The New State

The New State

# SUMMARY Mary Parker Follett's "The New State" discusses the need for group organization to replace traditional political systems for true democracy. # IDEAS - Politics must be vitalized by a new method. - Democracy should transcend majority rule and represent genuine collective will. - Individual powers are released through group organization. - The group principle emphasizes creating a common idea. - Genuine democracy involves the direct participation and responsibility of every citizen. - Traditional political systems are outdated and ineffective. - Democracy requires individuals to learn how to govern themselves. - Self-organization and group dynamics are essential for effective democracy. - Group life creates new ideas through collective thought. - The essence of democracy is creating a genuine collective will. - Every individual is part of the state's expression. - Social progress relies on the unification of differences. - Democracy is not a sum of individual votes but a genuine union of true individuals. - Effective politics should be creative, not just regulatory. - The group process requires every member's active and constructive participation. - Group organization substitutes intention for accident in politics. - True collective thinking expands life and reveals the secret of wholeness. - Differences must be integrated, not annihilated or absorbed. - Political science must be based on the study of group dynamics and laws of association. - The process of many becoming one is a psychological and spiritual transformation. # QUOTES - "Democracy is not worked out in the polling booths; it is brought forth in a genuine collective will." - "We must learn a speech that is free; we are not given rights, we create rights." - "The individual is not to facilitate agreement by courteously waiving his own point of view." - "Compromise is still on the same plane as fighting." - "There is nothing so democratic as the production of a genuine group will." - "To await 'variation-giving' individuals would be to make life a mere chance." - "The unifying of opposites is the eternal process." - "Difference as difference is non-existent. There is only difference which carries within itself the power of unifying." - "Private life is to be public life." - "The essential value of the new psychology is that it carries enfolded within it the obligation upon every man to live the New Life." - "The group must always dictate the modes of activity for the individual." - "Politics have one task only—to create." - "The principle of democracy may be the underlying unity of men, the method of democracy must be that which allows the quickest response of our daily life to the common faith of men." - "No government will be successful, no government will endure, which does not rest on the individual." - "The power of our corporations depends upon this capability of men to interknit themselves into such genuine relations that a new personality is thereby evolved." - "Every difference which is ignored feeds on society and eventually corrupts it." # FACTS - Mary Parker Follett wrote "The New State" in 1918. - She emphasizes group organization as the new method of politics. - Follett critiques traditional representative government and majority rule. - She argues for a psychological process of self-government. - The book discusses the collective will and true democracy. - Follett's ideas on group dynamics predate modern social and organizational psychology. - The group process creates new ideas through interpenetration of individual thoughts. - Follett sees individual freedom as a product of group life. - The book critiques the inefficacy of ballot-box democracy. - Follett's work focuses on the interrelation of individual and group within politics. - She emphasizes the role of intention and organized purpose in political life. - Group organization is seen as essential for political and social progress. - Follett integrates the concepts of social psychology into political science. - The book argues for continuous political activity to create the state. - Follett's ideas highlight the importance of creative citizenship for democracy. # REFERENCES - "The New State—Group Organization, the Solution to Popular Government" (1918) - "Community Is a Process" (1919) - "Creative Experience" (1924) - "Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers of Mary Parker Follett" (1942) - "Freedom and Coordination: Lectures in Business Organization" (1949) - Aristotle and Kant’s philosophical principles applied in modern context - William McDougall’s "Social Psychology" - Concepts from Heraclitus and William James on unity and interpenetration - Studies on syndicalism, international relations, and industrial organization # RECOMMENDATIONS - Embrace group organization for political and social systems. - Focus on creating genuine collective will through group processes. - Encourage active and constructive participation in group settings. - Integrate differences to achieve unity and social progress. - Shift from traditional representative government to direct, self-organized governance. - Develop new political methods that reflect psychological understanding of group dynamics. - Foster environments that support collective thought and creativity. - Prioritize intention and organized purpose in political practices. - Recognize the interrelation of individual and group within democracy. - Promote continuous political activity for an evolving state. - Use social psychology principles to inform political science. - Encourage every individual to contribute to group ideas and processes. - Support creative citizenship as the foundation of democracy. - Implement political structures that allow quick responses to common faith and needs. - Understand and apply the unifying spirit inherent in differences.
 
The key themes in Mary Parker Follett's influential book "The New State" (1918) are:

Group Organization and Integration

Follett advocated for a decentralized, participatory form of government based on integrated group functioning rather than majority rule. She saw groups as the building blocks of society and the state, with the group process allowing for the integration of diverse perspectives.[1][2][4]

Democracy through Active Citizenship

Follett emphasized active citizenship and participation in group life as the essence of true democracy. She believed citizens should be directly involved in the organization and management of their local communities, not just exercising democracy through voting.[5]

The Law of the Situation

This concept refers to basing decisions and actions on the unique demands and contexts of a given situation, rather than following rigid rules or majority mandates. Follett saw this as key to effective group integration.[2]

Functional Authority and Power-Sharing

Follett challenged traditional hierarchical authority structures. She proposed functional authority based on relevant knowledge and experience, and advocated for power-sharing over power over others.[2][3]

The Unity Principle

A central theme, the unity principle posits that groups and the state should operate as an integrated whole expressing the collective will and purpose, not just an aggregation of individuals.[2][4]
By introducing these groundbreaking ideas on group dynamics, democracy, and organizational integration, "The New State" laid the foundations for Follett's subsequent influential work on leadership, conflict resolution, and organizational behavior.[1][2][3][4][5]
 
Mary Parker Follett's pioneering management theories have several modern applications that are highly relevant in today's workplaces:

Employee Empowerment and Autonomy

Follett advocated giving employees autonomy and a sense of ownership over their work. This aligns with modern practices of employee empowerment, self-managed teams, and decentralized decision-making structures that increase engagement and motivation.[1][4]

Participative Leadership

Follett's emphasis on "power with" rather than "power over" employees translates into today's participative and democratic leadership styles. Leaders act as facilitators, involving employees in goal-setting and decision-making processes for better buy-in.[3][4]

Conflict Resolution through Integration

Her principle of resolving conflicts by integrating diverse viewpoints and finding mutually beneficial solutions is applied in modern conflict management, negotiation tactics, and consensus-building approaches.[1][5]

Flat Organizational Hierarchies

Follett's preference for flat hierarchies with minimal middle management aligns with contemporary organizational designs aimed at increasing cross-functional collaboration and open communication flows.[2][4]

Group Dynamics and Teamwork

Her insights on the value of group interactions, coordination, and the "law of the situation" inform modern team management practices, group decision-making models, and situational leadership theories.[3]

Holistic View of Organizations

Follett viewed organizations as dynamic, integrated wholes rather than just structures. This systemic perspective mirrors modern organizational development approaches that consider an enterprise's culture, processes and human factors holistically.[1][4]
By advocating employee autonomy, participative leadership, conflict resolution, and an integrated organizational view, Mary Parker Follett's theories were pioneering and remain highly applicable to fostering engaged, collaborative and productive workforces today.[1][2][3][4][5]