In The Monochrome Society, Etzioni introduces definitions and implications of communitarianism as an alternative to social conservatism and liberalism and provides a set of philosophical issues and problems expanding its meaning and role for creating a good and prosperous society. The author also explains the monochrome nature of society, by stating that American people share a strong commitment to a number of values and norms, including tolerance, employment opportunities, and self-government, and therefore, they tend to represent common beliefs that make their thinking stereotypic and monochrome.
Nevertheless, the members of society often neglect those norms and values and are obsessed with self-indulgence. In this respect, the author calls for reviving common normative commitments and develop a strong set of values to rely on. Specific attention requires reevaluating the state of civic-minded communities, being the main moral stance for practicing values. This target group will be able to sustain highly moral behavior through initiating informal activities that would produce less dependence on the judicial system.
With regard to the above-presented assumptions, the author argues that a good society should possess and develop only a specific set of norms and values. In this context, individual independence should be respected. The limitations are particularly imposed on the First Amendment restricting the rights of children and expanding parent’s influence on their children’s education. Further reforms should cover the business environment in which employees should be allowed to own a sort of self-governance. Further, in the book, the author also explores the role of rituals and holidays as the underpinning for shaping virtues as a means of social integration. He also evaluates the main advantages of online networks that meet the main needs of humans, as well as frees people from consumerist culture. Finally, Etzioni sheds light on the main attributes and benefits of face-to-face communication that shape social identity and introduces the main features of civil society.
The collection of essays provided by the author is well organized and thoughtful, although some of the arguments are not sufficiently persuasive. Specifically, the author introduces counter-arguments and criticisms to his positions, but he often fails to provide enough evidence to engage readers and persuade them of the validity of the thesis. Hence, the content provides a brief response to the main thesis, covering the basic points of the main argument. Despite the evident weaknesses of the essays provided, the strength lies in the content that complements other, much deeper ideas. In this respect, Etzioni rhetorically places communitarianism between social conservatism and liberalism; yet, the book often fails to explain that this notion synthesizes these two movements to create a new one, which would conform to the needs of the contemporary society.
The quest for a new social order that retains the core values and virtues premises on a voluntary commitment of people. Therefore, the source will be of great importance for those who strive to reassess their place in society, as well as the main values prioritized in it. Despite the strong ideas and ideological framework explored by the author, the collection fails to provide an accurate algorithm of how the social order could be changed and introduced to a contemporary community. This is of particular concern to specific legal, moral, and philosophical strategies. Establishing the link between ethics and sociology is not enough for promoting welfare to the society.