component 1: socialism

Question 1

varieties of socialism: revolutionary socialism

Answer 1

human nature: capitalims corrupts human nature, HN can be improved by reforming capitalism and making it socialist, man is a social: we seek to relaise our goals on a collective basis.
state: state is evidence of class oppression & will always preach & reflect interests of property-owning classes, bourgeouis state must be overthrown, dictatorship of proletariat.
society: communist society, capitalism is destined to be overthrown by proletariat revolution, it would be spontatneous and occur when conditions are ripe, a socialist stage before full communism, as class enemies fade, full communism will occur.
economy: capitalism alienates people from the product of their labour, the process of labour, other workers and from themselves. NO private ownership, advocate revolution.

Question 2

varieties of socialism: social democracy

Answer 2

human nature: no absolute equality as equality can reduce individual freedoms, as humans want to be good then a socialist way of acting is only moral solution.
state: we should use state to help equality, extensive welfare state to reduce poverty, reform capitalism so it works e.g. state intervention such as nationalisation of industry, creation of welfare anf pensions.
society: absolute equality would reduce individual freedom, humanise capitalism and not abolish it, support ideas with the principle of social justice: people should have equality of wealth and oppurtunity.
economy: civilise capitalism. Mixed economy: some nationalisation but most of economy in private hands, progressive taxation to pay for welfare, redistribute some welath

Question 3

varieities of socialism: third way

Answer 3

human nature: support co-parenting, democratic family, gender equality and lifelong parental contracts, development of cosmopolitan nation celebrating cultural diversity, provide opps for citizens but not equality of opps.
state: use state to help capitalism and further equality, state should reduce social exclusion and have emphasis on education. In favour of growth and enterprise as well as social justice and the state can bring this about.
society: human developed as part of societies and needed to be part of something bigger than themselves, we should use capitalism to achieve inclusivity.
economy: focus on economic growth not redistribution, free market = efficient economic system and generates wealth, high taxes and state control, no return to nationalisation.

Question 4

key thinkers

Answer 4

1 - marx and engels: RS, ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs’, dictatorship of proletariat, society should be classless, collective ownership.
2 - rosa luxemburg: RS, exisitn gov needs to be replaced by workers based society, social cohesion exists within social classes, no one party state after revolution.
3 - beatrice webb: SD, working class aren’t educated enought to run society, neutralview of state, emphasis on education, accepted some need for some inequality.
4 - anthony crossland: SD, humanise capitlist system, exisitng systems can be used to create SS, create schools that cater all abilities, mixed economy..
5 - anthony giddens: TW, rejects state intervention, role of state is social investment, socialits must work with middle class, welfare programmes, free market economy.