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70 Cards in this Set
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Socialism |
A wide-ranging political philosophy which believes in human altruism and seeks varying degrees of equality, common ownership and collectivism; whether by revolution or by the parliamentary route. It can be sub-divided into 2 alternative ways: 1) The end goals of socialism 2) The means of achieving socialism |
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The end goals of socialism: |
a) Fundamentalist socialism seeks to abolish capitalism entirely b) Revisionist socialism merely seeks to reform and tame capitalism |
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The means of achieving socialism: |
a) Revolutionary socialism seeks the mass working class uprising b) Evolutionary socialism seeks to purse the parliamentary, ballot-box road |
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Core principles of socialism |
A view of human nature as rational and altruistic - that is, having concern for the welfare of others. This contrasts with the liberal view of human nature as rational but self-interested Core principles: Egalitarianism, Collectivism, Social justice, Social harmony and Democracy |
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Egalitarianism |
- Probably the defining doctrine of socialism - The doctrine that all people are equal, deserve equal rights and opportunities. - A belief in far-reaching equality of outcome |
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Collectivism |
A belief that humans work best (ethically and efficiently) in cooperative, social groups, rather than self-striving individuals |
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Social justice |
A fair distribution of wealth, income and social status, which for socialists means greater equality, pursued collectively. This contrasts with the liberal view of social justice which is based on individualism and meritocracy |
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Social harmony |
A society based on collectivism and equality would be a recipe for social cohesion and community |
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Democracy |
The belief that rational and altruistic humans are deserving of 'people power', whether in direct or indirect/representative form. |
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Why do socialists believe in social equality |
- Socialists believe that economic inequalities in capitalism are the result of systematic injustices - Equality would enhance positive freedom by safeguarding people from poverty, allowing them to flourish and fulfil their potential. - Without social equality, other forms of equality (foundational and formal equality) are not possible. Socialists argue that liberals are deluding themselves on this point. - Social equality would enhance social harmony and community. |
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Revolutionary socialism |
Revolutionary socialists seek communism: the complete abolition of the capitalist economy and state. They want to achieve a wholly egalitarian society based on common ownership. However, revolutionary socialists disagree upon the details of how to get there. There are 2 main schools of revolutionary socialism: Utopian socialism or Marxism. |
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Utopian socialism (known as ethical socialism) |
A utopia is any ideal society, system or way of life. Utopianism, devised by Sir Thomas More in his book Utopia, is a form of theorising about a perfect but non-existent society, usually devised to highlight and criticise the perceived evils of present day society. |
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Utopian socialism (known as ethical socialism) |
The positive concept of utopianism implies a highly optimistic view of human nature as perfectible and a vision of utopia that is believed to be attainable. E.g: William Godwin's assertion that "Perfectibility is the most unequivocal characteristic of human species" |
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Utopian socialism(known as ethical socialism) |
Anarchists and social writers, are most often utopian with their view of human nature as sociable. There is no common perception of utopia. Different philosophies envisage different 'ideals' and even within a philosophy such as utopian socialism, many different utopias have been devised by different thinkers. |
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Utopian socialism(known as ethical socialism) |
The negative concept of utopianism implies an over-optimistic view of human nature and an idealistic, moralistic style of theorising which envisages an unattainable fantasy. |
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Utopian socialism(known as ethical socialism) |
Utopian socialists advanced a moral critique of capitalism based exploitation, greed and injustice. Each tried to build a utopia based upon socialist principles of cooperation and social justice which would encounter evils of industrial capitalism, allowing humans to flourish as rational and fulfilled beings. |
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3 most well known Utopian Socialists |
Robert Owen (1771-1858) British Charles Fourier (1772-1837) French Etienne Cabet (1788-1858) American |
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Marxism (known as scientific socialism) |
Marxism is a meterialistic theory, i.e: it sees economic factors as primary. Engels applied the label 'dialectical materialism' to Marx's theory of historical process through economic conflict. |
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Marxism (known as scientific socialism) |
Marxism percieves human history as a series of economic changes of society, most of which contain 2 main classes (proletariat and bourgeoisie) |
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Marxism (known as scientific socialism) |
In the capitalist stage, the bourgeoise (ruling class) take the surplus value created by the proletariat (workers), as it is the only possibel source of profit. The constitutes exploitation, which generates class conflict. |
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Marxism (known as scientific socialism) |
This, combined with economic crises and recessions, will eventually make the workers aware of the fact that the capitalist system is only serving the interests of the minority ruling classes; and the workers (proletariat) will rise up in a revolution to overthrow capitalism and create a transitional phase of 'dictatorship' by the proletariat in order to prevent a counter revolution. |
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Marxism (known as scientific socialism) |
When an industry is collectively owned, classes will have been abolished and communism will have been achieved. The state is merely the political agent of the economic ruling class in every class stage of human society. Therefore, when all classes have been abolished, the proletarian state will simple 'wither away'. |
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Marxism (known as scientific socialism) |
Marx says this analysis of human progress through economic conflict, is not wishful thinking but 'scientific determinism', i.e: it is inevitable. |
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Utopian vs Scientific socialism |
Marxism may be preceived by critics, such as conservatives and liberals, as 'utopian' in anticipating a near-perfect future society and being over-optimistic about human nature and about the possibilities for social change. |
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Utopian socialism: Emotive and moralistic |
Scientific socialism: Objective and empirical |
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Utopian socialism: Capitalism is "evil" |
Scientific socialism: Capitalism is a necessary economic stage |
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Utopian socialism: Focus on ends |
Scientific socialism: Focus on means |
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Utopian socialism: Wishful thinking |
Scientific socialism: Determinist and predictive |
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Evolutionary socialism: |
Evolutionary socialists have accepted the liberal framework of pluralist, parliamentary democracy, constitutionalism and consent. Their goals are usually more limited and moderate than those of the revolutionary communists. They very rarely seek the complete abolition of classes and none of them seek the disappearance of the state. |
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The inevitability of gradualism |
By the turn of the 20th Century, many evolutionary socialists had come to see the parliamentary road as not only desirable, but inevitable with the following reasons. |
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Evolutionary socialists had come to see the parliamentary road as not only desirable, but inevitable because: |
The working class has been given the right to vote |
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Evolutionary socialists had come to see the parliamentary road as not only desirable, but inevitable because: |
The working class were by far the majority class |
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Evolutionary socialists had come to see the parliamentary road as not only desirable, but inevitable because: |
They would naturally vote for socialist parties which would act in their best class interest |
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Evolutionary socialists had come to see the parliamentary road as not only desirable, but inevitable because: |
Socialist parties would therefore regularly win electoral success and implement social policies |
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Evolutionary socialists had come to see the parliamentary road as not only desirable, but inevitable because: |
Socialism via the ballot box was therefore inevitable, showing revolution to be no longer needed |
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Sidney Webb |
British Labour Party founder's famous use of the phrase "inevitability of gradualism". |
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Fundamentalist socialism |
Fundamentalist socialism rejects capitalism entirely and seeks to abolish and replace capitalism. It usually attributes the flaws of capitalism to private property for private profit and seeks to establish socialism in the form of common ownership and very substantial equality of outcome. The Marxist or communist tradition is the clearest example of fundamentalist socialism. |
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Fundamentalist socialism |
Some fundamentalists pursue their goals by the parliamentary road - i.e: it is possible to be 'fundamentalist democrats' in the parliamentary sense. Eurocommunists (the post-war Western European communist parties) and early Fabians such as the Webbs were parliamentary socialists who were, nevertheless, fundamentalist in their goals. |
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Revisionist socialism |
Revisionist socialism seeks to reform or tame capitalism, rather than abolish it. It practices an accommodationist strategy - in a sense, it seeks to reconcile socialism with capitalism. It seeks social justice in the sense of narrowing the economic and social inequalities within capitalism through welfare and redistribution. Social democracy is the most obvious example of revisionist socialism. Revisionists are not revolutionary socialists but invariably parliamentary socialists. |
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Fundamentalist & Revisionist socialism |
The distinction between the two lies in their different goals and hence different definitions of 'socialism'. Their meas could either be revolution or evolution. |
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Main sub-strands within evolutionary socialism |
- Eurocommunism - Democratic socialism - Social democracy - 'New' Labour |
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Reasons for rise of evolutionary (parliamentary) socialism |
- Extension of the vote in the late 19th century and early 20th century, first to the middle classes and then, most importantly, to the working class. - Christian Methodism, which rejected the violence likely to accompany revolution. - Increasingly strong capitalists states capable of preventing revolutionary social change |
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Eurocommunism |
Europcommunism was the label applied to the Western communist parties (French, Italian, Spanish, British etc.) from the 1970s to the 1990s, when they abandoned revolutionary Marxism (for reasons above) and and pursued a parliamentary road to communism. With the collapse of orthodox communism in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, this theory was abandoned and Western Eurocommunism is now just a historical curiosity, largely ignored. |
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Democratic socialism |
Early evolutionary socialists such as Sidney Webb remained 'fundamentalist' in their goals: that is, they still sought the complete overthrow of capitalism, but via the ballot box rather than by revolution. Sidney Webb wrote the original Clause 4 of the UK Labour Party constitution (1918) which asserted the goal of common ownership. |
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Democratic socialism |
Equality of ownership meant extensive state nationalisation rather than direct takeover of the factories by the workers. Equality of outcome meant higher taxation by the state of the most wealthy and extensive state welfare for the less well-off. |
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Democratic socialism |
Crucially, therefore, evolutionary socialists revised their analysis of the state. Rather than seeing it as a potential vehicle for progressive socialist advancement and reform. |
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Why do socialists promote collectivism? |
- Collectivism advances a belief in the community, social group or collective body, emphasising the social character of humankind and its capacity for collective action. - Generally, socialists promote collective action in pursuit of their goals of equality, social justice, community, harmony and democracy because of their optimistic view of human nature |
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Why do socialists promote collectivism? |
Socialists stress altruistic humans' ability and willingness to work together cooperatively for the common good. They believe that selfish individualism is not innate but it a result of social conditioning and society functions best in both, practical and ethical terms, when people act collectively and harmoniously. |
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How do socialist promote collectivism? |
- Some utopian socialists such as Fourier and Owen set up experimental communes - Revolutionary socialists promote it via mass working-class uprising, collective ownership of the means of production and the abolition or disappearance of the state in favour of forms of direct democracy. |
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How do socialists promote collectivism? |
-Evolutionary socialists promote it via state nomination, redistibution through progressive taxation, extensive welfarism and trade union organisation, rights and activities. |
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Reasons for post-war revisionism (reasons for why socialism moved to the right after WW2) |
- Nationalism and patriotism were created by two world wars - The Cold War generated profound ideological hostility in the West towards any form of radical socialism - The post-war economic boom meant that capitalism appeared to be delivering the goods in terms increasing living standard and welfare for the working class. |
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Reasons for post-war revisionism (reasons for why socialism moved to the right after WW2) |
- These economics were also changing shape: traditional 'blue-collar' industries were declining and 'white-collar' service sectors were growing. The traditional working class was diminishing in number and the middle classes were increasing in number. - Parliamentary socialist policies such as state nationalisation were often seen as inefficient, bureaucratic, impersonal and restrictive of freedom, choice and personal autonomy. - Socialisation, especially by an increasingly influential, capitalist, mass media |
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Social democracy |
Post-war socialist parties therefore abandoned 'fundamentalism' for 'revisionism': they no longer sought to abolish capitalism but merely to reform it, seeking an accommodation between the economic efficiency of market capitalism and the ethical appeal of state socialism. This produced social democracy: a mixed economy which combined private and state ownership, with moderate welfare and a more liberal emphasis on equality of opportunity rather than the far-reaching socialist goal of equality of outcome |
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Divisions within old Labour |
Democratic socialism Social democracy |
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Democratic socialism Radical |
Social democracy Reformist |
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Democratic socialism More left wing |
Social democracy More right wing |
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Democratic socialism Mainly collective economy |
Social democracy Mainly private economy |
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Democratic socialism Equality |
Social democracy Freedom and fairness |
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Democratic socialism Extensive (large) welfare state |
Social democracy Extended welfare state |
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Democratic socialism Anti-private healthcare/education |
Social democracy Pro-choice |
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Democratic socialism Abolish Lords |
Social democracy Reform Lords |
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Democratic socialism Anti-EU |
Social democracy Pro-EU |
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Democratic socialism Unilateral nuclear disarmament |
Social democracy Multilateral disarmament |
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Democratic socialism More internationalist |
Social democracy More nationalist |
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Democratic socialism More principled |
Social democracy More pragmatic |
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Democratic socialism More emphasis on goals |
Social democracy More emphasis on means |
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Reasons for 1990's neo-revisionism A further shift to the right within socialist thought occurred in the 1990s for the following reasons: |
- The continuing shrinkage of the working class and growth of the middle class - Repeated election defeats. E.g: 4 successive general election defeats of the British Labour Party 1979-97 - The almost irreversible impact of New Right conservative ideology and policies since the 1970s - The collapse of communism in 1989 which suggested to some that socialism was dead - Economic globalisation which meant that international capitalism was increasingly entrenched and pervasive (spreading widely) |
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The 'third way' |
A neo-revisionist blend of free market capitalism and state socialism - The 'third way' was a slogan which shought to locate a yet more right-wing position, between free-market capitalism and state socialism - The slogan and concept was originally devised by the Italian fascist leader Mussolini in the 1930s, implicitly developed in post-war social democracy and explicitly adopted in the 1990s by 'neo-revisionist' movements such as UK Clinton's Democrats and UK Blair's New Labour |
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The 'third way' |
- It involved concepts such as 'stakeholding' and 'social inclusion', seeking to involve and provide wider opportunities for more people, including the disadvantaged, within a market-oriented capitalist economy where every individual has both rights and responsibilities. - It seemed, to critics, a quite incoherent and an opportunistic mix of market capitalism combined with communitarian liberal rights and responsibilities, with a dose of social authoritarianism thrown in. - Thus parliamentary socialism slid inexorbly to the right, over the 20th century, abandoning most of its core values and principles along the way |
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Predominant schools of thought within the British Labour Party since 1900 |
1900-1950s Democratic socialist radicalism 1950s-1990s Social democratic reform 1990s onwards 'New' Labour/'third way' |
