Socialism Divisions
Classical Marxism
Neo Marxism
Orthodox Communism
Democratic Socialism
Social Democracy/ Classical Revisionism
Third Way
Summary
Starting point for all socialism
Capitalism was the root of exploitation
Capitalism was doomed to fail as exploitation would result in the proletariat class consciousness, and thus revolution.
Dictatorship of the proletariat would redistribute and reeducate all, leading to a utopian society and no state.
Communism would be the end of history.
Historicism
Marx and Engels argued that history was a series of stages, moving towards an inevitable destination
In each stage, there is an intellectual clash, Hegel described as dialectic- official narrative propounded by the ruling class no longer corresponds with the perceptions of the majority.
Led to alienation, which would ultimately form a new society, until the next wave of alienation.
Marx and Engels said that mentality would be defined by economics historical materialism
This caused ’dialectical materialism’ where economic interests, not ideas were conflicted.
‘Smash’ capitalism with revolutionary violence.
Organic revolution had not occurred as Marx noted.
Some states did not have the conditions to revolt organically as capitalism had not been fundamental enough to highlight false class consciousness.
Despite this, the proposed utopia of socialism was wanted, without having to ensure many more decades of oppressive rule, and the struggles of a developing capitalist economy.
Lenin
Prevent the masses from developing sympathy for capitalistic values (false consciousness) which would impact the prevalence of socialism.
Luxemburg endorsed this argument, but only as far as under-developed societies were concerned.
Admired Lenin’s impatience for socialism.
Argued it could make socialism for the already industrialised irrelevant, such as Germany.
Disputes between Lenin and Luxemburg
Lenin stressed the importance of a revolutionary elite.
The elite would:
- Plan to overthrow the existing regime
- Organise revolution
- Educating the masses into basic values of socialism
- Form new organisation: the Communist Party
Dictatorship of the proletariat and direct all aspects of society (democratic centralism)
Upheld by Stalin, following Lenin’s death.
Stalin promoted the the idea of ‘socialism in one country’
The Soviet Union would isolate itself from the outside world and thereafter promote a form of ‘socialist nationalism’.
Maoism
Mao refined the ‘permanent revolution’ to the notion of an ongoing cultural revolution.
Campaign of persecution against any aspect of Traditional Chinese culture which legitimised inequality and ‘anti-socialist’ values.
As with Stalin, millions died or disappeared in this process.
MOre recently seen in Cuba, with Fidel Castro, governing on th basis of democratic centralism.
The state in all these regimes became ever more pervasive.
Luxemburg’s ideas are considered more compelling brand of revolutionary socialism.
Early
Late
Associated with bourgeois intellectuals and the Fabian Society.
A strand of socialism that proved vital to the development of the Labour Party.
Webb expressed fundamentalist-socialist creed by aiming to
’Secure for the producers by hand and by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof… upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production.’
Rejection of revolutionary methods as they were ‘chaotic, inefficient and counter-productive’, the same problem of unpredictability besetting capitalism.
Aimed for a more planned, ‘rational’ society.
Extension of suffrage had facilitated more orderly, election-based progression towards post-capitalist soicety.
‘Inevitably of gradualism’ would transform society via the existing parliamentary system, replacing society with one based on common ownership and public control.
Capitalism was the principle cause of crippling poverty, fostered unnatural levels of selfishness.
Neither paternalism nor philanthropy was a sustainable solution to the problems of inequality.
But through vigorous trade unionism and state intervention
Clement Atlee’s government following 1945 general election duly implemented a series of measures that had been carefully discussed beforehand
Introduction of welfare state and the nationalisation of private services to promote progress towards a fairer post-capitalist society.
Benn believed in fundamentalist socialism, proving the impossibility of achieving socialism in a capitalist society, following the ‘failure’ of Wilson- Callaghan governments.
Drastic public spending cuts in 1976 made by Labour government under pressure from the IMF underlined danger of socialist governments reducing capitalism.
He did not accept evolutionary socialism as invalidated.
Adjustments included:
- Resotration of parliamentary sovereignty by withdrawing from the European Economic Community.
- Parliamentary reform such as abolition of HoL
- Resistance by socialist governments to capitalist interests (investment in trade unions)
Eurocommunism
Capitalism should be gradually decommissioned via parliamentary methods and evolutionary socialism.
Communist parties in the 1970s in Western Europe distanced themselves from the Soviet Union, establishing themselves radical yet respectable.
French Communist Party rejected Marxist-Leninism
They insteasd contested elections, occupying positions of executive power within the distinguished constituional system.
Influenced by Gramsci who founded the Italian Communist Party.
Capitalism could never be overthrown without mass public support.
Ruling class hegemonic ideology made this difficult, so socialist change must be brought about by a counter-culture- not merely in the workplace like Marxist Leninists prescribed.
This would be more persuasive through the legitimisation of parties winning routine elections and responsibility in government.
Existing liberal bourgeois state could accommodate meaningful change such as nationalisation.
Rejected inevitability and desirability of revolution.
Rejected the dictatorship of the proletariat, reworking Marx’s historical materialism.
Communism would still be the end of history when the capitalist state eventually withers away.
Anti-separatist
- Sceptical of capitalism (revise)
- Democracy will lead to Socialists approaches through enfranchisement
- Nationalise industries.
- Revise capitalism
- Pro democracy
- Mixed economy not just nationalisation (where areas are working)
- Mainstream liberalism in 2023
- Giddens
- Pro capitalism
- Pro democracy
- Global politics
- Top down economy
- Socially progressive, economic liberal.
Marx
Capitaliism creates the seeds of its own destruction in the form of the exploited and downtrodden.
Work underpinned by historical materialism and a dialectic approach.
Society can bbe broken down by looking at the history of money, until communism.
A process that drives social change.
Social class can be distinguished on the basis of the means of production.
The proletariat are the 'gravediggers of capitalism'
Short term dictatorship of the proletariat.
Capitalism and the nature of such, dissolves meaningful relationships that hold society together.
The fraternity is generated by an equitable distribution of wealth.would free us from environmental destructiveness and rampant consumerism.
Evaluation No examples of communist societoies in the way he envisaged.
Marx was supported by bourgeoisie wealth in order for him to write.
Quotes
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose except your chains.
Engels
Bloody revolution, like Marx his entire outlook was shaped by historical materialsim.
Revolutionary socialist, holding libertarian beliefs.
Concerned over risk of dictatorship.
'Nor merely is its performance a duty toward the proletariat, but our solution offers the only means of saving human society from destruction'.
Clause 4
Inevitably of gradualness
Expansion of the state (especially welfare state)
Coined the term collective bargaining in relation to trade unions,
Crosland
Post-war consensus
Implemented education reforms such as comprehensivisation
INterested in improving lives of working people
State managed capitalism/ Mixed economy
He challenged the Webb's' view of 'top-down' bureaucratic and centralising socialism with a more liberal view.
Giddens
'Hand ups not hand outs'
Equality of outcome become equality of opportunity.
Too complex to have an all-encompassing political ideology, so look for small and local incremental changes.
The Bristol Pound.
Role of the state
Improve and provide education
IMprove social infrastructure
Improve physical infrastructure.
Quotes
Help citizens pilot their way through the major revolutions of or time.
No single agent... can carry the hopes of humanity.
Bernstein
The condition of the working class was steadily improving under capitalism, especially in capitalist established societies.
Endorsed ideas promoted by early democratic socialists supporting laws extending trade unions rights and education for the working classes.
Such governments could insist appropriate conditions.
Struggle for socialism could coexist with an economy based on private property.
Keynesian Economics
Based on the work of liberal economist which involves the state managing market forces as to ensure steady growth and full employment.
Rise in public spending and thus greater equality.
Case for fundamentalist socialism had mainly disappeared.
Globalisation of capitalism was thought to have rendered much of the Keynesian economics redundant.
Failure of nationalised industries and the thriving privatisation ventures made support for a mixed economy outdated.
Aimed to reconcile the task of socialist parties seeking office with an electorate that was increasingly propertied, suburban and individualistic.
Globalisation and improved communications can be beneficial.
Leads to greater risks to jobs
Encourages privatisation and further deregulation.
Increasing equality of opportunity required more inequality of outcome.
Unequal outcomes correlated with increasing rates of economic growth, higher tax yield, lower public spending, and less opportunity.
Accepted by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown who renounced its Clause IV commitment to common ownership.
Criticisms included Tony Benn whose analysis of the Third Way represented a little more than paternalistic conservatism in an effort to make inequality of outcome more palatable while consolidating the position of very wealthy individuals.
Globalisation made governments less influential in economic spheres so Blair focussed on more social inequalities in race, gender and sexuality (e.g Legalisation of civil partnerships for gay couples)
Devolution acts were an example of sharing the political power equally.
Obliged to explain the survival of capitalism in Europe.
Like Gramsci, Marcuse and others embraced the idea of cultural hegemony.
Miliband
Argued capitalism's values do not simply infect the economy but also the arts, the media, and education.
Unlike Gramsci who believed in a counter vanguard infiltrating society, the Frankfurt School believed in Marx's vindication of revolution.
Capitalism was more resilient than Marx envisaged.
However, this was unlikely to happen, but needed to overthrow false consciousness.
Marcuse
A society's economic system would always shape the culture
Sought to demolish the idea that socialism could be achieved through gradualism.
Any socialist government had their ideas diluted.
The existing state would always protect the existing dominant economic class.
'State sponsored' pro- capitalist forces such as the civil services, the judiciary, the armed forces and the security services conspire to divert socialist government.