key socialist thinkers and strands

Question 1

Marx and engels - human nature

Answer 1

contaminated by capitalism which encouraged greed which is not natural and created a false conciousness
human nature is maleable

Question 2

Marx and engels - the state

Answer 2

the bourgouise state must be overthrown and replaced by dictatorship of the proletariate
controlled by the elites

Question 3

Marx and engels - society

Answer 3

society is related to means of production
creates a small exploiting class and an exploited many

Question 4

Marx and engels - economy

Answer 4

capitalism is inevitable but should be replaced with common ownership
controlled by the people = equal wealth

Question 5

Luxembourg - human nature

Answer 5

struggle against capitalism will mould and change human nature
rejected evolutionary socialism

Question 6

Luxembourg - the state

Answer 6

mass strike and revolution below the state to destroy it
replace with unlimited democracy of workers

Question 7

Luxembourg - society

Answer 7

a capitalist society and one of exploitation
workers ability and organisation will come through the struggle of it

Question 8

luxemburg - economy

Answer 8

capitalism can not be reformed
the revolution will overturn it

Question 9

webb - human nature

Answer 9

corrupted by poverty and human nature but will guide itself back to its cooperative essence

Question 10

webb - state

Answer 10

could be harnessed via ballot to change gradually (evolution)
only state inervention and trade unionism could counter poverty

Question 11

webb - society

Answer 11

poverty is structural so needs a structural response ; the national minimum wage

Question 12

webb - economy

Answer 12

the state will take production into common ownership

Question 13

democratic socialsm - webb

Answer 13

webb associated with, pivotal to the development of the Labour party
webb planned a rational society “inevitability of socialism”

-democratic socialists would campaign peacefully
-electorate would inevitable vote a socialist govt
-gradual replacement of private to state ownership

Question 14

neo - marxism

Answer 14

violent overthrow of capitalism to smash capitalism and its false consciousness
however not optimistic that revolution would happen due to the strength of capitalism
milliband argued any democratic socialist which came into power were forced to dissolve socialist policies

Question 15

revisionist socialism

Answer 15

socialism can be achieved without destruction of capitalism and without upheaval of revolution

Question 16

arguments that socialism requires abolition of private property and capitalism

Answer 16

-priv prop generates inequality
-promotes individualism instead of fraternity and cooperation
-leads to exploitation of workers (Marx)
-webb believed public ownership to be more efficient
-later democratic socialist Benn believed attempts to achieve socialism alongside Keynesian capitalism had failed

Question 17

arguments that socialism can be achieved without abolition of private property and capitalism

Answer 17

ownership is means not the ends, the true ends are equality
early revisionists realised working class conditions had improved (not envisioned by Marx)
increased public spending possible if capitalist growth was slow
third way revisionist e.g. Giddens argued a thriving Neo-liberal economy would provide the state with a growing tax yield financing public spending
capitalism is now globalised

Question 18

crossland - human nature

Answer 18

inequality leads to fear and envy but equality leads to cooperation

Question 19

crossland- society

Answer 19

capitalism forever changed by Keynes
advanced societies would enjoy economic growth and full employment without public ownership
societies would enjoy expansion of welfare state

Question 20

crossland - state/economy

Answer 20

socialism required a mixed economy
argued for comprehensive education to dissolve segregation amongst children

Question 21

giddens - human nature

Answer 21

capitalism and individualism were irreversible
any survival of social democracy required recognition that free market capitalism had power to empower individuals

Question 22

giddens - society/ economy

Answer 22

argued capitalism worked best under social cohesion
capitalism in 20th century dissolved industries and fragmented communities and atomising the modern workforce

Question 23

giddens - the state

Answer 23

if human nature were to flourish under. more managed economy then must be more proactive requiring heavy investment
revisionist socialist argument revitalising the case for further state action in a globalised economy
recognised Keynesian economics was obsolete and socialism needed to reconcile itself to free market
heavy influence on New Labour government

Question 24

The third way

Answer 24

associated with New Labour or known as Neo-revisionism
giddens urged leftists to go with more privatisation and deregulation to boost govt tax revenue (view accepted by Blair which led to renounce its commitment to Clause IV
due to globalisation, govt less influential so encouraged to address less economic values and more social equality issues
redistributing political influences e.g devolution and HRA