Socialism Flashcards
Origins of socialism
Socialism drew out of the enlightenment. During the English Civil War (1649-60) anti monarchists such as levellers argued that god had given land to all mankind, but some were greedy and took it for themselves. The term socialism was first applied in the early 19th century. Utopian socialists such as Fourier and Owen were responding to the problems of capitalism and industry. During the mid 19th century industrialisation quickened and socialist ideas began to be taken more seriously. It was seen that liberalism did not sufficiently respond the problems instigated by the industrial revolution. As a result of the industrial revolution, early socialists urged for a new approach.
Socialism human nature
Human Nature – socialists have an optimistic view of human nature. Socialists believe that individuals are naturally co-operative, generous and altruistic and they believe that individuals seek solidarity, fraternity and comradeship. Socialism unlike liberalism sees human nature as malleable or plastic rather than permanently fixed at birth. Socialists believe human nature can be adjusted, meaning men and women can fulfil their true fraternal potential while contributing to a cooperative community.
Socialism society
Society – socialism focuses on an individual’s social environment. They argue individuals are the product of the society into which they were born. They see society as an independent construct formed by impersonal forces and shapes the individuals inside it. Socialists are sceptical of the classical liberal claim that individuals can be the masters of their destiny. Socialists believe if society can be improved there will be a corresponding improvement to the prospects of its individuals. For socialists the major consequence of the industrial revolution was the emergence of distinct social groupings. Socialists believe that an individual’s status, prospects and priorities are entirely shaped by their born social class. Marx believes that society’s classes are profoundly unequal in terms of power and influence, for example the working classes are seen to earn less and therefore have less influence in society. Socialists believe that equality is meaningless without other forms of equality such as greater outcomes of equality. Socialists contest, that to have greater opportunity there must be greater equality of outcome. Socialists seek a narrowed gap between the poorer and richer classes. Socialists believe that regardless of an individual’s character if they are born into a lower class they will have fewer opportunities. Socialists argue that a society that allows inequality of outcome in one generation will be a society which allows inequality of outcome in the next generation. Until there is equality of outcome the ideas of self determination and foundational equality will never be realised. If the gap between classes is narrowed, society will continue to lack fraternity, cooperation and solidarity and instead will foster greed, resentment and division.
Socialism economy
Economy – socialists believe private property and capitalism is problematic. They believe the free market economy generates huge inequalities of outcome. Therefore capitalism and a free market economy are incompatible with equality of opportunity, self determination and social justice. Socialism seeks to advocate an economy which gives workers greater control in their employment and a greater distribution of wealth and resources.
Socialism is known as a redistributionist doctrine. This can be split into two key principles. Firstly a rejection of laissez faire capitalism and secondly they demand greater collectivism. This means the economy must focus of the needs of society as a whole. Economic collectivism can take various forms:
• Progressive taxation, on a sliding scale so the richer classes pay more than the poorer classes
• Progressive public spending, taxation spent on less fortunate – state benefits given to elderly and less fortunate
• Extensive public services, taxation spent on health care and education. If left to private enterprise, may be completely inaccessible to less advantaged sections of society
• Extensive state regulation of capitalism to prevent exploitation. A legal minimum wage, equal pay, health and safety and maternity leave
• State/ common ownership, recommended when private enterprise seems to fall apart.
Socialists believe collectivism has two key benefits. Firstly progressive taxation increases public spending and secondly collectivist policies make the economy more efficient. A collectivist economy would be more stable and manageable and more likely to provide the material resources society needs.
Socialism - state
State – they believe a strong state leads to a fairer and more equal society. It would be too difficult to bring about redistribution of wealth and social justice without a state. Marxists argue the state will eventually wither away and Marx called this the end of history. However socialists agree a strong state is essential for the foreseeable future. Socialist rejects a monarchical state authority of one person. They advocate a state where political and economic power has been redistributed and where decision making reflects the equality and empowerment of the people. Socialists believe the state must be extensive, as a reduction of the state power is likely to produce increased social and economic inequality.
Classical Marxism
Marx and Engels believed capitalism must disappear and then communism could emerge. They believed capitalism promoted exploitation, alienation and the oppression of one class. Marx and Engels argued that history was a series of stages moving towards an inevitable and final destination (historicism). Within each stage there was an inevitable clash. Hegel called this dialectic where the clash of ideas took place in each stage of history and lead to the disappearance of the existing society. Marx and Engels believed the prevailing mentality would always be defined by economics and resource distribution, they called this historical materialism. Marx and Engels believed historical materialism produces an economically exploited and an alienated workforce – the proletariat. They believed capitalism produced class consciousness and eventually the proletariat would raise a revolution and destroy capitalism due to class consciousness. Marx and Engels philosophy was based on the belief in revolution. They argued when capitalism became unsustainable due to class consciousness it was necessary to smash it via revolution. Marx and Engels rejected evolutionary change and thy believed to secure socialist values, economy and states must be forged by revolution. The new state would commend the dictatorship of the proletariat. This would obliterate all traces of liberal capitalist values and pave the way for a stateless communist society based on common ownership.
Marx-Leninism
Lenin and Luxemburg disputed Marx’s claim that evolution and the dictatorship of the proletariat could only occur in societies where capitalism and the proletariat were well developed. Lenin believed in accelerated socialism, designed to ensure that socialism and communism could prevent the full development of capitalism. Lenin argued that pre-industrial countries should be the cause and not the effect of socialist ideas developing. Lenin also believed this would prevent the masses from developing sympathy for any capitalist values, he called this false consciousness.
Lenin called for a revolutionary elite vanguard that would perform tasks such as:
• Plot and plan overthrow of regimes
• Incite and organise revolution
• Educate the masses on the basic virtues of socialism
• After the overthrow, the vanguard would form a new organisation, the communist party
The communist party would embody the dictatorship of the proletariat and became democratic centralism. This is when there is one party who would represent the masses.
Key Thinker One - Marx and Engels
Human Nature – he believed that human nature was contaminated by capitalism, which encouraged selfishness, ruthlessness and greed. Capitalism instilled a false consciousness which is far removed from mankind’s original nature, which was previously cooperative, selfishness and fraternal. Society – capitalism created two conflicted classes. The bourgeoisie (ruling class) and the proletariat (sell labour to bourgeoisie for wages). This conflict would mean capitalist societies were unstable and would eventually be overthrown by a historically inevitable proletarian revolution. State – she believed the state would always serve the class which controlled the economy. She believed the state was a committee and could never provide an evolutionary road to socialism. Post revolution a new state would arise and govern the new dominant class. Once again the state would cement socialist values and would eventually wither away and be replaced by a communist stateless society. Economy –neo capitalist economic system to revive characteristics of cooperative, selfishness and fraternal. Capitalism aims to be competitive by creating surplus values. Employees pay low wages as profits are used to refine means of production. Capitalism creates a resentful class who would eventually overthrow capitalism.
Key Thinker - Rosa Luxemburg
Human Nature – only revolution could create change not evolutionary socialism. Denied that Marx historicism and denied that for revolution to occur capitalism would have to reach an advanced stage of development. State - advocated immediate construction of a new democracy, underpinned by common ownership, open debate and elections. Society – rejected the idea of revolution leading to the dictatorship of the proletariat. She believed revolution due to class consciousness and an ongoing battle for the proletariat. Mass action would ignite a wider revolutionary moment that would overthrow capitalist society. Economy – she criticised capitalism as it promoted exploitation. She believed revolution shouldn’t be a national regime change but a revolt against capitalism globally.
Democratic socialism
This has been the most influential form of socialism in most European societies. In the UK this was initially associated with the Fabian society and bourgeois intellectuals like Webb. This is a strand of socialism which was vital to the development of the labour party. Clause IV of the 1918 constitution was influenced by Webb.
Democratic socialism - influences of Webb
Unlike Marx and Lenin, Webb rejected revolutionary change. She argued that revolutions were chaotic, inefficient and counterproductive. Webb looked forward to a more planned and rational society where matters would be resolved by rational, educated and civic minded officials. So for Webb the mayhem associated with revolution did not seem the ideal point for a new society. Early democratic socialists believed the extension of the suffrage in the later 19th century, had facilitated a more orderly, election based progression towards post-capitalist society.
Democratic socialism - inevitability of gradualism
Webb and other Fabians dubbed the inevitability of gradualism democratically elected socialist governments would transform society via the parliamentary system, gradually replacing a society based on private ownership with one based on common ownership and public control.
• They believed democratic socialist parties would campaign peacefully and win the attention and the trust of voters.
• The majority of voters would gradually realise they had no vested interest in capitalism
• Voters would inevitably elect socialist governments
• Democratic socialist governments would inevitably oversee the gradual replacement of private state ownership
• Voters would recognise the progress being made and inevitably re-elect democratic socialists to government
• The effects of democratic socialist governments would inevitably produce a socialist party
• The benefits of a society would be clear to all, thus making reversal of socialism unlikely
Later democratic socialism
Many regard the UKs post war labour government as a prime illustration of a democratic socialism in action. Attlee’s government implemented a series of measures, the introduction of the welfare state and the transfer of several industries and services from private to public ownership.
Tony Benn updated the democratic socialism thinking. His adjustments included:
• The restoration of parliamentary sovereignty through the withdrawal of the EEC. He believed the EU was capitalist clubs.
• Parliamentary reform to ensure easier socialist reforms, he advocated the abolition of the unelected Lords
• Stronger resistance by socialist governments to pro-capitalist vested interests, this could be achieved if socialist governments mobilised support from their own vested interests
• The internal restructuring of a governing, socialist policy
Key thinker - Beatrice Webb
Human Nature – she believed that neither paternalism nor philanthropy was a suitable solution to the problems of poverty and inequality.
State – poverty and inequality were most likely to be eliminated through vigorous trade unionism and extensive state intervention. Reform tends to be gradual not revolutionary. Her minority report said the state should guarantee a sufficient nourishment and training when young, a living wage when able-bodies, treatment when sick, and modest but secure livelihood when disabled or aged. This is a welfare state.
Society – she rejected revolutionary change. She argued revolution was chaotic, inefficient and counterproductive. She wanted a rational society where matters resolved sensibly by rational, educated and civic minded officials. She said revolution was not the ideal starting point for a new society.
Economy – capitalism was the cause for crippling poverty and demanding for inequality in society. She believed state intervention was needed for a strong economy.
Neo-Marxism
Neo Marxism – socialist thinkers started to feel the need to explain the survival of capitalism in Western Europe. One of the most important contributions was from the Frankfurt school from philosophers such as Marcuse and Horkheimer.
Marcuse embraced the idea of a cultural hegemony when explaining capitalism’s durability. They argued capitalism not only affects the economy but also the arts, media and education. Whereas Gramsci argued this cultural hegemony could be countered if a socialist vanguard infiltrated key parts of society.
Like Marx, they argued the violent overthrow of capitalism was necessary to overthrow capitalism and the false consciousness. But the Frankfurt thinkers were not optimistic that revolution could occur, as they believed capitalism was more resilient and adaptable than what Marx thought.
Neo-Marxists rejected the euro-communist belief that capitalism could be gradually reformed out of existence. They asserted that when the next economic slump came, socialists should advocate revolution rather than pursue a long term project of cultural change.
During the 20th century, Ralph Miliband sought to demolish the idea that socialism could be achieved via gradual parliamentary reform. He argued democratic socialist governments had come to power; they had been forced to dilute their socialist agenda. For Miliband the existing state would always protect the existing dominant economic class.
