Socialism
A mindmap of the key themes and ideas within socialism
Teacher recommended
?- Created by: Alex Luetchford
- Created on: 28-05-13 12:09
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- Socialism - Key Ideas
- Human Nature
- Optimistic - we naturally want to help each other
- Social - we are best understood in the context of society, and naturally cooperate
- Mouldable - we improve through cooperation, but capitalism may have corrupted us
- Equality
- Fundamental Value, support equality in all forms
- Promotes cooperation and social bonds
- Inequality promotes competition and conflict
- Ensures justice - fair treatment by society
- Allows personal fulfilment - people's basic needs are satisfied, creating positive liberty
- Liberty
- Priortise positive liberty, a method of enabling the proletariat to better themselves
- Liberty is unequally distributed - those with more resources have more liberty
- Justifies redistribution
- Marx: Freedom is an illusion. Workers are not free to NOT sell their labour, subject to economic forces beyond their control
- e.g. Unemployment, price of wages
- Collectivism
- Collective action is morally better and more practical than individualism
- Because it follows from our Human Nature - Social beings
- The State can facilitate collectivism through collectivisation, wealth redistribution, welfarism and economic management
- Marxists disagree, state is a tool of capitalism, and thus must be overthrown
- Fraternity and equalitry leads to collectivism, and visa versa
- Collective action is morally better and more practical than individualism
- Common Ownership
- Collectivism
- Collective action is morally better and more practical than individualism
- Because it follows from our Human Nature - Social beings
- The State can facilitate collectivism through collectivisation, wealth redistribution, welfarism and economic management
- Marxists disagree, state is a tool of capitalism, and thus must be overthrown
- Fraternity and equalitry leads to collectivism, and visa versa
- Collective action is morally better and more practical than individualism
- The process through which collectivism can be achieved
- Property & wealth is produced collectively, so should be owned as such
- Restricts the inequality private property leads to
- Moderate Socialists reject common ownership as a principle, preferring a mixed economy
- Collectivism
- Class Conflict
- We share common interests and purpose with our class - "class consciousness"
- These interests conflict with those of other classes
- Marx: Two classes. those who own property (means of production) and those who have to sell their labour to survive
- The conflict here is the exploitation for profit of the workers by the capitalists
- These interests conflict with those of other classes
- The conflict here is the exploitation for profit of the workers by the capitalists
- We share common interests and purpose with our class - "class consciousness"
- Social Justice
- All Socialists believe the outcomes of a free market are not entirely fair
- Something must be done to ensure the rewards an economy generates are shared more equally
- But how, and to what extent, should this redistribution happen?
- Something must be done to ensure the rewards an economy generates are shared more equally
- Key aim of Socialism - ensuring everyone is treated fairly by society and receives the resources necessary for life
- Marx: True social justice will come with Communism
- Redistribution is incompatible with capitalism
- Moderates: Capitalism can be tamed and harnessed to achieve social justice
- Redistribution can spread the wealth capitalism creates
- Since inequality is a defining feature of capitalism, it must be decided how much is acceptable
- A minimum living standard for all is sought (through, for example, minimum wage laws)
- All Socialists believe the outcomes of a free market are not entirely fair
- Evolutionaries vs Revolutionaries
- Fundamental split between socialisms
- CAPITALISM
- EV: It can be tamed and/or transformed to suit socialisms needs
- REV: It is fundamentally flawed and must be overthrown
- DEMOCRACY
- EV: Numerical majority of workers means it's key in creating socialism
- REV: Ruling class dominate political institutions, can't beat capitalists at their own game
- EDUCATION
- EV: Education can achieve class conciousness and a desire for socialism
- REV: Class conciousness will develop naturally, revolution expand it
- DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT
- EV: As capitalism's decline is inevitable, socialism can be achieved through gradual changes
- REV: It is needed to stop capitalists regaining power after the revolution
- Human Nature
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