Socialism

Question 1

Socalists Human Nature - Agreement

Answer 1

All socialists will explain the importance of social features influencing human nature. They all also believe that we are connected other human beings through bonds of sympathy.

At the core, humans are social creatures.

Question 2

Socalists Human Nature Disagreement

Answer 2

Revolutionary/ Fundamental socialists

Capitalism distorts human nature
It creates selfishness and individualism.
It is alienating
Prevents class consciousness? (Hegemony?)

Can the workers achieve full class-consciousness on their own? (Luxemburg V Lenin) ‘Freedom for the man who thinks differently’

Evolutionary

Revisionists

Sympathy for others justifies the existence of progressive taxation and a cradle to grave welfare state.

Neo-revisionists (3rd way)

Sympathy for others justifies the existence of progressive taxation. However, individuals should be allowed to be dynamic and entrepreneurial.

Communitarianism involves a mix of socially provided rights and personal responsibility. (Linked to liberalism)

Individuals must take responsibility for themselves, using their rationality. As a result welfare should be a hand up not a hand out.

Question 3

Socialist -
Society - Agreement

Answer 3

ALL socialists are critical of the selfishness and inequality introduced by a capitalist society. They all favour an egalitarian society. However, they disagree over the definition of egalitarianism and the ways to bring it about

Question 4

Socialist - Society - Disagreement

Answer 4

Revolutionary

Society and culture comes about as a result of the underlying relationships within the ‘economic base’. Marx and Engels

In a capitalist society the majority of the workers are suffering from false class consciousness and commodity fetishism.
Hegemony? Marx and Gramsci

A root and branch revolution is needed for an egalitarian society.

Capitalist society is alienating and exploitative.

The socialist revolution needs to be democratic and not ‘top down’. ‘Freedom for the man who thinks differently’. Luxemburg’s criticism of Lenin

Revisionists

Society can be transformed and an egalitarian society can be created without the need for a revolution.

Revolutions are undesirable because
they disrupt society too much
They result in violence which is unpleasant for the majority.

A socialist society can be created by gradual governmental reform.

Debate between those that want to simply reform capitalism (Crosland) and those that want to remove it through reform (Webb)

Third Way

equality of opportunity, not of outcome.

Giddens
-communitarianism
-Rights AND responsibilities
-tackling social exclusion not inequality

Question 5

Socialist - The state - Agreement

Answer 5

Socialists have a mixed view on the state. Early socialists rejected the idea that the state could be a force for good. However there has been a consensus since the early 20th century on the state being a vehicle for improving social conditions and controlling the economy

Question 6

Socialists - The state - Disagreement

Answer 6

Revolutionists

The state is the ‘executive committee’ of the bourgeoisie and will protect the interests of the ruling classes. Marx

Evolutionary socialism (using the state) will fail because capitalists will ‘wade through a sea of blood’ to protect their own interests. Luxemburg

State must be overthrown through a revolution.
The state will eventually wither away when it becomes unnecessary.

Revionists

The state can be used as a tool to bring about socialism because of the inevitability of gradualism.

OR

The state can manage capitalism effectively, using Keynesian economics, a cradle to grave welfare state and a mixed economy

State’s role to bring about equality.

Euro-communism

Third Way

The state should allow business to make profit, in order to fund public services through taxation.

The state should engage in public private partnerships to bring efficiency of the market to tackle social inequality.

Welfare should be a ‘hand up not a hand out.’

It is the state’s role to tackle social exclusion and inequality of opportunity.

Question 7

Socalists -
The economy - Agreement

Answer 7

All socialists are critical of unlimited free markets, but over time have become increasingly favorable towards capitalism.

Socialists have favoured alternative economic models such as trade unions, cooperatives and collectivised economies.

Question 8

Socialists - The economy - Disagreement

Answer 8

Revolutionists

Capitalism is a necessary stage in history. It is efficient but alienating and exploitative. Marx and Engels

There will be a revolution that will overthrow capitalism (but Lenin argues that this is not necessarily going to happen) Luxemburg

Revisionists

Rationalism shows that socialism is more efficient than capitalism. As society develops more and more of the economy will come to be owned collectively.

Socialism will be brought about by gradual reforms to the capitalist economy Webb
OR
Socialism is no longer a rejection of capitalism, but its management. Capitalism has changed since the 19th Century.
Cradle to grave welfare state
Mixed economy
Keynesian welfare management.
Crosland

Third Way
Euro-communism
Giddens Capitalism is necessary for economic growth and an effective tax regime.
The private sector can be used to provide efficiency in the public sector.

Uncontrolled free markets can create social exclusion and limit opportunity for the poor. State intervention is needed to tackle this.

Question 9

Socalist Key Thinkers

Answer 9

Revolutionists
Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)

Rosa Luxemburg (1871−1919)

Evolutionist
Beatrice Webb (1858-1943)

Revisionist
Anthony Crosland (1918−77)

3rd Way
Anthony Giddens (1938− )
Study Notes