The New State · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The New State by Mary Parker Follett.

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Chapter 1
The New State: Group Organization the Solution of Popular Government
This chapter introduces the group principle as the foundation for true democracy, arguing that genuine popular government must be built upon organized group life rather than individualistic or mass-based political systems. It critiques existing democratic theories for failing to account for the social and psychological realities of human association, and proposes neighborhood and occupational groups as the basic units of political organization.
Chapter 2
Part I: The Group Principle
This chapter introduces the group principle as the foundational concept for a new understanding of democracy, arguing that true democracy emerges not from individual rights or majority rule but from the organized, conscious group process. It critiques individualism and particularism, proposing that the group is the primary unit of social and political life, and that freedom and will are realized through collective participation.
Chapter 3
I: The Group and the New Psychology
This chapter introduces the need for a new social psychology based on the study of groups rather than isolated individuals or abstract society. It argues that politics must be grounded in the laws of association, which are the laws of the group. The author critiques old individualistic psychology and sociology, asserting that there is no separate 'individual' or 'society,' only groups and group-units. The chapter emphasizes that democracy must be learned through group life, and that the group process—distinct from crowd psychology—holds the key to collective life, democracy, and progress.
Chapter 4
II: The Group Process: The Collective Idea
This chapter explores the group process through the metaphor of a committee meeting, arguing that genuine collective thinking produces a group idea that is more than the sum of individual contributions. It emphasizes the interpenetration of ideas, the necessity of full individual participation without compromise or domination, and the transformation of the self into a 'we' that identifies with the whole. The chapter rejects majority rule as a substitute for true group consensus and critiques passive or domineering behaviors.
Chapter 5
III: The Group Process: The Collective Idea (Continued)
This chapter continues the exploration of the group process, emphasizing that the essence of society is not mere similarity or imitation, but the harmonizing of differences through interpenetration and creative synthesis. It critiques older sociological theories that overemphasize likeness, and argues that true collective thought and will are produced through active, reciprocal interaction. The chapter calls for a shift from passive like-mindedness to active unifying, where each individual contributes to the creation of new social values, and warns against the dangers of congeniality and comfort.

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The New State: Group Organization the Solution of Popular Government

Part I: The Group Principle

I: The Group and the New Psychology

II: The Group Process: The Collective Idea

III: The Group Process: The Collective Idea (Continued)