Monday, June 16, 2025

The Forces of Centralization and the Struggle for Freedom

The concept of centralization is generally seen as a consequence of certain political decisions or as the cause of certain societal structures. But the centralization and its opposite, decentralization, can also be interpreted as opposing historical processes that should be taken into account in the long struggle for liberty.

Forces of Centralization

Centralization is a historical process that is “centripetal” in nature; it is the totality of forces in society that move economic wealth and political power towards one or a few centers. This process should be thought of not only in the geographical but also organizational sense. Indeed, as means of communication improve, centralization may even conceivably be mainly institutional.