Socialism

Question 1

What is ‘revolutionary socialism’?

Answer 1

The most common and influential form of revolutionary socialism is derived from the ideas of Marx and Engels and is known as Marxism.

Question 2

What are the main values of revolutionary socialism?

Answer 2

It argues that socialist values cannot coexist within capitalism and therefore there must be a revolution to transform society and the economy.

Question 3

What is ‘evolutionary socialism’?

Answer 3

Rather than a radical change, via a revolution, socialism is achieved gradually within the pre-existing parliamentary structure. Socialism will therefore emerge in a gradual piecemeal fashion via the state.

Question 4

When did social democracy emerge?

Answer 4

1950s

Question 5

What were the values of social democracy? (Anthony Crosland)

Answer 5

It values social justice above the common ownership advocated by revolutionary socialism and democratic socialism, and seeks to achieve this by working within existing capitalist systems through a redistributive welfare state.

Question 6

When did the ‘third way’ socialism emerge?

Answer 6

1990s

Question 7

What were the values of ‘third way’ socialism? (Anthony Giddens)

Answer 7

His ideas were based as a renewal of social democracy and added a Neo-liberal element to socialism.

Question 8

What was the shared value of common humanity?

Answer 8

Socialists have an optimistic view of human nature, believing individuals share a common humanity, are rational and predisposed to cooperate.

Question 9

How do socialists perceive society?

Answer 9

Socialists perceive society as a collection of broadly equal individuals who share a common identity and collective purpose?

Question 10

What is the definition of ‘cooperation’>?

Answer 10

Individuals working collectively to achieve mutual benefit with the fraternal belief that humans work best when working together

Question 11

What is the definition of ‘fraternity’?

Answer 11

Humans regarding each other as siblings rather than rivals. Relationships are not based on competition or enmity but on generosity and solidarity.

Question 12

What was the ‘revolutionary socialist’ view of common humanity?

Answer 12

Humans are ‘deformed’ by capitalism, and it must be abolished by a revolution. After a transitional period, a classless communist society would emerge, based on absolute equality where all social and economic activities would be done collectively.

Question 13

What was the ‘democratic socialist’ view of common humanity?

Answer 13

Webb argued for a socialist state via the ballot box. This would include common ownership of the means of production, achieved by extensive state nationalisation run by a socialist bureaucratic elite

Question 14

What are the different factions of socialism?

Answer 14

1. Classic Marxism
2. Marxism-Leninism
3. Democratic Socialism
4. Euro-communism
5. Social Democrats

Question 15

What is the Marx quote about revolution and society?

Answer 15

‘there is only one way to shorten and ease the convulsions of the old society and the bloody birth pangs of the new - revolutionary terror’

Question 16

How did Classic Marxists’ view capitalism?

Answer 16

Capitalism was viewed as a system of naked oppression and exploitation, and the working class was thought to be on the brink of revolution.

Question 17

How did Classic Marxist believe socialism could be achieved?

Answer 17

a social revolution that would establish a new mode of production and culminate in the achievement of full communism.

Question 18

Who was the target of the revolution for Classic Marxists?

Answer 18

The target of this revolution was to be the bourgeois state.

Question 19

How did Classic Marxists feel towards political change?

Answer 19

Political reform and gradual change are clearly pointless. Universal suffrage and regular and competitive elections are at best.a facade, their purpose being to conceal the reality of unequal class.

Question 20

What was Marx’s quote towards revolution?

Answer 20

‘Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries unite!’

Question 21

What did Marx believe happened after revolution?

Answer 21

He believed that there would be the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’. The purpose of which was to safeguard the gains of the revolution by preventing counter-revolution carried out by the disposed bourgeoisie.

Question 22

What would happen to society after revolution?

Answer 22

The resulting communist society would therefore be stateless as well as classless.

Question 23

What was the ideology of revolution for Marxism-Leninism?

Answer 23

Many adapted their views away from spontaneous revolution led by a ‘class-conscious’ proletariate towards a view of seizure of power and forced revolution by a vanguard party.

Question 24

What was Lenin’s quote about revolution?

Answer 24

‘You cannot make a revolution in white gloves’

Question 25

What was Lenin’s quote about the state?

Answer 25

‘So long as the state exists there is no freedom’

Question 26

How did Lenin criticise Marx’s ideology?

Answer 26

Lenin was concerned by Marx’s insistence that revolution, and a dictatorship of the proletariat, could occur only in societies where capitalism and the proletariat were well-developed.

Question 27

What was Luxembourg’s quote about human nature?

Answer 27

‘Those who do not move do not notice their chains’

Question 28

What was Luxembourg’s quote towards capitalism?

Answer 28

‘the wall of capitalism is only strengthened and consolidated by the development of social reforms. Only the hammer blow of revolution, that is the conquest of political power by the proletariat, can break down this wall’

Question 29

What did Lenin believe about human nature?

Answer 29

Unlike Marx, Lenin did not believe that the proletariate would spontaneously develop revolutionary class consciousness, as the working class was deluded by bourgeois ideology.

Question 30

What did Lenin believe about the form of revolution?

Answer 30

There would have to be a ‘revolutionary party’ that would act as the vanguard of the proletariat because, armed with Marxism, it would perceive the genuine interests of the proletariat and would act to awaken the proletarian class to its revolutionary potential.

Question 31

What did Lenin believe the ‘Communist Party’ would do?

Answer 31

This new party would embody Marx’s dictatorship of the proletariat and direct all aspects of the new, post-revolutionary society - a doctrine that became known as democratic centralism

Question 32

What is ‘democratic centralism’?

Answer 32

This was a term and process developed by Lenin. There would only be one party and only within that party would there be open discussion. Once the party had reached its decision, Lenin argued that the decision would embody the will of the people, making any further debate unnecessary and a risk to the revolution.

Question 33

What was Luxembourg’s thoughts on the notion of the vanguard party?

Answer 33

The problem of ‘substiutionism’, in which a ruling party would substitute itself for the proletariat and eventually a supreme leader would substitute himself for the party/

Question 34

What did Democratic socialists argue about capitalism within society?

Answer 34

Capitalism itself had martured and, by the late nineteenth century, the urban working class had lost its revolutionary character and was being integrated into society.

Question 35

How did Democratic socialist argue that the state had improved conditions?

Answer 35

The gradual advance of political democracy led to the extension of the franchise (the right to vote) to the working classes.

Question 36

What was different between Democratic socialists and classic Marxists with the revolution?

Answer 36

They were no less critical of capitalism and its exploitative traits, and certainly they were desirous of seeing an end to capitalism.

Question 37

What was the Webb quote about gradualism?

Answer 37

‘The inevitability of gradualism’

Question 38

What is ‘gradualism’?

Answer 38

gradualism is the hypothesis that social change can be achieved in small, discrete increments rather than in abrupt strokes such as revolutions or uprisings. Gradualism is one of the defining features of political liberalism and reformism.

Question 39

What was Webb’s quote about capitalism?

Answer 39

‘Capitalism is the principle cause of crippling poverty and demeaning inequality’

Question 40

What was Webb’s view on socialism?

Answer 40

The Fabians, led by Beatrice Webb (1858-1943) believed socialism would develop naturally and peacefully out of liberal capitalism. This would occur through a combination of political action and education.

Question 41

What was the Democratic Socialists’ view of the state?

Answer 41

They accepted the liberal theory of the state as a neutral arbiter, rather than the Marxist belief that it is an agent of class oppression

Question 42

What was Webb’s opinion of revolution?

Answer 42

Webb argued that revolutions were ‘chaotic, inefficient and counter-productive’ and, for that reason, ‘guilty of the same problem besetting capitalism - unpredictability.’

Question 43

What was the Democratic Socialists’ opinion of the ‘inevitably of gradualism’?

Answer 43

1. Democratic socialist parties would campaign peacefully to win trust of the voters.
2. The majority of voters would be working class and realise they have no vested interest in capitalism, electing socialist governments.
3. Democratic socialists governments would see the gradual replacement of private property with state ownership;

Question 44

What was the Euro-communists opinion towards revolution?

Answer 44

They rejected the Marxist-Leninist case for revolution. Instead, they contested elections, took up seats won in national parliaments and occupied positions of executive power within the existing constitutional system/

Question 45

What did Gramsci argue about capitalism?

Answer 45

He argued that capitalism could never be overthrown without mass public support.

Question 46

How did Gramsci believe that socialism could be achieved?

Answer 46

Socialist change, he contested, must therefore be preceded by the emergence of a counter-culture not just in the workplace, as Marx and Lenin prescribed, but in artistic, literary and recreational life as well.

Question 47

What did Euro-communist believe about the state?

Answer 47

They argued that the existing ‘liberal-bourgeois’ state could accommodate meaningful, socialist change, including the transition from a privately owned to a publicly owned economy.

Question 48

What was the Euro-communism’s opinion of revolution?

Answer 48

Euro-communists rejected the inevitability and desirability of revolution.

Question 49

How did euro-communists criticise classical marxism?

Answer 49

Euro-communists rejected the dictatorship of the proletariate and reworked Marx’s historical materialism.

Question 50

What was Bernstein’s thoughts between the state and capitalism?

Answer 50

The condition of the working class was steadily improving under capitalism - especially in those states where capitalism was well developed.

Question 51

What was Bernstein’s quote about revolution?

Answer 51

‘In my judgement success lies in a steady [peaceful] advance [rather] than in a catastrophic crash.’

Question 52

What did social democracy’s attitude towards capitalism?

Answer 52

Capitalist economies could provide an even greater improvement to workers’ conditions, with capitalism’s worst features forever contained.

Question 53

Why did social democrats believe they could solve inequalities in society?

Answer 53

The government would curb the inequalities of a capitalist society, while eliminating the need for revolution.

Question 54

What did Crosland argue about capitalism?

Answer 54

Crosland dismissed Marxism on the grounds that capitalism no longer exited, having been transformed by the spread of democracy,