Socialism Flashcards
What are the core ideas of socialism?(5)
Collectivism
Common humanity
Equality
Social Class
Worker’s control
What are the four types of socialism?
Revolutionist socialists (Marxists)
Social Democracy
Third Way
democtratic socialism
social democracy and democratic socialism combined/coherent in exam essay
What are the socialist key thinkers?
Marx and Engels- Revolutionary socialists
Rosa Luxemburg- Revolutionary socialist
Beatrix Webb- democtratic socialism
Anthony Crossland- Social Democracy
Anthony Giddens- 3rd Way
What is fraternity?
- A common outlook & share basic nature/interests humans have.
- Mutual support/ common humanity
What quotes do Marx and Engels use?
- ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.’
- ‘Surplus value’ plants ‘the seeds of its own destruction.’
What quotes does Beatrice Webb use?
- Expansion of state was critical to deliver socialism & would lead to the ‘peaceful emergence’ of socialism.
- Capitalism caused ‘crippling poverty and demeaning inequality.’ The average voter was limited, ill informed, & selfish so she rejected direct democracy & the ‘self-interested’ nature of workers control.
What quotes does Crossland use?
- Called for ‘democratic equality’ arguing socialism had to move beyond equality of opportunity.
- Wanted to ‘destroy ever grammar school in England & Wales’.
- Economic change led to society being less polarised between employers & employees, & ‘infinitely more complex than Marx could ever have imagined’.
What quotes does Anthony Giddens use?
- ‘Social investment state’ in infrastructure & education, not economic & social engineering when they benefit from economic growth through free market.
- The left should ‘get comfortable with the markets’ as the free-market economy was the most efficient system of production, & economic growth would benefit everyone.
- Community was ‘fundamental to knew politics’.
What do Marx and Engels say about the state?
- The state serves whatever class controls the economy.
- Dictatorship of the proletariat: In the wake of a revolution, a new state shall arise, utilising the interests of new dominant class
- Once it has cemented socialist values, it will ‘wither away’ & be replaced by communism with common ownership & the principle ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.’
What do Marx & Engels say about the economy?
- Historical materialism: historical; & social development can be explained in terms of economic and class factors.
- Economic system ‘conditions’ all other aspects of society.
- Reject the liberal view that capitalism promotes prosperity & individual liberty for all as it encourages competitiveness. ‘Surplus value’ plants ‘the seeds of its own destruction.’
What do Marx and Engels say about society?
- Dialectical change is a process of development that occurs through the conflict between two opposing forces. The process only ends with the establishment of communism.
- Class consciousness is needed for oppressed to overthrow oppressor. Free from the constraints of capitalism by abolishing private property, the state, & class differences.
- Individuals can become fully developed through cooperation & creative work.
What does Rosa Luxemburg say about the state?
- rejected Lenin’s argument that the workers had to be led by a small, centralized vanguard elite to overthrow capitalism.
- A party demanding total obedience would prevent workers from becoming ‘free and independent directors’ of society under socialism.
- she advocates the immediate construction of a new democracy, underpinned by common ownership, open debate & elections.
What did Rosa Luxemburg say about the economy/capitalism?
Eventually, capitalism will run out of territories and markets to exploit, and the system would collapse.
What did Rosa Luxemburg say about society?
- Proletariat discontent against state control would erupt into numerous un/successful strikes, bringing a revolution.
- Socialism could not be created gradually from within capitalism through reform as it would leave the capitalist system of economic exploitation intact.
- The struggle of the proletariat for democracy & reform is essential to overthrow false class consciousness.
What does Beatrice Webb say about the state?
- New age of democratic politics would inevitably lead to policies that secure interests of working class.
- Expansion of state was critical to deliver socialism & would lead to the ‘peaceful emergence of socialism.’
- Part of Fabian Society who helped Labour draft Clause IV, ensuing common ownership
- Endorses ‘inevitability of gradualness.’
- she encouraged the development of the welfare state.
What does Beatrice Webb say about the economy?
Capitalism caused ‘crippling poverty and demeaning inequality.’ This would most likely be eliminated through vigorous trade unionism & extensive state intervention.
What does Beatrice Webb say about society?
- The average voter was limited, ill informed, & selfish so she rejected direct democracy & the ‘self-interested’ nature of workers control.
- Representative democracy was preferable as it led to a skilled governing class subject.
What does Beatrice Webb say about human nature?
Capitalism is a ‘corrupting force’ for humanity, fostering unnatural levels of avarice & selfishness.
What does Anthony Crossland say about the state?
- Main aim of socialism now is to manage capitalism to deliver greater equality
- Called for ‘democratic equality’ more than equality of opportunity
- Economic expansion would provide the gov with funds for welfare & social spending to improve life for those at the bottom of society, while enabling the more affluent to preserve their standard of living.
- egalitarian society - high levels of government spending
What does Anthony Crossland say about the economy?
- finance greater spending necessary to secure equality
- Modern capitalism lacked internal tensions to drive social change or bring a revolution. mixed economy
- Some nationalised industries in a system based on private ownership was the best way to generate sustained economic growth. limited ownership
- have a gov pursing Keynesian economics: to maintain high employment, ensure low inflation, & promote continuous growth.keynesian economics
What does Anthony Crossland say about society?
- increasingly complicated due to emergence of new social groups - society being less polarised between employees and employers (more than Marx and Engels could have ever have imagined)
- development of comprehensive education ensuring children of all backgrounds/abilities would have similar education “destroy every grammar school in england and wales”
What does Anthony Giddens say about the state?
- ‘Social investment state’ in infrastructure & education NOT economic & social engineering when they benefit from economic growth through free market.
- Called for gov action to control widening equalities of outcome as Top-down state intervention was now inefficient & ineffective.
- Rejects dependency culture (eg extensive state welfare & wealth distribution programmes)
What does Anthony Giddens say about the economy?
- Acceptance of free market economy.
- The left should ‘get comfortable with the markets’ as the free-market economy was the most efficient system of production, & economic growth would benefit everyone.
What does Giddens say about society?
- Emphasis on equality of opportunity, responsibility & community. These offset the negative effects of free market capitalism (excessive materialism & competitive individualism), but also reflects declining class conflict & hierarchy.
- Social democracy had to be modernised due to globalisation and embourgeoisement
- emphasis on equality of opportunity as needed for people to better themselves through ability & effort
What does Giddens say about human nature?
- Free market would encourage personal qualities like responsibility.
- pro-fairness instinct is present, it now competes with a sharpened sense of individual aspiration.
Where do socialists agree on the state?
- Reject monarchical, theocratic & aristocratic state.
- To bring about social justice & fairer society, a strong state is needed.
- It can enable redistribution of wealth
- Advocate for a democratic state that reflects and creates equality.
- reducing state power will increase inequality.
What is dirigiste?
Having or supporting control of society & the economy by the state.
What are the three types of states that socialists reject?
- Monarchic: Monarch is head of state.
- Theocratic: The Government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided/ a state governed by a theocracy.
- Aristocratic: Government by a relatively small privileged class or by a minority consisting of those presumed to be best qualified to rule.
Where is there consensus within socialism over the economy? (5)
- State intervention in economic affairs - the profit driven free market cannot allocate wealth & resources fairly.
- Believe it is impossible to address the fundamental issue of inequality without addressing structure of economy.
- Capitalism encourages competitiveness & ruthless egotism.
- Want greater workers control & redistribution of wealth.
- ‘Redistributionist economy.’
Where is there consensus over the society? (5)
- society = class inequalities, economic divisions, & disparities in property ownership.
- Individuals are products of society.
- Equality of opportunity is meaningless without equality of outcome.
- social justice through healthcare & education is essential for equality.
- narrowing social classes is necessary to establish socialism
What do socialists mean by ‘collectivism’?
Acting collectively to enhance human potential.
What do socialists believe by workers control?
Means of production and the state are controlled by the proletariat.
when was Rosa Luxemburg writing?
late 19th century, early 20th
when was Marx and Engles writing?
mid 1800s, mid 19th century
