Socialism Revision Pack
Context of Socialism:
- Socialism divers from liberalism in the qualities of human nature it chooses to emphasise
# During the 18th and 19th century, individuals began to question capitalism and the way in which
power and wealth was distributed in the new economic landscape
- Socialists emphasise the collective agency
# the cooperative and collaborative aspects of human nature
The importance of the collective diminishes as you move throuhg the types of socialism
1. Revolutionary
- See it narrowly, communist, living a collective shared life
- class is the only identity that matters (however, they are completely for the removal of class) # if you
are of working class ; where you live is irrelevant ; your experience as a worker is the same
- Class is a product of capitalism
# We cannot rid ourselves of this system until we get rid of capitalism
Their vision of society is one that is viewed through the lens off egalitarianism (no class, absolute
equality of outcome)
1. Democratic
- Also stresses the important of the many
- there is a more pragmatic approach to classlessness
# Class is more complex than early socialists assume
1. Revisionist
- More liberal, have a similar view to modern liberals (more comfortable with the idea of individualism
- Individual agency can overcome your circumstances
# you can get out your class by the decisions you make with the help of an enabling state
Key thinker No.1 – Marx and Engels (revolutionary socialism)
Human Nature:
- Marx argued that human nature was malleable and could gradually be restored following the fall of
capitalism
- Marx claimed that human nature has been ‘contaminated’ by forces beyond the control of most
individuals
- The idea that we’re naturally communal is echoed heavily by Marx
# communism, the final stage of human development, would involve people sacrificing their own
selfish interests to serve the interests of others
- Marx argued once individuals realised that selfishness was a symptom of “false consciousness, serve
to the community would bring the individual pleasure
Society:
- To improve society, socialists believe we must acknowledge the importance of social class
# many highlight the division between manual and non-manual workers
- For Marx and Engels, this was between the ‘bourgeoisie’ and ‘proletariat’
- They argued that class differences were toxic, involving harsh inequalities of wealth and power, and
the exploitation of the proletariat
- Marx was drawn to idea of another thinker - Hegel
# Hegel proposed human history followed a predictable pattern
# throughout, there had been stages of development (historicism - we were moving in a certain direc-
tion)
# each stage was dominated by a set of values informed how people saw the society/state/economy
(orthodoxy of that stage of history)
, Socialism Revision Pack
Even though it's nothing new, Marx believes that the current episode of the class struggle is the worst and
most egregious
Capitalism is a system where you pay your workers as little as possible work them as hard as possible while the
elites watch the money roll in / surplus value
- Eventually, the proletariat would become larger and class consciousness would occur, igniting a
revolution that would overthrow capitalism
class consciousness – a byproduct of capitalism that would eventually develop among the
downtrodden working class
State:
- Marx predicted a new state called “the dictatorship of the proletariat”, which would oversee the
replacement of private ownership by public ownership
- Marx argued that eventually, the state would wither away and lead to a utopian anarchist society
called communism
# however, Marx accepted that for the foreseeable future, a strong state was necessary
communism – this society was based on the principle of ‘from each according to his ability, to each
according to his need’
- Marx and Engels were also among the first to argue against the liberal idea that the state was
politically neutral
# they argued the liberal state was fundamentally a committee for the ruling capital class, which could
never provide a road to socialism
Economy:
- For Marx, capitalism is completely incompatible with socialist economics
# as it generated great inequality in wealth
- Marx believes socialism offers a shift in wealth from an economic system based on individual to col -
lective wealth
# individual profit --> collective profit
Non Key Thinker – Lenin
- Lenin agreed with Marx’s critique of capitalism
# however, he believed that revolution could be used to nurture class consciousness
- Lenin argued there is a risk in delay
- For Lenin, the idea that less economically developed countries (such as Russia in the early 20 th
century) would have to endure years of economic oppression was worrying
Key Thinker No. 2 – Rosa Luxemburg (revolutionary socialist)
Human Nature:
- Luxemburg argued that humans had a fraternal nature and were naturally inclined towards generosity
to others
# she also argued that our instinct is not to win, but to share, arguing against that liberal meritocratic
society where individual success is encouraged
Context of Socialism:
- Socialism divers from liberalism in the qualities of human nature it chooses to emphasise
# During the 18th and 19th century, individuals began to question capitalism and the way in which
power and wealth was distributed in the new economic landscape
- Socialists emphasise the collective agency
# the cooperative and collaborative aspects of human nature
The importance of the collective diminishes as you move throuhg the types of socialism
1. Revolutionary
- See it narrowly, communist, living a collective shared life
- class is the only identity that matters (however, they are completely for the removal of class) # if you
are of working class ; where you live is irrelevant ; your experience as a worker is the same
- Class is a product of capitalism
# We cannot rid ourselves of this system until we get rid of capitalism
Their vision of society is one that is viewed through the lens off egalitarianism (no class, absolute
equality of outcome)
1. Democratic
- Also stresses the important of the many
- there is a more pragmatic approach to classlessness
# Class is more complex than early socialists assume
1. Revisionist
- More liberal, have a similar view to modern liberals (more comfortable with the idea of individualism
- Individual agency can overcome your circumstances
# you can get out your class by the decisions you make with the help of an enabling state
Key thinker No.1 – Marx and Engels (revolutionary socialism)
Human Nature:
- Marx argued that human nature was malleable and could gradually be restored following the fall of
capitalism
- Marx claimed that human nature has been ‘contaminated’ by forces beyond the control of most
individuals
- The idea that we’re naturally communal is echoed heavily by Marx
# communism, the final stage of human development, would involve people sacrificing their own
selfish interests to serve the interests of others
- Marx argued once individuals realised that selfishness was a symptom of “false consciousness, serve
to the community would bring the individual pleasure
Society:
- To improve society, socialists believe we must acknowledge the importance of social class
# many highlight the division between manual and non-manual workers
- For Marx and Engels, this was between the ‘bourgeoisie’ and ‘proletariat’
- They argued that class differences were toxic, involving harsh inequalities of wealth and power, and
the exploitation of the proletariat
- Marx was drawn to idea of another thinker - Hegel
# Hegel proposed human history followed a predictable pattern
# throughout, there had been stages of development (historicism - we were moving in a certain direc-
tion)
# each stage was dominated by a set of values informed how people saw the society/state/economy
(orthodoxy of that stage of history)
, Socialism Revision Pack
Even though it's nothing new, Marx believes that the current episode of the class struggle is the worst and
most egregious
Capitalism is a system where you pay your workers as little as possible work them as hard as possible while the
elites watch the money roll in / surplus value
- Eventually, the proletariat would become larger and class consciousness would occur, igniting a
revolution that would overthrow capitalism
class consciousness – a byproduct of capitalism that would eventually develop among the
downtrodden working class
State:
- Marx predicted a new state called “the dictatorship of the proletariat”, which would oversee the
replacement of private ownership by public ownership
- Marx argued that eventually, the state would wither away and lead to a utopian anarchist society
called communism
# however, Marx accepted that for the foreseeable future, a strong state was necessary
communism – this society was based on the principle of ‘from each according to his ability, to each
according to his need’
- Marx and Engels were also among the first to argue against the liberal idea that the state was
politically neutral
# they argued the liberal state was fundamentally a committee for the ruling capital class, which could
never provide a road to socialism
Economy:
- For Marx, capitalism is completely incompatible with socialist economics
# as it generated great inequality in wealth
- Marx believes socialism offers a shift in wealth from an economic system based on individual to col -
lective wealth
# individual profit --> collective profit
Non Key Thinker – Lenin
- Lenin agreed with Marx’s critique of capitalism
# however, he believed that revolution could be used to nurture class consciousness
- Lenin argued there is a risk in delay
- For Lenin, the idea that less economically developed countries (such as Russia in the early 20 th
century) would have to endure years of economic oppression was worrying
Key Thinker No. 2 – Rosa Luxemburg (revolutionary socialist)
Human Nature:
- Luxemburg argued that humans had a fraternal nature and were naturally inclined towards generosity
to others
# she also argued that our instinct is not to win, but to share, arguing against that liberal meritocratic
society where individual success is encouraged
