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August 24, 2004
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on communitarianism says that:
"In retrospect, it seems obvious that communitarian critics of liberalism may have been motivated not so much by philosophical concerns as by certain pressing political concerns, namely, the negative social and psychological effects related to the atomistic tendencies of modern liberal societies. Whatever the soundness of liberal principles, in other words, the fact remains that many communitarians seems worried by a perception that traditional liberal institutions and practices have contributed to, or at least do not seem up to the task of dealing with, such modern phenomena as alienation from the political process, unbridled greed, loneliness, urban crime, and high divorce rates."
In Australia communitarianism has been fueled or driven by the politics of saving our rivers. It is the local communities along the river who are fighting to protect what they care for --a healthy river. It comes from both the right and the left.
In many ways this eco-communitarianism is in opposition to the strident rights rhetoric that is beginning to colonized contemporary political discourse aroudn water. This assertion of entitlement to water as property rights leaves little room for reasoned discussion and compromise,and it justifies the neglect of social responsibilities to the river without which the local communities could not function or survive.
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