ABSTRACT
The Renaissance or the Enlightenment person might be astounded to find the collectivist spirit, quite prominent in earlier ages, flourishing today, and it promises to get stronger as the 21st century progresses. From the localized cooperative communities of the 1800s to the Marxist-inspired “national” communities of the 1900s, the concept of social harmony and order has persisted in the minds (and in some cases, the actions) of social reformers. From the warrior chieftain of the ancient world to the religious authoritarianism of the Middle Ages to the royal absolutists and socialist plutocracies of the modern age, the spirit of social control and order has maintained a firm hold on social and political philosophy.
