20th century, opposing individualism. Not necessarily hostile to social liberalism or even social democracy, communitarianism emphasizes the need to balance individual rights and interests with that of the community as a whole, and argues that individual people (or citizens) are shaped by the cultures and values of their communities. (Communitarianism) Communitarianism is the philosophy or intellectual movement that stands for strengthening communities by fortifying bonds that tie people to one another socially. The opposite of community, from this perspective, is individual isolation and alienation from the group. (Dorne)

Communitarianism emerged in the 1980s as a response to the limits of liberal theory and practice. Its dominant themes are that individual rights need to be balanced with social responsibilities, and that autonomous selves do not exist in isolation, but are shaped by the values and culture of communities. Unless we begin to redress the balance toward the pole of community, communitarians believe, our society will continue to become norm less,...