Sophie Lewis reveals her mindset with the title "Abolish the Family". She could have chosen a name less filled with compulsion, such as "A Better Alternative to Family", but we must credit her, if not with sanity, at least with honesty: she wants to shove her ideas down our throats for our own good and she doesn't care who knows it.
“If we abolish the family,” Magaque writes, “we abolish the most fundamental unit of privatization and scarcity in our society. More care, more love, for all.”
By all means, Ms. Magaque, go join or establish a place where life is organized in this way. Lead by example. Show the world how well it works. But leave me out of your "we" who must "abolish" something you don't like. My life, and its choices, are not yours to run.
Interesting, but nonetheless shocking, how these “bad ideas” continue to crop up. Thanks in large part to prof B , we get reminded of them. Without this, our society would fall back into the morass. Thanks, professor.
Your articles are very powerful and important for people to read in order to prevent totalitarianism from creeping in. The attempts to do away with family are not always so extreme. Take the kibbutz for example. It was tried there and also, probably because it was more of a socialist ideal than a totalitarian dogma, also failed but in a more gentle way. Doing away with family has never worked in the long run. Thank you for your articles. I read all of them.
This is a comment at LinkedIn that might be of interest to you and others:
"For a Marx-Leninist government in Czechoslovakia family was an anachronism. Communists wanted to build a ‘new man’ and break traditional ties. In 1950 Communists abolished foster care and adoptions and started to build nursery schools and crèches. They considered parents to be laymen who could not compete with specialized professionals in child care. To minimize parental influence they even introduced 6 days long work week and 24h/6 day créches. 6 days&nights créches did not worked out like Communist intended, because of child psychologist Zdeněk Matějíček from Sociodiagnostický ústav in Prague and Senior Doctor Mária Gamborská who spent several months in collective foster homes where they recorded devastating moments of children who were desperately waiting for parents. He managed to raise public awareness thru a movie 'Kids without love' that leaked to public and even won a prize at International Movie Festival in Italian Venice. Communist party and Union of Women tried to block the movie but it was vain effort. Public was alarmed and phenomenon of Child psychic deprivation was described. That happened in 1963 and 3 years later family was legally put back in Czechoslovak legislation as the main institution to raise children."
Superb essay on absolutely horrid practices. It is one thing that cultures went through this, it is yet another that few will learn from it.
Thanks, Matt. Yes, what you say is sadly true.
Sophie Lewis reveals her mindset with the title "Abolish the Family". She could have chosen a name less filled with compulsion, such as "A Better Alternative to Family", but we must credit her, if not with sanity, at least with honesty: she wants to shove her ideas down our throats for our own good and she doesn't care who knows it.
“If we abolish the family,” Magaque writes, “we abolish the most fundamental unit of privatization and scarcity in our society. More care, more love, for all.”
By all means, Ms. Magaque, go join or establish a place where life is organized in this way. Lead by example. Show the world how well it works. But leave me out of your "we" who must "abolish" something you don't like. My life, and its choices, are not yours to run.
JdL, If only enough people understood the simple principle you articulate, so many societal issues would vanish.
I wonder what kind of family experience Sophie Lewis had that she holds these views that she writes about?
Interesting, but nonetheless shocking, how these “bad ideas” continue to crop up. Thanks in large part to prof B , we get reminded of them. Without this, our society would fall back into the morass. Thanks, professor.
Thank you. We will all keep working to avoid the worst.
Your articles are very powerful and important for people to read in order to prevent totalitarianism from creeping in. The attempts to do away with family are not always so extreme. Take the kibbutz for example. It was tried there and also, probably because it was more of a socialist ideal than a totalitarian dogma, also failed but in a more gentle way. Doing away with family has never worked in the long run. Thank you for your articles. I read all of them.
I appreciate your kind note, Barbara! Thank you.
This is a comment at LinkedIn that might be of interest to you and others:
"For a Marx-Leninist government in Czechoslovakia family was an anachronism. Communists wanted to build a ‘new man’ and break traditional ties. In 1950 Communists abolished foster care and adoptions and started to build nursery schools and crèches. They considered parents to be laymen who could not compete with specialized professionals in child care. To minimize parental influence they even introduced 6 days long work week and 24h/6 day créches. 6 days&nights créches did not worked out like Communist intended, because of child psychologist Zdeněk Matějíček from Sociodiagnostický ústav in Prague and Senior Doctor Mária Gamborská who spent several months in collective foster homes where they recorded devastating moments of children who were desperately waiting for parents. He managed to raise public awareness thru a movie 'Kids without love' that leaked to public and even won a prize at International Movie Festival in Italian Venice. Communist party and Union of Women tried to block the movie but it was vain effort. Public was alarmed and phenomenon of Child psychic deprivation was described. That happened in 1963 and 3 years later family was legally put back in Czechoslovak legislation as the main institution to raise children."