Socialism
Paper 1: Section B (core political ideas)
Core Ideas & Principles
Core Ideas & Principles
Conservatism Liberalism Socialism
Core Ideas & Principles
Conservatism Liberalism Socialism
Core Ideas & Principles
Conservatism Liberalism Socialism
Core Ideas & Principles
1. Collectivism
2. Common humanity
3. Equality
4. Social class
5. Worker’s control
1. Collectivism
One of the most important ideas underpinning socialist ideology
It maintains that humans can achieve their political, social and economic
objectives more effectively through collective action than through individual
effort
Collectivism also implies that society can only be transformed by collective
endeavour, for socialists it offers a way of achieving an ideal society
Socialists endorse collectivism for two fundamental reasons:
1. From a moral perspective: interests of a group>individual self interest
Collective effort encourages social unity & a sense of responsibility towards
others
2. In practical economic terms: collectivism utilises the capabilities of the
whole society efficiently
Collectivism avoids wastefulness and limits impact of competitive individual
effort (inherent in the capitalist economy)
Socialist view of human nature:
● Humans are social animals, prefer to live in social groups than alone. They
are ties together by the bonds of fraternity
● Human nature is moulded by social conditions (experiences and
circumstances of a person’s life)
● People can be defined or understood by the social groups they belong to
● Membership of a society/community offers humans true freedom and
fulfilment
Most socialist call for some state intervention and state planning to
promote collective goals and ensure that distribution of goods & services is
not left to free market forces
Collectivism is seen to involve growth of state, expansion of state services and
responsibilities and increase in state spending
However, in practice, different strands of socialism vary in their commitment
to collectivism
Marxists & state socialists advocate collective action through a centralised
state that organises all production and distribution (state-controlled
collectivism)
e.g.
● USSR post 1929
● China & Eastern Europe post WW2
Moderate socialists accept a degree of free-market capitalism thus pursue
collectivism in a limited way
e.g.
● 1945-51 UK Labour Government nationalised key industries (coal, iron,
steel) but left rest of the economy in private hands
There are two basic criticisms for collectivism:
There are two basic criticisms for collectivism:
1. It suppresses human individuality & diversity
2. Leads to growth of arbitrary state power and erosion of individual
freedoms
Since 1970s socialists have given less importance to collectivism as it was
3. producing dependency culture (trade unions, welfare programs,
government intervention in the economy leading to non competitive sector)
End of the Cold War 1989 & the collapse of USSR 1991 reinforced this view
2. Common Humanity
● See humans as social creatures with a tendency towards cooperation,
sociability and rationality
● Humans naturally prefer to cooperate than compete against each other
(Socialists advocate cooperation based on their positive view of human
nature)
● Cooperation also reinforces the idea of a common humanity (in both
economic and moral terms), connections are based on understanding,
respect and mutual support
By contrast, competition (esp within the capitalist economy) is wasteful,
promotes divisions and generates conflict, hostility and resentment
Human motivation thus can be driven not just by material considerations but
also by a moral view of people’s role in society
People should work hard in order to improve their society or community
because they have a sense of responsibility for others/ the least fortunate
The moral incentive to improve society rests on the acceptance of a common
humanity
For the economy to work properly, while some material rewards are required
to motivate people- these should be linked to moral incentives (e.g. funding
through tax to finance welfare measures for the poor)
The belief in Common Humanity has led the socialists to support an
interventionist role of the state
Marxists/state socialists: State’s role can be used to control economic
production and distribution for everyone’s benefit
Modern socialists/ social democrats: limited state intervention in the form
of welfare and redistribution programs for the poor
3. Equality
The fundamental value of socialism; social equality
Equality can be justified in several ways:
1. Social equality ensures fairness
Economic differences in wealth are due to structural inequalities in a
capitalistic society rather than innate differences of ability- socialist rejection
of equal opportunity
While other socialists endorse an egalitarian approach* (equal rights, equal
opportunities)
3. Equality
2. Social equality reinforces collectivism
If provided the same economic and social conditions, humans are more like to
work together harmoniously and work together for those goals collectively
Social inequality leads to instability and conflict e.g. Russia 1917
3. Equality
3. Social equality is a means of satisfying basic human needs
Given that all people’s needs are the same (e.g. food, friendship, shelter etc)
More equal distribution of wealth and resources promotes human fulfilment
and realise human potential
Redistribution mechanism of the state can provide fair allocation that
free-market cannot
Debates about equality
● Debate within socialism about the extent to which social and economic
equality can/should be achieved
● Role of the state
Debates about equality
Marxists Social democrats
● Aim: absolute equality for everyone ● Aim: remove absolute poverty (some
inequality can be tolerated)
(material rewards & life opportunities)
● Reform than abolish capitalism (material
● Abolition of private ownership incentive helps motivation
● State exercises common ownership* of ● Limited state intervention (e.g. welfare
all means of productions & supervises measures, government spending,
the distribution of resources progressive taxation etc- to bridge the
gap between rich and poor)
E.g. Stalin (USSR) 1930s
E.g. Clement Attlee-Labour Government (UK)
1945-51
Common ownership*
Reasons for common ownership (rejection of private property):
● Wealth is created by the communal endeavor thus should be owned
collectively
● Private property encourages materialism, competition, fosters false belief
that personal wealth bring fulfilment
● Private property generate conflict between owners (have) & workers (have
nots)
4. Social class
Social class rather than individuals or human nature have
been the the principal agents of change throughout
history (e.g. Marxists: conflict between the ruling class
bourgeoisie and the revolutionary class proletariat)
Social class is not seen as an essential or everlasting
feature of a society as communist societies aim to
eradicate all class distinctions
Other socialists aim to diminish the class inequality
significantly
Categorizing social classes
● Communist perspective- a person’s class is determined by their position
within the economy (such as landowner, wage earner, a capitalista etc)
These economically based class distinctions powerfully shape the nature of
the society
Bourgeoisie (who own productive wealth) vs the proletariat (who sell their
labour power in order to survive)
● Occupational groups- white collar vs blue collar etc
● Marketing organisations- classification scheme
Categorizing social classes
Marketing organisations- classification scheme:
A Higher managerial, administrative or professional
B Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1 Supervisory or clerical
C2 Skilled manual worker
D Semi skilled and unskilled manual worker
E State pensioner, casual worker, unemployed
Marxist vs social democrats’ view about the class system:
Marxist- bourgeoisie vs proletariat- revolution
Social democrats- aiming to bridge the gap and blur the class lines
5. Worker’s control
Worker’s control refers to the complete or partial control of an economic enterprise by those
employed there
Has influenced Marxism & syndicalism (strikes)
Reasons for worker’s control:
● Collective pursuit not individual
● Can maximise human potential and combat alienation at workplace and undermining the
capitalist view of labour as mere commodity
● Labour is the key factor of production, should be made part of the decision making process
● Syndicalists- Anti state (instrument of capitalist oppression) and inefficient bureaucratic
structure
● Workers in control of the capitalist society can raise the conditions and status of the working
class
5. Worker’s control
Critics of ‘worker’s control’- workers are utopian and fail to acknowledge that
business needs risk takers, investors AND workers
Workers usually lack the entrepreneurial attributes/ managerial skills required
for success and may end up compromising the economic viability of their
workplace
Socialist thinkers & their ideas