The 19th century was the age of Individualism the 20th and 21st are the ages of Socialism.
Pessimism only describes an attitude, and not facts, and hence is entirely subjective.
The independence of the economic sphere was a tenet of faith with Liberalism.
Every non-political human grouping of whatever kind, legal, social, religious, economic or other becomes at last political if it creates an opposition deep enough to range men against one another as enemies.