Socialism

• Fraternity examples


  Miners' strikes:

  The miners' strikes of 1984-1985 were taken to stop the closing of coal mines by Margaret Thatcher's government.

  The strikes were organised by the National Union of Mineworkers, a trade union.

  Lecturer strikes:

  Lecturers went on strike in 2018 to protest against planned changes to their pensions.

  Lecturers from 65 universities chose to strike from February to April and formed picket lines outside universities.
• The Principle of Capitalism

  Capitalism is an economic and political system where the resources and property in a society are owned privately by businesses.

  Capitalists believe that goods and services should be produced to make a profit. Under capitalism, the price of goods and services is determined by the market forces of demand and supply.

  Capitalism does not believe that the government should own and have control over any business or industry in society.
• Socialism rejects capitalism


  Socialism is opposed to capitalism.

  Fundamentalist socialism rejects capitalism and wants it to be abolished and replaced by socialism. Marxists are an example of fundamentalist socialists because they believe socialism can be achieved by a revolution against capitalism.

  Revisionist socialists believe in reforming capitalism by the government providing welfare and redistributing wealth in society. Social democracy is a form of revisionist socialism.
• The Principle of Common Ownership

  Common ownership is when all property and resources in society are publicly owned and run by the government so that all people in society can benefit. Common ownership is often called nationalisation.

  Socialists believe common ownership will reduce inequality because resources can be allocated by the government to meet the needs of many people in society.

  Fundamentalist socialists are in favour of common ownership.
• Common Ownership Examples: Attlee's government

  Prime Minister Clement Attlee (1945-1951) nationalised the coal, gas, electricity and steel industries.

  The Labour Party under Clement Attlee was committed to Clause Four (Clause IV) of the Labour Party Constitution [Clause Four was changed in 1995 by Tony Blair] which committed the party to common ownership. Clause Four of the Labour Party Constitution stated common ownership would mean "the most equitable distribution" of resources "upon the basis of common ownership".

  Clement Attlee's government (1945-1951) created the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948.

  The National Health Service is an example of common ownership as it is owned by the state and provided for free to all people in society.
• Common Ownership Examples: Jeremy Corbyn


  Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour Party leader, has proposed nationalisation policies. In 2017 and 2018 Jeremy Corbyn said that if he was elected Prime Minister he would nationalise the energy and rail industries, and the Royal Mail.
• Case against Common Ownership


  Common ownership could mean an increase in taxation to fund publicly owned services.

  Common ownership could also increase the national debt because of increases in public spending. This means that future generations will have to pay off the debt. Tony Blair reworded Clause Four to move away from associating the Labour Party with standing for common ownership in order to appeal to the electorate beyond Labour's core members.
• Case against: free market


  A case against common ownership is the argument that the free market will make sure the economy is run more efficiently than it would under government control.

  Only the free market is able to resolve the basic economic problem (meeting the infinite want of humans with a limited number of resources). Common ownership could lead to an inefficient allocation of the economy's scarce resources. Friedrich Hayek (1944 'Road to Serfdom') supported the free market and was opposed to the government controlling the economy.
• The Principle of Communism


  Communism believes that wealth in society should be commonly owned by all individuals.

  A communist economic system has a planned economy and public ownership of industries. In a planned economy, the state owns and controls all means of production such as land, capital and labour.
• Karl Marx and Communism


  Karl Marx's ideas are important within communism.

  Karl Marx believed capitalism would be brought to an end by the exploited working class revolting and overthrowing the owners of capital in society.For Marx, the revolution by the working class would cause capitalism to end.

  For Karl Marx, communism exists when there are no social classes of people in society, and all individuals cooperate and live peacefully.
• The Principle of Collectivism

  Collectivism is a core principle of socialism which believes that the collective efforts of people, in organised groups and seeking the same goals, are of more economic and moral value than the effort of individuals.

  Collectivists believe that we can only have an ideal society if people work together collectively Collectivists believe a society where people look after their own interests instead of society's wider problems will cause society to decline.
• Socialists endorse collectivism


  Collectivism prioritises group interests over the interests of an individual. This is beneficial as collective effort may encourage social unity and increase people's feelings of social responsibility towards one another.

  Collectivism looks to use all of society's capabilities efficiently through working together and so limits the wastefulness and negative effect of people competing against each other.
• Endorse collectivism: human nature


  Socialists support collectivism because it relates to socialism's view of humans as social animals that prefer living in groups rather than on their own.

  Human nature is argued by socialists to be shaped by social conditions and so people can only be truly understood with regards to the social groups they are part of. Socialists favour collectivism because they believe membership of a collective group such as a community or society provides humans with freedom and fulfilment.
• Criticisms of collectivism


  Collectivism focuses on the importance of group action and commonly shared interests, and so prevents diversity and individuality amongst humans.

  Social democracy and revisionism are forms of socialism that accept private property which collectivism is opposed to. Neo-revisionist socialism supports privatisation of industry, reforms to welfare and believes in weakening trade union power, which suggests collectivism is less important for socialists.
• Collectivism Examples: State intervention


  Socialists believe that a far greater number of people are disadvantaged by a free market economy than benefit from it.So, socialists support collectivism and state intervention through increased state spending and providing more state services.

  In the economy, free market capitalist systems have seen an unequal distribution of wealth (the way wealth is shared among a population is unequal).Income inequality in the UK is high. The highest earning 10% earn 24 times more than the lowest earning 10%.
• State intervention cases


  The USSR had a collectivist system from 1929. The state had control over the economy, nationalised industries and collectivised agricultural land to transform the USSR into a more modern industrial society.

  A more limited collectivism was pursued by PM Clement Attlee and the Labour government from 1945-51 who nationalised the electricity, coal, steel and iron industries but left a large proportion of the economy in private ownership.
• Collectivism Examples: Trade unions


  Socialism's view of democracy is based on the collectivist idea that people working together will result in a better society. This argument is put forward by left-wing political movements who argue for the need of a collective stance amongst those who have been oppressed in society by elites.

  Trade unions are collections of workers who join together to represent workers against management in jobs, and protect the interests of workers.
• Trade union example


  Members of the Unite trade union working for energy company Total united together to strike for five days between July and August 2018 to strike over their pay and working conditions.
• Collectivism is less important


  Socialists have viewed collectivism as less important in recent years.This is because of the belief in developed countries that collectivism has caused a dependency culture in society.

  New Labour's policies opposed collectivism.
• Collectivism Examples: New Labour


  Tony Blair reworded Clause Four to move the Labour Party away from being associated with standing for common ownership and the nationalisation of business.

  Tony Blair weakened the influence which trade unions had in the party and was against increasing trade union powers, stating they should modernise. Tony Blair refused to remove laws which restricted trade unions, stating that "we will not go back to the days of industrial welfare, strikes without ballots, mass and flying pickets and secondary action".
• The Principle of Common Humanity


  Common humanity believes that humans prefer naturally to co-operate with one another rather than compete.

  Common humanity says that an individual cannot be understood without reference to society because human behaviour is socially determined.

  Socialists believe that because human behaviour is shaped by forces in society, capitalism will not allow the best of human nature as it is unethical and so a more socially fair alternative is required.
• Support for common humanity


  Socialists believe that opportunities should be spread widely for all in society as each individual is worth the same and should be equally valued. The NHS was created by the Labour government in 1948.The NHS is based on the principle that healthcare should be accessible for everyone, no matter your income.
• Support for common humanity


  Socialists believe that humans are motivated by moral incentives, and have a sense of responsibility for others, and so will work hard because they wish to contribute to making their society better. Contemporary socialists believe that material rewards should be linked to moral incentives, such as that boosting economic growth should increase living standards for the population but also provide funds through tax to support welfare measures to help the poor.

  Socialists are in favour of co-operation because of their positive view of human nature. Socialists believe that humans naturally wish to work together to achieve positive outcomes for society, and when people co-operate they form relationships based on respect, understanding and mutual support.
• Principle of Equality


  Socialists argue in favour of social equality because: Social equality ensures fairness. Social equality reinforces the ideas of collectivism. Social equality ensures that basic human needs are satisfied.

  Social equality can benefit all individuals in society by increasing the life expectancy, happiness levels, reducing poverty and crime.

  Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson (2010 'The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone') argued that societies with high inequality will experience lower living standards than those with less inequality.
• Fairness


  Socialists argue for social equality because it ensures fairness.

  Inequality is the result of the structural inequalities within a capitalist society instead of a difference in people's ability.

  Socialists believe that people are born with the ability to be equal.
• Collectivism


  Socialists argue that social equality reinforces the ideas of collectivism and co-operation within society because humans are more likely to work for a common economic good and exist peacefully if they have similar social and economic conditions. Socialists believe that social inequality encourages conflict between those in society.
• Human needs


  Equality ensures that basic human needs are satisfied through an equal distribution of wealth.

  Basic human needs cannot be achieved through a free-market economy where industry is driven by profit and so not able to fairly allocate wealth to all of society.

  From a socialist perspective, only the state and its ability to redistribute wealth will ensure everyone is able to have their basic needs satisfied.
• Against social equality


  Social equality can lower the ambition of people by lessening the material incentives for hard work, which can result in economic underperformance.

  Social equality is unjust because treating all individuals as the same regardless of their performance fails to reward people based on their ability.

  Social equality limits the level of diversity in society.

  Social equality restricts individual liberties because the way social equality would be achieved is through increased state intervention.
• Debates About the Nature of Equality: Revolutionary socialists


  Revolutionary socialists believe there should be complete equality for all in society both in material benefits and opportunities in life.

  Revolutionary socialists believe equality can only be achieved through the state controlling how goods and services are distributed, removing private property and having common ownership of all means of production.
• Debates About the Nature of Equality: Social democrats


  Social democrats aim to remove absolute poverty and achieve equality in society through welfare measures, government spending and a progressive tax system.

  If poverty can be abolished then a certain amount of inequality can be accepted.To achieve the abolition of poverty, the state's role is to adjust distribution so that differences in wealth and life opportunities are reduced.

  Social democrats ultimately look to reform capitalism as opposed to abolishing it.
• Debates About the Nature of Equality: Equality of outcome


  Equality of outcome is when rewards are dependent on the contribution of an individual. Whilst some inequality will exist, the inequality won't be as significant as in a free market system. Fundamentalist socialists support equality of outcome as a means of removing the influence of the free market but other socialists such as Third Way and social democrats see this as artificial social and economic 'levelling'.
• Debates About the Nature of Equality: Absolute equality


  Absolute equality is the idea that all in society should gain the exact same rewards as long as they contribute to society. Each individual over time should make broadly the same level of contribution. Marxists support this approach but social democrats and Third Way socialists see this form of equality as impractical to achieve.
• Debates About the Nature of Equality: Equality of welfare


  Equality of welfare is the idea that while society will inevitably be unequal, all individuals have the right to equal minimum living standards and welfare provision which are provided by the state. Social democrats and Third Way socialists support this approach towards equality because it looks after the poorest in society, but Marxists reject it because it does not aim to remove capitalism.
• Debates About the Nature of Equality: Equality of opportunity


  Equality of opportunity is the idea that everyone in society should be given an equal chance to make the most of their ability.

  Equality of opportunity is a system where everyone has the same opportunities with no barriers to prevent people progressing who work hard and have an ability. Social democrats and Third Way socialists support this approach to equality but Marxists oppose it because it does not aim to remove capitalism.
• The Principle of Social Class


  Socialists believe that individuals who share a similar social and economic position have similar outlooks and aims, and that social classes can explain why society is divided.

  Socialists believe that social classes are the main drivers of change in society rather than individuals.

  The focus on social class is based on the importance socialists place on representing the working class and their interests.
• Social class: Marxists


  Marxists believe that a person's social class is determined by whether they are an owner of productive wealth, and so a member of the bourgeoisie, or if they are a member of the working class, and so a member of the proletariat.

  Marxists argue that class conflict is inevitable between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The conflict will grow in intensity and result in a working class revolution which overthrows capitalism and replaces it with an equal society without social classes.
• Social class: social democrats


  Social democrats view social class as the difference in income and status between those in non-manual jobs and people in manual occupations.

  Social democrats believe that socialist goals can be met through state provision of welfare and redistribution schemes which try to reduce the distinctions between social classes within society.
• Principle of Workers' Control


  Socialists favour workers' control as it means a fairer and more equal distribution of resources because decisions will benefit all of the workforce rather than shareholders and executives.

  Socialists also favour workers' control because it means narrowing distinctions in social class, which is important in achieving the socialist goal of a society which is based on equality and social justice.

  Workers' control within society is evidence of a step closer to a socialist society.
• Arguments for workers' control


  Workers' control can refer to a number of schemes which aim to give workers full democratic control over where they work, and so gives workers the power to make decisions. Workers are key in the process of production and so should be given influence over the process.

  Workers' control encourages increased employee engagement within the business they work for.

  Workers' control offers a means of combating alienation and the view of capitalists that labour is only a commodity.
• Arguments against workers' control


  Worker's schemes can be argued to be utopian (idealistic but not possible) in nature and fail to understand that enterprises need individuals with the skills to lead business successfully and take risks, which workers often do not have.

  So, greater management roles for manual employees may have a negative impact on the economic success of businesses.