Socialism

Question 1

Key strands of socialism and when they came about?

Answer 1

• Revolutionary socialism - Essentially Marxism established through Marx and Engels in the mid 19th century
• Social democracy - Emerged just after WW2 and rejected revolutionary politics, preferring evolutionary socialism which sought to achieve its goal via existing democratic constitutional means
• Third Way - Emerged in the 1980-90s as a synthesis of neo-liberal and social democratic ideals - championed by New Lab and PM Blair

Question 2

Socialism key words/concepts - Cooperation

Answer 2

Individuals working collectively to achieve mutual benefit in the fraternal belief that humans work best when working together for a collective goal where they can share the benefits

Question 3

Socialism key words/concepts - Social justice

Answer 3

A moral justification to redistribute wealth so as to limited inequality and provide equality of opportunity for everyone in society

Question 4

Socialism key words/concepts - Fraternity

Answer 4

The belief that humans should regard each other as siblings and that relationships should be accordingly based on generosity and solidarity rather than competition

Question 5

Socialism key words/concepts - Keynesian economics

Answer 5

The economic argument that govs should stimulate economic demand in times of recession via state spending - govs should also manage the economy by using tax and interest rates to influence demand and prevent recessions

Question 6

Socialism key words/concepts - Common ownership

Answer 6

The opposite of private ownership which exists in the free-market capitalist economy - influenced by the socialist ideal of fraternity and equality - all members of society can benefit from state ownership and participate in the running and organisation and the means of production

Question 7

Socialism key words/concepts - Revisionism

Answer 7

This simply refers to reviewing and chainging a political theory - EG SDs revising the ideas of RVSs - to differentiate between the different types of revisionism, the term neo-revisionism is sometimes given to the Third Way who revised SD ideas

Question 8

Socialism Key Thinkers - Revolutionary Socialists - Who were they and what did they believe about their theories?

Answer 8

• Marx and Engels
• Believed their theories were inevitable

Question 9

Socialism Key Thinkers - Revolutionary Socialists - Beliefs around class struggle and the crises and recessions caused by capitalism?

Answer 9

• Believed that class struggle, arising from property ownership, has existed throughout history and therefore believed that the final destination of history was communism
• Believed that the crises and recessions seen under capitalism will eventually benefit only a tiny minority of the ruling class – the vast majority of individuals will form the proletariat at which point will wake up to their exploitation and achieve class consciousness

Question 10

Socialism Key Thinkers - Revolutionary Socialists - Beliefs around the proletariat and the eventual outcome for the state?

Answer 10

• The proletariat will overthrow capitalism and a transitional phase, the dictatorship of the proletariat, will occur
• After a period of transition the state will wither away and a stateless communist society will emerge based on common ownership – this will be the peak of human achievement and the end of history

Question 11

Socialism Key Thinkers - Social Democrats - Who and opinions of revolutionary socialism?

Answer 11

• Anthony Crosland
• Criticised the negative view of capitalist development, arguing that it did not drive social change and that ‘the evolutionary and revolutionary philosophies had proven false’
• In his opinion, the internal tensions required in Marxism were not present in post-war capitalism
• Crosland argued that ‘Marx had little or nothing to offer the contemporary socialist’

Question 12

Socialism Key Thinkers - Social Democrats - How did Crosland think socialism was best served?

Answer 12

He argued that socialism was best served through ‘state-managed capitalism’ – Crosland favoured a mixed economy that, rather than focusing on more public ownership, focused on equality of outcome facilitated by spending more on public services

Question 13

Socialism Key Thinkers - Social Democrats - Views on Keynesian economics and attempts to ensure equality?

Answer 13

• Keynesian economics had made state-managed capitalism a reality and society could look forward to permanent economic growth and full employment – this would allow socialists to expand the welfare state and achieve social justice
• Crosland’s most famous attempt to ensure equality was to create comprehensive schools that would cater for all abilities and break down the social segregation of grammar schools

Question 14

Socialism Key Thinkers - The Third Way - Who and opinions on free-market capitalism

Answer 14

• Anthony Giddens
• Free-market capitalism enriches and empowers society and, alongside capitalism and individualism, is irreversible
• Socialism must harness the benefits of the free market whilst neutralising its corrosive effects upon community and fraternity

Question 15

Socialism Key Thinkers - The Third Way - Views on individualism

Answer 15

• Accepts individualism but stresses that individuals live, work and thrive in a community of interdependence and reciprocity
• Individuals would therefore become stakeholders and have both rights and responsibilities within society

Question 16

Socialism Key Thinkers - The Third Way - Views on Keynesian economics

Answer 16

Abandonment of state intervention and state-managed democracy espoused by Crosland based on Keynesian economics as free market economic ideas are broadly accepted

Question 17

Socialism Key Thinkers - The Third Way - What should revisionist socialism priorities?

Answer 17

Advocates for the abandonment of economic and social engineering of SDs – revisionists socialism should prioritise infrastructure such as community services and public transport, and equality of opportunity, particularly in education

Question 18

Socialism Key Thinkers - The Third Way - How would greater equality of opportunity be provided?

Answer 18

Greater equality of opportunity would be provided using free market wealth to fund infrastructure and public services – social inclusiveness would provide wider opportunities for the disadvantaged EG increased access to higher education, replacing comprehensives with academy schools

Question 19

Where do the different strands of socialism agree on the four key issues - Human nature (3)

Answer 19

• Optimistic view on HN that believes individuals possess a common humanity and are essentially rational, social creature who gravitate towards cooperation and sociability
• Believe that HN is not fixed but easily shaped by one’s environment so human nature and behaviour are determined by society
• Society is capable of remodelling HN in both positive and negative ways – most socialists argue that capitalism has had a negative effect on human nature as it indoctrinates selfish, individualistic, and greedy behaviour

Question 20

Where do the different strands of socialism agree on the four key issues - Society (4)

Answer 20

• HN and society closely interlinked as individuals are products of their society – if society is to be improved there will be a corresponding improvement in the behaviour of individuals
• Social class divides society - socialists therefore believe in social justice – for this to be achieved there must be equality of outcome and a narrowing/eliminating of the gap between social classes
• Believe in the positive capabilities of HN and fraternity - therefore believe that humans can be stimulated by common humanity and their contributions to society are motivated by the improvement of society and taking responsibility for the less fortunate, rather than individual materialistic gratification
• Society should be based on equality as it ensures economic fairness, reinforces collectivism and satisfies everyone’s basic human needs

Question 21

Where do the different strands of socialism agree on the four key issues - The state

Answer 21

Not much agreement

Question 22

Where do the different strands of socialism agree on the four key issues - The economy

Answer 22

Not much agreement

Question 23

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - Human Nature (RVSs and SDs v 3W)

Answer 23

• RVSs and SDs argue that capitalism has distorted HN into a ‘false consciousness’ of greed and selfishness
• 3W argues that capitalism can be beneficial to HN – economic rewards can be used for the common good if correctly married to core socialist beliefs of cooperation, fraternity and community

Question 24

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - Society - RVSs (4)

Answer 24

• Equality of outcome where rewards are based on an individual’s contribution - absolute equality where everyone who contributes to society receives the same reward
• Society must undergo revolution to be perfect
• Equality can be achieved only with the abolition of private property and the common ownership of the means of production with workers’ control
• Society should be run on collectivist lines as morally the collective should take precedence over individual self-interest

Question 25

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - Society - SDs (4)

Answer 25

• Focused less on collectivism and more on reforming capitalism so that society can share the benefits of economic growth
• For society as a whole to benefit, there must be a mixed economy using Keynesian economics that will maintain full employment and economic growth
• Society will benefit through equality of welfare to tackle poverty
• Crossland argued for equality of opportunity in society with no class barriers or privileges, thus socially reforming and restructuring society

Question 26

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - Society - 3W (2)

Answer 26

• Giddens argued for a narrower focus of equality of opportunity than SDs, focusing on social investments within infrastructure and education
• Argued that societal community is vital to offset the negative effects of free-market globalisation – community brings social cohesion, social values, and social responsibility – citizens are stakeholders within society

Question 27

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - The state - RVSs (1)

Answer 27

See the state as a tool of the bourgeoisie which reinforces the inequality and selfishness of capitalism – most revolutionary socialists follow Marx and Engels who believe that the state will no longer be needed on the communist revolution is complete

Question 28

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - The state - SDs (4)

Answer 28

• Role of the state is to reform capitalism
• Crosland argued it is the state’s job to deliver social equality and social justice
• Argue that the state, utilising Keynesian economics, will manage the economy to ensure continual high employment, low inflation, and growth
• Argue that the state will use the proceeds of its wise economic management to counter capitalism’s inequality via as redistribution of wealth through equality of welfare

Question 29

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - The state - 3W (3)

Answer 29

• Giddens argues that citizens should be stakeholders within society and that the state should undertake social investment in social infrastructure such as education and training
• Argues that the state should not do too much as this will create a dependency culture – therefore citizens have a responsibility to take advantage of what the state is offering
• Argues against top-down state intervention, preferring free-market participation in the delivery of public services

Question 30

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - The economy - RVSs (5)

Answer 30

• RVSs argue that capitalism distorts human consciousness and leaves the workers ‘deformed’ with the proletariat exploited by the bourgeoisie
• Want to see capitalism abolished and replaced with an economy based on collective ownership of property and the workers controlling the means of production
• Equality can only be achieved with the abolition of private property and the common ownership of the means of production with workers’ control
• Any attempts to reform capitalism will completely undermine the core objectives of socialism
• Marx and Engels argued that capitalism’s innate contradictions and crises means that its collapse is inevitable – this is a predominant theme with revolutionary socialism

Question 31

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - The economy - SDs (4)

Answer 31

• Disagrees with RVSs - capitalism should not be abolished but reformed
• Argue for a mixed economy of state and privately run industry where the state would regulate the economy using Keynesian economics to maintain growth and full employment
• Reform inequalities of capitalism via the welfare state which would redistribute wealth
• Focus on social justice rather than common ownership - emphasise that the state must manage the economy wisely so that its benefits can be shared in an egalitarian way
• Wish to redistribute wealth, resources, and opportunities via public ownership and extensive public services that would be financed by progressive taxation

Question 32

Where do the four strands of socialism disagree on the four key issues - The economy - 3W (4)

Answer 32

• Embraces aspects of the free market and abandons top-down state intervention – envisages private enterprise being involved in the delivery of public services EG private finance initiatives instigated by New Labour
• Rejects the non-means-tested redistribution of wealth advocated by SDs - Giddens argues this will lead to a dependency culture
• Advocates what Giddens describes as a ‘social investment state’ where the proceeds of economic growth are invested in the infrastructure of society (EG education and training) – this would vastly improve equality of opportunity
• Advocates equality of welfare but to a lesser extent than SD – EG expecting students to contribute to their uni education cost 0 it argues for a regulated economy to reinforce workers rights – minimum wage, abolition of zero-hours contracts, equal pay, maternity leave, etc