Who you have to mention: Socialism

Question 1

What are Marx’s (revolutionary) key ideas?

Answer 1

• Social Class is central to Socialism

- Human nature is socially determined and can only be expressed under communism

Question 2

Marx’s ideas in use of social class?

Answer 2

• Historical materialism - historical and social factors can be explained in economic and class factors.
• Dialectic changes - each stage of human history has its own economic system.
• Revolutionary class conscious - the proleteriat must overthrow their opressors.

Question 3

Marx’s ideas in human nature?

Answer 3

• Humans are social beings
• Humans are productive and capable of leading satisfying lives based on fulfilling work, where the conditions for free creative production exist. (these do not exist under capitalism)
• Workers benefit from increased leisure time, pursuing creative tasks, providing meaningful work that stops alienation.

Question 4

What are Beatrice Webb’s (evolutionary) key ideas?

Answer 4

• Inevitably of gradualness - establishes socialism gradually.
• Changing the state rather than overthrowing.

Question 5

Beatrice Webb’s key ideas in human nature?

Answer 5

• Webb believes workers are limited, selfish and uninformed, so democracy should be representative.
• Representative democracy was preferable because it would lead to a skilled socialist government.

Question 6

Beatrice Webb’s key ideas in the State?

Answer 6

• Gradual growth of state power was evidence that collectivism would bring a new socialist age.

Question 7

Beatrice Webb’s key ideas in society?

Answer 7

• state’s ability to deliver socialism would depend heavily on on highly trained specialists and adminstrators to organise society and the economy.

Question 8

What are Rosa Luxembourg’s (revolutionary) key ideas?

Answer 8

• Social reform needs to happen through revolution as capitalism is based off economic exploitation.
• Class consciousness - struggle from the proleteriat creates class consciousness needed to overthrow the capitalist society and the state.

Question 9

Rosa Luxembourg’s key ideas in Economy?

Answer 9

• Revolution was necessary as any evolutionary methods would leave the exploitative capitalist method would be intact.

Question 10

Rosa Luxembourg’s key ideas in Human Nature?

Answer 10

• Class consciousness would develop through people themselves.
• Workers would suddenly mass strike and radicalise the others.
• Unlike Lenin, she did not believe that a small party would lead workers to revolution.

Question 11

What are Anthony Crosland’s (revisionist) key ideas?

Answer 11

• Modern capitalism has inherent contradictions.

- State-managed capitalism will bring greater social equality (Keynes).

Question 12

Anthony Crosland’s key ideas in the economy?

Answer 12

• Governements could maintain high employment using Keynes methods.

Question 13

Anthony Crosland’s key ideas in the state?

Answer 13

• High levels of government spending will lead to an increase in equality of opportunity.

Question 14

Anthony Crosland’s key ideas in the economy?

Answer 14

• Economic expansion is required to fund welfare and social spending to improve living standards for those at the bottom.

Question 15

What are Anthony Gidden’s (Third Way) key ideas?

Answer 15

• Rejection of state intervention - social democracy must be modernised due to globalisation and new knowledge on the economy.
• Rejected the current methods of state intervention.

Question 16

Anthony Gidden’s key ideas in the economy?

Answer 16

• Free market is most efficient system of production and encourages desirable characterstics like responsbility.

Question 17

Anthony Gidden’s key ideas in the state?

Answer 17

• Equality of opportunity over equality. Government action is required to make sure everyone gets the same chance.
• State welfare creates dependency, need infrastructure.

Question 18

Anthony Gidden’s key ideas on Human Nature?

Answer 18

• Community and responsibility, rather than class and conflict, are important to offset the negative effects of the free market and promote social cohesion.