Socialism Flashcards
Social class
A group of people in society who have the same socio-economic status
Collectivism
Prioritising a group over each individual in it
Of greater practical value to the economy and moral value to society
Socialist view of human nature
Positive
Naturally cooperative, generous and unselfish, and thus seek solidarity and fraternity
Malleable, shaped by events and experiences
Socialist view of the state
Want a strong state in the short term, which is needed to bring about a fairer and more equal society
Advocate a state where political and economic power has been redistributed, and where decision-making reflects the principle of equality
Socialist view of society
Individuals are the product of the society into which they were born
Improvement in society = improvement in individuals
An individual’s future is shaped by the social class they are born into
Equality of opportunity results from equality of outcome
Seek a narrowing of the gap between social classes, not just an improvement of the condition of the poor
Equality of outcome needed to realise the objectives of liberalism / Enlightenment, such as self-determination and foundational equality
Social interaction is essential to the human condition, thus address the needs of the group before the individual
Socialist view of the economy
Determines social class, underpinning inequality in society
An economy based on private property and capitalism, which encourage egotism and self-interest, threatens the cooperative nature of humans
Promote an economy that provides for greater workers’ control in employment and a redistribution of wealth and resources
Low taxation and and minimal state interference in the economy exacerbates unfairness and social injustice
Demand greater collectivism (focus on the needs of society as a whole)
Forms of economic collectivism
Progressive taxation
Progressive public spending
Extensive public services
Extensive state regulation of capitalism
Common ownership
Expressions of a more fraternal and cooperative society with greater social justice
Make the economy more efficient - more stable and manageable
Fundamentalist socialism
Holds that socialist values are fundamentally incompatible with capitalism
Dialectic
The clash of ideas and perceptions that will inevitably take place within each stage of history, leading to the disappearance of existing society
Historical materialism
The view that each stage of history was defined by a clash of economic ideas, relating to how society’s resources should be produced and distributed
Class consciousness
Would eventually be the engine of revolution and capitalism’s destruction
Democratic centralism
One party making decisions on behalf of the people
Evolutionary socialism
A rejection of revolutionary politics, instead believing that socialism can be achieved gradually through the existing system
Revisionist socialism
The belief that socialism can be achieved without the destruction of capitalism
Keynesian economics
Involves the state managing market forces so as to ensure steady growth and full employment
Types of socialism
Fundamentalist socialism (believe that capitalism must be abolished) Revisionist socialism (socialism can be achieved without the abolishment of capitalism)
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Human nature - Has been contaminated by capitalism
The state - Existing liberal-bourgeois state is a tool of the dominant capitalist class, and it must be destroyed through revolution and replaced by a new socialist state - the dictatorship of the proletariat
Would always serve the interests of whichever class controlled the economy
Society - Class interests and conflict define capitalist society
The economy - Capitalism is corrupt, inefficient and self-destructive, and will be replaced by an economy based on collective ownership
‘The Communist Manifesto’ (1848) and ‘Das Kapital’ (1867)
Revolution not just inevitable, but essential
Anthony Giddens
Human nature - Fairness instinct competes with sense of individual aspiration
The state - Can be improved by redistributing and decentralising political power, and encouraging greater political participation
Society - Has undergone embourgeoisement, which must be harnessed and not denied
The economy - A neo-liberal economy, propelled by privatisation and deregulation, will provide huge tax yields, increasing public spending, which will secure greater equality of opportunity
The Third Way
Tensions within socialism over the state
Universal - Vital to the promotion of core socialist values
Fundamentalist - Existing capitalist state must be destroyed by revolution and replaced by a dictatorship of the proletariat, which in turn would wither away to produce stateless communism
Revisionist - The existing state can be used to steer society towards socialist values, requiring constitutional reform rather than abolition
Tensions within socialism over the economy
Fundamentalist - Socialism is incompatible with a capitalist economy based on private property, with a new, non-capitalist economy needing to be created quickly via revolution
Revisionist - Socialism is possible with a capitalist economy (Social democrats want a mixed market economy, Third Way revisionists want a fully privatised economy)
Tensions within socialism over human nature
Universal - Malleable
Fundamentalist - Susceptible to whichever economic system it lives under, creating a false consciousness that can only be cured by revolution and an authoritarian rule
Revisionist - Human nature able to prosper under capitalism, but still appreciate the importance of core socialist beliefs, such as collectivism and fraternity
Tensions within socialism over society
Universal - See society as the crucial determinant of our personalities. Thus, any improvement in society will result in improvements in individuals
Fundamentalist - Socialism is incompatible with capitalism, thus all traces of capitalism must be removed from society
Revisionist - Society can be gradually improved alongside private property and capitalism
Common features between socialism and liberalsim
Grew out of the Enlightenment Take an optimistic view of human nature Exalt reason and logic over faith and superstition Progressive Believe in 'foundational' equality
Types of fundamentalist socialism
Classical Marxism Orthodox communism Democratic socialism Euro communism Neo-Marxism
Types of revisionist socialism
Classical revisionism
Social democracy
The Third Way
Classical Marxism
Marx and Engels
First form of socialism to set out its analysis in detail
Historical materialism - history was a series of economic stages, moving towards and inevitable final stage
Within each stage was clash of economic interests (dialectic), which occurred when the narrative about a society’s aims and character no longer corresponded to the perceptions of the majority (class consciousness)
Shaped by a belief in revolution, which would be necessary following the final dialectic
Dictatorship of the proletariat - New state would obliterate all traces of liberal-capitalism values and pave the way for a stateless communist society based on common ownership
Orthodox communism
Lenin
Disagreed with Classical Marxism’s belief that revolution could only occur in societies where capitalism was well developed - wanted socialism to pre-empt the full development of capitalism
Revolution would be organised by a revolutionary vanguard
Democratic socialism / Euro communism
Old Labour
Most influential form of fundamentalist socialism in western societies
Rejected the need for a revolution, believing it to be volatile and uncertain, features associated with capitalism
Advocated the extension of the franchise, which would facilitate democratically elected socialist governments to gradually transform society into a socialist one
Neo-Marxism
Frankfurt School
Advocated for a revolution, but not optimistic one would occur
Rejected belief that capitalism could be gradually reformed out of society, with socialist governments being forced to dilute their socialist agendas
Ralph Miliband
Classical revisionism
Eduard Bernstein
Capitalist economies could provide even greater improvement to workers’ conditions if overseen by socialist governments, which would contain capitalism’s worst features
Widening of the franchise would create a working-class majority among voters, increasing likelihood of socialist governments
Socialist governments could implement socialist policies, such as improving working conditions, curbing the inequalities of a capitalist society and eliminating the need for revolution
Social democracy
SPD (West Germany)
Anthony Crosland
Reformed capitalism, where the state actively sought to manage market forces, had guaranteed full employment and steady economic growth, thanks to Keynesian economics, and was no longer vulnerable to heightening inequality
The Third Way
New Labour
Anthony Giddens
Encouraged further privatisation and deregulation, in oder to boost economic growth and tax revenues, in turn increasing government spending in the name of greater equality
Greater equality of opportunity required less equality of outcome - unequal outcomes meant increasing economic growth, meaning more money to help society’s poorest
Emphasised cultural and political equality, reflecting increased diversity, and decreasing government influence in the economic sphere due to globalisation
Pro Marxism redundant
Collapse of USSR signalled the failure of an attempt to bring Marxist principles to effective fruition
Attempts at implementing Marxist principles were catastrophic - genocide / repression / torture
Capitalism has not imploded, as Marx forecast, with its reach becoming even wider (eg. penetrating former socialist states)
In advanced capitalist states, the working class have not risen to revolution, but have taken on the characteristics of the bourgeoise, such as acquiring private property
Anti Marxism redundant
Capitalism remains unstable and volatile
Capitalism continues to leave a legacy of poverty an inequality
Disappointing record of socialist governments in capitalist states vindicate Marx’s argument that radical change is impossible without revolution
Regimes such as the USSR and China distorted Marx’s principles - misapplication of principles not not make his theories invalid
Pro socialism must involve the abolition of capitalism
Capitalism creates inequality, exploiting and oppressing the working class (vs equality)
Private property promotes individualism and competition (vs fraternity and cooperation)
Anti socialism must involve the abolition of capitalism
Democratically elected socialist governments could improve working class conditions through capitalist economies (Bernstein) Increased public spending, leading to more socialism, could result from growth in capitalist economies, which would occur if Keynesian economic policies were properly applied (Crosland) Capitalist economy could make everyone in society wealthier, providing the state with a growing tax yield to finance the extra public spending that socialism required (Giddens)
Pro socialism can be reconciled with liberalism
Both products of the Enlightenment
Both have a positive view of human nature, believing in the possibility of progress
Both stress liberty and equality
Both reject hereditary political power and paternalism
Socialism and modern liberalism endorse positive liberty and further state intervention
Anti socialism can be reconciled with liberalism
Liberals prioritise individual liberty, whereas socialists prioritise a fairer society
Liberals think individuals shape society, whereas socialists think society shapes individuals
Liberals see inequality of outcome as a sign of freedom, whereas socialists think it prevents equality of opportunity
Liberals see capitalism as a condition of freedom, whereas fundamentalist socialists see it as a threat to freedom
Classical and neo-liberals wish to reduce the role of the state, whereas socialists wish to extend state intervention
Pro socialism can be reconciled with conservatism
Traditional conservatives and socialists play down the importance of individualism
Traditional conservatives and socialists stress the importance of communities and the importance of unity within them
Traditional conservatives and socialists see capitalism as potentially problematic
Anti socialism can be reconciled with conservatism
Conservatives see inequality as natural, whereas socialists see it as unacceptable
Conservatives are sceptical of progress, whereas socialists see it as essential
Conservatives defend private property, whereas fundamentalist socialists favour common ownership
Conservatives reject revolution, whereas some fundamentalist socialists see it as desirable and inevitable
Traditional conservatives advocate noblesse oblige / paternalism, whereas socialists think paternalism is patronising
