Final answer:
Communes were most common in areas with communal living and shared resources, influenced by various historical movements like 19th-century utopian socialism, the Paris Commune, rural European societies under manorialism, the 1960s counterculture in the US, and the philosophies of early Christians, Plato, and Thomas More.
Step-by-step explanation:
Communes, town institutions of self-government, were most common in areas where society was organized around communal living and shared resources. This concept of living and governance has been manifested in different forms throughout history and across various cultures.
In the 19th century, the idea of utopian socialism, influenced by thinkers like Henri de Saint-Simon and Charles Fourier, led to the creation of ideal societies based on sharing and cooperation. Communities like Robert Owen's New Lanark and New Harmony exemplified these principles in action. The Paris Commune of 1871 also tried to establish a new socialist order but faced brutal suppression, resulting in deep societal divisions.
In rural Europe, about 90 percent of the population lived in areas where manorialism was prevalent, with peasants living in villages and owing services to noble overlords. Similarly, in the United States, the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s saw a rise in communes, most notably The Farm in Tennessee, where members shared resources, lived close to nature, and pursued a communal lifestyle opposed to materialism.
Throughout history, the concepts underlying communal living and the abolition of private property are echoed in the works of ancient thinkers like Plato, early Christian communities, and even in Thomas More's Utopia. These ideas are seen as foundational in the establishment and popularity of communes.