Political Ideologies: Socialism

Socialism is an ideology that has a range of economic and social systems characterised by social
proprietorship and democratic control of the means of production as well as the political beliefs,
theories, and movements that aim at their formation. Socialism has been theorised from the standpoint
of an economic system, a philosophy, or even a type of society. However, there is a conjunction on
socialism as an ideology which supports collective and as an economic/social system that seeks the
freedom of the oppressed in an unequal society. Boyle has noted that all socialist of all schools, are
agreed, as an abstract proposition, "the collective ownership and control of the means of production,
distribution and exchange, which can be operated "socially" for the equitable good of all" (1912).

The central concept of socialism is a visualization of human beings as social beings united by their
common humanity. Popular poet John Donne stated that "No man is an Island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main". This emphasizes the degree to which individual identity is
shaped by social interaction and the membership of social groups and collective bodies. Fundamentally,
socialism favours the collective ownership of means of production. The elementary idea of socialism
originates from working man association and their mission to ensure equality among all employees and
all the people in a society. Therefore, one can consider socialism or a socialist economy as an economy
where the workers own the means of production. This is to ensure that the class that produces the
wealth of society collectively decides how it will be used for the benefit of all. From this viewpoint,
"socialist are those who seek to establish a society of common ownership, democratic control and
production for use, not profit" (Coleman 1990).

Socialists choose cooperation to competition, and favour collectivism over individualism. The defining,
value of socialism is equality, socialism sometimes being portrayed as a form of egalitarianism. Socialists
consider that a measure of social equality is the essential assurance of social stability and cohesion, and
that it supports freedom in the sense that it gratifies material needs and helps for personal
development. The socialist movement has conventionally articulated the interests of the industrial
working class, seen as systematically troubled or structurally disadvantaged within the capitalist system.
The objective of socialism is to lessen or abolish class divisions.

It is elucidated in numerous studies that socialism evolved as a reaction against the social and economic
conditions produced in Europe by the growth of industrial capitalism. The birth of socialist ideas was
closely associated to the development of a new but growing class of industrial workers, who suffered the
poverty and deprivation that are so often a feature of early industrialisation. Since two hundred years,
socialism has established the principal oppositional force within capitalist societies, and has pronounced
the interests of oppressed and disadvantaged peoples in many parts of the world. The major impact of
socialism has been in the form of the twentieth-century communist and social-democratic movements.
However, in the late twentieth century, socialism suffered a number of spectacular reverses, leading
some to declare the 'death of socialism'. The most remarkable of these reverses was the collapse of
communism in the Eastern European Revolutions of 1989-91. Partly in response to this, and partially as a
consequence of globalisation and changing social structures, parliamentary socialist parties in many
parts of the world revised, and sometime rejected, traditional socialist philosophies.

Objectives of socialism ideology:

Property, disease and ignorance shall be eliminated.

Property and privilege in any form shall occupy a strictly limited place.

All citizens shall have equal opportunities.

Ethical and spiritual values shall contribute to the enrichment of the individual and communal life.

History of Socialism:

Some elements of socialist supposed to be predate the socialist ideology that developed in the first half
of the 19th Century. For instance, Plato's "The Republic" and Sir Thomas More's "Utopia", dating from
1516, have been cited as including Socialist or Communist ideas.

Modern Socialism arose in the beginning of the 19th Century in Britain and France, from range of
doctrines and social experiments, principally as a reaction or protest against some of the excesses of
18th and 19th Century Capitalism. In the beginning of 19th Century, Socialist thought was mainly utopian
in nature, followed by the more pragmatic and revolutionary Socialist and Communist movements in the
end of the 19th Century.

Social criticizers in the late 18th Century and early 19th Century such as Robert Owen (1771 - 1858),
Charles Fourier (1772 - 1837), Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809 - 1865), Louis Blanc (1811 - 1882) and Henri
de Saint-Simon (1760 - 1825) disparaged the excesses of poverty and inequality of the Industrial
Revolution, and encouraged transformations such as the egalitarian distribution of wealth and the
transformation of society into small utopian communities in which private property was to be abolished.
Some socialist religious movements, such as the Shakers in America, also date from this period, as does
the Chartist movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom.

Famous political philosopher, Karl Marx first employed systematic analysis, called as "scientific socialism"
in a determined attempt to expose Capitalism's contradictions and the specific mechanisms by which it
exploits and alienates. His ambitious work "Das Kapital", the first volume of which was published in 1867
with two more edited and published after his death by Friedrich Engels (1820 - 1895), is modelled to
some extent on Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations". It is one of the foundations of Capitalist theory. In
this ideology, he transforms Smith's labour theory of value into his own characteristic "law of value" (that
the exchange value of a commodity is actually independent of the amount of labour required to
appropriate its useful qualities), and discloses how commodity fetishism disguises the reality of Capitalist
civilisation.

In 1864, the International Workingmen's Association (IWA) or First International, was originated in
London, and became the first major international forum for the proclamation of Socialist thoughts,
under the leadership of Marx and Johann Georg Eccarius. Anarchists, like the Russian Mikhail Bakunin
(1814 - 1876), and advocates of other alternative visions of Socialism which accentuated the potential of
small-scale communities and agrarianism, harmonised with the more influential currents of Marxism and
social democracy. Much of the development of Socialism is indistinguishable for the development of
Communism, which is basically an extreme variation of Socialism.

Marx and Engels jointly founded the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany in 1869. They were
also responsible for establishing the Second International (or Socialist International) in 1889, as the ideas
of Socialism gained new advocates, especially in Central Europe, and just before his death in 1895, Engels
bragged of a "single great international army of socialists". It is revealed in theoretical studies that the
groundwork of modern socialism was laid through the writing of Karl Max and Federick Engel in 1848 in
The Communist Manifesto. The main view was that capitalism was unmanageable and would be
abolished by the working class in a revolution. They had opinion that the working class will ultimately
rise up against the ruling class to control the means of production. Engel avowed that the Marxist
technique far supposed previous "eclectic" forms of socialism by providing the modern proletariat with a
powerful analytical tool (Steger 1997). Socialism in this sense is viewed as the step between a country's
current state and its move to complete communism (Ree 1998). Lenin stated that the period "between
capitalist and communist society which is the period of revolutionary transformation of the former into
the latter" could be labelled as the socialist period. In that case, it is a transformational period in which
Lenin called its state structure as the revolutionary despotism of the proletariat. In this respect, socialism
is visualized as a predecessor to communism. This suggests the direct control of the services and
industries by the workers and whereby all authorities in such economy instigate from the worker's union.

When the First World War underway in 1914, the socialist social democratic parties in the UK, France,
Belgium and Germany sustained their respective states' war effort, discarding their commitment to
internationalism and solidarity, and the Second International liquefied during the war.

In Russia, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870 - 1924) condemned the war as an imperialist conflict, and advised
workers at international level to use it as an occasion for proletarian revolution. In February 1917,
revolution broke out in Russia and the workers, soldiers and peasants established councils. The
Bolsheviks won a majority in the soviets in October 1917 and, at the same time, the October Revolution
was led by Lenin and Leon Trotsky (1879 - 1940). The new Soviet government instantly nationalized the
banks and major industries, rejected the former Romanov regime's national debts, charged for peace
and withdrew from the First World War, and implemented a system of government through the chosen
workers' councils or soviets. The Third International (also known as the Communist International) was an
international Communist organization founded in Moscow in 1919 to substitute the disbanded Second
International.

After the death of Lenin in 1924, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, under Josef Stalin announced
a policy of "socialism in one country", taking the route of isolationism. This resulted in a polarization of
Socialism around the question of the Soviet Union and espousal of socialist or social democratic policies
in response, or in other cases the fervent repudiation of all that it stands for.

It has been observed that all political researchers had not visualized socialism as necessarily entailing
revolution, and non-revolutionaries such as the dominant economists John Maynard Keynes (1883 -
1946) and John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - 2006), motivated from the work of John Stuart Mill as well as
Marx, and offered theoretical explanation for state involvement in an existing market economy. This type
of Social Democracy can be considered a moderate form of Socialism and aims to transform Capitalism
representatively through state regulation and the creation of state-sponsored programs and
organizations which work to ameliorate or remove injustices supposedly caused by the Capitalist market
system.
Features of Socialism & socialist beliefs:

The features of socialism are as under.

1. Public Ownership:

A socialist economy is categorised by public ownership of the means of production and distribution.
There is collective ownership whereby all mines, farms, factories, financial institutions, distributing
agencies (internal and external trade, shops, stores, etc.), means of transport and communications, are
owned, controlled, and regulated by government departments and state corporations. A small private
sector also exists in the form of small business units which are carried on in the villages by local artists
for local consumption.

2. Central Planning:

A socialist economy is centrally planned which operates under the supervision of a central planning
authority. It lays down the various objectives and targets to be accomplished during the plan period.
Central economic planning means "the making of major economic decisions such as type of goods and
quantity is to be produced, how, when and where it is to be produced, and to whom it is to be allocated
by the conscious decision of a determinate authority, on the basis of a wide-ranging survey of the
economic system as a whole."

The central planning authority establishes and utilises the economic resources by deliberate direction
and control of the economy for attaining definite objectives and targets laid down in the plan during a
specified period of time.

3. Definite Objectives:

A socialist economy functions within definite socio-economic objectives. These objectives "may concern
aggregate demand, full employment, satisfaction of communal demand, allocation of factors of
production, distribution of the national income, the amount of capital accumulation, economic
development." To accomplish, these objectives laid down in the plan, priorities and gallant targets are
fixed to include all features of the economy.

4. Freedom of Consumption:
In socialism ideology, consumer's independence infers that production in state- owned industries is
generally governed by the inclinations of consumers, and the available merchandises are distributed to
the consumers at fixed prices through the state-run department stores. Consumer's autonomy under
socialism is limited to the choice of socially beneficial commodities.

5. Equality of Income Distribution:

In a socialist economy, there is great equality of income distribution as compared with a free market
economy. The removal of private ownership in the means of production, private capital accumulation,
and profit motive under socialism avert the accrual of large wealth of a few wealthy persons. The
unearned incomes in the form of rent, interest and profit go to the state which utilises them in providing
free education, public health facilities, and social security to the people. "As far as wages and salaries are
concerned, most modern socialists do not aim at complete and rigid equality. It is now generally
understood that the maintenance offered choice of occupation implies wage differentials."

6. Planning and the Pricing Process:

The pricing process under socialism ideology does not operate freely but works under the control and
regulation of the central planning authority. There are administered prices fixed by the central planning
authority. There are also the market prices at which consumer goods are sold. There are also the
accountings prices on the basis of which the managers decide about the production of consumer goods
and investment goods, and also about the choice of production procedures.

Merits of Socialism Ideology:

There are numerous advantages of socialism ideologies in society.

Prof. Schumpeter stated many arguments to support socialism.

Greater economic efficiency

Welfare due to less inequality

Absence of monopolistic practices

Absence of business fluctuations.

1. Greater Economic Efficiency: Economic efficiency under socialism is more than under capitalism. The
means of production are controlled and regulated by the central planning authority towards chosen
ends. The central planning authority makes thorough survey of resources and utilises them in the most
effectual manner. Increased productivity is protected by evading the wastes of competition and by
undertaking expensive research and production processes in a synchronised manner. Economic efficiency
is also attained by utilising resources in producing socially useful goods and services which satisfy the
basic wants of the people, like cheap food, cloth, and housing.

2. Greater Welfare due to Less Inequality of Income: In a socialist economy, there is less disparity of
income as compared with a capitalist economy because of the absence of private ownership of the
means of production, private capital accumulation, and private profit. All people work for the welfare of
the state and each is paid his salary according to his ability, education and training. All rents, interests
and profits from various sources go to the state which spends them for public welfare in providing free
education, cheap and congenial housing, free public health amenities, and social security to the people.

3. Absence of Monopolistic Practices: Major benefit of socialism is that it is free from monopolistic
practices to be found in a capitalist society. Since under socialism, all means of production are owned by
the state, both competition and domination are disregarded. The misuse by the monopolistic is absent.
Instead of private monopoly, there is the state monopoly of the productive system but this is operated
for the welfare of the people. In the state-owned factories, socially useful commodities are produced
which are of high quality and are also reasonably assessed.

4. Absence of Business Fluctuations: A socialist economy is free from business instabilities. There is
economic stability because production and consumption of goods and services are regulated by the
central planning authority in accordance with the objectives, targets and priorities of the plan.
Therefore, there is neither overproduction nor joblessness.

Demerits of Socialism Ideology:

A socialist economy has also certain drawbacks:

1. Loss of Consumer's Sovereignty: There is loss of consumers' dominion in a socialist economy.

Consumers do not have the liberty to buy whatever commodities they want. They can consume only
those commodities which are available in department stores. Often the quantities which they can buy
are fixed by the state.

2. No Freedom of Occupation: Consumers do not have freedom of choosing profession in such a society.
Every person is provided job by the state. But he cannot leave or change it. Even the place of work is
allotted by the state. All occupational movements are authorized by the state.

3. Misallocation of Resources: Under socialism, there is random allocation of resources. The central
planning authority often commits mistakes in resource allocation because the entire work is done on
trial and error basis.

4. Bureaucratic: A socialist economy is a bureaucratic economy. It is operated like a machine. So it does

not offer the necessary initiative to the people to work hard. People work under pressure and fear of
higher authorities and not for any personal gain or self-interest.

There is no uncertainty that a socialist economy is better than a capitalist economy because of its
awesome merits. But it is disliked for the loss of political, economic and personal autonomies.

Types of Socialism:

Democratic Socialism: It promotes Socialism as an economic principle (the means of production should
be under control of ordinary working people), and democracy as a governing principle (political power
should be in the hands of the people democratically through a co-operative commonwealth or republic).
Reformist socialism believes in 'socialism through the ballot box', and thus accepts basic liberal
democratic principles such as consent, constitutionalism and party competition. This ideology attempts
to bring about Socialism through peaceable democratic means as opposed to violent insurgence, and
represents the reformist tradition of Socialism.

It is similar to Social Democracy. This refers to an ideology that is more centrist and supports a broadly
Capitalist system, with some social reforms (such as the welfare state), intended to make it more
impartial and humane. Democratic Socialism, by contrast, suggests an ideology that is more left-wing
and supportive of a fully socialist system, established either by gradually reforming Capitalism from
within, or by some form of radical transformation.
Revolutionary Socialism: This types of ideology advocates the need for central social change through
revolution or than insurgence instead of gradual reform as a strategy to accomplish a socialist society.
Revolutionary socialism reflected in the communist tradition, holds that socialism can only be initiated
by the revolutionary overthrow of the existing political and social system. It is based upon the belief that
the existing state structures are incurably linked to capitalism and the interests of the ruling class. The
Third International, which was founded following the Russian Revolution of 1917, described itself in
terms of Revolutionary Socialism but also became broadly identified with Communism. Trotskyism is the
theory of Revolutionary Socialism as supported by Leon Trotsky (1879 - 1940), stating the need for an
international grassroots revolution (rather than Stalin's "socialism in one country") and firm support for a
factual dictatorship of the proletariat based on democratic philosophies. Luxemburgism is another
Revolutionary Socialist tradition, based on the writings of Rosa Luxemburg (1970 - 1919). It is similar to
Trotskyism in its opposition to the Totalitarianism of Stalin, while concurrently avoiding the reformist
politics of modern Social Democracy.

Utopian Socialism: It described the first currents of modern socialist thought in the beginning of the 19th
Century. Generally, it was used by later socialist philosophers to define early socialist, or quasi-socialist,
scholars who created hypothetical visions of perfect egalitarian and communalist societies without
actually concerning themselves with the manner in which these societies could be created or sustained.
They precluded all political (and especially all revolutionary) action, and wanted to attain their ends by
peaceful means and small experiments, which more practical socialists like Karl Marx saw as necessarily
doomed to failure. But the early theoretical work of philosophers such as Robert Owen (1771-1858),
Charles Fourier (1772-1837) and Etienne Cabet (1788-1856) gave more push to later socialist
movements.

Libertarian Socialism: This type of socialism ideology has aim to create a society without political,
economic or social hierarchies, in which every person would have free, equal access to tools of
information and production. This would be attained through the eradication of authoritarian institutions
and private property, so that direct control of the means of production and resources will be gained by
the working class and society as a whole. Most Libertarian Socialists support abolishing the state
altogether, in much the same way as Utopian Socialists and many varieties of Anarchism.

Market Socialism: This ideology elucidates an economic system in which there is a market economy
directed and guided by socialist planners, and where prices would be set through trial and error (making
adjustments as shortages and surpluses occur) instead of relying on a free price mechanism. By contrast,
a Socialist Market Economy, such as that practiced in the People's Republic of China, in one where major
industries are owned by state entities, but compete with each other within a pricing system set by the
market and the state does not routinely interfere in the setting of prices.

Eco-Socialism: It is a philosophy amalgamating aspects of Marxism, Socialism, Green politics, ecology and
the anti-globalization movement. They promotes the non-violent dismantling of Capitalism and the
State, focusing on collective ownership of the means of production, in order to alleviate the social
exclusion, poverty and environmental degradation brought by the capitalist system, globalization and
imperialism.

Christian Socialism: It denotes to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and
socialist, and who visualize these two things as being interconnected. Christian socialists draw parallels
between what some have characterized as the egalitarian and anti-establishment message of Jesus, and
the messages of modern Socialism.

Scientific socialism: It undertakes a scientific investigation of historical and social development, which, in
the form of Marxism, proposes not that socialism 'should' replace capitalism, but forecasts that it
inevitably 'would' replace capitalism.

Fundamentalist socialism: This ideology aims to abolish and replace the capitalist system, observing
socialism as qualitatively different from capitalism. Fundamentalist socialists, such as Marxists and
communists, generally associate socialism with common ownership of some form.

Revisionist socialism: This ideology believe in reform, looking to reach an accommodation between the
efficiency of the market and the enduring moral vision of socialism. This is most clearly articulated in
social democracy.

The moral power of socialism originates not from its concern with what people are like, but with what
they have the capacity to become. This has led socialists to develop utopian visions of a better society in
which human beings can attain sincere emancipation and fulfilment as members of a community. In this
regard, socialism is intended to persist because it serves as a reminder that human development can
extend beyond market individualism.

Influences of Socialism:
Socialism has great and persistent impact on the politics and culture of most egalitarianisms, with the
exception of the United States and Japan. European countries reflect socialist policies. Europe's eastern
half underwent an unproductive forty-year experiment with communism. More compassionately,
countries of Western Europe such as Sweden, France, and Germany implement socialist priorities
through state ownership of major industries, high levels of public employment, strict legal requirements
providing job security, and extensive welfare states. Workforces in most European states get several
weeks of guaranteed paid vacation. In France, most workers are limited to 35 hours of work per week.
Significantly, every country in Europe has a dominant Socialist party that contests and wins elections.
Once considered one of the most conservative states, Spain is currently run by the Spanish Socialist
Party. Britain's socialist-inspired party, Labour, has governed that country since 1997. The developed
world is not the only place where socialism's inheritance is important. India spent decades of incessant
rule by a Socialist political party. Senegal's young democracy in Western Africa recently arose from four
decades of Socialist rule; its government still employs approximately forty percent of the official
workforce and controls major industries.

In the year of 1904, U.S. Socialist Party campaign poster with candidate Eugene V. DebsIn America, by
contrast, socialism's influence has been relatively weak. Trade unions did and do exist in the United
States but never came under the sway of Marxist principle. While a Socialist party does exist, and has
even fielded candidates for the US position, it never gained electoral success at the national or state
level. The Roosevelt administration announced welfare policies similar to, if less extensive than, those
found in Europe during the 1930s, but only as a response to the Great Depression, war, and as a matter
of reasonable politics. Marxism has never succeeded in the United States outside of the university
subculture. Socialist philosophies never capturing the popular imagination. Socialism's failure to sink
roots in America is also an acknowledgement to the overwhelming supremacy of classical liberalism.
Belief in individual responsibility, acceptance in economic success for those who work hard, and a
distrust of big government have severely handicapped socialism's ideological challenge. Americans are
more likely to admire businesspersons and entrepreneurs than slander them. Indeed, it is difficult to
imagine the celebrity of a Warren Buffet or Donald Trump in any other country but the United States.
Americans are more concerned about acquiring private property than making sure it is equally
distributed.

Socialism's affluences have recently diminished outside the United States as well. Experiments with state
ownership of the economy, such as those in France, India, and Sweden botched to sustain attractive
growth rates after the 1970s and left countries less competitive in a globalized market. Socialist parties
have toned down both their ideological rhetoric and policies in response to developing world economy.
The continued demand of socialist values in other countries still explains wide differences between
politics in America and the rest of the world because it has radically reset the standards of political
discussion. The political values of a conservative in Britain or France are much more likely to appear
liberal in the United States.
Socialism in India: Socialism is not a state of excellence but an effective movement trying to satisfy
demands for equality, freedom and honourable efficiency. Socialist thought was a product of its own
time and environment. It emerged in India also which had to be applied with modifications and
adaptations. Socialism in India arose as a new religion, attached itself with anti-colonialism and by doing
so the sharp edges of western socialism were rounded off and a progressive phenomenon transformed
the political situation of India. With time, the congress socialist party which was formed in 1934 as a
major political instrument recurrently faced ideological challenges. Sometimes Gandhian plea weakened
it and major time the splits and mergers moderated its creed. The mission for socialism took its leaders
along diverse ambitions and very often contradictory paths, leaving the movement to spend itself out.
Masani joined Swatantra party, Ashok Mehta back to congress and J.P. Narayan devoted himself to
Bhoodan movement, so as a distinguished comrade in arms Achyut Patwardhan, left politics mid-way in
his life creating intellectual vacuum of some magnitude in the socialist movement. One major problem
which spoiled the prospects of socialism in India was the role played by Nehru. He was at top of
Congress, kept on pervading socialist ideology into Congress's programmes, and thus actually took the
wind off the sails of the socialists. This would better be counted as political strategy in order to decline
the space for socialist movement. From the political approach, the idea of socialism has less impact in
contemporary India.

In the 42nd amendment, the phrase 'socialist' was added to the preamble of Indian Constitution.
Therefore, India became a "democratic socialist" country. India's socialist pattern of society will be
classless and casteless. Her socialism will be based on noble means, guaranteeing freedom of thought
and conscience. It is well recognized that India's socialism is an assertion of faith in the ingenuity of men
and women of India who are stimulated to build up a new society through a bold path of Truth and Non-
violence. India hatreds regimentation and application of force, which was learnt under the headship of
Mahatma Gandhi, 'to march forward without compromise, without turning from the path'. To pave the
way for Socialism, India has eradicated Landlordism. A comprehensive policy of social reorganization has
been taken up in the form of Panchayat Raj, Co-operative Farming and community Development Projects
to quicken progress towards Socialism and strengthen parliamentary democracy. In Indian framework,
the "socialist" gives a positive direction to State activities. They include:

Eradicating poverty.

Increasing production.

Modernizing the economy.

Preventing the growth of monopoly.

Reducing disparities and inequalities between different classes, castes and religions. It is appraised that
socialism in Indian Constitution seeks to establish a welfare State.

Criticisms of Socialism:

Criticizers of socialism offered many arguments. Disapprovals of Socialism range from disagreements
over the efficiency of socialist economic and political models, to outright condemnation of socialist
states. They debated that socialism is irreversibly stained by its association with statism. The emphasis
upon collectivism leads to an endorsement of the state as the embodiment of the public interest. Both
communism and social democracy are in that sense 'top-down' versions of socialism, meaning that
socialism amounts to an extension of state control and a restriction of freedom. Another argument of
challengers emphasized the unintelligibility and confusion inherent in modern socialist theory. In this
perspective, socialism was only ever meaningful as a critique of, or alternative to, capitalism. The
acceptance by socialists of market principles demonstrates either that socialism itself is faulty or that
their analysis is no longer rooted in sincerely socialist ideas and theories.

Some opponents dispute that the unrestricted distribution of wealth and the nationalization of
industries supported by some socialists can be accomplished without loss of political or economic
freedoms. Others argue that countries where the means of production are socialized are less wealthy
than those where the means of production are under private control. However, critics argue that socialist
policies lessen work incentives (because workers do not receive rewards for a work well done) and
decrease efficiency through the abolition of the profit and loss mechanism and a free price system and
dependence on central planning. They also debate that Socialism deteriorates technology due to
competition being muffled. The tragedy of the commons effect has been attributed to Socialism by
some, whereby when assets are owned in common, there are no incentives in place to encourage wise
stewardship. There has also been much focus on the economic performance and human rights records of
Communist states, although this is not a criticism of Socialism.

To refute the criticisms, socialists have reasoned that socialism can essentially increase efficiency and
economic development better than Capitalism, or that a certain degree of efficiency can and should be
sacrificed for the sake of economic equality or other social goals. They further argue that market systems
have a natural tendency toward monopoly or oligopoly in major industries, leading to a
misrepresentation of prices, and that a public monopoly is better than a private one. Socialists claim that
a socialist approach can alleviate the role of externalities in pricing. Some socialists have made a case for
Socialism and central planning being better able to address the issue of managing the environment than
self-serving Capitalism.
To summarize, socialism emerged as a challenging to classical liberalism in the 19th century. It was a
political response to the dreadful conditions of industrial workforces in the advanced capitalist countries
and laid claims to representation of the working class. Socialism contains variety of divisions and
competing traditions. Socialism is depicted as morally higher to capitalism because human beings are
ethical creatures, bound to one another by the ties of love, sympathy and compassion. Since the socialist
ideology is part of the appearance of mass politics, socialism can be debated as having a contribution to
modern democracy.

The modern democratic ideal is based on inhabitant participation in choosing who their leader would be.
The fact that the majority are the middle class and those below the rank also establish the "proletariat",
socialism has power to unite the majority in a class conscious situation which can further democracy. It
can be said that Socialism is a changeover of stage because the transition of a society based on
mistreatment to that based on equality is not just a straight process. Socialism has main objective to
eradicate poverty, racism, sexism the threat of environmental disaster and to prevent the still posed
threat of a catastrophic nuclear war. Socialism is never a one party approach to government, it inspire
mass political partaking, collective decision process and not an exclusive model of social distribution and
state ownership of the means of production.

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