Socialism – Tensions between strands
Socialists agree on: Key thinkers’ evidence: Socialists disagree on: Key thinkers’ evidence: Key Terms:
All socialists believe that Revolutionary socialists, like Revolutionary socialists believed Revolutionary socialists believed that Capitalism: An economic system
Th the state has a vital role Marx/Engels, challenged the that the existing capitalist state the existing state could not be reformed. based on private property and
e
to play in the promotion of liberal notion that the state was was fundamentally inimical to Marx/Engels said that it must be destroyed by enterprise and competition between
core politically neutral, so must be socialist values and would have to revolution and replaced by a new socialist individuals and organisations
Sta socialist values. changed; be state: “the dictatorship of the proletariat” This
Luxemburg said that the existing destroyed by revolution to would, in turn, “wither away” to produce Class consciousness: A by-product
te Socialists tend to agree state must be replaced with a be replaced by proletarian stateless communism, involving common of capitalism that saw the proletariat
that the state is genuine control. ownership and a system based on “from each becoming aware of their downtrodden
indispensable in democracy, complete with free according to his ability, to each according to status, providing the engine of
furthering the objectives speech and free elections. Social democrats argued that his needs”. revolution and capitalism’s
of equality and Social democrats, like Webb, this revolution was Luxemburg outlined that proletarian destruction
egalitarianism. argued that, if harnessed to unnecessary, discontent against state control will
universal suffrage, the existing state avoidable and futile and the culminate in a spontaneous mass strike, Class: Central to socialism, it
All socialists agree that could be used to bring about a existing state could gradually be bringing about socialist revolution. defines a person’s circumstances,
a state is essential gradual transition to reformed to further socialist Social democrats stress the “inevitability of prospects and attitudes
and that the state has a socialism; Crosland said that a values. gradualness”, as advocated by Webb.
duty to steady expansion of the welfare Crosland argued that there was proof that Common ownership: Method of
oversee public welfare state would diminish inequality and Third Way socialists believed the existing state can be used to bring about ownership conducive to equality
advance that the existing liberal state radical, socialist change. and fraternity, synonymous with
socialism. could and should be improved Third Way socialists, as represented state ownership
Third Way socialists, represented still further, intervening in social by Giddens, reject ‘top-down’ state
by Giddens, suggested that the investment in infrastructure and intervention Communism: Expounded by Marx
existing state’s structures could education. and seen as the ultimate stage of
be reformed to produce greater human development. Seen as the
political equality. perfect society, based on communal
ownership and communal living.
Socialists agree, to a Revolutionary socialists, like Revolutionary socialists rejected Revolutionary socialists believed that
Th certain extent, that some Marx/Engels, believed that capitalism the notion that capitalism was capitalism was corrupt, inefficient and Democratic centralism: Referring to
form of state should – and will – be replaced by an capable of reform. As such, ultimately self-destructive. Marx/Engels a one-party state and democracy
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intervention, economy based on collective socialism is suggested that surplus value (profit over and discussion would only take
Ec management and ownership; Luxemburg suggested incompatible with a capitalist wages) implants “the seeds of its own place within that party, whose
economic planning is that workers should become free and economy based on private destruction” by nurturing resentful class decision would be final
on essential, as capitalism is independent directors of the ownership. consciousness; Luxemburg suggested that
unable to economy. capitalism would run out of new territories Dialectic: Associated with the
om and markets to exploit and would collapse. philosopher Hegel, referring to the
allocate wealth and Social democrats, like Webb, Social democrats, over time,
y believed that capitalism had largely Social democrats, particularly after World clash of ideas and perspectives that
resources equitably. advocated the gradual replacement
of capitalism by common ownership been reformed of its exploitative War II, like Crosland, believed that mixed will take place within each ‘stage’ of
of the means of production; tendencies and, in the form of a economy would comprise private enterprise history
Crosland still suggested that mixed economy, could be managed and private ownership, alongside key
capitalism can be managed to to deliver greater social equality services and a small number of industries Evolutionary socialism: A rejection
deliver greater social equality and and social justice. owned by the state. Third Way socialists, of revolutionary socialism and a
social justice. such as Giddens, accepted that modern belief that socialism can be
Third Way socialists, represented Third Way socialists accepted economies can bring higher tax yields to achieved peacefully and gradually
by Giddens, believe that the state free market economics as a way direct public spending and secure greater through the existing constitutional
should intervene in social to equality of opportunity. system
investment in generate the wealth required for
infrastructure and education. social investment. Fraternity and cooperation: Belief
that human relationships should be
All socialists agree that Revolutionary socialists, like Revolutionary socialists Revolutionary socialists advocated the marked by comradeship and
So our social environment Marx/Engels, advocated a believed that capitalist society need for revolution to cure society. generosity and cooperation rather
is the crucial prescription for a better society built was class ridden and morally Marx/Engels argued that society was so than competition should be the norm
cie in human affairs
determinant of our around common ownership; indefensible, which could only “sick” and unstable that only an “historically
ty personalities, our Luxemburg argued be cured by inevitable” revolution can provide the
prospects alternative societies or sub-cultures revolution. necessary “shock”; Luxemburg outlined that
and our behaviour. existed within downtrodden the “mass strike is the first natural,
proletariat communities, providing a Social democrats emphasised impulsive form of every great revolutionary
All socialists believe that model for the future spontaneous that society was becoming more struggle of the proletariat.”
society can be socialist society. For Social complex and less binary; it Social democrats rejected this solution.
