Socialism from Rousseau & Marx to Modern Social Democracy

SOCIALISM: FROM ROUSSEAU & MARX TO MODERN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

French philosopher, considered the father of modern radical thought and socialism.
Preceded by Utopian Socialists (e.g., St. Simon, Fourier)

Contrary to Hobbes, Rousseau asserts that humans in a state of nature are fundamentally social and cooperative.
He argues that systems based on individual property accumulation foster human greed and aggression.
Believes that private property is a major source of inequality and exploitation, advocating for its elimination.

Rousseau posits that individuals surrender rights to a governing body to gain true freedom and equality within a cooperative community.
He emphasizes that the general will of the community should prevail, which has later been misused for ethnic nationalism (contradicts his support for smaller political units).
Advocates for direct democracy in small, egalitarian communities, a notion later adopted by Anarchists.

German philosopher and political economist, spent much of his life in exile in London.
The Communist Manifesto responds to the worker revolutions of 1848.

Conducted an exhaustive study of capitalism's history; predicted its eventual collapse.
Built his theories upon Hegel's dialectic, proposing dialectical materialism, which focuses on class struggles instead of ideas.

Capitalism leads to the concentration of wealth and control in the hands of a small ownership class, the bourgeoisie.
The majority, the working class, is compelled to sell their labor for minimal wages, creating class struggles over conditions, wages, and wealth distribution.
Marx asserts that capitalism produces benefits for the wealthy while causing deprivation for the working class, making it ultimately unsustainable due to internal contradictions.

Marx envisioned a transition from capitalism to socialism through public ownership of production means, with government representing worker interests.
He described socialism as the next phase after capitalism, focusing on advancing equality, though it would take a long time.
The eventual goal is communism, a final state of equality and harmony, marking the end of human history.
Proposed measures during socialism include public ownership, free education, health care, progressive taxation, and a guaranteed annual income.

Anarchists, led by thinkers like Proudhon, split from Marxists, rejecting political state capture as a means to socialism.

Socialism gained momentum with various thinkers and parties across Europe until disbanded during WWI due to factions aligning with national war efforts.

Marx believed revolutions would occur in industrial societies, not backward ones. The Russian Revolution in 1917 contradicted his expectations of class evolution.

The Fabian Society sought gradual reforms through democracy, leading to the founding of the British Labour Party in 1900.

The German Social Democratic Party (SPD) initially embraced Marxism but after WWI split into non-Marxist and communist factions due to ideological evolution towards peaceful reformism.

Post-WWII progress led to conditions conducive for social democracy: enfranchisement, welfare states, and a middle class.
Modern social democracies focus on social inclusion and wealth redistribution rather than outright socialization.
Social democrats seek a balance between government, corporate interests, and unions, though they face criticism for their methods and economic policies.
Key political parties include the Labour Party (Britain), Social Democrats (Europe), New Democrats (Canada), and left-oriented factions in the USA.