What makes guild socialism cruder than (but not different from) most
statist-collectivist theories is the fact that it represents the other, the
usually unmentioned, side of altruism: it is the voice, not of the givers, but
of the receivers. While most altruistic theorists proclaim “the common good” as
their justification, advocate self-sacrificial service to the “community,” and
keep silent about the exact nature or identity of the recipients of
sacrifices—guild socialists brazenly declare themselves to be the recipients
and present their claims to the community, demanding its services. If they want
a monopoly on a given profession, they claim, the rest of the community must
give up the right to practice it. If they want a university, they claim, the
community must provide it.