Core Ideas of Socialism

Question 1

Human Nature

Answer 1

• Optimistic = instead of seeking autonomy, individuals are naturally cooperative, generous and altruistic and they seek fraternity and comradeship.
• Mankind’s true nature was diluted by time and circumstances - more optimistic about how it could be.
• Malleable, rather than permanent, and adjustable - ensuring they can fulfil their true, fraternal potential while contributing to a more cooperative community.

Question 2

State

Answer 2

• Strong state - otherwise impossible to bring about an equal society, social justice and wealth redistribution. However, they disagree on the ideal state structure, the extent of its activities and how it should emerge.
• Should redistribute political and economic power and decision-making should reflect the principle of equality and empowerment of people (democracy). Yet, some believe democracy creates a hierarchy by placing the elite in charge.
• Some argue, eventually, the state will ‘wither away’ (described by Marx as the end of history), but it’s still essential until then, unlike the one that preceded the Enlightenment Period.
• Rejects the monarchical state, theocratic state, and aristocratic state.

Question 3

Economy

Answer 3

• Equality of outcome (an equal society) is the ends and equality of opportunity (education) is the means.
• Social class is determined by the economic system underpinning society - unable to address inequality w/o addressing the economy structure.
• Private ownership and capitalism threatens HN = encourages competitiveness, egotism and the pursuit of self-interest. Free-market capitalism also generates inequality of outcome which is incompatible with equality of outcome, self-determination and social justice.
• Champions an economy that provides for greater worker’s control in employment and a significant redistribution of wealth & resources.

Question 4

Two principles of wealth redistribution (economy)

Answer 4

• Rejects laissez-faire capitalism which allows social injustice.
• Demands greater collectivism, promoting societal needs as a whole, rather than the abilities of a few.

Question 5

What does economic collectivism include?

Answer 5

• Progressive taxation and public spending = state extracts wealth from its citizens on a ‘sliding scale’ (more tax, the more richer) to enhance the less fortunate elements of society (benefits to the unemployed/elderly).
• Extensive regulation of capitalism to prevent exploitation by the rich = legal minimum wage for workers, equal pay legislation, health and safety directives and guarantees of maternity leave.
• Common ownership = recommended when private enterprise seems to fail parts or all of the economy, with grievous consequences for society and its more vulnerable citizens.

Question 6

Believed benefits of economic collectivism?

Answer 6

• It is an expressions of a fraternal, cooperative society with greater social justice.
• More efficient, stable and manageable economy - it provides more necessary resources to society as capitalism and market forces are volatile, causing mass unemployment.

Question 7

Society

Answer 7

• Structured around who has the means of production. The industrial revolution created distinct social groupings (classes) based on employment and income, having unequal power and influence as certain sectors exercise more opportunities to exploit individuals.
• Central to an individual’s fate - main reason why individuals don’t achieve as they are the product of the society they were born into and cannot be the masters of their own destiny (not the sum of autonomous individuals like liberalism).
• To remove inequality, the means of production must be with the state (nationalisation) to create a more egalitarian society, rather than individuals (businesses).

Question 8

Society

Equality of opportunity

Answer 8

• Only achievable by creating equality of outcome in society. They seek to narrow of the wealth gap in society as lower classes have less opportunities than higher classes (greater similarity within their material resources and their material circumstances).
• Insufficient to just improve the condition of society’s poorest. Unless some narrowing of the gap, society will continue to lack fraternity, cooperation and solidarity, instead it will foster greed, envy, resentment and division.