politics- socialism

who are the socialist key thinkers

Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Beatrice Webb, Anthony Crosland, Anthony Giddens

what were Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels main principles

-predicted that communism would be paradise where serious problems were banished and where humans are wise and happy

-people would give up their selfish interests to service the community as the true source of individual pleasure

- human nature has been contaminated by capitalism

-capitalism generates disparities of wealth

-state will eventually wither away and lead to utopia but agreed strong state is essential

what were Rosa Luxemburg’s key beliefs

-capitalism generates huge disparities of wealth

-collaborative -instinct is not to win but to share

-final stage of human development - communism involved voluntary communities where everyone is accommodated based on need

what were the main principles of Beatrix Webb

-’the humble should be more mightier and the mighty more humbler’

-’no excuse for depressive inaction’

-’liberals hope for a bright future without planning for one’

-’we are not lone wolves- we seek out company of the pack’

what are the main principles of Anthony Crosland

-liberals hope for a brighter future without planning for one

-main aim of socialism was to ‘narrow the gap between society’s weaker and stronger classes

-capitalism is a precondition of effective socialist economic policy, creating the wealth which socialist governments can then redistribute equally

-difficult to redistribute wealth if there is no wealth to distribute

-reject laissez-faire capitalism in favour of greater intervention

what were Anthony Giddens main principles

-believe that economic policy is central to the socialist project of a fairer, more equal society

-capitalism is a precondition of effective socialist economic policy creating the wealth which socialist government can then redistribute equally

-reject laissez-faire capitalism in favour of greater intervention, more hands-on approach: employment relations act

-a sense of we/us trumps a sense of we/i

-even high earners in a capitalist economy could be persuaded that own success should finance greater help for the less fortunate e.g. paying more tax to allow the state greater public funding

-human nature is perfectible

what is meant by optimistic human nature

-grew out of enlightenment and so dismisses any notion that humans should accept their fate

-confident that humans are destined for an improved world

-Webb, Mary, Engels

what is meant by fraternal human nature

-naturally inclined towards generosity & kindness for others

-naturally co-operative and collaborative - see one another as siblings rather than fierce rivals

-more tax to allow greater public funding of welfare state

-Luxemburg and Giddens

what is meant by rational human nature

-naturally logical and rational on account of fraternity - we can act reasonably and collaboratively making sensible decisions more likely

-Webb, Crosland

what is meant by human nature communal

-naturally seek to be a part of the community rather than seeking individuality

-communism involved voluntary communities where everyone is accommodated based on needs

-Webb, Luxemburg, Giddens

what is meant by malleable human nature

-human nature would eventually be restored (following fall of capitalism)

-humans are plasticity in nature - they are changeable rather than permanently fixed at birth

-Marx & Engels, Giddens

what is meant by existential society

-society is crucial

-society damages attitudes of members but due to our malleable human nature, if society can be improved, the conditions and prospects of individuals can be improved

-Crosland - we cannot separate who we are from the society we have

what is meant by collectivist society

-society is best when it stresses collectivism: the idea than an individual’s efforts are practically and morally superior when tied to efforts and interests of others

-individuals are at their most effective when they act as a unit

-encourages the concept of being stronger when working together. while promoting the view that individual interest must always be secondary to the interests of society as a whole

what is meant by class-focused society

-class division between manual and non-manual workers

-argue that individuals are limited by the social class they are born into

-inequalities of opportunity between classes creates inequalities in society

-to achieve a fairer society, socialists want to remove social class

what is meant by egalitarian society

-to achieve equality of opportunity. society must have greater equality of outcome where differences between wealth and lower are reduced and where the gap between society’s richest and poorest members is shrunk

-no matter a person’s character of ability someone born into a lower-class background will have fewer opportunities

-legal justice must be accompanied by social justice

-Webb, Crosland

what is meant by a fundamental economy

-economic policy is central to the socialist project of a fairer, more equal society

-it is impossible to understand the socialist political argument or workings of the state without appreciation of how the economy functions

-Giddens, Marx and engels

what is meant by redistributive economy

-we must narrow the gap between the richest and poorest social classes

-this principle is reflected in Labour Manifesto 1974 ‘a fundamental and irreversible shift of wealth and power…in favour of working people and their families

what is meant by ambivalent about capitalism (economy)

-capitalism is incompatible with socialism as it generates inequalities in wealth

-capitalism is a precondition of effective socialist economic policy as it creates the wealth that a state requires to redistribute equitably to bridge the gap

-Crosland, Giddens

what is meant by interventionist economy

-reject laissez-faire capitalism in favour of greater state intervention

-adopt a more hands on approach

-equal pay act

-employment relations act

-Giddens & Crosland

what is meant by rejection of anarchism

-belief in equality and progress are impossible without a state

-socialism is described as a state-sponsored egalitarian society

-Marx

what is meant by rejection of pre-enlightenment states

-pre-enlightenment is incomputable with egalitarian society

-socialists reject monarchical state (ran by one person). they reject theocratic state (based on religion) and reject aristocratic state (based on hereditary class)

-they advocate a state where political and economic power has been redistributed and where decision making reflects the principles of equality and fraternity

what is meant by an enlarged state

-modern state should be extensive and persuasive

-agree that the state should enlarge and expand its involvement to enable state-sponsored collectivism

-Giddens

how to achieve an enlarged state

-progressive taxation where state finances the cost of the collectivist society but in a way which ensures the richer classes pay more than poorer classes

-greater public spending where state uses tax yields to improve the condition of society’s less fortunate and potentially vulnerable

-universal public services where the state uses the tax yield to guarantee public services which are accessible to all (NHS

-Giddens