AQA A Level Politics Ideologies - Socialism

which strands are revolutionary socialism and which strands are evolutionary socialism?

Rev:
- classical marxism (fund s), Marxism-Leninism (fund s), Neo-marxism (fund s)

Ev:
- Euro-communism (fund s), democratic socialism (fund s), all forms of revisionist (classical revisionism, social democracy, third way)

what do socialists think of human nature?

upbeat optimistic view - like liberalism

BUT:
individuals naturally cooperative, generous and altruistic
therefore naturally seek solidarity, fraternity and comradeship
rather than being self-reliant and seeking independence

humans nature = malleable rather than permanently fixed at birth

what do socialists think about society?

individuals are the product of society they are born into rather than liberals who see society as the sum of autonomous individuals

improvement of society leads to improvement of individuals
social class born into defines individuals circumstances, prospects and attitudes
to have equality of opportunity, must be greater equality of outcome in society and therefore seek narrowing of gap between poor and rich classes.

a society which allows inequality of outcome in one generation produce inequality of opportunity in the next

Unlike paternalistic conservatives e.g. disraeli and modern liberals e.g. rawls, socialists think need narrowing of the gap between richest and poorest otherwise society will foster greed, envy, resentment and division

what is social justice?

legal and formal justice is not enough to guarantee equality of opportunity. Must be accompanied by social justice - e.g. healthcare accessible to all or minimum wage.

what do socialists think about the state?

strong state that is expansive and dirigiste (seeks to direct society's economy) to bring about redistribution of wealth

rejection of the monarchical (one person has absolute authority), theocratic (based on religious principles) and aristocratic state (based on hereditary ruling class)

what do socialists think about the economy?

Capitalism and private property = problematic
encourages competition and callous pursuit of self-interest
FM capitalism generating inequality of outcome which is incompatible with equality of opportunity and social justice

advocate for a economy that has greater control for workers in employment and redistribution of wealth and resources.

redistributionist:
- rejection of laissez faire capitalism (no govt intervention so no protection of workers rights - lower classes exploited further) (low tax and little intervention from state = social injustice)
- demanding greater collectivism from rejecting laissez faire.

what are the forms of economic collectivism?

progressive taxation - richer classes contribute more than poor e.g. 2009 50p Labour tax band for those earning over £150K, every £10 over = 50p tax. Means inc public spending which is more cooperative with a cooperative society with greater social justice

state/common ownership - alt to capitalist economy and private property. Equality in means of production. E.g. until 1974 water and sewage managed by local authorities, then managed by 10 regional authorities (sold off by Thatcher in 1989)

extensive state regulation of capitalism - prevent exploitation by the rich e.g. 1998 Labour national minimum wage according to age of employee. Collectivist policies make economy more efficient and more stable so can provide resources society needs.

what is fundamentalist socialism?

all advocate for abolishment of capitalism

what is classical marxism?

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
capitalism must disappear before socialism, then communism can arise - society based on communal ownership and living, and each according to his needs.
capitalism bring alienation and oppression of one class by another - against fraternity and equality of socialism

dialectic - associated with Hegel, refers to clash of ideas in each stage of history leading the disappearance of existing society spawning a new society

but Marx and Engels historical maternalism - each stage of history defined by a clash of economic ideas, relating to how society's resources should be produced and distributed

dialectical materialism - dialectic not so much of a clash of ideas as a clash of economic interests. With Marx and Engels dialectic - one class economically dominant and others exploited. produces class consciousness among the proletariat (alienated/economically exploited)

advocated for a revolution to overthrow capitalism - non peaceful
resulting in a new state: dictatorship of the proletariat

what is Marxism-Leninism?

Lenin - revolutionary socialism so communism can pre-empt capitalism. Revolution as the cause and not (as Marx argued) the effect of social ideas developing

Luxemburg differed from Lenin on how revolution arises. She advocates for revolutionary elite:
1) plot and plan overthrow of existing regime (Lenin's case = Tsarist Russia)
2) educate masses into basic virtues of socialism
3) once old regime overthrown, rev elite forms communist party - embody dictatorship or proletariat

AKA democratic centralism:
- only one party and only w/I that party is open discussion
- once party reached decision, decision embodies will of the people making any further debate unnecessary
- can't be questioned, otherwise consequences

what was marxist Leninism in the 20th century?

Chinese revolution 1949:
- Chinese communist leader Mao Tse-tung declared created of PRC which ended civil war between Chinese communist party and nationalist party.
- notion of cultural revolution:
- became a campaign of persecution against traditionalist Chinese culture that legitimised inequality and anti-socialist values e.g. ancestor worship
- religion, deference to the elderly and subordination of women discouraged

what is democratic socialism?

Clause IV of Labour Party 1918 drafted by Beatrice and Sydney Webb - common ownership and workers getting fair share of the means of production (vs private ownership where capitalists maximise profit by minimising pay). Committed Labour Party to common ownership but through exiting political system rather than revolutionary change

Tony Benn - didn't accept evolutionary socialism. Therefore for fundamentalist socialism to be pursued peacefully by Labour govt, adjustments:
- restored parliamentary sovereignty through UK withdrawal from the EEC (EU)
- parliamentary reform to ensure easier passage for socialist reform e.g. abolition of unelected HoL and strengthening of socialist HoC
- restricting of governing socialist party - more power to party members outside parliament to select and de-select party leaders. Encourages socialist PMs to stay true to socialist principles.

what is evolutionary socialism?

rejection of revolutionary politics of the sort associated with Marxism, and belief that socialism can be achieved peacefully and gradually through existing constitutional system

what is euro-communism?

French communist party (PCF) and Italian communist party (PCI) rejected the Marxist-lennist case for revolution.
contested elections, took up seats won in national parliaments and occupied positions of exec power in existing constitutional system

influence by Antonio Gramsci who founded PCI.
argued capitalism couldn't be overthrown without mass public support but hard to achieve because ruling economic class had supreme influence (hegemony)
socialist change should happen not just in workplace (as Marx and Lenin said) but also in literary and recreational life as well.
Need cultural vanguard to promote these new ideas.

Euro-communists:
- existing liberal bourgeois state can accommodate socialist change including transition to publicly owned economy
- therefore rejected inevitability and desirability of revolution
- rejected dictatorship of proletariat. Claimed liberal-capitalist state evolve and withers away - communism still emerges but without need for any revolution or dictatorship of proletariat

what is Neo-marxism?

Herbert Marcuse and Max Horkheimer
like Gramsci:
- capitalism's values don't infect just economy but also the arts, media and education
unlike gramsci:
- felt cultural hegemony justified Marx's need for revolution - wanted violent overthrow of capitalist system to get rid of the false consciousness that allows capitalism to survive. But not optimistic revolution could occur.

rejected euro-communist belief capitalism reformed out of existence and instead said at the next economic slump, advocation of revolution rather than long term cultural change.

Ralph Miliband:
- parliamentary road to socialism is impossible on its own
- must be accompanied by revolutionary overthrow of status quo from the spontaneous trade union action commended by Rosa Luxemburg.

what is revisionist socialism?

socialism achieved without destruction of capitalism and private property and without revolution.

what is classical revisionism?

Eduard Bernstein
- working class conditions improving under capitalism especially where capitalism well developed - so should be overseen by socialist government to allow capitalist economies to provide greater improvement to WC conditions
- widening of franchise and wc majority inc likelihood of socialist governments. Then these goats insist on good conditions for workers without need for revolution
- supported laws that would extend trade union rights and education for WCs
- gradual parliamentary road to socialism
- socialism could co-exist with economy based on private property.

what is social democracy?

origins with SPD - Willy Band and Helmut Schmidt embraced party with modern capitalism and post-war West German state

Anthony Crosland - British dimension.
- reformed capitalism prescribed by Keynes - where state sought to manage market forces - guaranteed full employment and steady economic growth
- with Keynesian economics, capitalism not vulnerable to peaks and troughs and can be relied upon to finance richer fairer and classless society
- end of capitalisms cycle meant expansion of public spending, welfare state and progress to greater equality.

SPD and Crosland differences:
- SPD: warm about federal Europe vs C: application of Keynesian economics required national governments to retain autonomy over economic strategies

what is the third way?

aka neo-revisionism
associated with UK govts of Blair and Brown

Anthony Giddens:
- triangulation
- urged leftists to go with the flow by encouraging further privatisation and deregulation as the modern way to boost economic growth and govt tax revenues. Ultimately boost govt spending in name of equality.

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown renouncing Clause IV commitment to common ownership and emergence of New labour.

Third Way emphasis on cultural and political equality. E.g. Blair govt passing measures promoting greater racial, gender and sexual equality - legislation for gay couples. Such reforms is appropriate to socialism in a modern setting for Giddens and other third way exponents.