Dorothy Day explains Personalism and Communitarianism
We are urging our readers to be neither collectivist nor individualist, but personalist. This consciousness of oneself as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ will lead to great things.

We are working for the Communitarian revolution to oppose both the rugged individualism of the capitalist era, and the collectivism of the Communist revolution. We are working for the Personalist revolution because we believe in the dignity of man, the temple of the Holy Ghost, so beloved by God that He sent His son to take upon Himself our sins and die an ignominious and disgraceful death for us. We are Personalists because we believe that man , a person, a creature of body and soul, is greater than the State, of which as an individual he is a part. We are personalists because we oppose the vesting of all authority in the hands of the state instead of in the hands of Christ the King. We are Personalists because we believe in free will, and not in the economic determinism of the Community philosophy.


Peter Maurin, founder of the Catholic Worker, derived his inspiration, not only from the education he received from the Christian Brothers, but from his contact with French radical thinking.


He kept in touch with such thinkers as Jacques Maritain. Peguy was the great influence in the life of Emmanuel Mounier, young student at the Sorbonne who started the magazine Esprit, which began publication around the same time as ours, and which led Peter Maurin to translate for us Mounier’s "Personalist Manifesto" which was followed by other articles about revolution, a necessary but nonviolent revolution which Mounier called "the Personalist and Communitarian Revolution." - Dorothy Day
Communitarianism [Below are excerpts]
...What is this personalism that Maurin, a twentieth century Catholic philosopher and missionary, boldly speaks about? It is the main component of a new society. Personalism opposes both collectivism and individualism. Personalism represents a special dignity in man; it recognizes that man, as God’s creature, is the most important feature of any society. (Personalist 1) It is the key starting point for any change, because it represents the smallest, most singular form of influence. In order to achieve a harmonic, world-state, the smallest pieces of the puzzle must be changed. This is best summed up in Dorothy Day’s statement, "We believe in an economy based on human needs, rather than profit motive." (Day 1) The person is the easiest institution to reach, and once instilled with moral values, can filter through the entire community system. The new revolution, dubbed the personalist communitarian movement, recognizes the need for personal change beyond all else.
Communitarianism
"Neither human existence nor individual liberty can be sustained for long outside the interdependent and overlapping communities to which all of us belong." (Platform 1)

    People must inevitably belong to ever-differing groups, or communities. Within these communities form the moral bonds that form a society. Society is, in essence, the way in which people interact within communities. If these communities are corrupt, society becomes corrupt. The essential focus of the Communitarian Network is the reconstruction of communities. Community is, of course, another word for institution.

From the Communitarian Network:

"The Communitarian Network is a coalition of individuals and organizations who have come together to shore up the moral, social, and political environment. We are a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, international association.

We believe that individual liberties depend upon the bolstering of the foundations of civil society: our families, schools, and neighborhoods. It is through these institutions that we acquire a sense of our personal and civic responsibilities, an appreciation of our rights and the rights of others, and a commitment to the welfare of the community and its members."

 
  • Visit the Communitarian Network for a good starting place to learn about communitarianism. It gives an overview of what communitarianism is about, and gives ideas as how to affect our institutions of family, education, religion, and beyond.
  • In case you miss it, here's a link to their Platform - a mission statement of all they believe. It is excellent.