Collectivism is the belief that the individual exists solely for the benefit of the community, such as a tribe, nation or religious group. Collectivistic ideas have permeated most traditional societies since the beginnings of humanity, encouraging love and mutual aid, but leading to seeing society as a sort of super-organism and denying the existence of human rights. Perhaps the most collectivistic mentality has evolved in East Asia, under Confucianism, but collectivistic attitudes are also found in South America, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
The most extreme forms of collectivism include totalitarian systems such as Fascism and Marxism-Leninism, which have mostly been discredited during the 20th century. Nevertheless, less extreme forms persist under the names of "conservative modernization" in Russia and "socialism with Chinese characteristics" in China. Even in very individualistic societies, a degree of collectivism is unavoidable in institutions such as the military or corporations.
The opposite of collectivism is individualism, and communitarianism is an attempt to reconcile the two extremes. In Strauss-Howe generational theory, collectivism is connected to the Civic archetype.