| What did Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) say in the 'The Communist Manifesto' (1848) about the Revolution? | -Marx and Engels said Revolution was Inevitable, due to a Contradiction existing within Capitalism. Marx said his Form of Socialism avoids the Utopian Idealism of Earlier Forms and rather claims Historical Materialism (Change in Society due to Conflict between Classes) involves Scientific Analysis of Human Society
-He based his Studies on history and dialectics (Conflicts due to Class) and concluded the Inevitability of Socialism can be Proved, as not a Desirable Aim. |
| What did Marx and Engels say about Capitalism?'
-What is 'Surplus Value' | -Marx argued Capitalism, like its Previous Stages (Feudalism), has Seeds of its Destruction. Marx said within Capitalism, 2 Classes are Split with the Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie on either side
-The Interests are at odds with each other, with the Bourgeois wanting Profit based on Exploiting the Proletariat
-Surplus Value describes how Workers are (and must be) paid Less than the True Value of their Labour to Extrapolate Profit. The Worker gets no Satisfaction from what they Produce, as they part of the Process
-They don't see the End Product, and can't afford it. Marx Described this as Alienation
-This is very true when we look at Nations in China and Bangladesh |
| What is Class Consciousness, and what did Marx say would happen when it Develops?
-How does this link to Revolution | -The Marxist Idea where the Proletariat becomes more Aware of their Economic Position in Society in a Conflict with the Bourgeois Property-Owning Class, and joined Others to form a Mass Movement
-When this Develops, these 2 Forces will Class and create a New Stage of History. Marx saw Class Conflict as the Driving Force behind History. This was scientific analysis he said, as it was Proven Factually and Proven
-Revolution was thus Inevitable and it would lead to Abolishing Capitalism |
| Why has Marx's View on Capitalism still remained Relevant Today? | -Marx had predicted Globalisation, and how its always the Poor that suffer the Most from Regular Crashes.
-For Marxists, Capitalism needs to be Overthrown, and have Common Ownership and allow Substantial Economic Equality |
| After the Revolution, what did Marx and Engels say would happen? | -After the Inevitable Revolution, there would be a Classless and Stateless Society Emerging, with No Poverty and Equality of Outcome, allowing Emancipation
-Before this, a dictatorship of the Proletariat would be set up to Prevent Counter-Revolution. When it was Safe and Secure, the State would wither away. This seems a little like Anarchism, and not like Stalin's USSR and Mao's Communist China |
| What did Engels say in 'The Origin of the Family, Private Property and State' (1884) | -The Role of the Family in Capitalism, and said the Nuclear Family was Essential for Profit Making, and Subjugating Women was part of the Capitalist Structure |
| Who did Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) criticise? | -Another Revolutionary Socialist, she was a Critic of the Revisionist Socialist Eduard Bernstein (1850-1932) and attacked Gradualism and Parliamentarianism due to Deviating from Marxist Principles
-She also was critical of the Russian Revolution because of Authoritarianism Fears. Rosa feared Lenin's Dismissal of the Russian Constituent Assembly in 1918, and though this would be the Failure of the Revolution |
| What did Luxemburg say about Capitalism
-How does this link with Luxemburg's view on Social Democracy and WW1? | -Luxemburg had Strongly Opposed Capitalism. She argued that Exploitation was the Beating Heart of the Economic System and True Equality would never Come About unless it was Rejected
-Luxemburg thus Dismissed Social Democrats as they had Failed the Working Classes because they still Support Capitalism and Imperialism
-Finally, Luxemburg saw WW1 as an Imperial Conflict, which wouldn't Benefit the Working Class. |
| What was Luxemburg's Theory on Revolutionary Mass Action? | -Organisation of the Class Struggle had to come from below, and based on a Spontaneous Uprising of the Proletariat
-She wanted Mass Strikes, as a Movement which would lead to Class Consciousness and Radicalising Workers, and thus this would develop into a Socialist Revolution |
| Why did Luxemburg say about Lenin's Democratic Centralism? | -Lenin's Democratic Centralism stated a Revolutionary Party needed a Tight, Disciplined Structure, and be led by a Vanguard of Intellectuals. She said this would lead to Dictatorship
-Some Communists say she was a Naïve Utopian, but others saw her as a True Democrat |
| What did Luxemburg say in 'The Accumulation of Capital' (1913)
-What happened to her in 1919? | -Luxemburg argued Capitalism leads to Economic Imperialism and takes over Non-Capitalist Markets, which can be called Globalisation
-1919 saw her Execution as well as her Colleague Karl Liebknecht by the Freikorps, which was a Right-Wing Paramilitary Group in Germany |
| What did Beatrice Webb (1858-1943) see as the Key to a more Equal Society?
-How does this link with their view on the State? | -Fascinated by Bernstein, she Rejected Revolution and Violence and favoured Education and Reform to create a More Equal Society
-Though they were Critical of Capitalism, they said Marx's Analysis was Outdated and a Step-by-Step approach would be more Humane and Successful than a Violent Revolution
-Supporters and Founder Members of the Labour Party in 1901, the State was seen as a Neutral Body, that can create a more Equal and Just Society |
| Why was Beatrice Critical of Marx's Stark Class-Based Analysis? | -Beatrice thought of Socialism as an Inclusive Ideology and said a Socialist Society would Appeal to All Classes and that All would Benefit
-This was due to their Focus on Education and Spread of Knowledge. The Webbs founded the Fabian Society, holding Influence over the Labour Party Today, as well as Constructing the LSE and 'New Statesman' Magazine |
| Why did Beatrice call for State Intervention? | -Going to the Soviet Union in the 1930s, they liked the Health and Education it had, but not the Political Freedoms
-Their Sociological Studies on Poverty could be seen as Providing Ideas and Plans for Creating the Welfare Provision - Many Years before the Beveridge Report (1942) |
| What did Anthony Crosland (1918-1977) say about Capitalism? | -Crosland, a Labour Politician and Author, said Capitalism had Matured and Transformed, where Owners no long were in Control of Production due to a New Class of Managers who had become more Significant
-They did focus on Profits, but also had other Interests, like Cooperating with Unions
-Crosland dismissed the Support and Commitment to Nationalism, and Ownership of Industry shouldn't be a Priority of the Labour Movement now
-A Revisionist, he believed Opposition to Capitalism was now Pointless, and instead, Socialists should Adapt to the Mixed Economy and focus on Eradicating Poverty and creating a more Equal Nation |
| What did Crosland believe was the Solution to Eradicate Poverty? | -Instead of Attacking the Rich, and dividing society into Class Lines, Crosland wanted more Spending on Public Services and Education to Achieve a more Equal and Fairer Society (Not Fully Equal!)
-Crosland was Examining the Means to Achieve Socialism, rather than the Ends of it. The means needed to change with the Times |
| Why did Crosland support Economic Growth? | -Economic Growth would be needed as it would lead, due to a Progressive Taxation System, to a Larger Pot of Money being Available to Fund Public Services |
| What did Anthony Giddens (1938-) say about Marxism? | -Giddens Rejects Marxist Analysis and says there are No Stages of History, and that Class Conflict doesn't lead to Revolution
-Attacks the Idea that Politics from from the Left or Right, and argues there is no alternative to Capitalism, especially in the Era of Globalization and Decline of National Sovereignty |
| Why did Giddens like Crosland's Work? | -Giddens found Crosland's shift in Socialism towards Fairness and Protecting People from the Harsh Effects of Capitalism, rather than on Equality of Outcome and Class Conflict
-Giddens saw Crosland's Pragmatism in a way, and used his Teachings to Adapt the Third Way Socialists |
| What did Giddens work do to Tony Blair's Labour Party? | -This led to a Rejection of State Intervention and allowed Free Market Principles to Flourish. They rejected Equality of Outcome and the Liberal Idea of Meritocracy.
-Blair's 'Education, Education education' Slogan had well focused heavily on Education and Training as the Key to Solve Social Justice, rather than Redistribution |
