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Tenssions within Socialism - Coggle Diagram
Tenssions within Socialism
Human Nature
AGREE
: All human nature is malleable and improvable
Revolutionary socialists
: Revolutionary socialism will reform human nature from its 'false consciousness' of selfishness to its natural fraternal and altruistic tendencies
Democratic Socialists
: human nature needs to be guided gradually back to its original, cooperative position
Social democrats/3rd way
: human nature has an innate sense of fairness but the free-market has instilled a sharpened sense of individual aspiration
AGREE
: All have a positive and upbeat view of human nature and it's rationality
Revolutionary Socialists (Marx)
: Historical materialism and dialectical change mean the working class will instinctively form class consciousness, leading them to make the 'rational' decision to revolt and seize the means of production
Social democracy/Third way
: the rationality of human nature means that they can be trusted take risks in the free-markets which are motivated by their own self-interest
DISAGREE
: All have different views over the effect of capitalism on human nature
Revolutionary/Democratic Socialists
: capitalism has corrupted human nature, therefore communism and the common ownership of production is needed to restore its communal and fraternal tendencies
Social democrats/3rd way
: capitalism can actually bring out positive aspects of human nature. An innate sense of fairness is now enhanced with a sharpened sense of individual aspiration, resulting in human nature's ability to innovate and enhance society
The State
AGREE
: All believe that a state is necessary for the promotion of core socialist values
Revolutionary/democratic socialists
: The state is vital in ensuring the common ownership of the means of production as well as distributing societal resources and responsibilities 'according to need'
Social democrats
: A strong welfare state maintained by high taxes is vital in ensuring equality of outcome and social justice
3rd way
: A state is necessary to privatise multiple industries, using government money for 'social investment' and reducing dependency on welfare and benefits
DISAGREE
: the type of state which best delivers socialist values
Revolutionary/democratic socialists
: A state which rejects capitalism and is based upon the common ownership of the means of production, which distributes resources 'to each according to his need
Social democrats
: The state should partly own the means of production - the mixed economy will strike the balance between enterprise of the free market and equality of outcome delivered by a welfare state
3rd way
: the existing liberal state should be improved, redistributing centralised power (privatisation) and using free-market generated funds to heavily invest in education and public services
DISAGREE
: The way to bring about a socialist state
Revolutionary socialists
: The proletariate must group together and overthrow the current capitalist state. It should then be replaced by a fully publicly owned system based on the common ownership of the means of production.
Democratic socialists
: common ownership can be achieved gradually through existing democratic systems. The gradual but sure expansion of the state is vital in steering the state towards true socialism
Social democrats
: the government should run a mixed economy, nationalising industries which fail to deliver an adequate public benefit. progressive taxation should be used to fund a large welfare state
3rd way
: the government should privatise large parts of the economy to liberate the markets and generate more public money for social investment, This should go hand in hand with domestic before to encourage greater political participation
Society
AGREE
: Society is the crucial determinant of our personalities and human nature
Revolutionary/democratic socialists
: the poverty and inequalities of capitalism depress human potential and encourage greed and selfishness
Social democrats/3rd way
: capitalist society has given individuals a heightened sense of self-interest but at the same time humans have recognised inequality which has given them a pro-fairness instinct
DISAGREE
: socialists disagree over the relevance of class in society
Revolutionary/democratic socialists
: Society is ridden by class conflict, capitalist society encourages friction between the bourgeoise and proletariat which will inevitably lead to a socialist state
Social democracy
: class structures are becoming increasingly complex, it is too simple to categorise everyone as middle class and working class. There are new classes such as 'meritocratic' managers and 'classless' technocrats.
3rd way
: Pro-fordist capitalism has meant the reduced influence of industrialisation. Society has become a more atomised place where people can work for themselves to achieve their individual aspirations
DISAGREE
: All socialists disagree over how society can be improved
Revolutionary socialism
: the only way to fix society is through a revolution and the destruction of capitalism
Democratic socialists
: society should be gradually improved through constant democratic steps to gradually expand the state. The end goal is to achieve common ownership.
Social democrats
: A fairer society can be achieved through establishing a mixed economy with high taxes and a large welfare state to improve the lives of the poor
3rd way
: Society can be improved through embracing the free market and spending large amounts on social investment
AGREE
: All believe society should be a fairer place were the lives of the poorest are improved
Revolutionary/democratic socialists
: society must be reformed either through revolution or democratic processes. The current society presses the proletariat and a socialist society based on common ownership will prevent exploitation of capitalism
Social democracy
: A mixed economy with high taxes must fund a large welfare state to facilitate the poorest members of society. This welfare state must deliver greater equality of outcome and social justice
3rd way
: the embracement of the free-market should raise more public money for use in 'social investment' in areas such as education, encouraging more children to make the most of their opportunities in life
The Economy
AGREE
: the economy should improve the lives of the working classes
Revolutionary+Democratic Socialists (Marx, Luxembourg,Webb)
: the economy should be based on common ownership of production to prevent exploitation of workers
Social Democracy+3rd Way (Crosland, Giddens)
: The economy must deliver greater equality through increased public spending
DISAGREE
: The compatibility of socialism with capitalism
Revolutionary+Democratic socialists
: capitalist economy fundamentally incompatible with socialism.
Social Democrats
: Mixed economy can deliver benefits of capitalism whilst maintaining strong support for working classes
3rd way
: free-markets should be embraced as individual aspiration can motivate more people to innovate and enhance society
DISAGREE
: The methods of achieving a socialist economy
Revolutionary Socialists
: only a revolution which will seize the means of the production to create widespread common ownership
Democratic Socialists
: Common ownership of the means of production should be achieved through evolutionary democratic process. The gradual expansion of the state is paramount.
Social democrats
: the mixed economy with high tax and spending on public welfare will deliver more equality of outcome in society
3rd way
: The free market should be embraced and used by the government to generate mass public wealth. These funds should then be targeted at education and healthcare to create true equality of opportunity
AGREE
: The free market has moulded and impacted human nature
Revolutionary+Democratic Socialists
: capitalism has created a 'false consciousness' in humans of selfishness and greed.
Social Democracy/Third way
: Human nature has an innate instinct for solidarity and fairness but free-market has tightened sense of individual aspiration