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75 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What is collectivism? |
Humans can achieve their aims and improve society through collective action |
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What is common humanity? |
Humans have a tendancy for cooperation, sociability and rationality. Human behaviour is determined by people's place in society. |
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What is the human nature argument in favour of collectivism? |
Humans are social creatures with a natural tendency to work together to achieve their goals, tied together by the bonds of fraternity. |
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What is the society argument in favour of collectivism? |
The interests of the group should take priority over individual self-interest. We are defined by our social groups, membership offers fulfillment. |
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What is the economy argument in favour of collectivism? |
Collective endeavour utilises the economic potential of society more efficiently than wasteful competitive individual effort. |
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What is the state argument in favour of collectivism? |
Collective action via the state ensures a fairer distribution of goods and services via state intervention than free-market forces |
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How do Marxists support collectivism? |
Advocate collective action based on the principle 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his need' |
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How do Revisionist socialists support collectivism? |
Accept some degree of free-market capitalism and pursue collectivism in a more limited way |
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What are arguments against collectivism? |
Suppresses human individuality and diversity Leads to growth of arbitrary state so erodes freedom |
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What is the cooperative effort argument in favour of common humanity? |
Humans are naturally inclined to work together as it provides the best results for society and allows us to form supportive connections |
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Why is cooperative effort better than capitalism? |
Capitalist competition sets one person against another and undermines our common humanity |
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What is the moral motivation argument in favour of common humanity? |
Humans can be driven by a desire to contribute to the betterment of society |
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What are the two key principles of equality? |
Social equality / equality of outcome - equal distribution of economic rewards e.g. income Egalitarianism |
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What is egalitarianism? |
Theory designed to remove inequalities and ensure Bertone has a fair chance |
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What is the revolutionary socialist view of the state and equality? |
Demand absolute equality, the abolition of private property and replacement with common ownership of all means of production |
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What is the social democrat view of the economy and equality? |
Call for the relative equalising of society within a reformed capitalist economy via welfare measures, government spending and progressive taxation to remove absolute poverty. |
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What is the social democrat view of the human nature and equality? |
Material incentives continue to play an important role in human motivation, and greater emphasis is placed on equality of opportunity |
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What are arguments in favour of equality? |
Ensures fairness Reinforces collectivism, cooperation and solidarity Satisfied basic human needs |
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What is the socialist view of common ownership? |
All can participate and benefit as wealth is created by communal effort so should be owned collectively. Private property encourages materialism. |
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What is equality of outcome? |
People's experiences of society should be more or less the same - supported by fundamentalist socialists but rejected by social democrats and third way |
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What is absolute equality? |
Everyone who contributes to society will receive the same rewards - supported by Marxists, rejected by social democrats and third way |
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What is equality of opportunity? |
Everyone has an equal chance to make the best of their abilities, with no artificial barriers to progress for those who work hard and have the ability and talent - supported by third way, rejected by Marxists and social democrats |
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What is universal welfare? |
Human society is unequal but all individuals have an equal minimum standard of living guaranteed by state welfare provision - supported by social democrats, rejected by Marxists and third way |
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What is the socialist view of social class? |
Believe members of a social class share similar outlooks and aims so are the principal agents of change. |
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What is the socialist view of workers' control? |
Complete / partial ownership of an enterprise by employees Control of the state by workers |
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What is the Marxist view of social class? |
Economically determined by relationship to means of production. Conflict is inevitable. Ruling bourgeoisie use state apparatus to maintains dominace. Class conflict leads to revolution. |
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What is the social democrats view of class? |
Aims obtained through government intervention to narrow income and status differences. State welfare and class consensus - peaceful |
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What is the human nature argument for workers control? |
Workers' control promotes collective effort and pursuit of group interests - tackles workplace alienation and challenges capitalist view that the workforce is a commodity |
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What is the economy argument for workers control? |
Workers are the most important element in economic production so should have right to control means of production so reduce capitalist control of economy |
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What is the society argument for workers control? |
'moderate' workers' control enables introduction of limited social/economic reforms. Industrial self-Management by workers living under socialism reinforces idea a socialist society should raise conditions for working class. |
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Why has the connection between socialist ideology and working class politics weakened considerably? |
Deindustrialisation - reduced size of working class and weakened trade union movement Rise of post-industrial service and information economy, together with an expanding middle class |
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What are criticisms of workers' control? |
Businesses don't just relay on workers Workers may not have the entrepreneurial or managerial qualities required |
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Why was revolutionary socialism popular in the 19th century? |
Early industrialisation and capitalism brought poverty, exploitation and unemployment. Workers excluded from politics. |
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What is the justification for revolution? |
The bourgeois state is an instrument of class oppression which upholds capitalist interests but will not be overthrown by gradual change. Revolution and violence. |
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What has revolutionary socialism resulted in? |
Fundamentalist regimes - flawed as they replace private ownership with state ownership rather than common ownership |
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What is social democracy? |
Revisionist form of democracy that attempts to reconcile free-market capitalism with state intervention |
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What four assumptions is social democracy based on? |
Capitalism is dependable but distribtutes wealth unfairly so must be protected by state intervention. Peaceful constitutional reform based on social justice. |
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How pea social democracy appear in practice? |
A mixed economy Keynesian economics Reform of capitalism using the welfare state to redistribute wealth and tackle inequality |
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How has socialism evolved? |
Bernstein's revisionist study argued capitalism was not developing along Marxist lines as capitalism is resilient and not brutally exploitive so should be reformed |
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How has social democracy declined? |
Post-1945 social democracy balanced economic efficiency and egalitarianism with sufficient tax revenue but exposed by economic downturn in 70/80s exposed tension |
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What is the third way? |
Represents ideological 'middle ground' in context of a modern globalised economy which advocates primacy of market, community, consensus and competition state e.g. New Labour |
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What is the third way view of the state? |
Primacy of market over state and rejects 'top down' state intervention - wealth creation and progressive taxation |
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What the third way view of community and moral responsibility? |
Distances itself from moral and social downside of neo-liberal economics, communitarian liberalism + personal autonomy + mutual dependdence |
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What is the society view of the third way? |
Social model based on consensus and harmony which distances itself from socialist focus on class differences and inequality, focusing on self-reliance and mutual dependence |
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What is the third way view of the welfare state? |
Promotes social inclusion rather than the socialist commitment to equality - equality of opportunity and meritocratic social system which targets marginalised groups |
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What is the third way view of the role of the state? |
Aim to develop workforce's skills and knowledge, focusing on social investment and competition state to boost the economy |
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Why was the third way criticised? |
Lacks real socialist content Rebranding to attract middle-class voters and business |
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What were the key ideas of Karl Marx? |
Social class is central to socialism Human nature is socially determines and can only be expressed under communism |
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What three key elements of Marxism does social class underpin? |
Historical materialism Dialectic change Revolutionary class consciousness |
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What is historical materialism? |
Historical and social development can be explained interns of economic and class factors. The economic system 'conditions' all other aspects of society. |
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What is dialectic change? |
Each stage of human history had its own economic system and class structure. Within each stage, dialectical change is propelled by by struggle between exploiters and exploited - ends with communist society |
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What is revolutionary class consciousness? |
Exploited class must acquire a revolutionary class consciousness to overthrow oppressors. Proletariat must become 'class for itself', aware of own interests and determined to pursue them. |
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What is Marx's view of human nature? |
Humans are social beings influenced by society but capacity to be productive and capable of leading satisfying lives - doesn't exist under capitalism |
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What are workers alienated from under capitalism? |
Alienated from labour as they don't own what they produce, production process as well as colleagues due to competition and lack of freedom to pursue their potential |
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What is the benefit of communism regarding human nature? |
Workers free to realise true human potential by engaging in activities with increased leisure time and participating in meaningful work to remove alienation |
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What were the two key ideas of Beatrice Webb? |
'Inevitability of gradualness' - gradual reform to establish socialism 'Economic side of democracy' - expansion of the state rather than overthrowing |
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What is Breatrice Webb's view on human nature? |
Workers were limited, selfish and uninformed so democracy should be represented Representative democracy would lead to skilled 'socialist' governing class |
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What is Beatrice Webb's view on the state? |
Gradual growth of state power was evidence that collectivism would bring in a new socialist age |
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What is Beatrice Webb's view of society? |
States ability to deliver socialism would depend heavily on highly trained specialists and administrators to organise society and the economy |
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Who was Rosa Luxemburg? |
Marxist revolutionary who opposed evolutionary socialism and disagreed with Lenin over key features of Marxism |
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What is Rosa Luxemburg's view of social reform? |
Evolutionary socialism and revisionism are not possible as capitalism is based on economic exploitation |
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What is Rosa Luxemburg's view of class consciousness? |
Struggle by the proletariat creates the class consciousness needed to overthrow the capitalist society and state |
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What is Rosa Luxemburg's view of the economy? |
An evolutionary or revisionist socialist strategy would leave the capitalist system of economic exploitation intact - needs revolution |
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What is Rosa Luxemburg's view of human nature? |
The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions (1906) - class consciousness and strikes lead to mass strike and socialist revolution - no disciplined ruling party |
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Who was Anthony Crosland? |
Leading post-war revisionist theorist of British socialism with works such as The Future of Socialism (1956) |
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What is Anthony Crosland's view of Capitalism? |
Capitalism lacks the inherent contradictions required to bring social change therefore managed capitalism can deliver greater social equality |
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What was Anthony Crosland's view of management of capitalism? |
The state must manage capitalism to deliver greater social equality, provide a more egalitarian distribution of rewards, status and privileges and remove class barriers. |
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What is Anthony Croslands view of the economy? |
Governments pursuing Keynesian economics could maintain high employment, ensure low inflation and promote continuous growth. Economic expansion required to fund welfare to improve living standards for those at the bottom of society. Capitalism had produced rising living standards. |
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What is Anthony Crosland's view of the state? |
High levels of government spending is required on welfare services and the redistribution of income and wealth |
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Who was Anthony Giddens? |
Important intellectual figure in the development of the Third Way, through books such as The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy (1998) |
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What is Anthony Giddens' view of state intervention? |
Rejects state intervention. Social democracy must be modernised due to the impact of globalisation, new knowledge of the economy d more individualistic aspirations |
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What is Anthony Giddens' view of the 'social investment's state? |
Giddens' rejected the economic and social engineering that underpinned the state welfare and redistribution programmes of previous social democratic government |
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What is Anthony Giddens' view of the economy? |
Free market is the most efficient system of production and it encourages desirable personal qualities, such as responsibility |
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What is Anthony Giddens' view of the state? |
Equality of opportunity over equality protected by government action. Believes state welfare fosters a culture of dependency and instead requires a 'social investment' state in infrastructure and education. |
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What is Anthony Giddens' view of human nature? |
Community and responsibility, rather than class conflict, are important to offset the negative effects of the free market and promote social cohesion, shared values and individual and social responsibility. |