Socialism Flashcards
What is collectivism?
Following group goals and not trying to follow individual self-interest
What is fraternity?
Where humans are bound together by common interests and inclinations
How does human nature form according to socialists?
Shaped entirely by society
What are socialists’ 3 main criticisms of private property?
- Unjust as it is created by multiple people who should share it
- Makes people greedy to acquire possessions and creates a lack of morality
- Divisive as it creates conflict between those with different priorities related to that property
What are the 4 strands of socialism?
- Marxism
- Democratic socialism
- Social democracy
- Third Way
What are the end goals for each strand regarding capitalism?
Marxism and democratic socialism - abolish it (fundamentalist socialism)
Social democracy and Third Way - reform it (revisionist socialism)
What are evolutionary and revolutionary socialism?
Evolutionary - use existing institutions to further socialism
Revolutionary - destruction of all current institution and creation of new ones
Who are the 6 socialism key thinkers?
- Karl Marx
- Friedrich Engels (linked with Marx)
- Beatrice Webb
- Rosa Luxemburg
- Anthony Crosland
- Anthony Giddens
What are the 5 core themes of socialism?
- Collectivism
- Common humanity
- Equality
- Social class
- Workers’ control
What were Marx’s 4 stages that history had to go through before Communism could be achieved?
- Tribal society
- Slavery
- Feudalism
- Capitalism
Which 2 classes did Marx believe society was divided between?
The proletariat (subordinate workers) and bourgeoisie (ruling owners of the means of production)
Which 2 things was Beatrice Webb known for?
- Aimed to reconstruct society “in accordance with the highest moral possibilities”
- Believed that a planned economy was inevitable
Which 2 things was Rosa Luxemburg known for?
- Thought Lenin’s ideas were too controlling and would erode democracy
- Believed a dictatorship of the working class should not be a few people ruling in the name of the class
Which 4 things was Anthony Crosland known for?
- Revisionist socialist
- Theory of “managerialism” - a ruling elite of managers dominated all societies
- Private ownership was admissible as the ownership of wealth had been separated from its control
- Socialism was the “politics of social justice” rather than the “politics of ownership”
Which 2 things was Anthony Giddens known for?
- Conceived the Third Way “beyond left and right”
- “New mixed economy” with public-private partnerships
