SOCIALISM:
To what extent do socialists agree regarding human nature?
- Human nature is malleable and easily changes.
- Common belief that humans are reasoned guided creates who can reshape their lives for
the better so this ideology can improve the structure of society.
Basic nature and common humanity:
- All socialists take a highly optimistic approach to the basic state of humans.
- Natural fraternity to others and a desire to work with them.
- Solidarity and cooperation rather than competition.
- Naturally altruistic.
- Role of community and common good - industries should be owned through common
ownership in order to serve the public interest.
- Common belief that humans are reasoned guided creates who can reshape their lives for
the better so this ideology can improve the structure of society.
- However, there is a point of difference in the extent of belief in common humanity and
whether this should result in common ownership of means of production.
- Marx took the most optimistic approach and thought humans were naturally altruistic to
the extent that eventually a stateless society could be created whereby individuals only
took what was necessary for them and made decisions in the interests of everyone.
- Most other strands/thinkers recognise that humans are not innately perfect and that they
need to be somewhat controlled through the state, e.g. Luxemburg recognised the
importance of parliamentary democracy to prevent tyranny.
Role of Capitalism:
- Due to the malleable nature of humans, socialists tend to argue that capitalism has
worsened human nature, due to the competition it breeds which has led to selfishness.
- Therefore, socialists aim to create a society in which human nature can be best improved
through economic systems, equality of outcome, education, etc. so they tend to see
capitalism as having harmed this.
- Capitalism alienates individuals through discouraging cooperation.
- Marx talks of superstructures which underpin society and Marx argued that the economic
system is highly important in determining society - dialectical materialism. And so, Marx
talks of scientific determinism to overthrow capitalism and return humans to their natural
state. Marx argues capitalism creates a false consciousness.
- Systems have made individuals individualistic - giddens argued unregulated capitalism
can have corrosive effects on fraternity/community.
- There is disagreement with regard to the extent to which capitalism has harmed human
nature.
, - Rosa Luxemburg spoke of the strong levels of fraternity in working class communities
and Crosland states that people still retain a strong sense of fairness and dislike inequality
- perhaps implying capitalism hasn’t entirely harmed human nature.
- Giddens disagreed with the idea that capitalism had entirely harmed human nature and in
fact thought the free market was the most effective system. Thought that humans could
be both individual and collective - communitarianism).
- Crosland spoke of sharing profits.
- Giddens promoted the idea of harnessing the benefits of the free-market to provide
opportunities for all.
Routes to restore human nature:
- Due to the fact that all socialists recognise that capitalism has ultimately damaged human
nature and undermined the principle of collectivism, there is a push to restore humans to
their natural state.
- Again, due to being malleable all socialists believe that it is possible to return humans to
this state - utopian idea.
- Society can be restored and transformed through collective endeavour.
- However, there is disagreement as to how this can be restored.
- Marx, Engels, and Luxemburg all thought there needed to be a revolution - scientific
determinism. This is the only way in which human nature can be fully restored and
individuals can cooperate effectively.
- Luxemburg argued that the proletariat would sponatestoul replace the capitalist state with
collectivist one.
- Marx took this to the extent that he felt a stateless society could be created due to the
goodness of humans - naturally act in the best interests of everyone.
- Webb recognised the inevitability of gradualness to create a more cooperative society.
Revolution would only further harm human nature - the working class are intellectual
enough to vote for socialism via the ballot box.
- Crosland and Giddens spoke of equality of opportunity in order to encourage individuals
to mix together and restore human nature - also spoke of communitarianism.
To what extent do socialists differ over the role of the state?
- Difference amongst socialists is that some think the state is the means through which
socialism can be achieved but others (Marx and Engels) think that as socialism arises the
state will wither away.
- Whilst there is agreement that the state serves an important role in enabling a socialist
state, on the whole there is more disagreement than agreement.
- Democratic socialists and 3rd way argue the nation state is fundamental.
To what extent do socialists agree regarding human nature?
- Human nature is malleable and easily changes.
- Common belief that humans are reasoned guided creates who can reshape their lives for
the better so this ideology can improve the structure of society.
Basic nature and common humanity:
- All socialists take a highly optimistic approach to the basic state of humans.
- Natural fraternity to others and a desire to work with them.
- Solidarity and cooperation rather than competition.
- Naturally altruistic.
- Role of community and common good - industries should be owned through common
ownership in order to serve the public interest.
- Common belief that humans are reasoned guided creates who can reshape their lives for
the better so this ideology can improve the structure of society.
- However, there is a point of difference in the extent of belief in common humanity and
whether this should result in common ownership of means of production.
- Marx took the most optimistic approach and thought humans were naturally altruistic to
the extent that eventually a stateless society could be created whereby individuals only
took what was necessary for them and made decisions in the interests of everyone.
- Most other strands/thinkers recognise that humans are not innately perfect and that they
need to be somewhat controlled through the state, e.g. Luxemburg recognised the
importance of parliamentary democracy to prevent tyranny.
Role of Capitalism:
- Due to the malleable nature of humans, socialists tend to argue that capitalism has
worsened human nature, due to the competition it breeds which has led to selfishness.
- Therefore, socialists aim to create a society in which human nature can be best improved
through economic systems, equality of outcome, education, etc. so they tend to see
capitalism as having harmed this.
- Capitalism alienates individuals through discouraging cooperation.
- Marx talks of superstructures which underpin society and Marx argued that the economic
system is highly important in determining society - dialectical materialism. And so, Marx
talks of scientific determinism to overthrow capitalism and return humans to their natural
state. Marx argues capitalism creates a false consciousness.
- Systems have made individuals individualistic - giddens argued unregulated capitalism
can have corrosive effects on fraternity/community.
- There is disagreement with regard to the extent to which capitalism has harmed human
nature.
, - Rosa Luxemburg spoke of the strong levels of fraternity in working class communities
and Crosland states that people still retain a strong sense of fairness and dislike inequality
- perhaps implying capitalism hasn’t entirely harmed human nature.
- Giddens disagreed with the idea that capitalism had entirely harmed human nature and in
fact thought the free market was the most effective system. Thought that humans could
be both individual and collective - communitarianism).
- Crosland spoke of sharing profits.
- Giddens promoted the idea of harnessing the benefits of the free-market to provide
opportunities for all.
Routes to restore human nature:
- Due to the fact that all socialists recognise that capitalism has ultimately damaged human
nature and undermined the principle of collectivism, there is a push to restore humans to
their natural state.
- Again, due to being malleable all socialists believe that it is possible to return humans to
this state - utopian idea.
- Society can be restored and transformed through collective endeavour.
- However, there is disagreement as to how this can be restored.
- Marx, Engels, and Luxemburg all thought there needed to be a revolution - scientific
determinism. This is the only way in which human nature can be fully restored and
individuals can cooperate effectively.
- Luxemburg argued that the proletariat would sponatestoul replace the capitalist state with
collectivist one.
- Marx took this to the extent that he felt a stateless society could be created due to the
goodness of humans - naturally act in the best interests of everyone.
- Webb recognised the inevitability of gradualness to create a more cooperative society.
Revolution would only further harm human nature - the working class are intellectual
enough to vote for socialism via the ballot box.
- Crosland and Giddens spoke of equality of opportunity in order to encourage individuals
to mix together and restore human nature - also spoke of communitarianism.
To what extent do socialists differ over the role of the state?
- Difference amongst socialists is that some think the state is the means through which
socialism can be achieved but others (Marx and Engels) think that as socialism arises the
state will wither away.
- Whilst there is agreement that the state serves an important role in enabling a socialist
state, on the whole there is more disagreement than agreement.
- Democratic socialists and 3rd way argue the nation state is fundamental.
