Textbook Socialism Flashcards
(170 cards)
1
Q
Why is socialism potentially a more complicated ideology than conservatism or liberalism?
A
Because of just how huge a range of different interpretations grow out of a set of common principles
2
Q
What ideology is socialism similar to? 5 ways how?
A
Liberalism
ORPLE
Optimistic on human nature
Reason as the basis of governance
Progressive and not conservative in style and ambition
Liberty, though the interpretations differ, as the basis of good government
Equality, at the foundational if not the outcome, in both cases
3
Q
What fundamental issue during the Enlightenment created socialism distinct from liberalism? Example?
A
Private property and whether it was compatible with human progress
Jean-Jacques Rousseau - questioned nobility of private property for the first time
4
Q
When did criticism of private property spread from a small range of thinkers such as Rousseau to the mainstream?
A
Industrial Revolution
5
Q
Early socialism can be seen as an attempt to reconcile…
A
The principles of the Enlightenment with the reality of industrialisation
6
Q
5 key views of socialism on human nature
A
FROCM
1. Fraternal
2. Rational
3. Optimistic
4. Communal
5. Malleable
7
Q
Why does socialism take an optimistic view of human nature?
A
Grew out of the Enlightenment
8
Q
How does socialism internalise its optimism about human nature?
A
Most socialist models point towards a utopian society, or at least a better society than at present, as a real and proximate possibly
9
Q
Utopian socialists
A
Linked to Robert Owen - early socialism based on perfection. Marx sneered that it missed the practical elements of revolution etc.
10
Q
Whilst both liberals and socialists describe human nature as “good”, for socialists this means… whereas for liberals it means…
A
That humans are naturally fraternal and co-operative
That humans are respectfully and resourcefully self interested
11
Q
How do different socialist thinkers internalise fraternalism?
A
For early socialists, the structure of the state and society was necessarily egalitarian. For later socialists like Giddens and Crosland, the belief was that people could be convinced to behave co-operatively, and that the state could reduce inequality
12
Q
Luxemburg quote about socalist fraternalism?
A
“Our instinct is not to win but to share”
13
Q
Why is rationality essential to all socialist visions of human nature?
A
- Necessary to believe that humans are capable of planning and organising a more egalitarian state
- Necessary to theorise humans as naturally co-operative and without an innate self-interest, since overlooking one’s immediate individual wants and needs implies a degree of foresight
14
Q
How did Webb describe the weakness in liberal laissez-faire ideology?
A
Liberals “generally hope for a bright future, instead of resolving to plan one”
Reflects socialist emphasis on rationality in human nature
15
Q
What does it mean to say socialist views on human nature focus on the communal?
A
They believe that the human tendency is to seek to be part of a community, and that humans are naturally willing to serve that community
16
Q
Webb quote about communal aspects of human nature?
A
“We are not lone wolves… we forever seek out the company of the pack”
17
Q
How did early socialist thinkers build communal views of human nature into their thought?
A
For Marx and Engels, the idea of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” had to be built on the idea that people were naturally interested in attending to the needs of others
18
Q
Why do socialists need to view human nature as malleable?
A
Explain current defects in society given the otherwise perfectionist views of socialism on human nature
19
Q
2 thinkers who adapted socialism’s view of human nature as malleable?
A
- Marx and Engels - “false consciousness”
- Giddens - “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” - emphasis on human element
20
Q
How does socialism’s view of the importance of society differ to that of other ideologies?
A
Society is arguably most important to socialists, for whom a restrictive society is a clear cause of human suffering
21
Q
4 views of socialists on society?
A
CECE
- Existential
- Collectivist
- Class-focussed
- Egalitarian
22
Q
What does it mean to say that society is “existential” to socialists?
A
It is of fundamental importance to socialist ideology in a way it isn’t for other ideologies
23
Q
Key socialist quote on existential nature of society?
A
“Our perspectives, our prospects, our very personalities, are affected by the society we are born into”
24
Q
How do socialists aim to improve human nature in the malleable sense?
A
Improve society, due to society’s existential nature
25
What does it mean to say society in socialism is collectivist?
Society functions best when actions are pooled together and individuals put their efforts into that of a team
26
What essential class division did Marx and Engels make?
Not between workers and idlers, or between the evil and the oppressed, but between those who own their working lives and dictate the terms of their work and those who owe their working lives to somebody else
27
How does socialism's class focus influence its view on society?
Socialists see the class difference as a fundamental cause of societal evolution, and not just a feature of society. They also see it as a fundamental determinant of someone's life expectancy and experience
28
How is socialist society's emphasis on egalitarianism different to liberalism?
Foundational vs outcome based equality
29
Why does socialism believe in greater equality of outcome? What does this lead to?
Social justice must go further than legal equality. This is because of the fundamental nature of class. Someone born into a lower social class, regardless of skills, ability of legal equality, will not go as far on average as someone born into the upper class. So the gap must be narrowed
30
4 views of socialists on economics?
FRAI
1. Fundamental
2. Redistributive
3. Ambivalent about capitalism
4. Interventionist
31
What does it mean to say economics is fundamental to socialism?
Marx and Engels - first to identify the clear link between materialism and capitalism and society, seeing society as a by-product of economics and not the other way around
32
Did economic fundamentalism survive all of socialism's history?
In some areas it was toned down - for instance, Giddens' emphasis on social justice first, but through the engine of economic policy
33
What does socialism's emphasis on the redistributive mean?
Socialism focusses on redistributing to reduce inequality
34
How has the ambivalence about capitalism within socialism changed over time?
1. Early socialists saw capitalism as clearly the enemy, with these ORTHODOX SOCIALISTS emphasising instead collective resource distribution
2. Later socialists, particularly those influenced by Keynesianism, saw capitalism as a way to generate wealth which socialists could then redistribute. Quite how they thought they could reconcile the two is unclear.
35
However, despite an ambivalence about capitalism, all socialists believe in...
Greater intervention in the economy being necessary and practical
36
3 socialist views of the state?
RER
1. Rejection of anarchism
2. Enlarged state
3. Rejection of medieval states
37
How does anarchism differ from socialism?
Rejection of a state, even in the short run
Whilst many socialist believe the state will dissolve in the long-run, the emphasis is never on an immediate abolition
38
What kind of states do socialists know to reject?
Whilst they cannot agree on whether a technocratic dictatorship or a pure democracy is best, they reject:
1. Monarchy
2. Theocracy
3. Aristocracy
39
What do socialists think about the enlarged state and eval?
All socialists believe that a "minarchist" or libertarian state would be detrimental, and that state intervention can be employed judiciously to boost outcomes
But socialists disagree about how far this is the case. Marxist-Leninists, for instance, believe in basically a complete nationalisation of the economy and everything, whereas Giddens and Crosland believe that private ownership can be reconciled with socialism
40
The 2 broad categories of socialist are...
1. Evolutionary socialist
2. Revolutionary socialist
41
Different socialist types to discuss in an exam
1. Marxist-Leninist revolutionary
2. Luxemburgish revolutionary
3. Webb "evolutionary" socialism
4. Crosland revisionist socialism
5. Giddens Third Way socialism
42
What, to Marx, was communism?
The final product of historical evolution, which would be achieved after capitalism had been overthrown. The most desirable state of affairs also
43
Why was Marx's ideology incredibly optimistic?
Based around the "inevitability" of capitalism's end and the idea that a selfless new society created in its wake would be "ultimate" and perfect
44
What key link did Marx and Engels make in their analysis?
That humans were both social and economic beings, and that humans had been contaminated by the prevailing economic system, which was capitalism
45
What were the two key takeaways from Marx and Engels regarding their views on human nature?
1. "False consciousness" - human nature was naturally communal, but is flexible and was disrupted by capitalism
2. Social and economic beings - our human nature and experience was heavily influenced by the society of which we are a part, an idea later socialists would take to heart
46
What was the key point of Marx and Engels regarding society?
Society was riven with deep class divisions, which would create inevitable antagonisms to culminate in successful revolution
47
What was the fundamental flaw in capitalism for Marx and Engels?
SURPLUS VALUE - essentially, value retained by manufacturers for re-investment
Hugely inefficient and inequitable, but sowed in capitalism the seeds of its own destruction
48
Why were Marx and Engel's views of the state consequential in later socialism?
Challenged "evolutionary" and parliamentary socialists such as the UK Labour Party who sought to engage legitimately with the state by portraying the state as "merely a committee" of the bourgeoisie
49
What was the Marxist revolution like?
1. There would be a revolution
2. The dictatorship of the proletariat would govern in the interim
3. Subsequently, a stateless democracy would emerge
50
Was the bourgeoisie innately evil or immoral for Marx and Engels? Eval?
No, but these individuals fill the role prescribed for them by the capitalist society
Marx and Engels, themselves both from bourgeois backgrounds, are more likely to take sympathy with the bourgeoisie
51
What concept is linked to the surplus value of labour in Marxist economics?
The idea that workers are alienated by capitalism
52
What other phenomenon, besides surplus, did Marxists cite as evidence of inefficiency in capitalist economics?
The economic cycle
53
3 reasons Marx and Engels thought that revolution was inevitable?
1. Capitalism sowed the seeds of its own destruction with widening inequality, creating a large class of proletarians who were not happy without revolution
2. The state is inherently anti-socialist and therefore reforms would not be pursued within the state structure
3. Drawing on Hegel and "HISTORICISM", Marx and Engels developed a HISTORICAL MATERIALIST DIALECTIC which theorised that eventual revolution was inevitable
54
It is stated that capitalism sowed the seeds of its own destruction by creating a growing oppressed proletariat. What was necessary to accomplish this and quote which suggests so?
Increasing class consciousness until workers realise they have "nothing to lose but their chains"
55
Marx quote about how capitalism's oppression of a growing proletariat made revolution inevitable?
Capitalism "sowed the seeds of its own destruction"
56
Class consciousness
The awareness of those classes in a capitalist economic system that the existing system is rigged against them, and the subsequent appetite for revolution
57
What defines the Hegelian episodes?
A different mode of production e.g. the agrarian stage
58
How does the Marxist view of history link to Fukuyama?
They called it "the end of history" when we reach communism
59
What was socialism to Marx and Engels?
The intermediate stage where the dictatorship of the proletariat disseminates pro-communist attitudes throughout the population and the state manages factors of production
60
Why does the Marxist vision of the socialist "dictatorship of the proletariat" authorise terrible things?
The role of the state in this historical era is also to purge any un-communist views and rid the population of false consciousness, a carte blanche for all sorts of abuse
61
Two thinkers who criticised Marx's model of revolution and what the criticism was?
Luxemburg and Lenin
Why wait for the inevitability to kick in? Why not accelerate the process? Different interpretations on how this acceleration would work though
62
Lenin magnum opus
1902 What is to be Done?
63
What was Lenin's theory of revolution called?
Vanguardism
64
4 features of vanguardism? Key eval and expressed by whom?
1. It would plan and incite the revolution
2. In the interim dictatorship of the proletariat, it would create the communist party
3. DEMOCRATIC CENTRALISM - disagreement within the communist party
4. Carry out comprehensive "re-education" to displace false consciousness
This is a CARTE-BLANCHE for totalitarianism - Luxemburg
65
When was Luxemburg's response to the Marxist historicist view of revolution published and why is this significant?
1900 Reform or Revolution
PRE-DATES Lenin's
66
What key point did Luxemburg and Marx and Engels agree on?
That capitalism had disrupted natural human fraternity and benevolence
67
What was Luxemburg's model of revolution?
1. MUST BE DEMOCRATIC
2. Would emerge spontaneously when the proletariat reached class consciousness, which could occur before it became materially obvious
3. There would be a new democracy from day one
68
Why did Luxemburg allow her party, the ISP, to contest elections in Germany, despite believing the state was rotten?
Because it would allow them to foster the revolutionary conscience necessary for a spotaneous revolution
69
Key Luxemburg quote against Marxist historicism?
"Impatient with injustice, impatient for socialism"
70
Why did Luxemburg reject the vanguard?
Was another form of elitism and hierarchy, exactly what she had got into socialism to replace
71
What did evolutionary socialists challenge?
The idea that a revolution must precede a socialist society
72
4 principles of Webb?
1. Capitalism is the problem
2. Neither conservative paternalism nor liberal philanthropy would go far enough
3. Poverty and inequality were best tackled by vigorous trade union and state intervention
4. Effective reforms tend to be gradual, researched and democratically implemented
73
Famous non-philosophical work of Webb and eval?
1909 Minority Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws
Basically the foundation for the Beveridge Report 1942
74
WHEN WAS THE BEVERIDGE REPORT PUBLISHED ISTG
1942
75
Why did thinkers such as Webb initially begin to question the necessity of revolution?
The working class in England was actually better off by 1900
76
Why did Webb believe capitalism was still flawed though? Quote?
It was "unstable" and led to wide inequalities of income. A planned economy would be "more orderly"
77
What did Webb envisage as her economy?
A planned economy, overseen by industrial experts
78
How was evolutionary socialism more centralised than original Marxist communism?
"Common ownership" as per Clause IV now meant state ownership and nationalisation, with the expert bureaucracy in charge
79
4 Webb quotes on revolution?
"Chaotic", "unmanageable" and "counterproductive"
"Upheavals marred by mayhem, violence and bloodshed"
80
2 reasons Webb critiqued the Marxist vision of the state?
1. Suffrage reforms make "the inevitability of gradualism" possible
2. Revolution counterproductive
81
What was "the inevitability of gradualism"?
The supposed foregone conclusion that once working class people were given the vote, they would automatically use that vote to elect enlightened socialist governments to advance the cause of socialism
82
What key contextual development emboldened the Fabian's theory of the inevitability of gradualism?
1945-51 Labour government - began nationalisations and other gradualist reforms
83
Evidence the post-war Labour Government was the Fabians at their zenith?
2/3 of Labour MPs elected in 1945 had Fabian connections, including Clement Attlee
84
How have later socialists adopted Webb's "inevitability of gradualism"?
Corbyn and Tony Benn - continue nationalisations
85
Which socialist thinker abandoned the inevitability of gradualism and how so?
Anthony Crosland
Argued that socialism had gone far enough and could stop without further nationalisations etc.
86
3 socialist thinkers who thought socialism necessitated revolution and their reasons for thinking this?
1. Marx and Engels - necessary stage in historical development, and also because the existing state as a "committee" of the bourgeoisie would not be able to serve proletarian demands
2. Lenin - necessary to pre-empt the horrors of capitalist development, because otherwise a false consciousness would develop
3. Luxemburg - necessary to create a truly democratic state
87
How did democratic socialists justify not having a revolution?
Beatrice Webb and Tony Benn - revolution would be counter-productive. The state is not inherently anti-socialist and could be reformed by a socialist government
88
How did revisionist socialists justify not having a revolution?
Because it is no longer necessary to overthrow capitalism. Crosland - state managed welfare state is close enough to common resource ownership. Giddens - public spending could be increased
89
What often overlooked view does Giddens have about the structure of the state and what does this reflect?
That the best way for the state to increase democracy is to introduce greater degrees of devolution
His book is published as the New Labour government of Tony Blair pursues devolution referendums nationwide
90
Modern example of cultural hegemony/common sense as per Gramsci?
2019 Labour - fell 8%
Pledged nationalisation of the Big 6, the broadband arm of BT and the water companies, as well as a National Education Service and free prescriptions, amongst many other things. Socialist bread and butter but did not attract votes
91
WHAT ARE THE 4 MAIN TYPES OF SOCIALISM?
1. Orthodox revolutionary socialism (Marxist-Leninism)
2. Democratic socialism/evolutionary socialism
3. Social democracy
4. The Third Way
92
How does social democracy differ from evolutionary socialism and key phrase?
Does not propose the abandonment of capitalism
REVISIONIST socialism
93
Who is our key social democrat?
Anthony Crosland
94
Who was the earliest socialist revisionist? What did they argue?
Eduard Bernstein - 1899 Evolutionary Socialism - evidence debunks Marx's dialectic - conditions have, in real terms, improved for the working class. It would be better for workers to harness capitalism's evident wealth-creating power rather than overturning it
95
Key Bernstein quote?
Capitalism had facilitated the "steady advance of the working class"
96
Who argued that Bernstein had been correct?
Crosland
97
Crosland magnum opus?
The Future of Socialism 1956
98
What was Crosland's aims and methods argument and why was it essential to revisionist socialism?
Socialists were confusing the aims of socialism - justice and better conditions for the working class - with the methods, which were speculative revolution and nationalisations. The true objective of socialism was now, in contradiction to Marxist theory, accomplishable through state-directed capitalism. Socialists must accept this
99
What was the aim of socialism according to Crosland?
Greater degrees of equality
100
What system did Crosland believe had allowed the aims of socialism to be reconciled with capitalism? CRITICAL evaluation?
Keynesianism - a form of capitalism that created perpetual growth, full employment and greater degrees of equality than before
Keynesianism was hit hard during the final years of Crosland's life by unanticipated supply-side shocks and subsequent inflationary pressure. According to Keynesian theory - which was unfinished with regard to the supply-side due to the premature death of John Maynard Keynes following the Bretton-Woods Conference - this was not expected. Governments floundered, all while the benefits of Keynesianism evaporated as tax revenues fell and inequality worsened
101
What key class change did Crosland identify?
The expansion of "new classes" such that class structure was "infinitely more complex than Marx could ever have imagined"
102
What was Crosland's ideal economy - free-market or command?
A mixture of both - a "mixed" economy he argued had been created by the Labour Government of which he had been a part
103
What did Crosland think about conservatism and where did he postulate this?
Conservatism was simply reactionary politics made respectable - it normalised outmoded and regressive attitudes, furiously stating that "conservatives conserve no principles"
1962 The Conservative Enemy
104
What did Crosland's later works focus on?
Other issues restricting society, notably education
105
What did Crosland believe the solution to the problem of class was? How can we compare this to other socialist thinkers? Why does Crosland think it?
Education - 1965-67 education secretary and introduces comprehensive schools. Will break down class barriers
He believes class has become complex, with many more "managerial" and technocratic classes emerging. He also believes that class has gone beyond the economic, particularly in the UK, and become a cultural institution. Other socialists after him will definitely embrace education, but it is a relatively novel idea which borrows a lot from liberalism
106
What crucial fact complicated Marxist class analysis according to Crosland?
The link between ownership and management of the factors of production had been broken by the emergence of a managerial class
107
What did Crosland describe the mixed economy as?
a "pragmatic blend of private and public ownership", with public ownership focussed in areas where the market would otherwise fail
108
How did Crosland act on his belief that the mixed economy had gone far enough?
1959 - Hugh Gaitskell calls a special conference, which Crosland sponsors, to remove Clause IV from the party's constitution to make it electable again. Clause IV had been introduced in 1918, largely with the support of the Webbs, to commit Labour to democratic socialism
109
How could we evaluate Marx and Engels' criticism of capitalism as cyclical and inefficient in the Keynesian era? Counter-eval to this?
With direct state control of economics, instability was not supposed to happen
By the 2008 financial crisis, we had lost control again
110
Fundamentally, why did Crosland like capitalism? Eval?
It generated the wealth that socialist governments could then redistribute
Excessive redistribution didn't help capitalism in the long-run
111
How was Crosland's vision compatible with the welfare state?
Tax revenues from growth would form the basis of the Keynesian welfare state
112
3 reasons orthodox socialists generally believe that capitalism is anathema to socialism?
1. Private property is against the core aims of socialism, notably equality
2. Democratic socialists like Webb believed that efficient state ownership was more efficient than private ownership
3. Crosland's vision of a Keynesian ascendancy failed in the 1970s, as pointed out by thinkers like Tony Benn
113
3 reasons revisionist socialists generally believe that capitalism is compatible with socialism?
1. Crosland - best way to generate wealth for redistribution. Means not ends of socialism
2. Bernstein believed that history had proven the dialectic wrong - with working conditions for the proletariat improving. The prospect of continued improvement was made yet more likely by an expanding franchise
3. Giddens, and to a lesser extent the Frankfurt School - with globalisation in the driving seat, it is now too late to "get rid" of private property
114
What is Third Way socialism often described as?
"Neo-revisionism"
115
Who developed Third Way socialism?
Anthony Giddens in the 1990s
116
Evidence Giddens considered himself the successor to Crosland?
1998 - The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy was the full title of his book
117
2 governments who were influenced by Giddens' thought?
1. Gerhard Schroder: 1998-2005, Germany, SPD
2. Tony Blair/Gordon Brown: 1997-2010, UK, Labour
118
4 key similarities between Crosland's and Giddens' socialism?
1. Anti-revolutionary
2. Public spending rather than public ownership
3. Capitalism rather than communism
4. Clause IV is obsolete
119
When did Clause IV die?
1995
120
4 absolutely key contexts that gave rise to the Third Way instead of traditional social democracy?
1. The fall of the USSR and the end of the socialist "last best hope on Earth"
2. Decline of traditional working class - Giddens' "EMBOURGEOISEMENT"
3. Effect of Thatcherism and the neoliberal right
4. Globalisation and the irreversibility of private property
121
Who acknowledged the decline of the traditional working class and its effect on socialism, and quote to show this?
Anthony Giddens with EMBOURGEOISEMENT
"By 1995, more people in the UK had mortgage accounts than trade union membership cards"
122
Is Giddens first and foremost a political theorist?
No, he mainstreams as a sociologist, where he is the most cited sociologist in the world
123
What was Giddens' first foray into political thought and what did he say?
1994 Beyond Left and Right
1. Neoliberal capitalism and rugged individualism had a "corrosive" effect on both communities and more general fraternity
2. But capitalism was too incumbent to dislodge. Instead, governments should work above and around capitalism.
124
What was Crosland's next book and the key context?
1998 The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy
Written in 1997 as Giddens witnesses the rise of New Labour
125
What was the key concept in Giddens' second book and why did Giddens think it necessary?
THE TRIANGULATION
1. Capitalism had an unmatched ability to make people better off and drive historical progress
2. But without communities, capitalism had, despite all this progress, made people less happy
3. A TRIANGULATION could combine the "best of both worlds"
126
2 reasons Giddens felt that a triangulation was especially necessary?
1. Post-industrial class structure - individuals left without their fellowship - "POST FORDIST"
2. ATOMISM and the "corrosive" impact of neoliberalism
127
What was Giddens' great irony?
That the "individualisation of society might result in less individualism" because individuals find it harder to "self-actualise" without the support of communities
128
Who would individuals defer to in Giddens' atomised society if communities were defunct?
Cultural and political elites
129
How did Giddens reflect other thinkers from the right?
Similar to Phillip Blond, who argues that a society must be carved out of a state increasingly pre-occupied with the state OR the market and not both
130
Why was Giddens' view of economics controversial?
Justified wider inequality and austerity in the name of generating the wealth necessary for the neoliberal state to work
131
Key cheeky comment on Giddens?
In many ways, he represents the kind of Hegelian fusion that Marx had foresaw in capitalism's decline
132
What was the Third Way fusion?
Neoliberal economics and the social democratic society
133
Why did Giddens believe that neoliberalism was inevitable?
1. It worked better than Keynesianism at generating wealth
2. Keynesianism had been subsidised by empire-wealth and also by limited globalisation, both of which the UK had outlived
134
Evidence the New Labour government embraced a kind of Gidden-esque economic programme?
Public-private partnerships with "internal markets" in the NHS
135
What term describes how Giddens' ideology rebalanced social democracy's economic thought and who coined the term?
The "re-mixed economy"
IT IS NOT AN OFFICIAL TERM, I literally cannot find it anywhere
136
What does cultural equality mean in the context of Giddens' work?
Socialism should place more emphasis on cultural equality, particularly those of minority groups. With class no longer a key determinant, and more minorities in society than ever before, the socialist state must come to embrace cultural equality and inclusion
137
Key Giddens quote about cultural equality?
Society "more diverse, multi-racial and cosmopolitan" than in the 1950s
138
Evidence New Labour embraced the cultural equality part of Giddens' work?
116 individual measures in the 2010 Equality Act and promoted some inclusion initiatives including promoting adoption by same-sex couples
139
How could we contextualise New Labour's support for devolution and democratising reforms?
Reflects Giddens' belief that democracy should be devolved and power decentralised
140
Which socialist argued for a major decentralising and devolution of state power?
Giddens
141
"Giddens' emphasis on cultural equality shares much with Friedan and modern liberals."
Is this a fair assessment?
Though Giddens certainly shares ideas with Friedan and other liberals, the emphasis is arguably different. For Giddens, a socialist, the emphasis is on ensuring social cohesion, validating minority communities and building a society based on solidarity. For Friedan and the liberals, the emphasis is on empowering individuals who find themselves trapped by the constraints of this society. The emphasis in Giddens' work is very much on the society and the collective
142
Why did Giddens emphasise the decentralisation of political power? Furthermore, why did this bring him into conflict with many other socialists?
1. Giddens stressed the importance of diverse communities, and also saw the free market as essential. He didn't envisage a central role for the state
Many socialists argued that the achievement of socialism's sweeping objectives, particularly those inconsistent with the free market, were impossible
143
Why did Giddens emphasise the role of society?
EMULATING THE IDEAS OF PHILLIP BLOND - the gap between the state and the market is society. Giddens believed the market could be powerful, but without being sovereign, whilst the state could be rolled back and decentralised. Implicitly, this means that society would become more important
144
3 evidences for why Giddens characterised himself as socialist?
1. Labour financed an 8% rise in public spending
2. Introduction of Sure Start - 7 pound saved for every 1 spent
3. What Blair termed "renewed equality of opportunity"
145
2 reasons many socialists rejected Giddens' point of view as socialism? Example?
1. Widening income and wealth inequality not socialist
2. Equality of opportunity is a fiction without some degree of equality of outcome
John McDonnell
146
Is there evidence that Blair and New Labour began to accept the criticism that Giddens' doctrine could never create equality of opportunity?
Yes. They switched from terms like "equal opportunities" to "opportunities for everyone" and "better opportunities for all"
147
What evidence from 1997 vindicates John McDonnell's view?
1997 manifesto - no mention of socialism
148
How could we link Rawls and Giddens?
Both Giddens and Rawls:
1. Support a free market economy
2. Desire equality of opportunity
3. Embrace tolerance
But the difference is that:
1. Rawls sees communities as a limit on individuals
2. Giddens sees communities as paramount, with individuals dependent on the support and validation of communities in social life
149
Why is socialism's resurgence interesting?
By 2000, many declared socialism dead, a bygone experiment which perished with the USSR
150
Why didn't socialism die with the end of the Cold War?
The crises in capitalism in 2008/09 and the 2012 Greek Debt Crisis
151
2 reasons Corbyn was popular?
1. Nuanced anti-Brexit stance
2. Generation Rent - both 2017 and 2019 the most popular party for 18-40 year olds
152
Evidence America hasn't turned away from socialism either?
Sanders, King and AOC - Sanders ran for President in 2016 and 2020
153
When evaluating whether socialism is still important today...
Remember that socialism is not just about economics. Socialists like Giddens have continued to successfully argue that the promotion of community and equality are important elements of socialism
154
Example of a thinker who allows us to say that socialism lives on even if redistributive economics are gone?
jorjor wel
Criticised those who minimise socialism to the economic - socialism is about "justice and common decency" - Road to Wigan Pier
155
Who argued that, further than socialist economics being redundant, collectivism was dead? Can we evaluate this?
Francis Fukuyama with his End of History - argued that individualism had triumphed
This has not stood the test of time
156
3 reasons COVID-19 empowered socialism?
1. Big state
2. Need of society over that of individuals
3. Renewed emphasis of the impact on the worst off in society
157
What challenge does socialism face in the 2020s?
Cultural problems - the working class, traditionally the strongest supporters of socialism, have largely gone to the populist right, whereas the educated elites who used to be neoliberal have gone socialist
158
Evidence for an anti-woke cultural realignment hurting socialism?
2019 - Conservatives win the more votes among C2DE than ABC1 for the first time in history
159
What key development will be key to watch as socialism moves into the future?
Whether socialism can be fastened to social conservatism to win back the support of culturally disillusioned working class voters
160
Would there be private ownership in a communist society, according to Marx and Engels?
No - draws on Rousseau with the condemnation of private property
161
What key comment on Marx's view of human nature does Luxemburg make?
Human nature is not as damaged as Marx believed - spontaneous revolution is possible. Observes working class solidarity, even under capitalism
162
What is Crosland's main view of human nature?
Humans have an innate sense of fairness and object by instinct to huge inequalities
163
Giddens argues that human nature has been shaped by socio-economic conditions. What does he argue it represents in the 21st century?
There remains a strong pro-fairness instinct, but it now competes with an increasing sense of individual aspiration
164
Does Giddens characterise embourgeoisement as good or bad?
Neither, but he does characterise it as irreversible, and argues that socialists must accept this in their reforms
165
How could we evaluate Giddens' idea that the neoliberal economy will provide huge tax yields?
Stuttering growth since 2008 and an average tax burden of 1/3
What a dork
166
Key debates within socialism vis-a-viz human nature?
1. All socialists believe human nature is flexible
2. But some socialists, e.g. Marx, believe socialism is unduly susceptible to economic circumstances
3. Others, such as Giddens and Luxemburg, say that human nature can survive even under capitalism in a relatively untarnished form
167
Key debates within socialism about society?
1. All socialists see society as a key determinant of behaviour, and reject the liberal and New Right argument that it doesn't matter or comes tertiary to individual experience
2. Some socialists emphasise class difference to a greater degree than others
3. Furthermore, some socialists believe more in the viability and efficiency of revolution than others
168
On what area do socialists arguably have the greatest disagreement?
The state
169
What major disagreements exist within socialism regarding economics?
1. Marx, Engels and Luxemburg - private property inhospitable
2. Webb - state ownership best
3. Crosland - pragmatic mixed
4. Giddens - neoliberal economics, socialist state
170
