Karl Marx (1818-1883) & Friedrich Engels (1820-1895):
- No socialist thinker has more impact on the ideology than Marx and his life-long collaborator Engels.
- Human nature has been contaminated by capitalism which encouraged selfishness, ruthlessness and greed.
- It installed a ‘false consciousness’ which removed man’s human nature. I.e it meant that it was brainwashing people into thinking capitalism was a good when Marx and Engels argued that it was not.
- Human nature had been far removed from cooperation, selfless and fraternal. What human nature should have been.
- We need a new non-capitalist economic system that would revive these characteristics.
- Capitalism has created two social classes: The bourgeoisies and the proletariat.
- There are harsh economic inequalities for the proletariat. Capitalist society would eventually be overthrown by the proletariat.
- They rejected the liberal view that capitalism promotes individual liberty for all. It instead created a ‘surplus value’ whereas employers were paying employees minimum wages, so profits can be made for the least amount of production.
- ‘The seeds’ would eventually reject this and overthrow a capitalist society.
- Challenged the liberal notion that the State was politically neutral.
- They argued that the State would always serve the interests of whichever class controlled the economy.
- The liberal state was just a capitalist state and would not work with socialism.
- A new state should arise that should govern the interest of the new, dominate class for the proletariat.
- The state should ‘wither away’ and be replaced by communism: a stateless society involving common ownership and the principal of ‘each to his ability according to his need’. Did this justify societies such as the Soviet Union and China.
- Why is a dictatorship of the proletariat needed? We need to replace human’s initiate nature, we need to educate people on how to be more caring etc. ‘A ruling party would educate” In the end, everything will be fine. The end goal is needed, to get their we need to remove capitalist and be more strict.
The
Core Ideas Of Socialism: The State:
- Advocates a strong state
- Without a strong state, It will be impossible to bring a fairer, more equal society.
- Done via the redistribution of wealth and a bigger state.
- Marx and Engels argued that the state will ‘wither away’ once human nature becomes less selfish. ‘The end of history’ once this happens a stronger state is needed
- Rejects a monarchical state and a theocratic state (run by religion) and rather asks for a state where the redistribution of wealth is shown
- Some socialists have differences over the structure of the ideal state whilst some don’. This ties into the different types of socialist.
Rosa
Luxemburg (1871-1919):
- She developed Marx’s ideas through her membership with the German Social Democratic Party.
- She accepted Marx’s argument that capitalism promoted exploitation and as at odds with humanity’s natural, fraternal instinct. Only socialism can change this.
- She challenged Marx by saying that democracy was needed with elections and majorities.
- She agreed that revolution was key and capitalism has to reach an advanced stage.
- She claimed that revolution can only occur through planning and leadership of a vanguard elite.
- Revolution has been gradually brought into place through the workplace. Mass strike action is the way to go.
- There should not be a dictatorship of the proletariat but a new democracy with common ownership, open debate and elections should take place.
- Revolution is needed for change
- Dismissed Lenin’s interest in socialist nationalism claiming that he overlooked the transnational character of capitalism and proletarian interests.
- Socialism should be more than a form of national regime, it should revolt against capitalism and nationalism globally.
- Rejected Lenin’s notion that the ruling class could work.
- Her departure from the SPD party in Germany after she did not like the way they were treating the war was met by Marx as appalling. It was a rejection of evolutional socialism.
- She began by setting up anti-war measures which still have a foothold in socialism today and remains popular today.