11.5 - Socialism Key Thinkers Flashcards
What did Marx and Engels place central to socialism?
Concepts of social class.
How can the best nature of human nature be expressed according to Marx?
Through a Communist society.
What are the three key elements to Marxism?
Historical Materialism
Dialectical Change
Class Consciousness
What happens to the individuals in a materialistic society?
The individual cannot realise his or her full potential, if private property and class differences are eliminated, they can become a fully rounded individual.
Where were Marx and Engels from?
Germany
What class did Marx and Engels belong to?
Middle class
What were Marx’s and Engels main books?
The Communist Manifesto (1848)
Das Kapital (1867)
What problem did Marx and Engels run into?
Working class people don’t have the time to learn manifestos and read books, so their target audience was difficult to effectively target.
What main section of Marxism did Webb disagree with?
Class struggle
How did Webb envisage a socialist society coming about?
Through democratic means - evolutionary socialism.
What was Webb’s main book?
A Constitution for the Socialist Commonwealth of Great Britain.
Why did Webb reject direct democracy?
She felt the average voter was not well enough informed to make decisions.
Why did Webb prefer representative democracy?
She felt a skilled governing class could be relied upon to persue socialist ideals.
How did Webb feel a socialist state could be delivered?
Vastly expanding the state.
What was key to the socialist goals of Webb?
Central planning of the economy.
What did Webb think of Stalinist Russia?
Initially liked it as she felt its level of planning was in the public interest rather than motivated by profit.
What class did Webb belong to?
Middle Class
Where was Webb from?
England
How did Luxembourg disagree with evolutionary socialism?
She rejected it as it left capitalism intact and she required a complete workers control and a complete overthrow of the capitalist system.
What was Luxembourg’s book?
Social Reform or Revolution
Why did Luxembourg think capitalism was doomed?
Eventually, it will run out of markets and territories to exploit so any attempts to work around it will simply prolong its life.
What did Luxembourg think of class conciousness and struggle?
It was essential for the proletariat to revolt.
How did Luxembourg disagree with Lenin?
She felt that small, rigidly centralised groups were not necessary to overthrow capitalism.
How did Luxembourg theorise a group could overthrow capitalism?
Through popular revolution.
What was the Politburo?
Marxist / Leninist idea that a small group of leaders were necessary to complete a revolution.
What was Crosland’s book?
The Future of Socialism
Why did Crosland argue Marx was incorrect?
Capitalism had fundamentally changed since the days of Marx.
Why did Crosland think the appetite for revolution no longer existed?
There was now a welfare state, trade unions and nationalised industries.
What did Crosland think socialism should concern itself with?
- Economic efficiency
- Communitarianism
- Social Justice
- Rewards for individual responsibility as well as talents and abilities
What economic theory did Crosland subscribe to?
Keynesian economics.
How did Crosland want to change the education system?
Wanted to expand the comprehensive school system by destroying grammar schools and increasing access to higher education.
Why did Giddens think social democrats need to change?
The free market had to be embraced as entrepreneurship and capitalism can be harnessed for all.
What was Giddens’ book?
The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy
What did Giddens think the state should focus investment on?
Infrastructure of society
(education, training, healthcare etc.)
What is the Marxist view on human nature?
Humans are naturally altruistic.
Capitalism instils humans with a false sense of values.
What is Luxembourg’s view on human nature?
Humans had been damaged by capitalism.
Humans are certainly not perfect, and democracy is necessary to prevent tyranny.
What is Webb’s view on human nature?
Capitalism had damaged the human psyche.
Webb believed in intellectual and moral human imperfection, particularly of the working class.
What is Crosland’s view on human nature?
Human nature is innately fair.
Inequalities of outcome hinder collective human progress.
What is Giddens’ view on human nature?
Human nature is shaped by socio-economic conditions.
Humans as individual and collective creatures.
What the Marxist view on the state?
Capitalism must be destroyed through revolution.
The state will be temporarily replaced by the dictatorship of the proletariat that will wither away when communism is established.
What is Luxemburg’s view on the state?
Capitalism should be destroyed by revolution and replaced by genuine democracy.
What is Webb’s view on the state?
The state should be used to create a socialist society.
This would be achieved via universal suffrage over a gradual time frame.
What is Crosland’s view on the state?
The state should be managed by ‘meritocratic managers’ and ‘classless technocrats’.
What is Giddens’ view on the state?
The state should invest in social investment and infrastructure but refrain from economic and social engineering.
What the Marxist view on society?
Capitalism corrupts society and the elite oppress the working class, creating a class conflict.
A communist society is completely equal with absolute societal harmony.
What is Luxemburg’s view on society?
Capitalism corrupts society and the elite oppress the working class.
A democratic communist society will provide absolute equality and social harmony.
What is Webb’s view on society?
Society under socialist state management will eventually produce an equality of outcome.
What is Crosland’s view on society?
State management will affect societal change and create social justice and equality of welfare.
What is Giddens’ view on society?
Society will embrace equality of opportunity and communal responsibility instead of a class conflict.
What is the Marxist view on the economy?
Capitalism is both corrupt and inefficient.
It should be replaced by an economy where resources are collectively owned and distributed according to need.
What is Luxemburg’s view on the economy?
Historical materialism is flawed as capitalism does not need to ‘reach a final stage’ before it can be abolished.
What is Webb’s view on the economy?
The free-market economy would be gradually nationalised as workers obtain common ownership over the means of production.
What is Crosland’s view on the economy?
Rejection of Webb’s gradualism.
Mixed economy following Keynesian economics.
Capitalism had been largely reformed of its most exploitative tendencies.
What is Giddens’ view on the economy?
A neo-liberal economy under free market principles is more efficient than all socialist economic models.
Tax revenues they generate finance greater equality of opportunity.
