Socialism
origins and general context
created during the Enlightenment
utopian socialists – e.g. Charles Fourier and Robert Owen
- the earliest form of socialism, one based on a vision of the perfect human
existence
- for Marx, however, its ‘utopian’ character stemmed from the absence of any
clear method for bringing about such ‘socialism’
core ideas of socialism
socialists are committed to creating a better world on the principles of social justice,
equality and fraternity
- takes an optimistic view of human nature
- exalt reason over faith and superstition
- are ‘progressive’ in their belief in reform and willingness to challenge the status
quo
- share a desire to liberate human beings from oppression
- believe in ‘foundational’ equality
- reject the ‘traditional’ state (defined by monarchical absolutism)
- reject anarchism
economic determinism – the belief that our behavior is determined by economic
forces
human nature
fraternity and cooperation – fraternity denotes socialism’s belief that the relationship
between human being should be marked by generosity, warmth and comradeship
- society should encourage cooperation and solidarity rather than competition
- in order to create a better society capitalism must be overhauled as it is
synonymous with exploitation and suppression
- fraternity would organically generate an equitable distribution of wealth
the cooperative movement is built upon shared ownership and seeks to make
decisions in a democratic manner to serve the needs of its members
o e.g. the Rochdale Pioneers believed that tradesmen should work
together to sell items of food that their customers might not otherwise
be able to afford
o in the modern era, the most significant illustration of the co-operative
movement is the Co-Op Bank
believe that humans are naturally cooperative, generous and altruistic
- humans naturally seek solidarity, fraternity and comradeship
- ‘no man is an island’ John Donne
- socialists also recognize that man’s true nature has been diluted by time and
circumstance – humans are malleable and can adjust to the evolution of society
society
- individuals are the product of the society into which they are born
- individuals are communal by nature and seek fraternity and cooperation
origins and general context
created during the Enlightenment
utopian socialists – e.g. Charles Fourier and Robert Owen
- the earliest form of socialism, one based on a vision of the perfect human
existence
- for Marx, however, its ‘utopian’ character stemmed from the absence of any
clear method for bringing about such ‘socialism’
core ideas of socialism
socialists are committed to creating a better world on the principles of social justice,
equality and fraternity
- takes an optimistic view of human nature
- exalt reason over faith and superstition
- are ‘progressive’ in their belief in reform and willingness to challenge the status
quo
- share a desire to liberate human beings from oppression
- believe in ‘foundational’ equality
- reject the ‘traditional’ state (defined by monarchical absolutism)
- reject anarchism
economic determinism – the belief that our behavior is determined by economic
forces
human nature
fraternity and cooperation – fraternity denotes socialism’s belief that the relationship
between human being should be marked by generosity, warmth and comradeship
- society should encourage cooperation and solidarity rather than competition
- in order to create a better society capitalism must be overhauled as it is
synonymous with exploitation and suppression
- fraternity would organically generate an equitable distribution of wealth
the cooperative movement is built upon shared ownership and seeks to make
decisions in a democratic manner to serve the needs of its members
o e.g. the Rochdale Pioneers believed that tradesmen should work
together to sell items of food that their customers might not otherwise
be able to afford
o in the modern era, the most significant illustration of the co-operative
movement is the Co-Op Bank
believe that humans are naturally cooperative, generous and altruistic
- humans naturally seek solidarity, fraternity and comradeship
- ‘no man is an island’ John Donne
- socialists also recognize that man’s true nature has been diluted by time and
circumstance – humans are malleable and can adjust to the evolution of society
society
- individuals are the product of the society into which they are born
- individuals are communal by nature and seek fraternity and cooperation
