7.1 Socialism core ideas

Question 1

5

List the socialist core ideas

Answer 1

• Collectivism
• Common humanity
• Equality
• Social class
• Worker’s control

Question 2

5

Describe common humanity (in relation to individuals)

Answer 2

• Optimistic view of human nature
• individuals rational and predisposed to co-operate rather than compete (work more fulfilling if focused on cooperatism rather than individualism)
• Underpinned by belief in fraternity and community
• Individuals rational and sociable - can be influenced by moral and selfish considerations
• Unchecked capitalism can corrupt human nature of individuals and tempt them towards selfishness (all socialists agree with this varying extents)

Question 3

2

Describe common humanity (in relation to understanding society)

Answer 3

• Human behaviour decided within framework of society - so individuals must be viewed as a part of that society
• The understanding of a shared humanity means that society can benefit from efficient use of each individual’s ability

Question 4

3

Describe revolutionary socialist views on common humanity

Answer 4

• Marx and Engels argued that individuals’ common humanity was ‘deformed’ by capitalism
• Capitalism must be abolished, followed by a transitional period and emergence of a classless, communist society
• Cooperation on all social/economic activities would restore common humanity in society

Question 5

2

Describe social democrat views on common humanity

Answer 5

• Common humanity should be achieved by a reformed capitalism - significant break from socialist state of Marx and Webb
• Crosland argued for mixed economy, Keynesian economics and the welfare state

Question 6

2

Describe third way views on common humanity

Answer 6

• Concerned about impact of corrupting nature of capitalism but less concerned than other strands
• Giddens argued for greater equality of opportunity, ideas of self-reliance and free markets, move from universal welfare to means-tested welfare

Question 7

4

Describe collectivism

Answer 7

• Optimistic view of human nature
• Prefer to work together than independently (united by fraternity)
• Society can only be improved by collective action - achieves more than individual effort
• Prioritises group over individual

Question 8

3

Describe revolutionary socialist views on collectivism (including Webb)

Answer 8

• Marx and Engels proposed common ownership of industry to allow for collective production, leading to collective benefit
• Talked about communal societies
• Webb argued for nationalisation and centralised state planning

Webb a democratic socialist, not revolutionary

Question 9

3

Describe social democrat views on collectivism

Answer 9

• Crosland suspicious of the type of collectivism revolutionary socialists proposed
• But supported trade unions for collective bargaining rights to stop exploitation
• Key utilities should be brough under government control for collective interest of all

Question 10

3

Describe third way views on collectivism

Answer 10

• Giddens concerned about centralised state suppressing freedom
• Unions important to preserve fair practice but wages should be determined by beneficial market system
• free market and individual action often more beneficial than collective, nationalised action

Question 11

4

List the different types of equality

Answer 11

• Absolute equality
• Equality of outcome (small differences in rewards e.g. distributive taxation)
• Equality of opportunity (some socialists sceptical as humans don’t all have same ability)
• Equality of welfare - all individuals should have a minimum standard of living

Question 12

3

Describe the aspects of equality that socialists all agree on

Answer 12

• foundational equality - all individuals born with innate human rights that translate to civil/political equality
• Rejection of natural heirarchies - individuals have potential to aspire to any position within society
• Equality of opportunity

Question 13

4

Describe revolutionary socialist views on equality

Answer 13

• Marx, Engels and Luxemburg believed that material rewards in society would be based on individual needs
• Achieved through economy based on common ownership and collectivism
• Argued that equality of opportunity can only be achieved through revolution
• Reject equality of outcome and welfare for its assumption that capitalism could get rid of exploitation, which they argued was impossible

Question 14

3

Describe Webb views on equality

Webb is an evolutionary socialist (Democratic Socialism)

Answer 14

• Equality of oportunity (outcome?) could only be achieved by reforming capitalism into a truly socialist state with common ownership
• Gradual incrimental tax changes to more evenly distribute income, though this would not achieve absolute equality
• nationalisation of industry would better distribute resources to achieve equality of welfare

Question 15

5

Describe social democrat views on equality

Answer 15

• Crosland argued for mixed economy and Keynesian state management to break down class barriers
• Progressive taxation to enable expansive welfare state to better distribute opportunities (universal welfare)
• Opposed to equality of outcome as it would disincentivise wealth creators, weaknening the economy
• Dimissed absolute equality as utopian
• Preffered meritocratic mixed economy where those who contributed more would be rewarded accordingly

Question 16

5

Describe third way views on equality

Answer 16

• Equality of opportunity should target neediest in society
• Giddens advocated mean-tested benefits
• Rejected universal welfare of social democracy for creating dependency culture and disincentive to work
• Agreed with social democrats that wage equality was disincentive to work and damaged economy
• Agreed with social democrats that inequality was natural consequence of society and that absolute equality was utopian

Question 17

2

Describe social class

Answer 17

• Capitalism creates harmful social class divisions that result in social heirarchies
• United in criticising these divides and seek to improve lives of working class

Question 18

3

Describe revolutionary socialist views on social class (in relation to social divisions)

Answer 18

• Social divisions created by parasitic capitalists exploiting workforce (‘proletariat’)
• Marx and Engels argued capitalists took maximum surplus value
• This alienated workers from their labour

Surplus value - difference between wages of workers and profits taken by capitalists (i.e. profits)

Question 19

4

Describe revolutionary socialist views on social class (in relation to the state)

Answer 19

• State not neutral - actively reinforced this oppressive relationship via laws, bureaucracy, police and army, etc
• Revolution and abolition of capitalist system needed to reconcile these problems
• Class consciousness and the resulting social class action had been cause of major historical change (dialectic)
• Luxemburg agreed with class consciousness and revolution of Marx though argued democracy would still be needed in communist society (‘life dies in every institution’ without democracy)

Question 20

3

Describe Webb’s views on social class

Answer 20

• Shared Marxist social class analysis
• However argued that state could be altered from supporting capitalism to delivering socialism
• Socialist state would introduce universal nationalisation to deliver equality of outcome and welfare to reduce class division

Question 21

4

Describe social democrat views on social class

Answer 21

• Criticial of collectivism of Webb’s utilitarian ideas
• Crosland felt that attempts to solve social class issues by universal nationalism threatened individual freedom
• Envisioned an eventual classless society where individuals thrive through a mixed economy delivering a fairer distribution of wealth and equality of opportunity
• Crosland argued for comprehensive education to close class divisions

Question 22

3

Describe Third Way views on social class

Answer 22

• Globalisation and breakdown of traditional class-based occupations have reduced social divisions
• Problems of social class can be reconcilled through capitalism - no need for revolution
• Giddens similarily argues to Crosland that investment in education is a ‘key basis of the redistribution of possibilities’

Question 23

4

Describe workers’ control

Answer 23

• management through workers’ councils/committees
• united in idea that unchecked free market will exploit industrial worker
• Marx and Luxemburg advocate workers’ control (at least for a time)
• evolutionary socialists do not advocate workers seizing control of economy

Question 24

4

Describe revolutionary socialist views on workers’ control

Answer 24

• Workers are key parts of production process and therefore should have some control over work
• Marx and Engels envisaged transitionary period of workers’ control where collectivist and fraternal values would be reinstated
• Would be followed by classless and stateless communist society
• No need for workers’ control in communism as expolitative capitalist competition would be removed

Question 25

4

Describe Webb’s views on workers’ control (in relation to human nature)

Answer 25

• Dimissed state nationalism under workers’ control
• Argued that workers lacked the intellectual capability needed (average workers cannot ‘prescribe the remedies’ to their ‘grievances’)
• Held most negative view of human nature
• Believed working class innately intellectualy inferior and needed guidance of pateral ‘professional expert’

Question 26

3

Describe Webb’s views on workers’ control (in relation to revolution)

Answer 26

• State would ‘silently change its character’ so that it could manage rather than oppress worker
• Highly trained elite of adminstrators and specialists to organise society
• Clause IV sought common ownership, but not workers’ control

Question 27

3

Describe social democrat views on workers’ control

Answer 27

• Dimissed workers’ control as outdated notion
• Capitalism had largely been reformed of its exploitative traits
• Crosland supported contrastingly mixed economy to enable welfare state

Question 28

4

Describe Third Way views on workers’ control

Answer 28

• Dismissed workers control
• Giddens agreed with Webb on lack of workers’ intellectual capability
• Opposed to mixed/nationalised economy - free market was more prosperous and efficient
• Crosland stated that proceeds of free market should go towards the ‘interests of social solidarity and social justice’