Social democracy

• Also known as evolutionary socialists, believe socialism can be achieved peacefully via democratic means. Rather than overthrowing capitalism, their emphasis is on gradual reform.
• Key thinkers:

  1. Beatrice Webb
  2. Anthony Crosland
• Human nature:

  Webb and Crosland did not believe that capitalism fundamentally altered human nature like Marx and Engels. They believed that it was possible to use democratic methods like elections and trade union activity to move gradually to a more equal society.

  Webb - confident that democratic means would lead to socialism and wrote of "the inevitability of gradualness"

  Crosland - wrote: "as a democratic socialist profoundly committed to the rule of law, I could not condone, let alone encourage, defiance of the law"
• Economy:

  They believed that capitalism needs to be reformed rather then overthrown.

  Webb - advocated the establishment of co-operative moments to represent workers rights and distribute profits fairly. She wrote about:

  • co-operative individualism - where individuals and communities form co-operative movements themselves
  • co-operative federalism - whole federal co-operatives made up of smaller consumer co-operatives are formed. They would purchase and run things like farms and factories.

  Crosland - embraced Keynesian economic theory, supporting a mixed economy that combines state and private ownership. Capitalist profits could then be redistributed through taxation and public spending.

  • this marked him out from some other social democrats, including Webb, who had argues that nationalisation of all industries should be a centre goal of their movement.
• Society:

  social democrats aim for social justice as their end goal instead of equality of outcome.

  Crosland - argued that capitalism had evolved and improved by the 1950s, allowing social mobility of working classes. He believed class difference were less pronounced than Marx and Engels. Meaning equality of outcome was no longer necessary.

  Social democrats believed achieving social justice would reduce class differences by offering greater equality of opportunity.
• State:

  They see the state as a vehicle for achieving a fairer society.

  • Webb and Crosland were both advocates of state - funded public services, such as education, healthcare and housing.
  • Crosland argues that the state should play an active role in extending individuals liberty - he supported progressive legislation such as the decriminalisation of homosexuality and equal pay.