Socialism Flashcards

1
Q

Marx on Religion

A

“Religion is the opium of the people”

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2
Q

Marx on the product of Labour (2)

A

“The alienation of the worker in his product means that his labour exists outside of him”

“The worker becomes all the poorer the more wealth he produces”

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3
Q

Marx on society

A

-“the history of all society is the history of class struggles” (concept of historical materialism)

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4
Q

Engels on the state (1)

A

“The state is nothing but an instrument of oppression of one class by another”

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5
Q

Engels on the classes and how they interact

A

-“socialism is the necessary outcome of the struggle between 2 classes-the proletariat and the bourgeoise”

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6
Q

Engels on revolution

A

“The emancipation of the working class must be the act of the working class itself”

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7
Q

Engels on the production of labour

A

“The production of the means to support human life have been evolved”

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8
Q

Webb on the state (1):

A

“The state must intervene to secure for every citizen the essentials of civilised life”

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9
Q

Webb on revisionism

A

-“the inevitability of gradualness”

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10
Q

Webb on socialism in society

A

-“socialism is not a matter of class conflict, but a means to promote cooperation within society”

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11
Q

Webb on the economy (1)

A

“To bring the instruments of production under the control of the community is the only way to eradicate poverty”

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12
Q

Luxemberg on revolution (3):

A

-“those who do not move do not notice their chains”

-“revolution is the conscious will and action of the masses”

-“the working class demands the right to make its own mistakes and learn in the dialectic of history”

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13
Q

Luxemberg on the economy (1):

A

“Capitalism is organised chaos”

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14
Q

Luxemberg on societal reform

A

-“reform can only exist as a by-product of revolutionary struggle”

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15
Q

Giddens on reasoning why we need a free market/ globalisation

A

“Social democrats today have to accept globalisation as a a fact and aim to humanise it”

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16
Q

Giddens on human nature (2)

A

“Human beings are reflexive and adaptive”

“Responsibility and obligation must be balanced with individual autonomy and choice”

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17
Q

Giddens on societal change and what that means for socialism

A

“Socialism has to respond to the realities of a post-industrial, post-traditional society”

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18
Q

Crosland on human nature:

A

“The drive for self improvement and community are equally inherent in human beings”

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19
Q

Crosland on the economy (1)

A

“Capitalism is no longer the beast it once was”

20
Q

Crosland on common humanity and community

A

“Socialism involves a greater emphasis on community and on quality of life”

21
Q

Crosland on the state (2)

A

“The state must act to reduce inequalities in a way that enhances individual freedom and choice”

“I do not myself believe in equality of outcome, but i do believe in equality of opportunity”

22
Q

What do all strands believe in (3)

A

-greater equality (whether that be outcome or opportunity)

-redistribution of wealth (whether this be through welfarism or by state collectivisation)

-reduction of social inequalities (whether this be by evolution or revolution)

23
Q

How do revolutionary and evolutionary socialists differ

A

Revolutionary=advoate for an immediate and total overthrow of capitalism

Evolutionary=gradual reforms to improve conditions within the existing framework so that it is better preserved

24
Q

What are the three socialist strands

A

-Marxism
-democratic socialism (revisionism)
-social democracy (Third way)

25
Q

How does each strand approach equality

A

Marxists= complete equality and abolition of class distinctions

Social democrats=substantial equality by reducing major disparities and disadvantages (welfarism)

Third way=equality of opportunity and social mobility

26
Q

How does each strand differ in views on ownership over the means of production

A

Marxists=full collectivisation and abolition of private property

Democratic socialists=nationalisation of major industries (“commanding heights” is ur Attlee”

Third way=mixed economy with regulated private ownership (think how Blair scrapped clause IV)

27
Q

How does each strand view the state

A

Marxists=the state is solely a means of oppression and thus we need to eradicate it as it faciliatates class conflict between the ruling bourgeoise and the oppressed prolateriat

Democratic socialists=the state is a vehicle through which we can achieve reform and equality, as we can use the state to improve welfare provisions and nationalise industry

Third way=the state is a means of regulating the economy, providing social welfare and ensuring equal opportunity

28
Q

How does each strand view capitalism

A

Marxists= capitalism is inherently oppressive by allowing the workers to be exploited by the ruling class. We need a classless society

Democratic socialists=instead of total abolition like the Marxists, we should aim to reduce the inherent inequalities existing in a capitalist society by increasing social welfare policy and wealth distribution

Third way=we can also humanist capitalism by implementing welfare policies, progressive taxation and government regulation to ensure equality and fairness

29
Q

Marx on revolution

A

“The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains”

30
Q

Marx on human nature/ how we can understand human nature

A

“The essence of man is…the ensemble of the social relations”

31
Q

Marx on capitalism/ how the bourgeoise act in a capitalist system (2):

A

“Capitol is dead labour”

“The bourgeoise have every possible incentive to extract the maximum surplus value from their workers”

32
Q

Marx on private property

A

“The abolition of private property is the emancipation of human senses”

33
Q

Marx on how we should achieve equality

A

“from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”

34
Q

Webb on workers control/ collectivism

A

-“reorganisation of services based on a cooperative, rather than competitive, ethos”

35
Q

Webb on the necessity of democratic reform

A

“democracy is the pooling on intelligence”

36
Q

Luxemburg on the importance of freedom from class oppression

A

-“without a free struggle of opinion, life dies out in every public institution”

37
Q

Giddens on welfarism

A

the welfare state should empower people, not just protect them” (also the state)

38
Q

Giddens on equality

A

Equality is no longer seen as equality of outcome, but equality of opportunity”

39
Q

Giddens on traditional socialism (criticism)

A

Traditional socialism overemphasised class conflict and economic management

40
Q

Crossland on why it is hard to define class (and thus why capitalism is less oppressive) (2):

A

“What one generation sees as luxury, the next sees as necessity”

“Ordinary workers lives…would have been considered a middle class standard of life” (years before)

41
Q

What is a vanguard party

A

A smaller political party which revolts instead of a mass of working class citizens

E.g. Lenin and the Bolsheviks in the 1917 Russian revolution

42
Q

What were the policies of the Soviet Union which align it with socialism

A

-nationalised industry
-agricultural collectivism (forced) and forced industrialisation in Stalin’s first 5 year plan in 1928
-central economic planning

43
Q

What were the policies of communist china under Mao Zedong which align with socialism

A

-focus on the Chinese peasantry as a catalyst for revolution, not just urban working classes
-1950 agrarian reform law abolished feudal (inherited) land
-1953 5 year plan= state planning and heavy investment for industrialising
-1958 Great Leap Forward (communes that pool agricultural wealth)
-1966 Cultural revolution (gave youths status as red guards to disrupt institutions)

44
Q

What policies of Blairs third way government were prominent in said school of thought

A

-focus on “education, education, education” to achieve equality of opportunity
-40% top rate of income tax (allows for wealth accumulation)
-national minimum wage also helps boost equality

45
Q

What policies of Wilson’s 1960s social democrat government align with the school of thought

A

-nationalisation for key sectors only
-welfarism (83% income tax on top bracket)
-state funded education