Democratic Socialism
As the name implies, "democratic socialism" relies on a democratic political system and a socialist economic system. Generally speaking, democratic capitalism values economic freedom more than economic equality. Proponents of democratic socialism would be more likely to highly value economic equality than would proponents of democratic capitalism. Which do you think is more important in political-economic systems, freedom or equality? Do you think freedom and equality are mutually exclusive economic goals?
Democratic socialism combines the political philosophy of democracy with the economic philosophy of socialism.
Learning Objective
Discuss democratic socialism and how it differs from other ideas held by the government about the working class
Key Points
- Democratic socialism is contrasted with political movements that resort to authoritarian means to achieve a transition to socialism. It advocates the immediate creation of decentralized economic democracy from the grassroots level.
- Democratic socialists distinguish themselves from Leninists, who believe in an organized revolution instigated and directed by an overarching vanguard party that operates on the basis of democratic centralism.
- Eugene V. Debs, one of the most famous American socialists, led a movement centered around democratic socialism and made five bids for president.
- In Britain, the democratic socialist tradition was represented in particular by William Morris' Socialist League and, in the 1880s, by the Fabian Society.
- In Britain, the democratic socialist tradition was represented in particular by William Morris' Socialist League and, in the 1880s, by the Fabian Society.
Terms
- Democratic socialism: A left-wing ideology that aims to introduce democracy into the workforce, i.e. worker cooperatives, and ensure public provision of basic human needs.
- Leninism: In Marxist philosophy, Leninism is the body of political theory for the democratic organization of a revolutionary vanguard party, and the achievement of a direct-democracy dictatorship of the proletariat, as a political prelude to the establishment of socialism.
- Fabian Society: The Fabian Society is a British socialist organization whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means.
Example
France is an example of a democratic socialist state. France subscribes to a democratic structure of free elections and the country recently elected a socialist president.
Democratic socialism combines the political philosophy of democracy with the economic philosophy of socialism. The term can refer to a range of political and economic organizational schemes. On one end, democratic socialism may combine a democratic national political system with a national economy based on socialist principles. On the other end, democratic socialism may refer to a system that uses democratic principles to organize workers in a firm or community (for example, in worker cooperatives).
The term is used by socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation. Democratic socialism contrasts with political movements that resort to authoritarian means to achieve a transition to socialism. Rather than focus on central planning, democratic socialism advocates the immediate creation of decentralized economic democracy from the grassroots level, undertaken by and for the working class itself. Specifically, it is a term used to distinguish between socialists who favor a grassroots-level, spontaneous revolution (referred to as gradualism) from those socialists who favor Leninism (organized revolution instigated and directed by an overarching vanguard party that operates on the basis of democratic centralism).
Historical Examples
The term has also been used by various historians to describe the ideal of economic socialism in an established political democracy. Democratic socialism became a prominent movement at the end of the 19th century. In the United States, Eugene V. Debs, one of the most famous American socialists, led a movement centered around democratic socialism. Debs made five bids for president: once in 1900 as candidate of the Social Democratic Party and then four more times on the ticket of the Socialist Party of America. In Britain, the democratic socialist tradition was represented historically by William Morris' Socialist League and, in the 1880s, by the Fabian Society.
Source: Boundless
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