Tensions/agreements/beliefs Flashcards
1
Q
What are the 4 types of equality ?
A
- Equality of opportunity
- equality of outcome
- Absolute equality
- Equality of welfare
2
Q
Equality of opportunity
A
- Individuals are entitled to equal chances to make the best of their abilities (positive steps to ensure no barriers)
3
Q
Equality of outcome
A
- Proposes that economic rewards should be distributed to the value of an individual’s contribution
4
Q
Absolute equality
A
- Individuals should receive the same rewards as long as the contributions made to society are to the best of their ability
5
Q
Equality of welfare
A
- Society is inevitably unequal but everyone should be entitled to an equal minimum standard of living which is enabled by the provision of the welfare state
6
Q
Revolutionary socialists belief on ‘equality of opportunity’ ?
A
- Equality of opportunity can only occur after a revolution due to capitalism being so corrupt that it is beyond reform
7
Q
Democratic socialists belief on ‘equality of opportunity’ ?
A
- Webb argued that equality of opportunity can only be achieved by reforming capitalism to the point that it is truly socialist eg common ownership of society
8
Q
Social democrats belief on ‘equality of opportunity’ ?
A
- Crosland believed in a mixed economy with state management based on Keynesian ideas
- Wished to break down class barriers as they were irrelevant
- Argued for progressive taxation + to allow an even distribution of opportunities via an expansive welfare state
9
Q
Third way belief on ‘equality of opportunity’ ?
A
- Equality of opportunity needs to target the neediest in society (the underclass)
- Giddens advocated abandoning the universal welfare state
10
Q
What do all socialists believe in regards to human nature ?
A
- Human nature is not fixed and is easily shaped (for good and bad) by an individual’s environment
- Human nature is malleable
11
Q
What do socialists see society as ?
A
- Collection of broadly equal individuals who share a common identity and collective purpose
- Cooperation and collectivism rather than individualism and competition
12
Q
What do socialists agree about the economy ?
A
- Concerned about the effect that unchecked capitalism can have on the individual
13
Q
What underpins society ?
A
- Fraternity and community (humans regard each other as siblings rather than rivals)
14
Q
Who argues capitalism can be used for the greater good ?
A
- Social democracy and in particular the third way
15
Q
Who are most hostile to capitalism ?
A
- Revolutionary socialism and democratic socialism
16
Q
Revolutionary socialism (Vision of humanity)
A
- Marx and Engels
- Individuals are by capitalism so therefore capitalism must be abolished by a revolution
- Following a transitional period, a classless communist society would emerge
17
Q
Democratic socialism (vision of common humanity)
A
- Webb argued for a socialist state via the ballot box
- This would include common ownership of the means of production achieved by a bureaucratic elite
18
Q
Social democracy (vision of common humanity)
A
- Capitalism should be reformed not replaced
- Crosland had a vision of : Mixed economy, state intervention based on Keynesian economics and a welfare state to challenge poverty and social inequality
19
Q
The third way (vision of humanity)
A
- Giddens argued for : increased emphasis on equality of opportunity via public services, Neo-liberal ideas like free market and moving away from universal welfare to more means tested welfare (eg higher education students contributing towards the cost of their education)
20
Q
Collectivism
A
- Believe individuals prefer to work together than independently and will work more efficiently within groups than through individual actions
21
Q
Collectivism for social democrats ?
A
- Workers belong to trade unions that have strong bargaining rights to stop exploitation
- A NHS provides universal care according to need
- Widespread comprehensive state education is available for all (equality of opportunity)
- Key utilities are brought under government control and operate in the collective interest of all
22
Q
Collectivism for revolutionaries
A
- Marx and Engels argue the workforce should collectively own all industry + all agencies of society should be communal
- Seen in the Soviet Union in the 1920s
23
Q
Collectivism for Democratic socialists
A
- Webb and the Fabian society influenced the policy of Atlee’s government eg top down management strategy
24
Q
Collectivism for the third way
A
- Unions should exist to to preserve fair practice in the workplace but wages should be market driven
- Advocates healthcare reform (universal healthcare is unsustainable) + advocates prescription charges
- More equality of opportunity and spending in education eg New labour introduced academies
- No support for renationalising state utilities
25
Revolutionary socialists view on equality of outcome
- Dismiss it as it is preproposed that capitalism could be rid of exploitation which is impossible
26
Democratic socialists view on equality of outcome
- Webb argued for gradual incremental process so that income would be more evenly distributed
- This wouldn't be absolute equality but would be substantially fairer
27
Social democrats view on equality of outcome
- Crosland was against pure equality of outcome as he felt it would weaken the economy by acting as a disincentive to wealth creators
28
Third way view on equality of outcome
- Equality of wage was impractical as it was a disincentive and would damage the economy
29
Revolutionary socialists view on absolute equality
- Marx, Engels + Luxemburg believe that an economy based on common ownership and collectivisation would produce rewards based on each needs
- Each individual would contribute and then take away what they needed
- Marx "From each according to their ability to each according to their needs"
30
Democratic socialists view on absolute equality
- Webb believed in high taxation to flatten the differences between classes
- She didn't advocate absolute equality and envisaged some wage differences
31
Social democrats view on absolute equality
- Crosland dismissed absolute equality as utopian (preproposed abundant wealth)
- Accepted that in a meritocratic mixed economy those who contributed more would be rewarded accordingly
32
Third way view on absolute equality
- Giddens dismissed absolute equality as a flawed concept
| - Inequality was a natural consequence of society
33
Revolutionary socialists view on equality of welfare
- reject equality of welfare for its failure to remove capitalism
34
Democratic socialists view on equality of welfare
- Webb argued that equality of welfare would be achieved through mass nationalisation of industry
- Argued that proper state management would ensure equality of welfare via an efficient redistribution of resources
35
Social democrats view on equality of welfare
- Crosland saw the state as a neutral force that could reduce class conflict by breaking down barriers and widening opportunities eg universal public services
- Enthusiastic for nationalised utilities and the free-market economy
36
Third way view on equality of welfare
- Higher levels of social security and welfare were a disincentive to work and created a dependency culture
- Benefits should be targeted at the most needy
37
What do evolutionary socialists argue in regards to class ?
- Webb (Democratic socialism), Crosland (social democracy) and Giddens (third way) all have different ways of reconciling social class division
38
What do revolutionary socialists argue in regards to social class ?
- It can only be resolved via a revolution
39
What do all socialists agree on with regards to class ?
- Capitalism creates and reinforces harmful social class divisions that result in societal hierarchies
40
What do Marx and Engels argue with regards to social class ?
- Capitalists are parasites who profit from the work of an exploited workforce
- Differences in social class cannot be reconciled in a capitalist system so revolution is inevitable
- Capitalists took the surplus value and alienated the worker from his labour
- The state reinforced this oppressive relationship via laws, bureaucracy, police forces and the army
41
How does Webb differ from Marx and Engels in regards to social class ?
- Shared the analysis
- Argued the nature of the state could be altered from serving capitalism to delivering a socialists state
- This would have universal nationalisation, equality of outcome, progressive taxation and a welfare state which would significantly narrow class division
42
What was Crosland's view social class ?
- Critical of the collectively minded utilitarianism (action is right if it promotes happiness) of Webb's ideas + the uniformity of nationalisation
- Felt this would compromise the freedom of the individual + make the socialists state a "dull functional nightmare"
- Less class war and more of a fairer distribution of wealth and equality of opportunity
- Society would eventually become classless
43
What do all socialists argue in relation to workers control ?
- an unchecked free market will allow capitalists will exploit the industrial worker
44
Revolutionary socialism view on workers control
- Marx, Engels and Luxemburg have an element of advocation for workers control for at least a period of control)
- Marx and Engels saw an interim stage where the workers would rule + a communist society would emerge from the ashes of capitalism
- There would then be no need for workers control as communism would be free from the exploitation of capitalism
45
What do Webb, Crosland and Giddens envision in regards to workers control ?
- Don't envision the workers seizing direct control over the economy or the means of production
46
How would Webb solve the 'evils of capitalism' ?
- By professional experts where the working class would vote for socialism and gradually socialist governments would be elected
- The stare would 'silently change its character from police power to housekeeping on a national scale'
- The highly trained elite of administration and specialists would then organise society
47
Social democracy and the third way's view on workers control
- View worker's control and militant struggle as outdated notions
- Capitalism had been largely reformed of most of its most exploitative traits
- Crosland was unwilling to sanction further nationalisation other than a mixed economy
- The workers lacked the
skills/expertise to successfully lead or manage their workplace
- Giddens argued against the mixed economy as nationalised companies couldn't compete with the wealth the free market creates
