SOCIALISM

SOCIALISM
In the past 150 years there have been innumerable differing
socialist programs.
For this reason socialist as a doctrine is ill defined, although its
main purpose, the establishment of cooperation in place of
competition remains fixed.

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
FEATURES
 State ownership of means of production
 Central economic planning

 Social welfare
 Equality of opportunity

 Classless society
 Absence of competition
MERITS
 Social justice
 Economic stability

 Rational allocation of resources

 Higher economic growth

 Absence of class struggle

DEMERITS
 Concentration of economic power in state
 Lack of incentive and initiative

 Loss of consumer sovereignty

 Loss of occupational freedom

 Inefficiency and low productivity

 Corruption
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Industrial Revolution threw thousands of handcrafts workers
into labor market

Crowded slums were established around factories; Crime,

disease, hunger and misery were a way of life; No
compensations were given for industrial accidents; Rights for
wage owners did not exist and Unions were illegal
TYPES
 Utopian Socialism  Communism

 State Socialism  Revisioninsm

 Christian Socialism  Fabian Socialism

 Anarchism  Syndicalism

 Marxian Socialism  Guild Socialism

UTOPIAN SOCIALISM

1800
Henri de Saint-Simon
Charles Fourier
Robert Owens

The competitive market economy is unjust and irrational

Universal togetherness rather than class struggle
STATE SOCIALISM
Louis Blanc
Otto von Bismark

Government Ownership and operation of all or specific

sectors of the economy
Social insurance against unemployment, sickness and old age
Purpose was to achieve overall social objectives and not just
profit
The state is an impartial power that could be influenced to
favor the working class
Aims at increasing the loyalty of the workers to the state
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM

1848 – England and Germany

Charles Kingsley – English

After the defeat of radical movements

Workers turned to religion to ease their pain and for hope
Bible – Manual of the leaders, employers and employees
Property used for the benefit of everyone
Advocated Sanitary reform, education factory legislation and
cooperatives.
ANARCHISM
Pierre Joseph Proudhon

Human nature is essentially good if not corrupted

All forms of government should be abolished
Society’s order should arise out of self-governing groups
through voluntary or associate effort
Private property should be owned by cooperating groups
Associations of producers control agriculture, industry,
artistic production, etc.
Association of consumers coordinate housing, lighting, health,
food, sanitation, etc.
MARXIAN SOCIALISM
Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels

Scientific Socialism - based on the labor theory of value and

theory of exploitation of workers by the capitalists
The working class will establish its own dictatorship of the
proletariat
Private property in consumer goods is permitted
Capital and land owned by central government
Production and rate of investment is planned
 COMMUNISM
The stage of society that eventually supersedes socialism
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need

Abundance of goods relative to wants

Compensation not based on work performed
Workers establish a proletarian dictatorship and organise a
soviet government
Promote greater freedom of expression along with an increasing
democracy
 REVISIONINSM
Eduard Bernstien – Germany
Gas and Water Socialism

Opposite to Marxian - Relies on democracy and not dictatorship

Pins hope on education, electioneering and gaining control of
government through the ballot
Government regulates monopolies, controls the factories working
conditions, takes over public utilities and extends its
ownership of capital
 FABIAN SOCIALISM
Sydney and Beatrice Webb
British counterpart to Revisionism

The middle class were directly involved in cooperative

movements, trade unions and the entire British political
apparatus
Higher labor income was the core concept
Supports monopoly - less room leads to better worker treatment
 SYNDICALISM
George Sorel

Abolition of private property and extinction of political

government
Need for One Big Union - Revolutionary strikes
One big strike will overthrow capitalism and the government will
eventually disappear
 GUILD SOCIALISM
G.D.H. Cole

State was a necessary institution for the general interest of

citizens
Industries was to be managed by employees
Government was to determine economic policies for the
community
Every worker would be a partner
Nation to be divided into producers(Guild Association) and
consumers(Government)
 BENEFITS
Utopian, Christian and Guild Socialists claimed to benefit
everyone’s interest -
Needs and interest of : Workers by inspiring reforms,
Employers by diverting from organised unions and Political
parties

Marxist, Anarchists and Syndicalists -

Class warfare against the rich for the interest of the working
class
THANK YOU