Socialism and Communism

1
Socialism and Communism

• Seeking Utopia

2
Socialism defined

• Text 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 individuals as individuals.

3
Socialism

• Ancient roots Judeo-Christian belief in the
  common good, which takes precedence over
  individual desires
• Term socialism coined in 1827 by British
  socialist Robert Owen to describe his view of a
  cooperative new society.

4
Socialisms emergence

• Liberal political parties in 19th century Europe
  failed to address the desperate needs of working
  people.
• Classical liberalism views poverty as an
  individual choice or failure, not the result of
  social structures. Also suspicious of big
  government.
• Socialism provides a different conception of
  individual responsibility of government.

5
Socialism

• In England, socialism became a political
  movement in 1884, with the creation of the
  Fabians, who provided the basis for the new
  Labour Party. Many Labour governments since,
  including the current
• government of
• Prime Minister
• Tony Blair.

6
Socialisms 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 societys wealth.
• Moralism. Division of rich poor is evil
  capitalism is fundamentally unjust. Instead, the
  ideal future emphasizes peace, social justice and
  true liberty for all. 

7
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 equality.

8
Social democracy

• Socialist political parties compete and win
  office in every western democracy except the
  United States.
• Argentina Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada,
  Colombia, Denmark, Fiji, France, Germany, India,
  Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Netherland, Puerto
  Rico, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Venezuela.
• Why might this be so? Whats different about the
  U.S.?

9
Democratic Socialists of America

• Democratic Socialists believe that both the
  economy and society should be run
  democraticallyto meet public needs, not to make
  profits for a few. many structures of our
  government and economy must be radically
  transformed so that ordinary Americans can
  participate in the many decisions that affect our
  lives.
• http//www.dsausa.org/dsa.html

10
Social democracys similarities with Marxism

• Sees capitalism as exploitive, leading to social
  injustice and extreme income inequality.
• These economic conditions have adverse effects on
  ordinary working people in terms of physical
  health, psychological well-being, housing,
  education, etc.

11
Social democracys similarities with Marxism

• Both ask the question why should those who
  provide the money (capital) receive all the
  profits, and those who provide the labor receive
  none of the profits?
• It is labor, after all, that turns raw materials
  (including cash) into something with greater
  value.

12
Social democracys differences from Marxism

• Private property not abolished, but the public
  should control the use of property and make
  necessities available to all.
• Individual rights not abolished but should
  complement other important values such as concern
  for others.
• Change can occur through an evolutionary process
  that uses democratic means.

13
Marxs view of social democracy

• Karl Marx said social democrats were naive to
  think that enlightened capitalists would join
  with workers to form a new society.
• Violent revolution was inevitable.

14
Karl Marx

• German political thinker in 19th century.
• Did most of his work in Britain.
• Influenced by German philosopher Hegel.
• Published Communist Manifesto in 1848 with
  co-author Frederick Engels.
• Wrote multi-volume Capital (Das Kapital),
  starting in 1867.

15
Karl Marx

• Studied British economic records for 20 years to
  develop theory that everything is based on the
  economic system politics,
• law, social structures,
• family relations,
• even religious belief.

16
Define

• Bourgeois modern capitalists who own the means
  of production and therefore get to keep all the
  profits.
• Today, this would include major stockholders in
  corporations.

17
Define

• Proletarians modern wage laborers who sell their
  labor to live and dont get any of the profits
  that they help to create.
• This includes everyone who is not a stockholder
  or owner of capital, even professionals who work
  for a salary.

18
Karl Marxs key ideas

• Economic systems go through historic cycles.
  Over time, an economic system becomes rigid and
  cannot adjust to new technologies, so a new
  system emerges, with new class relations and
  oppression.
• Someday, a perfect classless society will emerge
  and there will be no further cycles.

19
Marxs key ideas

• 1. Slave system gave way to feudal economy
• 2. Feudal economy broke down with growth of
  manufacturing, towns, navigation
  transportation, emergence of middle class
• 3. Industrial capitalism emerged, with only two
  classes proletariat and bourgeoisie.

20
Industrial Capitalism Negative Effects

• Destroys important human values, replacing even
  religious belief with naked exploitation.
• Undermines an individuals sense of personal
  value in ones work.
• Undermines human relationships all relationships
  are based on cash.
• Destroys human freedom. The only freedom it
  protects is free trade.

21
Industrial Capitalism Positive Effects

• Unprecedented exploration and technological
  advancements.
• War less likely.
• Urbanization opens peoples minds to new ideas.
• Economic production centralized, leading to
  favorable conditions for communism to emerge.

22
From Communist Manifesto

• The bourgeoisie has created enormous cities,
  has greatly increased the urban population as
  compared with the rural, and has thus rescued
  a considerable part of the population from the
  idiocy of rural life. The bourgeoisie, during
  its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created
  more massive and more colossal productive forces
  than have all preceding generations together
  railways, electric telegraphs, clearing of whole
  continents for cultivation, canalization of
  rivers.

23
Communist Revolution Inevitable

• Capitalism creates huge factories. Workers
  become concentrated and begin to organize for
  legal reforms (higher wages/better working
  conditions). Their effort fails.
• Fierce competition between capitalists leads to
  new technologies, which leads to lower costs.

24
Communist Revolution Inevitable

• In the competition, some capitalists go bankrupt
  have to become workers, and many workers lose
  their jobs as new technology replaces them.
• (Consider reports that U.S. workers
  productivity is going up. Fewer workers are
  making more goods, which means technology is
  replacing them.)

25
Communist Revolution Inevitable

• Greater numbers of people permanently unemployed.
  Misery widespread.
• Fewer people can afford the products of
  capitalists, so fewer companies survive.
• Class struggle reaches a climax.
• Conditions now ripe for revolution. The
  proletariat, having nothing to lose but their
  chains, rise up.

26
Communist Revolution

• Revolution will eliminate private property. No
  longer will man have the means of exploiting
  another man.
• Bourgeoisie will fight, so revolution will be
  violent.
• A dictatorship of the proletariat will follow to
  weed out remaining capitalist elements.

27
The Workers Utopia

• In the end, a classless society with no more
  oppression or internal contradictions.
• People will be free to choose how they labor, and
  can be creatively productive. They will be able
  to live to their fullest potential. Consider the
  description in Marxs Communist Manifesto in 1845

28
The Workers Utopia

• In communist society, nobody has one exclusive
  sphere of activity but each can become
  accomplished in any branch he wishes, to hunt in
  the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle
  in the evening, criticize after dinner, without
  ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or
  critic.

29
Questions

• 1. What is the meaning of socialism?
• 2. Who coined term socialism ?
• 3. Classical liberalism views poverty as an
  individual choice or failure, not the result of
  social structures. Also suspicious of big
  government. What is your feeling about this
  statement. True or False and why?

30
Questions Define the following Words.

• 4. egalitarianism
• 5. equality
• 6. Humankind
• 7. Cooperative
• 8. Moralist.

31
Discussion Questions.

• 9. What is the definition of Social democracy?
  Explain in detail.
• 10. Socialist political parties compete and win
  office in every western democracy except the
  United States.
• Argentina Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada,
  Colombia, Denmark, Fiji, France, Germany, India,
  Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Netherland, Puerto
  Rico, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Venezuela.
• Why might this be so? Whats different about the
  U.S.?

32
Discussion Questions.

• 11. Explain what a Democratic Socialists is?
• 12. Why should those who provide the money
  (capital) receive all the profits, and those who
  provide the labor receive none of the profits?

33
Questions Define.

• 13. Bourgeois
• 14. Proletarians
• 15. Idiocy