Socialism - The origins of socialism Flashcards
What are the common views of socialism and liberalism?
- Optimistic view of human nature.
- They are ‘progressive’ - they believe in the possibility of reform.
- Want t liberate humans from oppression.
- Foundational equality - men and women are born equal and deserve equal opportunities.
- Reject anarchism.
What 17th century group had socialist ideas?
The Levellers - they argued God had given the earth to all men in common but some had exercised greed, taking it for themselves and so creating private property.
What did Jean-Jacques Rousseau argue in his Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755)?
That “many horrors and misfortunes” arose from the concept of private property.
What did Charles Fourier advocate?
Independent communities based on communal ownership and production, involving the equal distribution of resources and a culture marked by tolerance.
What did Robert Owen do?
Set up ‘cooperative’ communities in Scotland and America based on shared ownership and responsibility.
What is Utopian Socialism?
The earliest form of socialism, linked to Robert Owen, that offers a vision of the perfect human existence.
Although socialist ideas were developing on the 17th century, when did they start to gain traction?
The mid-nineteenth century when the pace of industrialisation began to quicken dramatically.
Why did people begin to reject liberalism in favour of socialism during the industrial revolution?
They saw it as being blind to the effects of urban life, failing to recognise that in the new industrial world there was little scope for individual autonomy and individual freedom.
What did Eric Hobsbawm write of nineteenth century living conditions in his book Age of Capital (1975)?
“independence seemed utterly distant.”
What event is socialism based in, as is liberalism?
The Enlightenment
What book did Eric Hobsbawm write?
Age of Capital
When was Eric Hobsbawm’s book published?
1975
What book on inequality did Jean-Jacques Rousseau write?
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
When was Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s work published?
1755
