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Book No. – 002 (Political Science)
Book Name – Political Theory (Rajeev Bhargava)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. INTRODUCTION
2. RESPONSES TO INEQUALITY
3. THE PROBLEM: CAPITALISM
4. THE SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE
5. SOCIALIST SCHEMES: OLD AND NEW
6. CONCLUSION
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LANGUAGE
Socialism
Chapter – 16
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
- Socialism aims for maximum equality of access to economic resources, knowledge, and political power, with minimal domination by any individual or group.
- The world has always been unequal, with divisions based on class, religion, race, gender, and ethnic origin.
- A key feature of every era has been the divide between the rich and the poor, from early settled agricultural societiesto the present.
- Those who controlled valuable resources (e.g., land, gold, slaves, ammunition) dictated the living conditions and earnings of the poor.
- Religious prophets and mass leaders have occasionally voiced the suffering of the poor.
- Christianity arose as a powerful social movement due to the poor living conditions under the Roman Empire.
- Ironically, religion can also perpetuate unjust and unequal practices.
- By the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church became one of the wealthiest institutions, controlling society through hierarchical networks.
- The Church’s influence made inequality appear as if it were divinely sanctioned.
- In many regions, religious, economic, and political powers have historically justified and maintained social systems that prevent equality.
RESPONSES TO INEQUALITY
- Since Plato, theoretical defenses of inequality have been part of political thought, with rulers and philosophers justifying inequality through various arguments like divine right of kings and the belief that economic inequality is necessary to maintain law and order.
- Equality as a principle has only become widely desired in modern times, influenced by historical events.
- In Europe, the decline of Church power after the Reformation (15th century), the weakening of the feudal system, and the rise of merchant capitalists favoring a more egalitarian society were key factors.
- The Enlightenment (18th century), rising power of parliaments, and the growth of liberal political thoughtcontributed to the spread of equality ideals.
- The French and American Revolutions of the 18th century made equality a fundamental principle, enshrined in the constitutions of many nation-states.
- In the non-European world, the decline of local empires, colonialism, and the economic exploitation of colonized populations led to radical movements and anti-colonial struggles advocating for economic and political freedom and equality.
- Some anti-colonial movements borrowed from Western nationalism and liberalism, while others used indigenous moral and ethical concepts to argue for greater freedom and equality.
- In the United States, the persistence of slavery and racial discrimination even after the adoption of the American Constitution fueled the Abolitionist movement of the 19th century, advocating for racial equality in civil and political rights.
- The Abolitionists allied with suffragists, who demanded equal voting and political rights for men and women.
- Democracy became the preferred form of government, based on the ideal of equality, conferring equal political power to all through universal adult franchise and allowing political participation regardless of birth or wealth.
- Despite democracy’s popularity and legitimacy, it only addresses political inequality, leaving other forms of inequality, especially economic inequality, unresolved.
- Some thinkers argue that political equality can exist alongside extreme social and economic inequality, which can make democracy ineffective or meaningless.
- R. H. Tawney (1931) criticized the “religion of inequality” in capitalist societies, stating that giving rights to a desperately poor person is like inviting someone to dinner who cannot accept.
- In countries with functioning democracies, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals are often denied basic rights and fair treatment.