Society - Socialists Agr+Dis

• Society should be based on

  Equality, as this ensures economic fairness, reinforces collectivism and satisfies everyone's basic human needs
• Areas of agreement among socialists

  • Society must respond to the negative effect of capitalism and be remodelled
  • Society directly affects individuals and the working conditions and unequal distribution of wealth can have a harmful effect upon human nature
  • Society can be remodelled so that it embraces greater equality and cooperation
• Socialists broadly agree that society must be remodelled, but disagree on the method of instigating this change and what the core principles of a socialist society should be
• Areas of disagreement among socialists


  • Revolutionary socialists such as Marx and Engels argue that revolution is the only alternative, as the ideas and values of capitalism have infected society to such an extent that it cannot be reformed by evolutionary means
  • Marx and Engels argued that liberal democracy was a 'democratic swindle' because the state was controlled by the bourgeoisie
  • Marx and Engels argued that the state used religion, patriotism, enfranchisement, parliament and social reforms to weaken class consciousness within society
• Areas of agreement among socialists

  • Society should be based on equality as this ensures economic fairness, reinforces collectivism and satisfies everyone's basic human needs
  • Socialists broadly agree that society must respond to the negative effects of capitalism and be remodelled, but disagree on the methods and core principles
  • All socialists argue that society directly affects individuals and that the working conditions and unequal distribution of wealth can have a harmful effect upon human nature
  • All socialists believe that society can be remodelled so that it embraces greater equality and cooperation, but there is debate on the forms
• Areas of disagreement among socialists


  • Revolutionary socialists argue that ideas and values of capitalism have infected society to such an extent that revolution is the only alternative
  • Revolutionary socialists argue that society cannot be reformed by evolutionary means because capitalism is too exploitative to be rehabilitated
  • Marx and Engels argued that liberal democracy was a 'democratic swindle' because the state was controlled by the bourgeoisie
  • Marx and Engels argued that the state used religion, patriotism, enfranchisement, parliament and social reforms to weaken class consciousness
  • Democratic socialist Beatrice Webb disagreed with the revolutionary socialists, arguing that society should be reformed by evolutionary means and not by a revolution
  • Webb argued that society should be run on collectivist lines, with the group taking precedence over individual self-interest
  • Webb argued that society can be gradually reformed in the interests of social justice, via parliamentary government and a trained elite of administrators
  • Social democrat Anthony Crosland argued that Marx's dialectic of historical materialism was not present in postwar UK society or economy, and that inequality and class division should be minimised by reform rather than revolution
  • Crosland disagreed with Webb's ideas of society being organised by a trained elite and the entire economy being nationalised, favouring a mixed economy with progressive taxation to fund a welfare state
  • Crosland's ideas focused on equality of opportunity, such as introducing comprehensive schools
  • Third Way thinker Anthony Giddens argued for a narrower focus of equality of opportunity than social democracy, concentrating on social investment in infrastructure and education
  • Giddens believed that free-market capitalism could be positive for society when reconciled with community and social justice
  • Giddens argued that societal community is 'fundamental' to offset the negative effects of free-market globalisation, with citizens as stakeholders in society
  • Giddens' ideas led the New Labour government to focus on increased access to higher education and academy schools
• All other branches of socialism find it difficult to reconcile the neo-liberal aspects of the Third Way with their own socialist outlook