Overview of Socialism 12.08

An optimistic view of human nature

Humans are essentially social, cooperative and altruistic.

Where it is not, this is the fault of nurture rather than nature.

Human nature is ‘plastic’.

Collectivism

A belief that humans operate best in cooperative social groups.

A belief that humans working collaboratively are more efficient than humans working in a selfish, competitive environment.

Egalitarianism

A defining doctrine of socialism is a belief in far-reaching equality of outcome.

Social justice

A fair and equitable distribution of resources and rewards.

Democracy

Socialism should mean equality of ‘people power’ as wealth of wealth, rights and opportunities.

Revolutionary socialism

Revolutionary socialists seek the complete overthrow of the capitalist economy and state, and the achievement of an egalitarian society based upon common ownership.

However, they disagree upon the details of how to achieve this.

Sidney and Beatrice Webb

Evolutionary socialism

Evolutionary socialists seek the gradual reform by the parliamentary road i.e. by the ballot box rather than by a mass uprising of workers.

They have, therefore, accepted the liberal framework of pluralist, parliamentary democracy.

Their goals are usually – but not always – more limited and moderate than those of the revolutionary communists.

Utopian socialism

A utopia is any ideal society, system or way of life.

Utopianism – devised by Thomas More in Utopia - is a form of theorising about a perfect but non-existent society.

The positive concept of utopianism implies a highly optimistic view of human nature as perfectible

The negative concept of utopianism implies an over-optimistic view of human nature and an idealistic, moralistic style of theorising that envisages an unattainable fantasy.

Utopian socialists

Robert Owen (1771-1858, British)

Charles Fourier (1772-1837, French)

Etienne Cabet (1788-1858, American)

Each tried to build a utopia that would counter the evils of industrial society and allow humans to flourish asd rational and fulfilled beings.

Owen’s community was renowned for good quality housing and education.

Fourier saw sexual liberation as a necessary aspect of human liberation.

Cabet envisaged a centralised state in which material wealth would be shared equally.

Marxism

Marxism is a materialist theory – it sees economic factors as primary.

Engels applied the label of ‘dialectical materialism’ to Marx’s theory of historical progress through economic conflict.

Marxism perceives human nature as a series of class societies, most of which contain 2 main classes: a ruling class and a subject class.

Class - The Frost Report

Parliamentary socialism

Evolutionary socialists have largely revised or abandoned the original and fundamentalist principles of revolutionary theory, and now seek gradual reform by the parliamentary road.

They see socialism as an end in itself rather than as a transitional phase towards classless communism, and their goals are usually more limited than those of communism.

Why has parliamentary socialism developed?

•Extension of the franchise

• A strengthening attachment to the state

•Rising living standards

•Structural changes and technological advances

•Socialisation

•Christian Methodism

•Reforms, rights and freedoms already won

•Strong capitalist states

Eduard Bernstein Tony Benn

Evolutionary parliamentary

socialism includes

New

Labour

Social

democracy

Democratic socialismEurocommunism

Democratic socialism versus social democracy

In the first half of the 20th century, parliamentary socialists pursued radical, left-wing democratic socialism.

It sought extensive state nationalisation, redistribution and welfarism, together with the acceptance of some private ownership.

The UK Labour Party’s Clause Four, symbolised this.

In the economic boom that followed WW2, most parliamentary socialists came to embrace a revisionist form of socialism – Keynesian social democracy – which practised the politics of social justice redefined as moderate redistribution and welfare in a mixed, mainly private economy.

Why was there post-war revisionism?

•The Cold War

•An increasingly affluent working class

•Capitalist states becoming stronger

•Capitalist globalisation

Democratic socialism

•Radical

•More left-wing

•Mainly collective economy

•Equality

•Extensive welfare state

•Anti private health/ education

•Abolish House of Lords

•Anti EU

•Unilateral nuclear disarmament

•More internationalist

•More principled

•More emphasis on goals

Social democracy

•Reformist

•More right-wing

•Mainly private economy

•Freedom and fairness

•Extended welfare state

•Pro choice

•Reform House of Lords

•Pro EU

•Multilateral nuclear disarmament

•More nationalist

•More pragmatic

•More emphasis on means

Third-way themes

•Acceptance of the market over the state.

•Emphasis on community and moral responsibility rather than egoistic individualism.

•Pursuit of consensus rather than conflict.

•Belief in social inclusion.

•Provision of an enabling state rather than a nanny state.

Marxism

•Scientific socialism

•Fundamentalism

•Revolution

•Abolish capitalism

•Collectivisation

•Common ownership

•Classless society

•Equality of outcome

•Dictatorship of proletariat

•Direct democracy

Social democracy

•Ethical socialism

•Revisionism

•Reformism

•‘Tame’ capitalism

•Mixed economy

•Redistribution

•Reduced class conflict

•Equality of opportunity

•Political pluralism

•Liberal democratic state

Third way

•Market socialism

•Neo-revisionism

•Pragmatism

•Globalisation

•Market economy

•Social inclusion

•Communitarianism

•Rights and responsibilities

•Political pluralism

•Liberal democratic state