Unit 3.15 Origins of Socialism

Is resistance to liberalism justified?

Various individuals or groups of people reacted to the classical liberalism of the Industrial Revolution in various ways.

How people viewed the changes that resulted from industrialization depended on whether they benefited or suffered from these changes. Also, people began with various ideas of what society should be like. However, three major responses to classical liberalism were evident during the Industrial Revolution.

1. Capitalists: Many capitalists or entrepreneurs were not worried by the social problems that resulted from industrialization. They saw few problems and believed that poverty was natural. They thought that government should let the economy run on its own. These people are considered supporters of classical liberalism and laissez-faire economics.

2. Reformists: Reformists supported the capitalist system, but they wanted government action to improve conditions for the workers. They believed that if workers were given the right to vote and the right to organize unions, they could force capitalists to improve working and living conditions. These people are considered supporters of modern liberalism and limited government intervention.

3. Socialists: Socialists believed that only the capitalists or businessmen benefited from the Industrial Revolution. The socialists disliked the whole concept of capitalism and felt that limited government intervention was not ideal. More government involvement in society was needed. These people are considered supporters of collectivism and a large amount of government intervention.

Classical liberalism did not meet the needs of all individuals. The general population felt that the poor were being taken advantage of by the rich. The abuses of capitalism led to increased government involvement and policies that supported the needs of the middle and lower classes. Socialist thinkers such as Robert Owen, Charles Fourier, and Karl Marx argued for changes that promoted the values of collectivism.

Robert Owen and Charles Fourier were utopian socialists who believed that land and capital could be transferred from the capitalists to the workers through peaceful means.

Karl Marx argued that capitalists would never be willing to transfer their ownership of land and capital to the workers. Marx believed that the only way to change society to socialism was through violent revolution. Marx's ideology of socialism was called Marxism or communism.

Socialism Political Values

Socialism takes a collectivist approach to a political system.

In the interests of the common good, socialism promotes the collectivist political values of

• Collective Interest: Individuals should place the collective group ahead of their own self-interest. For example, an individual should co-operate with the wishes of society even if it goes against what that individual wants.

• Collective Responsibility: All individuals of a society should be taken care of through the government. For example, the government, on behalf of society, should provide for the safety and security of every individual.

Socialism Economic Values

Socialism takes a collectivist approach to an economic system.

Socialism takes a collectivist approach to an economic system.

In the interests of the common good, socialism promotes the the collectivist economic values of

• Economic Equality: The government should be involved in the economy to ensure every individual has an equal share of the economic wealth of society. For example, it should provide equal access to basic needs, health care, and education through government-run social programs.

• Public Property: Land and capital should be publicly owned and administered through the government. For example, industrial production should be owned and operated by the government with profits going toward providing economic equality.

Democratic Socialism

In the late 1800s, early utopian socialist thinkers such as Robert Owen and Charles Fourier introduced the idea of peacefully integrating the values of socialism into modern liberalism—democratic socialism. Believing that modern liberalism did not go far enough to provide economic equality, democratic socialists argued for greater government intervention in society for the common good. While promoting socialist values, democratic socialists promoted modern liberal ideas such as individual rights and freedoms. Thus, democratic socialism mixed the ideologies of socialism and modern liberalism.

Therefore, democratic socialism can be located toward the left of the spectrum, but not all the way left. This is because democratic socialism has more values of collectivism than modern liberalism has, but there are still elements of individualism in democratic socialism.

Examples of Canadian Democratic Socialism

Living in Canada, you have most likely encountered examples of democratic socialism. Canadian social programs include public health care, child-care tax credits, unemployment insurance, and others.