Socialism: key thinkers, terminology and essay plans

Socialism core ideas and principles

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Collectivism (group above individual)

Common humanity (human tendency of co-operation)

Social class (most significant division)

Equality

Worker's control

Revolutionary Strand Thinkers

Marx and Engels

Luxemburg

Social Democrats Strand Thinkers

Crosland

Third Way Strand Thinkers

Giddens

Democratic Socialist Thinker (NOT A STRAND)

Webb

Marx and Engels key ideas

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Historical materialism

Rejected capitalism

State not neutral

Surplus value

Dictatorship of the proletariat

Class/False consciousness

Luxemburg key ideas

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Rejected gradualism & evolutionary means

Revolutionary mass action

Rejected dictatorship of the proletariat

Capitalism →economic imperialism

Socialism internationalist

Webb key ideas

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Inevitability of gradualism

Education

Neutral state

Equal ownership

Wealth redistribution + state intervention in the economy

Crosland key ideas

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State managed capitalism

Equality achieved within capitalism

Education

Society was complex

Giddens key ideas

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Capitalism and individualism irreversible

Free market capitalism beneficial to society

State-managed economy

Social engineering of social democracy

Increased equality of opportunity while accepting inequality of outcome

Nationalize 'commanding heights'

Essay plan: State

Agreement: Evolutionary (Third Way, Democratic Socialists, Social Democrats) agree ____________ process is the best way to improve the state. KT: ?????

Disagreement: Social democrats and _____ ___ disagree on the extent of the role of the state and __________ (SD wants wealth tax _____ wants welfare to encourage work) KT: ??????

Disagreement: ________________ disagree with ___________ and _______ ___________, believe state will '_______ away' in true communist society. KT: ?????

Agreement: Evolutionary (Third Way, Democratic Socialists, Social Democrats) agree democratic process is the best way to improve the state. KT: Webb+Crosland+Giddens

Disagreement: Social democrats and Third Way disagree on the extent of the role of the state and welfare (SD want wealth tax 3rd wants welfare to encourage work) KT: Giddens/Crosland

Disagreement: Revolutionary disagree with 3rd Way and SD, believe state will 'wither away' in true communist society. KT: Marx/Giddens

Essay plan: Society

Agree: All socialists agree an _______ society allows human co-operation, social _________ and f_________.

Disagree: Revolutionary believe society should facilitate c_________ living and collectivism, ???? seeks community support through r___________ tax.

Disagree: Revolutionary and Third Way socialists disagree on the extent of the ___________ of capitalism. Luxemburg is f___________ opposed, Giddens believes it can be r------

Agree: All socialists agree an equal society allows human co-operation, social cohesion and fraternity.

Disagree: Revolutionary believe society should facilitate communal living and collectivism, Crosland seeks community support through redistributive tax.

Disagree: Revolutionary and Third Way socialists disagree on the extent of the corruption of capitalism. Luxemburg is fundamentally opposed, Giddens believes it can be reformed

Essay plan: Human Nature

Agreement: Socialists recognize that human nature is m___________, shaped by the e___________ and c_______________ of life

Agreement: Socialist understanding of human nature is of people b____ together with a c_________ h_________. All humans share e______ characteristics and are deserving of e_____ t____________.

Disagreement: Revolutionary socialists (????) believe that humans are motivated by m____ i__________, Third Way believes that humans are motivated by e___________ and m____ i__________ (?????)

Agreement: Socialists recognize that human nature is malleable, shaped by the experiences and circumstances of life

Agreement: Socialist understanding of human nature is of people bound together with a common humanity. All humans share essential characteristics and are deserving of equal treatment.

Disagreement: Revolutionary socialists (Marx) believe that humans are motivated by moral incentives, Third Way believes that humans are motivated by economic and moral incentives (Giddens)

Essay plan: The Economy

Agreement: Socialists agree capitalism is f_______, and the state should play a role in f_____ it. Marx believes in replacing the capitalist state with a d__________ of the p_____________, Giddens believes in w_______ r______________ through taxation.

Disagreement: Socialists agree e_________ of o______________ should be pursued and a capitalist economy is unfair. Crosland believed in e__________ to progress the WC, Luxemburg wanted to replace the capitalist economy with a socialist one mending a_________ of the w__________.

Disagreement: On the role capitalism should play in the e________. Revolutionary socialists and democratic socialists (????) believe there should be f________________ ends and the capitalist system should be replaced. Giddens and Crosland believed capitalism had changed society forever and p___________ reform could make it more fair.

Agreement: Socialists agree capitalism is flawed, and the state should play a role in fixing it. Marx believes in replacing the capitalist state with a dictatorship of the proletariat, Giddens believes in wealth redistribution through taxation.

Disagreement: Socialists agree equality of opportunity should be persued and a capitalist economy is unfair. Crosland believed in education to progress the WC, Luxemburg wanted to replace the capitalist economy with a socialist one mending alienation of the workforce.

Disagreement: On the role capitalism should play in the economy. Revolutionary socialists and democratic socialists (Webb) believe there should be fundamentalist ends and the capitalist system should be replaced. Giddens and Crosland believed capitalism had changed society forever and piecemeal reform could make it more fair.

Fraternity

Humans regarding each other as siblings rather than rivals.

Cooperation

Individuals working collectively to achieve mutual benefit with the fraternal belief that humans work best when working together.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private property, free enterprise and competition between individuals and companies.

Common ownership

The opposite of private ownership. The state and public have ownership of property and economy.

Communism

A society that is communally organised with an economy built on common ownership in which goods are held in common and available to all as needed.

Evolutionary socialism

Socialism achieved gradually through the pre-existing parliamentary structure, therefore emerging in a gradual piecemeal fashion through the state.

Utilitarianism

A doctrine that states an action is right is it promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.

Marxism

An ideological and revolutionary set of ideas explaining the inevitable demise of capitalism by communism.

Mixed economy

An economic system combining private and state enterprise.

Revisionism

To review and change a political theory.

E.g. Social democracy revised the ideas of democratic socialism.

Neo-revisionism

To differentiate between the types of revisionism, 'neo-revisionism' is used.

E.g. The Third Way, a revision of social democracy, is sometimes called neo-revisionism

Social justice

A moral justification to redistribute wealth in order to limit inequality and to provide equality of opportunity for all in society.

Class consciousness

When the proletariat realises that capitalism is exploiting them, allowing them to begin the revolution.

Historical materialism

A theory arguing economic factors are the driving cause for changing events.

The economic base forms shaping the "superstructure": culture, politics, religion, ideology and social consciousness.

Dialectic

When the pre-existing set of values (as understood by the ruling class) are no longer valued by a majority. A new society is born from this conflict/tension.

Keynesian economics

Theory based on John Maynard Keynes' argument that governments should stimulate economic demand in times of recession via state spending.

The government should use tax and interest rates to influence demand preventing recession.