-Social we are social animals, preferring to live together rather

Socialism Human nature -Social – we are social animals, preferring to live together rather than on our own -Capable of collective action – working together, achieve more collectively -Human nature is shaped by social conditions – social experiences shape us e.g. growing up in poverty increases criminal likeliness People will engage more in society if it is equal Society is more of a utilitarian approach – society as a whole Some people should pay more tax so that it is equal. – managed equality with nigh taxation and large welfare state Democratic society Core ideas and principles of socialism and how they relate to

human nature, the state, society and the economy:

• Collectivism – to cover how collective human effort is both of greater practical value to the economy and moral value to society than the effort of individuals • Common Humanity – to cover the nature of humans as social creatures with a tendency to co-operation, sociability and rationality, and how the individual cannot be understood without reference to society, as human behaviour is socially determined • Equality – is a fundamental value of socialism – to cover the disagreements among socialists about the nature of equality and how it is critical to the state, society, economy and human nature • Social Class – a group of people in society who have the same socioeconomic status – to cover the extent to which class impacts on socialists’ views of society, the state and the economy • Workers’ Control − to cover the importance and the extent of control over the economy and/or state and how it is to be achieved.Collectivism Collective rather than individual effort = more achieved Prioritises group over individual – collective ownership, co-operative communities, nationalisation Competition is wasteful Prioritising group – more unity, looking after each other Moral – interests of group over individual. Generates social unity and responsibility to one another Economic – prevents waste and uses all capabilities 1.A society which prioritises the whole group rather than the individual 2.An economy which is equal and owned by all to ensure that individuals cooperate rather than compete 3.A large state (for most socialists) to ensure that the economy is managed (to create above 2 points) 1 / 2

Common humanity What is different about the ‘common humanity’ tenet and the ‘collectivism’ tenet?

1.Humans are a product of their society 2.Human are naturally inclined to work together/cooperate – they benefit from this in terms of social harmony (as opposed to competition, which breeds conflict) 3.Humans can, and should, be driven by moral rather than material motivations e.g to improve their society, to help the least fortunate etc 4.People who co-operate develop connections and understanding which enable them to become aware of what they share rather than what divides them Cooperation - individuals working collectively to achieve mutual benefit with the fraternal belief that humans work best when working together Fraternity - humans regarding each other as siblings rather than individuals.Relationships are not based on competition or hostility but on generosity and solidarity Common ownership - common ownership is the opposite of private ownership that exists with the free-market capitalist economy. Common ownership means that the state and the public have the ownership of property and economy Mixed economy - an economic system that combines private and state enterprise Keynesian economics - economist John Maynard Keynes argued that governments should stimulate economic demand in times of recession via state spending. Government should also state manage the economy by using tax and interest rates to influence demand and prevent recessions Evolutionary socialism - rather than a radical change, via a revolution, socialism is achieved gradually within pre existing parliamentary structure.Socialism will therefore emerge in a gradual piecemeal fashion via the state Capitalism - an economic system, organised by the market, and based on private property, free enterprise and competition between individuals and companies

• types of socialists

Revolutionary – Marxist – left wing/communist Democratic socialist – gradual reform of capitalism, less radical than Marx Social democrat – moderate – post war 1940s government Third way – more in favour of free market and competition Revolutionary socialism – Karm Marx and Friedrich Engels (Rosa Luxemburg) – argues socialist values cannot coexist within capitalism and therefore there must be a revolution to transform society and the economy.    Evolutionary socialism   –   argues that change should happen gradually.  Democratic socialism – Beatrice Webb – argued capitalism could be gradually reformed via parliament to achieve a socialist state. Advocated

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