11.1/2 - Revolutionary / Evolutionary Socialism Flashcards
Who first coined the term ‘socialism’?
Charles Fourier
What is socialism traditionally defined as?
The political system opposed to capitalism.
How are economic systems owned in a capitalist society?
Privately
For profit
How are economic systems owned in a socialist society?
Ideas of collective ownership of economic and social systems.
Where did socialism grow from?
Similar to Liberalism - political ideas that grew from the rationalism of the Enlightenment.
What are the two broad traditions of socialism?
Revolutionary Socialism
Evolutionary Socialism
Where are ideas of revolutionary socialism mostly derived from?
The workings of Marx and Engels.
Known as Marxism.
What does Marxism argue about the application of socialism?
Cannot co-exist with capitalism.
Must be a revolution to transform society and the economy.
Who adapted the ideas of Marxism?
Rosa Luxemburg.
When was Rosa Luxembourg around?
1871 - 1919
What is the main difference between Luxembourg’s socialism and Marxism?
She insisted on democracy as the best vehicle for achieving communism.
Democracy must then continue in a post-revolutionary communist society.
What is evolutionary socialism?
Oppostion to radical change, preferring gradual change within existing parliamentary structure.
Socialism will eventually emerge through democratic change.
What are democratic socialism, social democracy and the Third Way all examples of?
Evolutionary Socialism.
Where do the ideas of democratic socialism come from?
Beatrice Webb (1858 - 1943)
The Fabian Society (hehe)
What party did Democratic Socialism most affect and when?
Labour Party (particularly Attlee’s postwar government)
What did Webb argue about capitalism?
It must be gradually reformed via parliament to achieve a socialist state.
This would occur via mass nationalisation and state management by a socialist elite to ensure social justice.
When did social democracy emerge?
1950s.
Who was the main proponent for social democracy?
Anthony Crosland (1918 - 1977)
How does social democracy view the other forms of socialism?
Marxism as irrelevant.
Democratic socialism as outdated.
What does social democracy value above all else?
Social justice above common ownership and achieves this via reworking existing capitalist systems democratically.
What followed social democracy?
The Third Way.
Who created the idea behind the ‘third way’?
Anthony Giddens (b. 1938)
What did Giddens see his version of socialism as?
A renewal of social democracy with an added neo-liberal twist.
Who did the ideas of ‘Third Way’ socialism inspire?
Tony Blair’s New Labour
Bill Clinton’s Democrats
