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General Convivialist Principles: Towards a Post-Neoliberal World

19 November 2024 at 13:03 Coordinated Universal Time
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The Second Convivialist Manifesto updates and outlines five principles for a post-neoliberal world and for overcoming inherited ideologies.

I was happy to stumble upon these principles whilst doing some research. Each of these principles succinctly states the central value of each of the four major political ideologies of modernity, each of which, in turn, represents one of the four components of the democratic ideal:

  • Communism: common humanity, fraternity
  • Socialism: common sociality, solidarity, equality
  • Anarchism: legitimate individuation, freedom
  • Liberalism: creative opposition, pluralism  

...left to its own devices, the communist ideal of fraternity tends to degenerate into totalitarianism. Left to its own devices, the socialist ideal of solidarity and equality tends to turn into statism; the anarchist ideal into nihilism; and the liberal ideal into economism and plutocracy.

The affirmation of a common humanity is at the heart of communism. Socialism is inspired by the principle of common sociality, anarchism by that of legitimate individuation. Or, in principle, communism favours fraternity, socialism equality and anarchism freedom.

Liberalism enunciates the principle of creative opposition and thus makes pluralism possible. But liberalism, when conceptualised as a reduction of the principle of legitimate opposition to mean mere economic competition, does not entertain competition to itself and becomes neoliberalism.  

It is only by combining and articulating the convivial principles with the principle of common naturality that we can achieve an initial overcoming of inherited ideologies... different disfigurements of primary values can breed dictatorships, overblown bureaucracies, mafia-like clientelisms, chaos, evil wars etc.  

What follows is a direct quotation from the Second Convivialist Manifesto - Towards a Post-Neoliberal World

 

The General Principles of Convivialism

 

Principle of Common Naturality

Humans do not live out- side a nature, of which they should become “masters and possessors.” Like all living beings, they are part of it and are interdependent with it. They have a responsibility to take care of it. If they do not respect it, it is their ethical and physical survival that is at risk.  

Principle of Common Humanity

Beyond differences of skin, nationality, language, culture, religion, or wealth, sex, or gender, there exists only one humanity, which must be respected in the person of each of its members.  

Principle of Common Sociality

Human beings are social beings for whom the greatest wealth is the richness of the concrete relationships they maintain among themselves within associations, societies, or communities of varying size and nature.  

Principle of Legitimate Individuation

In accordance with these first three principles, legitimate is the policy that al- lows each individual to develop their individuality to the fullest by developing his or her capacities, power to be and act, without harming that of others, with a view toward equal freedom. Unlike individualism, where the individual cares only for oneself, thus leading to the struggle of all against all, the principle of legitimate individuation recognizes only the value of individuals who affirm their singularity in respect for their interdependence with others and with nature.  

Principle of Creative Opposition

Because everyone is called upon to express their singular individuality, it is normal for humans to be in opposition with each other. But it is only legitimate for them to do so as long as this does not endanger the framework of common humanity, com- mon sociality, and common naturality that makes rivalry fertile and not destructive. Politics inspired by convivialism is therefore politics that allows human beings to differenti- ate themselves by engaging in peaceful and deliberative rivalry for the common good. The same is true of ethics.  

In addition to these five principles, there is an imperative that cuts across all of them: the imperative of hubris control.  

Imperative of Hubris Control:

The first condition for rivalry to serve the common good is that it be devoid of desire for omnipotence, excess, hubris (and a fortiori pleonexia, the desire to possess ever more). On this condition, it becomes rivalry to cooperate better. This principle of hubris control is in fact a metaprinciple, the principle of principles. It permeates all the others and is intended to serve as a regulator and safeguard for them. For each principle, pushed to its extreme and not tempered by others, risks being reversed into its opposite: the love of nature or that of abstract hu- manity in hatred of concrete men; the common sociality in corporatism, clientelism, nationalism, or racism; individuation in individualism indifferent to others; the creative op- position in the struggle of egos, in the narcissism of the small difference, in destructive conflicts.

 

Examples of Conviviality in Action