Agrarianism

Agrarianism is a social and political philosophy centered on rural life. It advocates for rural development and a lifestyle based on agriculture. Followers of this idea support family farming and widespread property ownership. They also favor political decentralization, which means spreading power out rather than keeping it in one central place. Most agrarian thinkers value local communities over the fast pace of urban modernity.

At its core, agrarianism suggests that rural life is superior to urban life. Some scholars argue that the independent farmer is better off than a paid worker. This is because farming is seen as a way to build ideal social values. M. Thomas Inge explained that farming offers total independence and self-sufficiency. In contrast, he argued that capitalism and technology can destroy human dignity. The agricultural community is viewed as a model society through its cooperation and shared labor.

The philosophy also links farming to personal character and spiritual growth. Cultivating the soil is believed to provide a positive spiritual good. Through direct contact with nature, a person can acquire virtues like honor and courage. This connection to the earth can lead to a closer relationship with God. Agrarians believe that following the example of creating order from chaos is a blessing. This lifestyle provides a sense of identity and a feeling of belonging to a specific place.

History shows that these ideas have roots in both China and Europe. In ancient China, a school called Agriculturalism promoted equality and communal living for peasants. This influenced European thinkers like François Quesnay. He was a follower of Confucianism and helped create the French philosophy of physiocracy. Later, the ideas of John Locke and the Romantic Era helped shape modern European and American agrarianism. These different traditions all share a focus on the importance of the land and the people who work it.

In the United States, Thomas Jefferson was a major figure for agrarianism. He believed that farmers were the most valuable citizens in the American Republic. Jefferson wanted to protect the "yeoman farmer" from the corruption he saw in cities. He feared that too much industry would create a class of "wage slaves." These workers would rely on employers for everything and lose their independence as voters. To help, he suggested a graduated income tax. This tax would collect money from the wealthy to help redistribute funds downward.

Some versions of agrarianism are also tied to socialism. This is called agrarian socialism, and it is anti-capitalist. In Mexico, Emiliano Zapata fought for the rights of peasants during the Mexican Revolution. He wanted to redistribute land to those who actually worked it. His ideas led to the rise of Zapatismo. Later, in 1994, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) emerged in Chiapas. This group seeks to revive Zapata's ideas while also fighting for indigenous rights and community decision-making.

In China, Mao Zedong used a different approach called Maoism. Unlike other Marxist thinkers who focused on city workers, Mao saw the peasantry as the key to power. In 1958, he launched the Great Leap Forward to change rural life. He created "people's communes," which were large units of about 5,000 people. These communes replaced money with work points and required collective farming. However, many policies, like the Four Pests Campaign, caused ecological disasters. These failures, along with falsified reports from local leaders, contributed to the Great Chinese Famine. This famine lasted from 1959 to 1962 and resulted in 15 to 30 million deaths.