A GUIDE TO THE COMMUNISTIC COMMUNITIES
OF OHIO
BY KENNETH WILLIAM MCKINLEY
One of the greatest obstacles to the
study of the social sci-
ences has been the inability to
experiment. Human lives cannot
be molded and adjusted like so many
pieces of metal or so many
chemical elements. For this reason it is
important that history
be made the laboratory of the social
sciences. The author of this
brief guide, therefore, feels justified
in presenting in an historical
periodical an introduction to one phase
of what might be termed
social experimentation in Ohio.
However, it must be remembered that the
persons responsible
for starting what are now spoken of as
experiments did not them-
selves look upon their work in this
light. It is likely that the pro-
mulgators of each of the communities,
which will be briefly de-
scribed, zealously believed that they
were inserting the wedge
which would result in remaking the
world. It is this sincerity
that makes the communities worthy of
study.
It is the purpose of this article to
make available a classifica-
tion of those Ohio communities which
have been founded with the
idea of common ownership of property as
one of the basic prin-
ciples in their operation. The author
realizes that he is incapable
of interpreting and explaining
thoroughly the theories of the pro-
moters of these communities or the
reason for their ultimate
failure. He intends to give places,
names and dates together with
sources for further information
concerning each community. He
will leave it to the "original
prejudice" of those who will use it
to prove what they wish from the facts
presented.
The Shaker communities and the Zoar
community have been
the subject of considerable writing. It
is the hope of the author
that this guide will stimulate interest
and study in the other com-
munistic communities of the State as
well.
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