Question about Socialism ?

[tradeunionsupporter]

Question about Socialism ? What are origins of Socialism ? I read that Socialism can be traced beack before Karl Marx is this true ?

[Steve_j]

Question about Socialism ? What are origins of Socialism ? I read that Socialism can be traced beack before Karl Marx is this true ?

You might have to better define what you mean by socialism.

[tradeunionsupporter]

I define Socialism as where the Means Of Production are collectively owned by the Workers such as Worker cooperatives.

[robbo203]

I define Socialism as where the Means Of Production are collectively owned by the Workers such as Worker cooperatives.


No. Worker coops are not an example of socialism but are rather a kind of organisational entity operating within capitalism - preferable no doubt to the conventional capitalist firm - but still producing commodities for a market

Socialism is a system of production in which the means of production are owned in common by everyone. - where there is no market or state, no buying and selling, money , wages, profit or any of the other paraphenalia of capitalism. Up until the early 20th century the terms "socialism" and "communism" were used more or less interchangeably as synonyms until people like Lenin began to use the word socialism differently by identifying it with the state - specifically state capitalism supposedly run in the interests of people

[CELMX]

you should read Marx for Beginners by Rius...i think it has basic info on pre-marxian socialists and communists.

some peops off the top of my head: Charles Fourier, Louis Banqui, um...a lot of other french dudes;)

btw...i think socialism is the stage between capitalism, or whatever ruling class ideology, and communism. It's the transitional state.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Question about Socialism ? What are origins of Socialism ? I read that Socialism can be traced beack before Karl Marx is this true ?

Yes, the idea of socialism has been around long before Marx and during Marx's time there were many different variations. Most of these other traditions, in a Marxist view are Utopian and unscientific and many have nothing to do with working class politics but are more about creating communes or model societies.

I think some vision of socialism has probably been around for as long as there were class societies and inequality. Romans and Greeks and early Christians had ideas about communal living and shared wealth and so on, so really Marx's addition is identifying the working class as the social force with the interest and material ability to create socialism.

[RED DAVE]

Chapter III of the Communist Manifesto has a very brief overview of pre-marxist socialism and non-marxist socialist currents active in Marx's time.

RED DAVE

[More Fire for the People]

Yes, socialism predates Marx by the utopian socialists like Fourier and Robert Owens. Socialists ideas predate them and are present in the idea of Rousseau, Babeuf, the Diggers, and pre-capitalist communal peoples (some Native Americans, some indigenous Pacific Asians, some African communities).