Origins of Socialism
Robert Owen – ‘the character of man is, without a single exception, always formed for him’
o Those who grow up in poverty (no access to education or opportunity) inevitably shaped
differently to those growing up in supportive wealthy families
o Owen made changes at New Lanark because he believe happier healthier workers would
produce more even if they worked shorter hours – mill was successful
o Wanted raised taxes and increased spending on poor, limiting hours for children, new na-
tional systems of public education
EVAL POINT - However- members of a socialist society may be too various in feelings and habits
to govern as a community – committees in Robert Owen’s ‘New Harmony’ were supposed to de-
cide what to plant and make – struggled to agree on simple matters that would have been easily
decided by individuals managing their own land/ factories
o Harder workers may be resentful of those who worked less
GNCTU 1834- 1.5m members – organisation only lasted a few months as business and govt.
repressed and Owen was against strikes and violent protest
Core ideas of socialism
Equality – all socialists believe in liberal ideas of foundational, formal equality of opportunity and
substantive equality of opportunity (isn’t worth much without greater equality of outcome.)
o Socialists question liberal idea that inequality drives innovation and prosperity
o Socialists think relative poverty is bad for social cohesion- creates divides and makes it hard
to empathise with people of different classes who live increasingly separate and dissimilar
lives – fundamental/ revolutionary socialists think private property should be abolished en-
tirely, social democrats think redistribution is sufficient
Class – most important division in society
o Class divisions shaped superstructure.
o History driven further by dialectical conflict between classes
o Class consciousness developed from false consciousness.
o Revolutionary socialists think abolishing of class divides by abolishing private property
BUT much has changed since Marx observations – tremendous growth in size of middle
class, collapse of many working-class industries
o More moderate aim of narrowing gap between classes
Common humanity
o Environment we grow up in has fundamental impact.
o Humans naturally sociable and inclined to cooperation NOT competition- only reason for
selfishness or greed is because these are qualities capitalist competition encourages.
, o Human fraternity- all humans have common interests – we should look at each other as
brothers – undermined by widening inequality
Charity work or those who give more time and money to help others – examples of hu-
mans motivated by more than pursuit of wealth
Collectivism
o Morally superior to individualism – better to work for collective interests of society and
community – work together to ensure everyone can enjoy free life
o Economically superior to individualism – free market competition is harmful, wasteful and
crisis – boom and bust wouldn’t happen if people cooperated on common goals
Common ownership
o Under capitalism only privileged elite possess capital – private property encourages materi-
alism in individuals – acquisition of more wealth, commodities, etc. that we find happiness
and fulfilment – idea that status and success should be judged by how much we own not
what good we do
o Common ownership- more equal society
o Revolutionary socialists – abolishing of private property
o Others – nationalisation and running in public interest
o Others – tax and redistribution of private wealth
Workers’ control
o Revolutionary – means of production collectivised and capitalism abolished
o Moderate social democrats- trade unions to give workers more power and influence
o Exercise control through ballot, voting for parties that promise to enforce reforms
Human Nature
Notes
Upbeat, optimistic view of nature – naturally cooperative, generous+ altruistic – seek solidarity,
fraternity+ comradeship -natural relationship based on cooperation not competition because
competition leads to conflict - leads people to ignore their natural relationships with others.
o Cooperation rewards hard work on moral level rather than material rewards - people
will be motivated to aid the ‘common good’ rather than own short term aims- individual
material rewards can be balanced in harmony with community-based moral rewards.
o John Donne (1571–1631) = ‘no man is an island’.
Mankind’s true nature diluted by time+ circumstance- optimistic about how it could be- human
nature =malleable, or ‘plastic’, not permanently fixed at birth- human nature adjustable so men/
women fulfil true, fraternal potential while contributing to a more cooperative community
Relationship between human beings should be marked by generosity- regard fellow humans as
siblings not opponents- cooperation +solidarity NOT competition +division should be norm in
, human affairs -reject idea that humans= inherently selfish, competitive, and individualistic- social
creatures who depend on each other for survival and well-being capable of empathy and
compassion, and that these qualities can be harnessed to create a more equal and just society.
Socialist view of human nature hasn’t been fully fulfilled - see existing societies = inequality,
exploitation, social injustice- result of dominance of capitalist economic systems- prioritize profit
over people + create inequality +oppression- transformation of social + economic systems-
oriented towards meeting needs of people NOT accumulation of wealth by small minority
Social change isn’t one-time event- ongoing process of struggle and transformation.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Optimistic view of human nature- reason over faith/ superstition, progressive reform+
challenging status quo, desire to liberate human beings from oppression, foundational equality
o Men and women = born equal+ deserve equal opportunity in life, reject traditional state
and reject anarchism
Contaminated by prevailing economic system of capitalism encouraging selfishness, ruthlessness
and greed+ instilled ‘false consciousness’ in man away from original nature (cooperative, selfless
+ fraternal)- revival of characteristics achieved by creation of new, non-capitalist economy.
Concerned about impact capitalism was having on working class -concerned that capitalism was
alienating them- we work in ways that separate us from our humanity – separates them from
their ‘species-essence’ – ‘the whole character of a species is contained in the character of its life
activity and free, conscious activity is man’s species-character
Workers are alienated from the products of their labour – they spend time making things that
aren’t useful to them because they are taken away and sold to others for high prices
Alienated from the process of their labour – treats humans like machines due to production line
and production line- less fulfilling -workers repeat simpler alien tasks with little meaning – don’t
get to see the product of their labour - Alienated from their human nature – under capitalism
work is basic and animal -like – a means to an end
Workers alienated from each other – we fail to see connections and see others as rivals and
competitors – humans should in nature rely on labour and contribution of others – love trust
and cooperation are replaced with bargaining, contracts and competition
Human nature are influenced by environment – ‘ it is not the consciousness of men that determ-
ines their existence, but on the contrary, their social existence determines their consciousness’-
social existence, class and relationships that shapes us – requires revolution that transforms so-
ciety by changing way humans work together to produce material goods
Rosa Luxemburg
In Reform or Revolution? (1900) accepted the Marx view that capitalism promoted exploitation
and was at odds with humanity’s natural, fraternal state.
Beatrice Webb
Capitalism = principal cause ‘crippling poverty and demeaning inequality’ in society- corrupting
force in humanity, fostering unnatural levels of avarice and selfishness among men and women
Sidney thought deteriorating conditions would drive workers to take peaceful collective action
which would gradually change the world -Even its oppressions and its fraud had their uses, in
that they drove the proletariat of manual-working wage-earners which capitalism created, to
combine in trade unions and co-operative societies, and to develop their own faculties for free
association and industrial representative institutions.
, Anthony Crosland
Human nature has a powerful sense of ‘fairness’ and an innate objection to equality of outcome
Anthony Giddens
Capitalism = liberating to individuals- freer to ‘self-actualise’ and carve out own identities- these
individuals find it more difficult to develop, due to society becoming more ill-defined.
Individuals were less likely to be surefooted when stripped of communities- more likely to be
influenced by the elites- individualisation of society led may result in less individualism.
Society
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Capitalism creates 2 opposing economic classes – bourgeoisie +proletariat (sold labour for
wages) – involved harsh inequalities of wealth + power- exploitation of proletariat + capitalism
seeks to be competitive by creating ‘surplus value’ -employees paid minimum wages to allow
profits to refine means of production- implants ‘seeds of its own destruction’ – nurturing
resentful class consciousness among workers – eventually revolution
Society = independent construct formed by impersonal forces (economic) with the means of
production (how resources are determined and distributed)– shaping individuals within it –
‘means of production’ have crucial impact on nature of society and human behaviour
o Classes= unequal in power +influence- Argued for centrality of social class within society;
capitalism created two social classes, Class consciousness was a prerequisite of revolution.
Communist Manifesto Section I – Argues history driven by class struggles – conflict between
different classes and interests – Primitive societies - no economic organisation- Slave-based
where slaves = main mode of production- Feudal societies (land owned by monarch leased to
lords, tenants and eventually serfs)- capitalism- Emergence of proletariat +class consciousness=
Revolution+ destruction of capitalism- Socialism (dictatorship of proletariat- Withering away of
the socialist state- Communism- ‘End of history’.
o All exploited by bourgeoisie who own means of production/ control of economy – they
extract surplus value from proletariat labour while paying them less than value of produce
o Capitalist system inherently unstable - eventually downfall- contradiction between
bourgeoisie's pursuit of profit and working class's need for fair wages+ decent working
conditions leads to class conflict+ ultimately to overthrow of capitalist system
Wants society where means of production owned and controlled by workers themselves –
exploitation eliminated – class conflict doesn’t exist – exploitation of one group abolished
o "The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal,
patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound
man to his 'natural superiors,' and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man
than naked self-interest, callous 'cash payment.'" (Section 1)
o "The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.
Workingmen of all countries, unite!" (Section 4)
o "In place of old bourgeois society with classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an
association in which free development of each is condition for the free development of all."
Social class- defines individuals circumstances, prospects+ attitudes- Industrial revolution
created social class consciousness based on employment, sources of income- classes are central
to individuals fate - status, priorities, prospects shaped by social class they are born into
