3.
Radicalism (3rd major ideological tradition)
a. Historical socialism
(Marxism)
b. modern form: democratic
socialism, market socialism
radicalism:
radix= root, to change drastically
liberalism: liber=to free
conservatism: conserve, to save
A.
Marxism
1.from context of
industrialized
societies in N. & W. Europe in 19th century
2. speaks from perspective
of workers
a.
working
conditions were appalling
1. dangerous, dirty conditions
2. child labor common
3. 14 hour work days, 6 days a week
4. subsistence level pay
5. workers treated as commodities
b. huge economic
and social gap between the lives of owners and workers
1. owners' families--lives of material wealth
a. material comforts, good housing
b. educational advantages
c. leisure time available
d. high cultural status-considered nobility
2. workers'
families--lives of material deprivation
a. inadequate housing and food
b.limited access to education
c. culturally, low status, considered "common",
Marx's question: Why is there so much material inequality within a given society and why do the workers tolerate it?
3. dominant ideology
justifies and rationalizes the status quo
a. everyone within society is socialized to see inequality as "natural"
and justified
b. dominant ideology works to benefit of ruling class
c. works against interests of workers, (they don't even realize it)
d.
example: historical conservatism (Burke)
1." natural aristocracy" are entitled to more resources, heavier
responsibilities
2. explains to everyone in English society why nobility has more wealth
3. Burke also argues for harmony between classes
4. Marx-- natural conflict between rich and
poor (class conflict)
a. true interests of
workers are hidden from them
b. indoctrination
into
dominant ideology
1.
to
Marx, religion considered to be "opiate of masses"
a. idea system which helps to justify existing arrangements--rewarded
in
next life
b. distracts attn from material inequality in this one
2. ruling class
families
represent ideological ideal
a. family ideology supports only them
b. poverty of working class families destroys them
1. healthy institutions depend upon adequate material resources
2. contrast with communitarianism
5. theory of
human nature (species being)
a.humans
naturally
social, part of a community
b. meant to
labor,
to create
c. to fulfill
human potential, must do creative work
d. one of worst
problems w/ conditions for workers
1.
monotonous and boring work
2.
alienates workers
a. alienation from product since little control over it
b. alienation from own human potential
1. no creativity in labor
2. dehumanization
c. alienation from community
1. isolation because of misery
2. family life of workers suffers
8. inherent conflict between
"Haves" and
"Have-nots" (class conflict)
a. oppressor
and oppressed
b. under
capitalism
1.
Haves==capitalists, property owners (bourgeoisie)
2.
Have-nots==workers, (proletariats)
3.
interest of each class are opposed
a. owners, goal is to maximize net profits
1.efficiency in production
2. minimizing overhead (cut labor costs)
3. expand markets for product
b. workers' interests
1. getting paid a living wage
2. do creative work, control over what they produce
3. being contributing member of community
c. mutually incompatible (contradictory)
4. since
owners are more
powerful, will impose
their interests, workers lose
5. conflict will inevitably intensify,
leading
to resolution
a.
capitalism
contains seeds of own destruction
b.
through
the working out of its contradictions, spontaneous change
1. theory of surplus value of labor
a. net profit=gross profit-labor costs
b. lower the wages, the more net profit to owners, more workers robbed
of value of labor
2. eventually, fewer and fewer owners, more and more workers
a. middle class loses ground, rich get richer, poor get poorer
b. dominant ideology reflects reality of fewer & fewer ppl
3. opposed interests of workers/owners
a.efficiency in production leads to monotony of labor
1. more profit for owner, more alienation for workers
4. expanded markets- goal of owner
a. larger pool of exploited workers to draw upon
FTAA anti-FTAA
b. workers united by common experience of oppression
anti-sweatshop
c. workers will develop class consciousness
1. a new ideology that reflects reality of workers
2. become aware of falseness of dominant ideology
6.
workers will then overthrow existing system
a. will have
to forcibly take control of means of production (if necessary)
b. institute
new economic system that works for the largest segment of population,
the
workers
1.
socialism (transition ideology)
2.
eventually, communism, (classless society) true community
7.
socialism==cooperatively owned and run means of
production
a. new institutions and
ruling
ideas to support it
b. society-wide needs are
focus, not individual needs
c. all citizens contribute
to whole
1. realm of
necessity
(2-4 hours a day)
2. realm of
freedom
(creative labor)
d. efficiency of cooperative economy
1.doesn't waste
energy
w/ competition
2. no duplicated
services
3. pooled efforts
4. closest
reality-based
examples: kibbutzes in Israel, co-ops, small-scale communes
a.
state socialism (USSR, China, North Korea) deviations on Marxism
8. socialism
is more influential in Europe than
US
a. society based upon separate
established classes
1. parties represent
trade unionism, Labour Party
2. histories of
aristocracy,
peasants
3. strong class
distinctions
b.in United States, weakest
tradition
1. for most of US
history,
not accurate reflection of social circumstances
a.
American Dream, individual economic & social mobility
b.
property ownership easy & common
c.
individualism strong (community-based ideologies weak)
d.
Cold War rhetoric, US vs. USSR
2. socialism
strongest influence
in US- early 1900's
a.
massive
industrialization in US
b.
exploitation
of recent immigrant workers
1. low pay, long hours, dangerous working conditions
2. child labor common
3. no govtl involvement in economy
a. no regulation of industry
b. no worker protections
c. no unions
c. no federal
income tax, the wealthy lived separate existence
d. w/ Great
Depression,
the poor became poorer
1.
socialist
Party candidate, Eugene Debs, got 30% of vote in 1928
2.
Milwaukee
had socialist mayor in 1920's
a. base of support-urban workers
b. Marxism reflected their reality
3. owners used police
as to stop unions from organizing
a.
Haymarket Massacre, 1887 (rally for 8 hour work day)
b.
bloody and violent labor strikes (ex. Wobblies, IWW)
e. strong support for New Deal programs
1. belief that they didn't
go far enough
a. universal
health care
b. guaranteed
minimum income
2. many argue FDR saved market
economy in US
a. using govt as
buffer
against the excesses of capitalism
b. coopting socialist
issue positions
f. socialist trend stopped w/ WWII
1. economy took off-
2. former working class had
upward mobility
a. unions
b. GI Bill made
college accessible
3. US desire to be different than
USSR
a. calling
program
socialist- fastest way to defeat it.
b. ex. universal
health
care--"socialized medicine"
g.
current growing gap between the rich and poor, make
these ideas more significant
1. FROM RAGS TO RICHES, disputes
notion of economic mobility in US
a. less chance of
wealth
if from bottom 20%
b. richest nation in
world, child poverty rate of 25%, 35%, African-American children
MODERN
SOCIALISM
1. roots in historical socialism (Marx)
a. change must occur at
structural
level
b. fundamental conflicts between
powerful & powerless
1. class interests
are opposed
2. powerful don't
give
up power voluntarily
c. appropriate role of govt is to be
"equalizer"
1. look out for less
powerful
2.put limits on most
powerful
3. all part of same
community
d. large,
interventionist govt.
1. positive view of govt functions
2. legitimate role in any area
of life
a. especially focused
on economic conditions
b. social citizenship
rights ensured
1.
healthcare,
transportation, education, culture, welfare benefits
2. social
welfare nations--Denmark, Germany, France, Netherlands
, Sweden
3. ensure
"equality of life chances" for all citizens
a. govt
commitment to provide whatever is necessary to help that person become
participating member of society
b. some will
require more than others
3. group-based ideology
a. similar to
communitarianism
1. humans are
naturally social
2. community
is basic organization
a. broad,
inclusive definition rather than exclusive
b. govt
administers functions
c. natl,
global, interplanetary (foreign policy changes)
4.
distribution of goods based upon human need
a. since all
members of community-large inequalities unjust
b. those w/
most,
give most, those who need most, get most
c. from each
according to abilities, to each according to needs
d. same as
communitarian,
but administered by govt., not voluntary
e. "living
wage"
not minimum wage ($11 an hour, based on 1967 figures)
5.
positive freedom most important value
a. freedom to be enabled to do
something-enabled
by govt.
1. economic, political, and
social
domains
b. create community where all can
flourish
(ex.): campus speech codes
c. equality of life chances ensured for
all members of community
1. despite
handicaps--(background,
physical, social, mental), goal is to become fully participating
member of society
2. all ppl equally worthy of respect
d.
reflects Marx's concept of alienation
e. social justice means distribution of
resources
on human need
1. progressive taxes, examples
2. sliding scale fee structure
f.
maintenance of viable community key aim
1. citizens are entitled to quality existence
2. rich get to be part of community in which
all members needs are met
3. modern examples of
socialism
a. worker-owned businesses,
profit-sharing
1. ex. Saturn plant (teams
build cars-control over product)
2. "workplace" democracy
is goal
3. political equality not
possible w/ too much economic inequality
b. cooperatively owned businesses
1. move away from
individual
competition
2. food co-ops, barter
systems
c.social movements based on social justice
1. inclusive definition of
community
2. environmental movement,
Amnesty
International, Doctors Without Borders
site Aids
Mandela
3. anti-globalization movement
7. value priorities
a. freedom
1.negative liberty socially
(life style choices)
2.positive freedom
economically
(right to live in society where all ppl are participating active
members of society and all have enough to thrive)
b. equality- equality of life
chances, ensured by the state
c. justice: distribution based
upon human need: from each according to his ability, to each
according to need, monitored by the state
d. community: broad and inclusive,
(nation,
international, planetary)
(most important, highest priority)