Socialism Flashcards
What is collectivism?
Humans get things done better when they work together. Society can be made better by collective effort.
What doe fraternity mean?
Brotherhood
What do socialists believe the states role should be?
The state should be intervening to promote the common good. It should be planning to meet our goals in the long and short term
What is the difference between communists and more moderate socialists?
- Communists - state ownership and organisation of almost all production and distribution
- More moderate - key infrastructure and industries should be state run but private capitalism is allowed in many areas
Name some collective elements of the UK
- Education is provided
- Trade Unions
- Social Housing
- NHS
What criticism does collectivism face?
It suppresses individuality and erodes individual freedoms.
What is moral motivation?
To do what is right for society and help everyone, especially those who are worse off
What is the goal of socialists in terms of equality?
Equality of outcome
Compare the higher rate of tax in the UK and Sweden
UK - 40% from £150,000
Sweden - 52% from £58,164
How does maternity leave compare between the UK and Sweden
UK - 2 weeks for Men and 1 year for Women
Sweden - 480 days to share
What was Marx’s view on the role of the state?
- Creates the economic base and maintains the economic system.
- The state is complicit in exploitation and will wither away post-revolution.
What was Marx’s view on the equality?
- Workers are exploited by the bourgeoise, the inequality between classes will drive change dialect.
- Equality of outcome will occur in a socialist state.
What was Marx’s view on Capitalism?
- Workers are exploited by the state to create surplus value.
- It creates competition within the working class, deceives workers as to what their goals should be. - This will eventually be unsustainable
What was Marx’s view on the route to socialism?
- Society has always had contrary forces
- The tension grows until it is unsustainable and breaks
- Capitalism will drive this with the workers becoming aware and active
- Revolution is inevitable
What was Marx’s view on the economy?
- It is the base on which societies superstructure is based
- In capitalism this is based on the exploitation if the proletariat and bourgeoise
- After the revolution everything will be in collective ownership , generating means of production
What is Webb’s view on the role of the state?
- Power has gradually grown to meet workers needs
- It has moved from keeping order to looking after everyone
- The state will morph into skilled specialists who organise a centrally planned economy
What is Webb’s view on the equality?
- A skilled government can deal with the inequalities created by capitalism
- This will inevitably lead to a centrally planned economy
- Distribution of wealth will make society more equal
What is Webb’s view on capitalism?
- Capitalism has generated a growing state to deal with its inequalities
- As this continues the gradual move towards more planning and welfare is inevitable
- Eventually we will reach a socialist state
What is Webb’s view on the route to socialism?
- No need for revolution
- The gradual move to a socialism as the state takes care of people is inevitable
- The lower classes will be provided for by a specialist, skilled government
What is Webb’s view on the economy?
- The capitalist economy is generating its own moderation
- The ‘economic side of democracy’ means that as more workers get better representation they will elect a government that manages the economy in their favour
What is Webb’s view on human nature?
- Workers are limited, selfish and uniformed
- Representative democracy is necessary so that skilled experts can be put in charge
What is Luxemburg’s view on capitalism?
- Capitalism cannot be managed
- It is still exploitative
- Attempts to work within it don’t solve anything
- You can generate revolution if you can overcome the barriers to class consciousness
What is Luxemburg’s view on the route to socialism?
- The only way is revolution
- A socialist party in a democracy can precipitate this through agitation
- Mass strikes, both successful and unsuccessful will lead to a spontaneous socialist revolution
What is Luxemburg’s view on the economy?
- Any attempt to work within capitalism leaves exploitation intact
- You can try to minimise the effects but the fundamental problem is still there
What is Luxemburg’s view on human nature?
- Class consciousness will develop within workers
- Discontent would eventually erupt into strikes and then revolution
What is Crosland’s view on the role of the state?
- State must manage capitalism
- Demand side economics - high employment and low inflation
- Provide more equal distribution of rewards, status and wealth
What is Crosland’s view on equality?
- The equality Marx wrote about is no longer present
- Managed capitalism can deliver social equality
- High levels of welfare spending can help those at the bottom, without disrupting the lives of those at the top
What is Crosland’s view on capitalism?
- The version of capitalism we have now takes care to deal with inequalities
- Therefore tension (dialectic) is no longer enough to drive change
- Capitalism can be managed by the state
What is Crosland’s view on the route to socialism?
- The worst inequalities of capitalism are now ameliorated by modern liberalism
- There is no need for a revolution
- A mixed economy will provide equality within society
What is Crosland’s view on the economy?
- The state can use demand side (Keynesian) economics
- This manages employment, inflation and continuous growth
- Rather than collapsing capitalism has improved living standards and funded welfare
