Gold Coast
48-424: 1st Prime Minister of Ghana 1st President of Ghana Nkrumaism Legacy The Positive Action campaign was a series of political protests and strikes in pre-independence Ghana ; a political activism campaign . The campaign was launched by Kwame Nkrumah before his election by popular vote as the ruler of Gold Coast and then Prime Minister of Ghana after the independence. The Positive Action campaign
96-511: A claim that all African societies had a community of economic life and that in contradiction to the neocolonial structures that replaced formal colonies, only African unity would create real autonomy. In Nkrumah's argument, four basic pillars formed the applied aspects of this theory: state ownership of the means of production, a one-party democracy , fostering a classless economic system, and pan-African unity. While embracing much of Marxist–Leninist philosophy and Soviet political structures at
144-578: A destructive force that would lead to a culture of mediocrity, where people were discouraged from striving for excellence. The Atlas movement defines equitism as the idea that all groups should have equal rights and benefits. The term has been used as the claimed philosophical basis of Telosa , a proposed utopia to be built in the United States by Marc Lore . Social equity is about equality of outcomes for each groups, while egalitarianism generally advocates for equality of opportunity, recognizing that
192-434: A group, which could be mitigated by following individuals outside their group, namely autonomists or individualists. Alexander Berkman suggests that "equality does not mean an equal amount but equal opportunity. ... Do not make the mistake of identifying equality in liberty with the forced equality of the convict camp. True anarchist equality implies freedom, not quantity. It does not mean that everyone must eat, drink, or wear
240-407: A negative attitude towards rules and principles; and a positive attitude towards group decision-making . The theory distinguishes between hierarchists , who are positive towards both rules and groups; and egalitarians, who are positive towards groups, but negative towards rules. This is by definition a form of anarchist equality as referred to by Berkman. Thus, the fabric of an egalitarian society
288-399: A post-colonial context. Nkrumah wrote that: From the ancestral lines of communalism, the passage to socialism lies in reform, because the underlying principles are the same. But when this passage carries one through colonialism the reform is revolutionary since the passage from colonialism to genuine independence is an act of revolution. But because of
336-675: A reference to men in the English Bill of Rights regarding men on trial for treason; and a rule of proportional Congressional representation in the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution . As the rest of the Constitution, in its operative language the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution uses the term person, stating that "nor shall any State deprives any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction
384-462: A semblance of philosophy to the chaotic assemblage of ideas and fantasies borrowed from all parts of the world and from all periods of history, frequently out of context. In contrast, Yuri Smertin criticized early works by Nkrumah from a Marxist perspective for distorting scientific socialism by combining religious and traditional elements. Egalitarianism Egalitarianism (from French égal 'equal'), or equalitarianism ,
432-416: A spirit of communalism and humanism. While colonial structures had damaged these communal, egalitarian values, they had not fully supplanted them. Nkrumaism then argued that a return to these values through socialist political structures would both heal the disruption caused by colonial structures and allow further development of African societies. The pan-African aspects of Nkrumah's ideology were justified by
480-425: Is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality , prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all humans are equal in fundamental worth or moral status. As such, all people should be accorded equal rights and treatment under the law . Egalitarian doctrines have supported many modern social movements, including
528-580: Is a syncretic ideology which blends different sources together while not necessarily borrowing their entire frameworks. In his work, Nkrumah blended different sources from within Africa, the canon of Western philosophy , and black intellectuals in North America and Europe, like Marcus Garvey and George Padmore . Particularly important in founding this ideology were his study and meetings with C. L. R. James , W. E. B. Du Bois and Father Divine . Aside from
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#1733093574399576-556: Is an African socialist political ideology based on the thinking and writing of Kwame Nkrumah . Nkrumah, a pan-Africanist and socialist , served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (later Ghana ) from 1952 until 1960 and subsequently as President of Ghana before being deposed by the National Liberation Council in 1966. Nkrumaism is a pan-African socialist theory which aims to adapt Marxist–Leninist theory to
624-425: Is held together by cooperation and implicit peer pressure rather than by explicit rules and punishment. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels believed that an international proletarian revolution would bring about a socialist society which would then eventually give way to a communist stage of social development which would be a classless, stateless, moneyless, humane society erected on common ownership of
672-565: Is informed by egalitarian philosophy, being a gender-focused philosophy of equality. Feminism is distinguished from egalitarianism by also existing as a political and social movement. At a cultural level, egalitarian theories have developed in sophistication and acceptance during the past two hundred years. Among the notable broadly egalitarian philosophies are socialism , communism , social anarchism , libertarian socialism , left-libertarianism , and progressivism , some of which propound economic egalitarianism . Anti-egalitarianism or elitism
720-555: Is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" ) in a pamphlet opposing racial segregation in the United States . He wrote, "Racial segregation is a blatant denial of the unity which we all have in Christ." He also alluded to that verse at the end of his 1963 " I Have a Dream " speech. The verse is cited to support an egalitarian interpretation of Christianity. According to Jakobus M. Vorster,
768-508: Is opposition to egalitarianism. An early example of equality is what might be described as outcome economic egalitarianism is the Chinese philosophy of agriculturalism which held that the economic policies of a country need to be based upon egalitarian self-sufficiency. In socialism , social ownership of means of production is sometimes considered to be a form of economic egalitarianism because in an economy characterized by social ownership
816-517: Is that liberalism provides democratic societies with the means to carry out civic reform by providing a framework for developing public policy and providing the correct conditions for individuals to achieve civil rights. There are two major types of equality: The English Bill of Rights of 1689 and the United States Constitution use only the term person in operative language involving fundamental rights and responsibilities, except for
864-462: The Enlightenment , feminism , civil rights , and international human rights . One key aspect of egalitarianism is its emphasis on equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances. This means ensuring that everyone has access to the same resources, education, and opportunities to succeed in life. By promoting equal opportunities, egalitarianism aims to level
912-409: The continuity of communalism with socialism, in communalistic society, socialism is not a revolutionary creed, but a restatement in contemporary idiom of the principles underlying communalism. He would change this idea after the 1966 coup seeing revolution as increasingly necessary. Second, while Nkrumah believed in the materialism and economic determinism of Marxism, he argued that focusing on
960-415: The means of production and the principle of " From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs ". Marxism rejected egalitarianism in the sense of greater equality between classes, clearly distinguishing it from the socialist notion of the abolition of classes based on the division between workers and owners of productive property. Allen Woods finds that Marx's view of classlessness
1008-401: The surplus product generated by industry would accrue to the population as a whole as opposed to a class of private owners, thereby granting each increased autonomy and greater equality in their relationships with one another. Although the economist Karl Marx is sometimes mistaken to be an egalitarian, Marx eschewed normative theorizing on moral principles altogether. Marx did have a theory of
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#17330935743991056-590: The CPP and government. His arguments were widely published and these had an impact within the Gold Coast colony, independent Ghana, and other parts of Africa in the 1950s and 1960s. The CPP, founded by Nkrumah in 1949, became a vocal proponent for the teaching and application of Nkrumaism. When he became president in the 1960s, his Minister for Presidential Affairs, Tawia Adamafio , established study groups on Nkrumaism which many civil servants joined to advance their careers. At
1104-661: The Marxist–Leninist framework, this blending of ideas largely only took bits and pieces of other philosophical systems and even its use of traditional African cultural concepts were often stretched to fit into the larger theory. While a major focus of the ideology was ending colonial relationships on the African continent, many of the ideas were utopian , diverting the scientific nature of the Marxist political analysis which it claims to support. Like other African political ideologies at
1152-507: The actual politics of the country. Henry Bretton argues that Nkrumaism was not a coherent ideology, but a vague framework supporting the cult of personality and the centralized rule of Nkrumah. He writes: Nkrumaism was a verbalization of the requirements of the personal political machine. Professional scribes and amateurs, along with the Ghanaian Left, were set to the task of providing the coherence and internal consistency required to give
1200-796: The approach to democratize power, decision-making, and responsibility and distributed them more evenly among all members of a team or organization. Many philosophers, including Ingmar Persson, Peter Vallentyne , Nils Holtug, Catia Faria and Lewis Gompertz , have argued that egalitarianism implies that the interests of non-human animals must be taken into account as well. Philosopher Oscar Horta has further argued that egalitarianism implies rejecting speciesism , ceasing to exploit non-human animals and aiding animals suffering in nature . Furthermore, Horta argues that non-human animals should be prioritized since they are worse off than humans. In 1957, Martin Luther King Jr. quoted Galatians 3:28 ("There
1248-500: The central question debated by theologians is whether the statement about ecclesiastical relationships can be translated into a Christian-ethical norm for all human relationships. Vorster argues that it can, and that the verse provides a Christian foundation for the promotion of human rights and equality, in contrast to "patriarchy, racism and exploitation" which in his opinion are caused by human sinfulness. Karin Neutel notes how some apply
1296-687: The claim is that an interplay between all these perspectives are required if each perspective is to be fulfilling. Although an individualist according to cultural theory is aversive towards both principles and groups, individualism is not fulfilling if individual brilliance cannot be recognized by groups, or if individual brilliance cannot be made permanent in the form of principles. Accordingly, they argue that egalitarians have no power except through their presence, unless they (by definition, reluctantly) embrace principles which enable them to cooperate with fatalists and hierarchies. They argue that this means they will also have no individual sense of direction without
1344-407: The economic system was only appropriate after achieving independence throughout Africa and that the political struggle was the first order in colonial and neocolonial contexts. The ideology of Nkrumaism formed a key part of the personality cult around Nkrumah and the party-building efforts of his political party, the CPP. This was in part achieved through Nkrumah's use of democratic centralism in
1392-418: The entire concept of equality as abstract and bourgeois, preferring to focus on more concrete principles such as opposition to exploitation on materialist grounds and economic logic. In the title essay of his book Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature and Other Essays , Murray Rothbard argued that egalitarian theory always results in a politics of statist control because it is founded on revolt against
1440-702: The equal protection of the laws". The motto " Liberté, égalité, fraternité " was used during the French Revolution and is still used as an official motto of the French government. The 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen French Constitution is also framed with this basis in equal rights of humankind. The Declaration of Independence of the United States is an example of an assertion of equality of men as " All men are created equal " and
1488-456: The evolution of moral principles concerning specific economic systems . The American economist John Roemer has put forth a new perspective on equality and its relationship to socialism. Roemer attempts to reformulate Marxist analysis to accommodate normative principles of distributive justice , shifting the argument for socialism away from purely technical and materialist reasons to one of distributive justice. Roemer argues that according to
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1536-424: The free development of all." The Convention People's Party (CPP), founded by Nkrumah in 1949, writes "Nkrumaism simply means Self Reliance, African is capable of managing his own affairs. The values CPP stands for or the guiding principles of Nkrumaism today are those which have guided it throughout its existence. Social justice, Pan-Africanism, Self Determination, African Personality, Anti-Imperialism." Nkrumaism
1584-414: The immense gains people receive from trading with each other arise because they are unequal in characteristics and talents—these differences may be innate or developed so that people can gain from trading with each other. Thompson et al. theorize that any society consisting of only one perspective, be it egalitarianism, hierarchies, individualist , fatalist or autonomists will be inherently unstable as
1632-535: The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted". Muhammad echoed these egalitarian sentiments, sentiments that clashed with the practices of the pre-Islamic cultures. In a review of Louise Marlow's Hierarchy and Egalitarianism in Islamic Thought, Ismail Poonawala argues the desire for the Arab-Muslim Empire to consolidate power and administer
1680-403: The ontological structure of reality itself. According to Rothbard, individuals are naturally unequal in their abilities, talents, and characteristics. He believed that this inequality was not only natural but necessary for a functioning society. In his view, people's unique qualities and abilities are what allow them to contribute to society in different ways. Rothbard argued that egalitarianism
1728-447: The philosophy of Paul's statement to include sexuality, health and race saying "[The original] three pairs must have been as relevant in the first century, as the additional categories are today." She argues that the verse points to a utopian , cosmopolitan community. The verse 49 :13 of The Quran states: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed,
1776-410: The playing field and reduce disparities that result from social inequalities. Some specifically focused egalitarian concerns include communism , legal egalitarianism , luck egalitarianism , political egalitarianism , gender egalitarianism , racial equality , equality of opportunity , and Christian egalitarianism . Common forms of egalitarianism include political and philosophical. One argument
1824-423: The principle of distributive justice, the traditional definition of socialism is based on the principle that individual compensation is proportional to the value of the labor one expends in production (" To each according to his contribution ") is inadequate. Roemer concludes that egalitarians must reject socialism as it is classically defined for equality to be realized. The egalitarian management style focusses on
1872-486: The same things, do the same work, or live in the same manner. Far from it: the very reverse. ... Individual needs and tastes differ, as appetites differ. It is an equal opportunity to satisfy them that constitutes true equality. ... Far from leveling, such equality opens the door for the greatest possible variety of activity and development. For human character is diverse." The cultural theory of risk holds egalitarianism—with fatalism termed as its opposite —as defined by
1920-451: The same time, the CPP established Ghana Young Pioneers groups for school age children where Nkrumaism was taught. While the tenets were promoted through these various party efforts, applying all aspects of the ideology proved to be difficult for Nkrumah while President of the country. Because of this, some consider Nkrumaism to be "first of all a cultural phenomenon" in Ghana with little impact on
1968-456: The social context of the African continent . Nkrumah defined his belief system as "the ideology of a New Africa, independent and absolutely free from imperialism , organized on a continental scale, founded upon the conception of one and united Africa , drawing its strength from modern science and technology and from the traditional African belief that the free development of each is the condition for
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2016-572: The state rather led to the deemphasis of egalitarian teachings in the Qur'an and by the Prophet. Modern egalitarianism is a theory that rejects the classic definition of egalitarianism as a possible achievement economically, politically, and socially. Modern egalitarianism theory, or new egalitarianism, outlines that if everyone had the same opportunity cost , then there would be no comparative advances and no one would gain from trading with each other. In essence,
2064-434: The time, the central focus of Nkrumaism was on decolonization across Africa. The central contention of Nkrumaism was that African countries, united with one another, needed to adopt socialist political structures which were consistent with the traditional African values of egalitarianism . Nkrumah rejected the idealized view of pre-colonial African societies that were classless or non-hierarchical, but accepted that Africa had
2112-510: The time, the ideology differed in some key respects. First, while Marxism–Leninism saw revolution as the only way to replace class structures with a socialist egalitarian system, Nkrumah saw reform as the more appropriate case for Africa. He argued that Ghana, and most of the rest of Africa, had never developed the class distinctions which Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin saw in Europe and thus reform could reestablish preexisting egalitarianism suited to
2160-470: The wording of men and man is a reference to both men and women, i.e., mankind. John Locke is sometimes considered the founder of this form. Many state constitutions in the United States also use the rights of man language rather than rights of person since the noun man has always been a reference to and an inclusion of both men and women. The Tunisian Constitution of 2014 provides that "men and women shall be equal in their rights and duties". Feminism
2208-472: Was a misguided attempt to impose an artificial equality on individuals, which would ultimately lead to societal breakdown. He believed that attempts to force equality through government policies or other means would stifle individual freedom and prevent people from pursuing their own interests and passions. Furthermore, Rothbard believed that egalitarianism was rooted in envy and resentment towards those who were more successful or talented than others. He saw it as
2256-481: Was launched to fight imperialism through nonviolence and education of the people. However, when Nkrumah launched the campaign, riots erupted throughout the capital, Accra . The campaign ended with Nkrumah's election and the transformation from British colony to independent nation, hence ending the decolonization process. This Ghana -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Nkrumaism Nkrumaism (sometimes Consciencism )
2304-505: Was not the subordination of society to a universal interest such as a universal notion of equality, but it was about the creation of the conditions that would enable individuals to pursue their true interests and desires, making Marx's notion of communist society radically individualistic. Although his position is often confused or conflated with distributive egalitarianism in which only the goods and services resulting from production are distributed according to notional equality, Marx eschewed
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