Origins of socialism:
- Enlightenment and emerging issues such as the rich-poor divide created by the Industrial Revolution and modern capitalism.
- Owen and Fourier thought that the Enlightenment brought massive inequalities.
- Offered utopian socialism – the idea of utopian.
Human
Nature:
- Optimistic as individuals are naturally cooperative, generous and altruistic. This means that humans seek solidarity, fraternity and comradeship reflecting “no man is an island.” This goes against the liberal view that humans are seeking autonomy, independence and supremacy.
- Malleable rather than fixed at birth. Socialists are more optimistic about how much further human nature could go. This means that human nature can be adjusted this ensuring that everyone fulfils their true potential leading to a cooperative community. This goes against the liberal view that human nature is fixed.
- Humans change as their circumstances change therefore humans adapt to new situations. This means that if humans have created capitalism, they can create socialism and eventually reach “the end of history” through either a revolution or evolution method.
Society:
- Individuals are products of society into which they were born. Society is therefore an individual construct formed by impersonal forces, thinkers such as Marx thought that these forces were economic. This meant that socialists are sceptical of the classical liberal view that individuals are masters of their own destiny yet according to Marx, this could only be solved if social class issues were solved.
- Social class is a central feature of society and the individual. Thinkers like Marx and Engels say an individual’s social class is determined by their status within society’s economy. This went against the liberal view that men and women were autonomous creatures as socialists believes that an individuals status and prospects are shaped by the social class he or she is born into.
- To have equality of opportunity, there must be greater equality of outcome. This is why socialists place such emphasis on social justice. This means that through progressive taxation, there must be a narrowing of the gap between society’s poorest and richer classes as someone with a blue collar background would naturally have a worse quality of life. This went against the traditional conservative view that society must improve the conditions of the poor socialists would argue that unless the gap between rich and poor is ended, society will lack fraternity and cooperation.
The State:
- Belief in a strong state because without it, it would be impossible to bring about a more fairer and more equal society. This would mean that without it there would not be a redistribution of wealth and greater social justice. Thinkers such as Marx want the state to “wither away” leading to “the end of history.” This goes against the liberal view of the night-watchman state.
- Reject monarchical, theocratic and aristocratic state. But thinkers like Marx would argue that the state still remains a place for the ruling class that will ultimately benefit them. Instead socialists reflect a state where power both political and economical has been redistributed and decision making reflects the principal of equality and empowerment of ‘the people.’ This goes against the conservative view that the state should promote order by having a ruling elite – paternalism.
- The state must be extensive where a reduction in state power will not produce increased social and economic inequality. However, thinkers like Giddens believe that the state could be used to steer society towards socialism even if it led to inequality along the way.
The
Economy:
- Create an economy that provides for greater workers and control in employment with a significant redistribution of wealth. Tony Benn’s “robin hood of politics”. This would lead to greater equality of outcome and thus equality of opportunity later. However thinkers like Giddens rejected this and said a neo-liberal economy would lead to greater equality of opportunity hence clause 4 broken.
- Rejection of laissez-faire capitalism which had been advocated by classical and neo-liberals. This is because a free market would lead to an economy where low taxation and little state interference will be one of unfairness and social injustice. As thinkers like Marx would argue it was “brutal exploitation” whilst, Giddens would argue that the free market could mean extra money on infrastructure e.g new Labour in 1997 “education, education and education.”
- Demand greater collectivism as the economy needs to focus on the needs of society as a whole rather than enterprising individuals. This means that this could be achieved through progressive taxation and progressive public spending with nationalisation championed by Webb through clause four.
Types of
Socialism – Fundamentalist:
Revolutionary Socialism:
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Evolutionary/Reformist Socialism:
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Socialism will come about through a class based revolution where
the many seize control of the state and must be prepared to use
force against a counter revolution.
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A parliamentary road to socialism so parliament rather than class
struggle is the motor for change.
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This would replace a liberal democracy and would become a
dictatorship of the proletariat |
Webb believed in the “inevitability of gradualism” where a
political democracy will naturally lead to the common ownership of
the means of production and thus a socialist state.
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They will abolish private ownership of the means of production and
replace it with common ownership |
Universal suffrage enables the working class to vote for socialist
parties which means that socialism could be achieved through the
existing state through the welfare state.
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Leads to the abolition of classless society which leads to
communism and “the end of history.”
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Socialism could then be achieved by working within the existing
state through education and in the end, socialism would come about
due to all classes recognising its ethical superiority.
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Revisionist
– Social Democracy:
- Harsh world of capitalism had been transformed durong the Attlee governments with the creation of the Welfare state and Keynesian economics (use of tax and spending policies to create full employment and continuous economic growth)
- Marxism had been disproved because economic output had increased and so had living standards.
- The business owning classes had been reduced by the increased power of government and the rise of the trade unions. Managers not business owners were now running industry therefore, it would be better to control capitalism rather than public ownership.
- Crosland “rise of technocratic classes”
- Mixed economy was successful. Modern socialism was about social justice by improving welfare through progressive tax and redistribution of wealth.
- Modern socialism was about social equality and tackling poverty.
- Crosland thought social democracy would “weaken the existing deep-seated class stratification with its consistent feelings of envy”
Revisionist
– The Third Way:
- Acceptance of capitalism and Keynesianism was dead.
- Accepted that the free market of neo-liberalism with aims to balance this with social democracy’s commitment to community and equality of opportunity.
- Third way accepts free market economies but not atomistic society. Widest freedom but tied to wider community as this binds everyone together. Focus is on consensus and social harmony not class conflict
- Focus on providing equality of opportunity by giving people access to education. Blair and “education x3” and welfare targeted to those who are excluded from society.
- Focus on investment into infrastructure and education to make the state more competitive in the global market.
- Education is key as it creates a skilled and knowledgeable workforce that can compete in a globalising world driving economic growth and allowing the individual to realise their full potential.
- Economic growth allows a tax base to enable social investment in areas like education, transport infrastructure and technology.
Karl Marx &
Engels:
- Class & Class Struggle: “history of all hitherto” is the history of conflict between oppressed and oppressor that ends in revolutionary remaking of society along communist lines. The state reflects whoever controls the means of production. The state reflects the bourgeoisie and so cannot be used for an evolutionary reform which means that it must be overthrown. Religion is “opium of the masses” Society becomes “from each according to his ability to each according to his needs.”
- Dialectical Materialism: Socialism is inevitable as it is driven by historical materialism and must be delivered by the working classes.
Rosa
Luxemburg:
- Inevitable Revolution: Mass strike results from social conditions with historical inevitability when the antagonism between the bourgeoise and the proletariat are at its greatest. Mass strike will be spontaneous. Mass strike will bring the proletariat together as a mass whilst educating them so they can overthrow the state.
- Party Oriented Class Struggle: Attacked the idea of reform “do not choose a more tranquil and slower road.” The legislative reform has failed as the state represents and is controlled by the ruling class whilst it abandons historical materialism.
Beatrice
Webb:
- Poverty is a by-product of capitalism therefore poverty cannot be tackled through paternalism or charity but it can only be tackled by moving to socialism.
- She set the foundations for the Attlee government by asking for a modern welfare state.
- Inevitability of gradualism: Rejected Marxism, socialism was still inevitable but gradually. Process was inevitable in the age of socialism as socialist governments would reform capitalism take means of production into public ownership. This would turn society socialist. As the benefits are felt, socialism will become permanent.
Anthony
Crosland:
- Criticism of Marxism: “Marx had little to offer the contemporary socialist” and was really a set of values rather than a fixed idea. Social equality was the fundamental aim not ownership of production.
- Rejection of nationalisation: Nationalisation in the Attlee government had gone far enough. Instead Keynesianism approach to generate full employment and growth would ensure social equality
- Political values: Emphasised the ending of segregation and selection in school education. Would help break down barriers between classes minimising class distinctions and providing pupils with equality of opportunity.
Anthony
Giddens:
- Rejection of traditional socialism: Communism and radical socialism would fail
- Third Way: Response to the changing world where globalisation has transformed modern economies and the role of government. Make the workforce more competitive and to build necessary infrastructure to maximise trade e.g schools.
- Combination of left and right politics: Accept neo-liberalism as it promoted growth and empowered the individual. Whilst it had undermined traditional communities, neo-liberals needed to be married to the principals of community. Community could be delivered through devolution who represent various communities and drives social inclusion.