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Seeking Utopia
Socialism defined
Text:
An ideology arguing that citizens are best served by policies focused on meeting the basic needs of the entire society rather than on serving the needs of individuals as individuals.
Socialism
Ancient
roots Judeo-Christian belief in the common good, which takes precedence over individual desires socialism coined in 1827 by British socialist Robert Owen to describe his view of a cooperative new society.
Term
Socialisms emergence
Liberal
political parties in 19th century Europe failed to address the desperate needs of working people.
Classical liberalism views poverty as an individual choice or failure, not the result of social structures. Also suspicious of big government. Socialism provides a different conception of individual responsibility & of government.
Socialism
In England, socialism became a political movement in 1884, with the creation of the Fabians, who provided the basis for the new Labour Party. Many Labour governments since, including the current government of Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Socialisms principles
egalitarianism or equality. Humankind will be unified and cooperative, once wealth is owned and used for the common good. Capitalism exploits the very people who create societys wealth. Moralism. Division of rich & poor is evil; capitalism is fundamentally unjust. Instead, the ideal future emphasizes peace, social justice and true liberty for all.
Social democracy
A
variation on socialism that argues that socialism and democracy can work together. Example: British Labour Party. Change comes through peaceful democratic processes like elections. Democratic governments should promote economic - as well as political - freedom & equality.
Social democracy
Socialist political parties compete and win office in every western democracy except the United States.
Argentina Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Netherland, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Venezuela.
Democratic Socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democraticallyto meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. many structures of our government and economy must be radically transformed so that ordinary Americans can participate in the many decisions that affect our lives.
http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html
capitalism as exploitive, leading to social injustice and extreme income inequality. These economic conditions have adverse effects on ordinary working people in terms of physical health, psychological well-being, housing, education, etc.
ask the question: why should those who provide the money (capital) receive all the profits, and those who provide the labor receive none of the profits? It is labor, after all, that turns raw materials (including cash) into something with greater value.
property not abolished, but the public should control the use of property and make necessities available to all. Individual rights not abolished but should complement other important values such as concern for others. Change can occur through an evolutionary process that uses democratic means.
Marx said social democrats were naive to think that enlightened capitalists would join with workers to form a new society. Violent revolution was inevitable.
Karl Marx
German
political thinker in 19th century. Did most of his work in Britain. Influenced by German philosopher Hegel. Published Communist Manifesto in 1848 with co-author Frederick Engels. Wrote multi-volume Capital (Das Kapital), starting in 1867.
Karl Marx
Studied British economic records for 20 years to develop theory that everything is based on the economic system: politics, law, social structures, family relations, even religious belief.
Define
Bourgeois
Define
Bourgeois: modern capitalists who own the means of production and therefore get to keep all the profits. Today, this would include major stockholders in corporations.
Define
Proletarians
Define
Proletarians : modern wage laborers who sell their labor to live and dont get any of the profits that they help to create. This includes everyone who is not a stockholder or owner of capital, even professionals who work for a salary.
important human values, replacing even religious belief with naked exploitation. Undermines an individuals sense of personal value in ones work. Undermines human relationships; all relationships are based on cash. Destroys human freedom. The only freedom it protects is free trade.
exploration and technological advancements. War less likely. Urbanization opens peoples minds to new ideas. Economic production centralized, leading to favorable conditions for communism to emerge.
numbers of people permanently unemployed. Misery widespread. Fewer people can afford the products of capitalists, so fewer companies survive. Class struggle reaches a climax. Conditions now ripe for revolution. The proletariat, having nothing to lose but their chains, rise up.
Communist Revolution
Revolution
will eliminate private property. No longer will man have the means of exploiting another man. Bourgeoisie will fight, so revolution will be violent. A dictatorship of the proletariat will follow to weed out remaining capitalist elements.
the end, a classless society with no more oppression or internal contradictions. People will be free to choose how they labor, and can be creatively productive. They will be able to live to their fullest potential. Consider the description in Marxs Communist Manifesto in 1845:
communist society, nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic.