Socialism Flashcards
What are the core principles of socialism ?
- collectivism
- common humanity
- equality
- social class
- workers’ control
Define fraternity
Refers to the sharing of common interests and beliefs; it implies that group sharing those beliefs is as close as ‘if they were brothers’
Links to Karl Marx brotherhood of man
Define cooperation
The ability to work together and work collectively as a group
Define capitalism
An economic system in which private actors won and control property in accord with their interests.
Thrives of individualism and state working to make profit
Define common ownership
Define communism
This is an ideology that directly opposes liberal democracy and capitalism, advocating for a classless system in which production is owned communally and private property is nonexistent
What is collectivism ?
The idea that human will benefit from collective human effort, practically and economically, than the effort of individuals
What is common humanity ?
This is the idea that the nature of humans as social creatures with a tendency to cooperate, social ability and rationality, individuals cannot be understood without reference to society
What is equality ?
A fundamental value of socialism
To cover the disagreements among socialists about the nature of equality and how it is critical to the state
What is social class ?
A group of people in society we have the same socioeconomic status
What is workers’ control ?
What are the types of socialism
- revolutionary socialism
- social democracy
- third way
- evolutionary socialism
What is revolutionary socialism ?
A socialist doctrine that violent action was the only way to achieve the goals of socialism - capitalism has to be overthrown in order to establish a new economic order
What is social democracy ?
Political ideology in which there is a gradual transition from capitalism to socialism instead of a sudden violent overthrow of the system
What si the third way ?
A middle ground alternative route to socialism and free-market capitalism
Who are the 5 core key thinkers ?
Karl Marx and Frederick Engels
Beatrice Webb
Rosa Luxembourg
Anthony Crossland
Anthony Giddens
Marx and Engels
Revolutionary socialists
- they believe that the bourgeoisie use false class consciousness to manipulate and exploit the proletariat
- eventually the state will self destruct as the proletariat will revolt and take over
What did Marx and Engels believe essentially the root cause of inequality and conflict in society ?
False class consciousness
How did Marx and Engel envisage the removal of state ?
Eventually revolution will occur by the proletariat rebelling finally causing the bourgeoisie to self destruct
Replacing a capitalist state, which is unfair and exploitative for a communist state, that is fair and just
What did Marx describe his desired communist world ?
Marx calls it ‘communist and utopia’
What is Karl Marx and Engels view on human nature, does capitalism hinder or promote our human nature ?
There view is simply that capitalism warps our human nature.
Capitalism creates a need for materialism and consumerism, meaning individuals are unable to be altruistic and therefore capitalism only hinders us and promotes individualism
Rosa Luxemburg
Revolutionary socialist
- believe evolutionary socialism is not possible, as capitalism is based on economic exploitation
- advocated that the mass strike is the single most important tool of the proletarian (it would be spontaneous)
- believed that a revolution would lead to a immediate construction of a democracy underpinned by common ownership
Beatrice Webb
evolutionary socialist
Anthony Croslands
Social Democrat, wrote ‘the future of socialism’
Anthony Giddens
Third way
Revolutionary Socialism : The State
All socialists believe that a strong state is essential
- Marxists and orthodox communists - they argue that eventually the state will ‘wither away’
- they argued the state will always serve the interests of whichever class controlled the economy
- the ideal state would not be dictatorial but reflect communist values, often referred to as ‘stateless communism’
- promote a classless and stateless society
Revolutionary socialism : human nature
- human nature is originally fraternal and altruistic, and has been contaminated by capitalism
- ‘false class consciousness’ of bourgeois values has warped human minds, therefore a revolution will repair this
- they argue that a classless and stateless society can evolve to emphasise cooperation, solidarity and collective well being
Revolutionary socialism : society
- capitalist society is defined by class interests and class conflict, they are far from harmonious
- inequalities in wealth and power created an unstable society and the exploitation of the proletariat
- a communist society will be the perfect ‘end of history’
- the goal is to transform society through revolution, replacing capitalism with one where the means of production are collectively owned by the working class
Revolutionary socialism : the economy
- capitalism is corrupt, inefficient and ultimately self-destructive
- it should and will be replaced by an economy based on public ownership
- the goal is to establish a socialist economic system where works collectively control and manage industries
What are the goals of revolutionary socialism ?
- the goals include the overthrow of capitalist systems through proletarian revolution
- the aims to establish a classless and stateless society where means of production are collectively owned and managed by the working class
- key objectives : eliminating economic exploitation, cooperation and solidarity
Social democracy beliefs on the state
- unlike revolutionary socialism, social democracy doesn’t seek to abolish the state but rather aims for a baloney between the market and state intervention to ensure social justice
- state should regulate the economy, address social inequalities and provide a safety net
- focuses on reform rather than revolutionary transformation
