ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Othmar Spann

Othmar Spann was a person who lived a long time ago and was very interested in how people work together in society. He believed that people should work together like a big family, where everyone has their own role to play and takes care of each other.

Imagine you and your friends are playing a game. In this game, each person has a special job to do. One person is the leader who tells everyone what to do, another person keeps track of the score, and someone else makes sure everyone is following the rules. Each person has a different role, but together, you all make the game fun and fair.

In the same way, Othmar Spann thought that society should be organized like this game. He believed that each person should have a special role to play and should work together for the greater good of everyone. This would make society run smoothly and make sure that everyone's needs were taken care of.

Spann also believed in something called organic unity. This means that he thought society should work together like a living body, where each part has its own function and is important for the whole body to be healthy. Just like your body has different parts like your heart, brain, and muscles that all work together, society should have different groups and individuals that each contribute something important.

He also thought that everyone should be treated fairly and have equal opportunities. Just like you and your friends should all have an equal chance to play in the game, Spann believed that everyone should have the same chance to succeed in life. He wanted to create a society where everyone feels valued and included.

But not everyone agreed with Spann's ideas. Some people thought that society should be organized differently and that his ideas were too idealistic. They thought that individuals should have more freedom to make their own choices and not be limited by their role in society.

So, Othmar Spann was a person who had some interesting ideas about how society should work. He believed in people working together like a big family, having their own roles, and treating each other fairly. Some people agreed with him, and others didn't, but his ideas still continue to be studied and discussed today.