Socialism Flashcards
5
Beatrice Webb (evolutionary socialist)
“matters may be resolved sensibly… by rational, educated and civic-minded officials”
the state should be expanded rather than overthrown
humanity needs to be gradually guided back to its original cooperative condition
high level of worker’s control within businesses
an early thinker on the need for welfare state (via her Minority Report paper)
gradual change is preferable to the bloodshed and chaos caused by revolutionary socialism; there is an inevitability of gradualness
5
Rosa Luxemburg (revolutionary socialist)
“freedom is how free your opponent is”
fraternity and altruism still flourish in working class communities, despite the oppression of capitalism
the proletariat dictatorship would be a problem (contrasts Marx’s perspective)
revolution would come about spontaneously through the workers
a capitalist economic system requires people to demand products beyond what they actually need
5
Anthony Crosland (social democrat)
“what one generation sees as a luxury, the next generation sees as a necessity”
human nature has a powerful sense of fairness and an innate objection to huge inequalities of outcome
socialists must adapt to new circumstances (evolutionary not revolutionary)
the state is responsible for delivering both a greater equality of opportunity and greater equality of outcome
focused on ending poverty via comprehensive education, the welfare state, social housing etc.
hates grammar schools: ‘if it’s the last thing I do, i’m going to destroy every last grammar school in England’
6
Anthony Giddens (third way)
“welfare system should be restricted in order to give people a hand-up, not hand-out”
human nature has been shaped by changing socio-economic conditions; pro-fairness instinct is still present
welfare recipients should be active rather than passive
New labour figure Peter Madelson ( cabinet minister in Blair’s government) famously said “ We don’t mind people being filthy rich, as long as they pay their taxes” like Anthony Giddens this shows acceptance of the free market and the states role as social investment in infrastructure and education.
Free market is most effective and efficient economic system ‘get used to it’
Capitalism is corrosive but too well established to be removed
5
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“from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”
our good human nature is corroded by capitalism = loss of meaningful bins between human that should hold society together
“dictatorship of the proletariat” = would be necessary to protect against counter-revolution in the aftermath of a revolution
religion is a tool used by the powerful; helps keep the proletariat suppressed
capitalists extracts the maximum level of surplus value (i.e. profit) from workers; due to the existence of a reserve army of labour
