6. An optimistic view of human nature Humans are essentially social, cooperative and altruistic. Where it is not, this is the fault of nurture rather than nature. Human nature is ‘plastic’.
9. Collectivism A belief that humans operate best in cooperative social groups. A belief that humans working collaboratively are more efficient than humans working in a selfish, competitive environment.
22. Revolutionary socialism Revolutionary socialists seek the complete overthrow of the capitalist economy and state, and the achievement of an egalitarian society based upon common ownership. However, they disagree upon the details of how to achieve this.
26. Evolutionary socialism Evolutionary socialists seek the gradual reform by the parliamentary road i.e. by the ballot box rather than by a mass uprising of workers. They have, therefore, accepted the liberal framework of pluralist, parliamentary democracy. Their goals are usually – but not always – more limited and moderate than those of the revolutionary communists.
29. Utopian socialism A utopia is any ideal society, system or way of life. Utopianism – devised by Thomas More in Utopia - is a form of theorising about a perfect but non-existent society. The positive concept of utopianism implies a highly optimistic view of human nature as perfectible The negative concept of utopianism implies an over-optimistic view of human nature and an idealistic, moralistic style of theorising that envisages an unattainable fantasy.
31. Utopian socialists Robert Owen (1771-1858, British) Charles Fourier (1772-1837, French) Etienne Cabet (1788-1858, American) Each tried to build a utopia that would counter the evils of industrial society and allow humans to flourish and rational and fulfilled beings. Owen’s community was renowned for good quality housing and education. Fourier saw sexual liberation as a necessary aspect of human liberation. Cabet envisaged a centralised state in which material wealth would be shared equally.
35. Marxism Marxism is a materialist theory – it sees economic factors as primary. Engels applied the label of ‘dialectical materialism’ to Marx’s theory of historical progress through economic conflict. Marxism perceives human nature as a series of class societies, most of which contain 2 main classes: a ruling class and a subject class.
52. Parliamentary socialism Evolutionary socialists have largely revised or abandoned the original and fundamentalist principles of revolutionary theory, and now seek gradual reform by the parliamentary road. They see socialism as an end in itself rather than as a transitional phase towards classless communism, and their goals are usually more limited than those of communism.
58. Democratic socialism versus social democracy In the first half of the 20th century, parliamentary socialists pursued radical, left-wing democratic socialism. It sought extensive state nationalisation, redistribution and welfarism, together with the acceptance of some private ownership. The UK Labour Party’s Clause Four, symbolised this. In the economic boom that followed WW2, most parliamentary socialists came to embrace a revisionist form of socialism – Keynesian social democracy – which practised the politics of social justice redefined as moderate redistribution and welfare in a mixed, mainly private economy.
