Why did the former Soviet Union’s constitution place collective goals above individual freedoms?

The constitution of the former Soviet Union prioritized collective goals over individual freedoms because it was designed to facilitate the state's objective of achieving a classless society. Unlike Western constitutional traditions, which are rooted in the protection of natural rights and the limitation of state power, the Soviet legal system functioned as an instrument for implementing Communist Party policy and national economic planning.12

By subordinating individual interests to the collective, the state sought to maintain total control over the economy and society. This structure allowed the government to consolidate power, as the state’s monopoly on property and resources prevented the emergence of private institutions that could challenge the regime. Ultimately, this approach reflected a totalitarian ideology where the state apparatus, rather than the individual, was the central focus of the legal order, leading to the disregard of individual rights in favor of the party's vision for a communist utopia.234