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Socialism. What to do about the rich getting richer?. Emergence of Socialism. Political parties in the 19 th century Europe failed to address the desperate needs of the working people.
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Emergence of Socialism • Political parties in the 19th century Europe failed to address the desperate needs of the working people. • Classical View: views poverty as an individual choice or failure, not the result of social structures. Also suspicious of big government.
Socialism • Socialism provides a different conception of individual responsibility and of government. • Governments own the means of production and operate them for the benefit of all people, rich and poor. • They believe that everyone , not just capitalists and factory owners, had a right to share in the profits.
Socialism • “An ideology arguing that citizens are best served by policies focused on meeting the basic needs of the entire society rather than on serving the needs of the individuals as individuals.”
Socialism • Socialist argued they needed to change ownership and operation of the means of production. • In England, socialism became a political movement in 1884. The Fabians, who provided the basis for the new “New Labor Party”.
Ancient Roots • Judeo-Christian belief in common good, which takes precedence over individual desires. • “Socialism” coined in 1827 by British socialist Robert Owen to describe his view of a cooperative new society.
Robert Owen • Owen believed that people who lived in a good environment would stop acting selfish. Owens also believed that workers should not be dependent on their employers. • He encouraged them to form unions. He proposed the formation of “villages of cooperation” in which the unemployed would be self supporting instead of relying on aid.
Socialism’s principles • Egalitarianism-or equality. Humankind will be unified and cooperative, once wealth is owned and used for the common good. Capitalism exploits the very people who create society’s wealth. • Moralism- Division of the rich and poor is evil; capitalism is fundamentally unjust. Instead, the ideal future emphasizes peace, social justice and true liberty for all.
The theories of Karl Marx • He believed that utopian socialism was impractical, and that the entire capitalist system should be destroyed. • He believed all great changes in history had come from changes in economic conditions. He further expressed that, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”
The theories of Karl Marx • Each stage of history involved inequality, and therefore a struggle, between those who own property and those who did not. • Marx argues that all wealth is created by labor. Under capitalism labor receives only a small fraction of the wealth it creates. • Society would be divided into two classes: Working class known as the proletariat and the owners or the bourgeoisie.
Social Democracy • A variation on socialism that argues that socialism and democracy can work together. • Example: British Labour Party • Change comes through peaceful democratic processes like elections. • Democratic governments should promote economic as well as political freedom and equality.
Democratic Socialists of America • “Democratic Socialists of America believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically-to meet the public needs, not to make profits for a few…many structures of our government and economy must be radically transformed…so that the ordinary Americans can participate in the decisions that affect our lives.” • http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html
