1 / 10

The many Forms of Socialism

The many Forms of Socialism. Common Themes in Socialism. Human nature: inherently good and cooperative Good of society more important than individual Belief in principles of egalitarianism among human beings

lilka
Download Presentation

The many Forms of Socialism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. The many Forms of Socialism

  2. Common Themes in Socialism • Human nature: inherently good and cooperative • Good of society more important than individual • Belief in principles of egalitarianism among human beings • Capitalism has grave moral flaws, such as inequalities of wealth, income, opportunity, and power; excessive individualism, competition, materialism, exploitation of working class • Support for communal or public ownership of means of production • Some kind of socio-economic reform or even revolution is necessary to remedy the excesses of liberalism

  3. Utopian Socialist • Reacted to the excesses and injustice of capitalism • Transformation of society into small communities • Radical redistribution of wealth and abolition of private property • Understood the rights of women to be an integral part of the realization of an egalitarian society • Attainment of socialism through a gradual, nonviolent, moral revolution; education was key to social change • Charles Fourier, Pierre Proudhon, William Thompson and Anna Wheeler

  4. Some Marxist Terminology • Iron Law of Wages (David Ricardo): the worker is never paid more than enough to assure a supply of labor; this amount is no more than basic subsistence for worker and family • Theory of Surplus Value (Ricardo): worker produces more value than he receives in the form of wages; cost of production does not measure profit • Bourgeoisie and Proletariat • Dialectical Materialism: all goods are material, and material goods are the sources of power

  5. Marxism • Scientific socialism: socialism was going to happen in accordance with certain objective historical laws • Desirable end: communism, defined as the common ownership of the means of production • The dialectical struggle between classes propels history forward; dialectical method—progress results from the conflict of opposing forces • The group controlling economic capital controls the political, social, and cultural system of society • Theory of violent revolution in most developed capitalist societies

  6. Communist Manifesto (1848): Mandatory Conditions for Transition to Communism • Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes. • A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. • Abolition of all right of inheritance. • Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels. • Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. • Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State. • Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. • Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. • Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equal distribution of the population over the country. • Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factor labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.

  7. Appeal and Split of Marxism • “Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.” • Workers of the world, Unite! • End of 19th century: Marxism split into three variants: 1. Orthodox Marxism 2. Marxist-Leninist3. Revisionist Marxists—developed into democratic socialism of today

  8. Marxist-Leninism Marxist-Leninism: • Revolution is possible in semi-industrial states • Imperialism added New Life to Capitalism • Vanguard was needed to act and decide on behalf of working class • Socialism, the last step before communism, still required state in form of the dictatorship of the proletariat

  9. Democratic (Moderate) Socialism • Attainment of social change through peaceful political means • Establishment of political democracy—representative government • Establishment of economic socialism; state control of key enterprises/economic sectors • Belief in liberal values such as individual and civil rights

More Related