What is socialist ideology? Capitalist ideology?

Question

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7000079.stm

I'm writing a paragraph summary/historical influence on the article above, but I need to know what socialist/capitalist ideologies are.

Better yet, what's socialism and capitalism?

Answer 1

Of the above, MikeR did the best job answering the question. Here's my own attempt:

One must be careful to make one's intention known when
using the terms "socialism" and "capitalism" (as well as
related terms) because they have they have undergone
polemic re-definition over the decades that causes a great
deal of confusion.

In the traditional sense, "capitalism" means the ownership
and control of the means of production by a class of
capitalists (in the traditional sense, the owners of capital,
or means of production used by workers other than the
capitalists/owners) and a economic and political system
that favors this. In the traditional sense, "socialism" means
the ownership and control of the means of production by
the workers themselves, whether as individuals,
cooperatives, collectives, communal groups, or through
the state. One should note that this does not necessarily
mean by the people as a whole, nor does it necessarily
mean state ownership, nor does it necessarilyimply a non-
market form of organization; historically, anarcho-
individualism (e.g., in free-market form advocated by
Benjamin Tucker) has been an important form of socialism.

In the later re-definition, "socialism" means the ownership
and control of the means of production by the people as a
whole, generally by means of the state, or simply the
ownership and control of the means of production by the state,
or more broadly any form of central planning by the state. In
the later re-definition, "capitalism" means the private (non-
government) ownership of the means of production, and more
generally the absence of central planning by the state.

Matters have become especially confused because these
terms have been used in ways that include both the traditional
sense and the later re-definition of the terms. Thus, Marxist-
Leninists will define "socialism" in the traditional sense, but
at the same time refer to examples of "socialism" in the later
re-definition, in order to gain support for totalitarian Bolshevik
regimes that actually destroy any examples of "socialism" in
the traditional sense; likewise, their "capitalist" opponents will
do the same, in order to support the belief that There Is No
Alternative (TINA) to "capitalism" other than a tyrannic
despotism. (In this connection, one should note that according
to Marx and Engels, the "dictatorship of the proletariat" is a
transitional stage between capitalism and socialism/
communism, which will not exist until the state has withered
away to nothing.)

In the same way, advocates of "capitalism" will define the
term with the later re-definition, but actually refer to concrete
examples that instead fit the original sense, even citing as
positive examples dictatorships such as Pinochet's in Chile.
And just as with "socialism", some opponents of
"capitalism" will do likewise in order to discredit it in the
sense of the later re-definition. At present state-corporate
globalization, in which there is rule by states, corporations,
international financial institutions (IFIs), and the like, is
the typical form of "capitalism" actually advocated by
most avowed capitalists, rather than a truly free market.

This effectively means that there are (at the least) three
common usages of the terms "socialism" and "capitalism",
and so it behoves one to make clear in what sense one is
using these and related terms.

One should also note the term "state-capitalism", used
by socialists (in the traditional sense) to refer to state
ownership and control of the means of production in
varying degrees ranging from capitalist dictatorships
such as Pinochet's through to Marxist-Leninist
dictatorships such as the Bolshevik regimes. This
extends the traditional sense of "capitalism", as the
state replaces the traditional "private" capitalist class
to varying degrees.

News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo/

Answer 2

Socialist Ideology

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is socialist ideology? Capitalist ideology?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7000079.stm

I'm writing a paragraph summary/historical influence on the article above, but I need to know what socialist/capitalist ideologies are.

Answer 4

Both ideologies deal with the question of labor and capital. In particular, the relationship between people and the means of production.

Socialist ideology generally advocates the workers' cause, and argue on behalf of a more favorable relationship between worker and the means of production (ie, capital, industry, property). That doesn't mean any one thing. There are hundreds of theories and plans out there on how to correct this problem, to solve the "labor question." Equating socialism with "state ownership" is simplistic.

Capitalist ideology, whose theoretical roots dig into classical liberalism, argues that the economy functions best, and that society benefits most, when the means of production lie in private hands, that capital, property, and decision-making powers in industry NOT be shared. Capitalists can be of varying degrees of radicals. You have your not-no-radical, such as the model government built in Sweden (which IS capitalist, not socialist, as others might naively argue), and your pretty-radical, such as American Libertarians.

Anyway, I hope you find this impartial.

Answer 5

Define Capitalistic

Answer 6

Socialist ideology dates from Ancient Greece: Plato's idea that there should be 'guardians' of the state to regulate and improve the welfare of all its citizens; that the state should own all wealth for the benefit of all its residents; which raises the famous question 'Who guards the guardians? Is it wise to give absolute power to those who want it?
Capitalist ideology is based on the idea that the interaction and debate by all citizens is more likely to ensure wise government, and that allowing such randomness will allow more wealth and fun for all in the long run.

Answer 7

Of course they can both do it. Socialists actually follow Jesus' teachings. Capitalists just don the regalia and lie about the rest. Jesus is an attractive character but his message is hard for those who want to be rich and self-sufficient. Capitalists are into appearances rather than substance, so they will go through the motions and proclaim their "Christianity", but there's no follow-through.

Answer 8

To put it very simply, socialism is the concept that all sources of wealth belong to the majority. So, in other words, for example, all the oil in a country would belong to everyone equally. Capitalism is where individuals looking out for their own interests own the sources of wealth. Capitalism is the predominant ideology in the U.S. The U.K. is not 100% socialistic but it's heading in that direction. BTW, communism seeks to abolish the concept of private property and place all sources of wealth into the hands of the governing body in trust for "the people."

Answer 9

Here are the short answers.

Socialist: Government controls all capital and private ownership is extremely rare.

Capitalist: Capital is privately owned and the government is there to enforce the law nothing else.

Answer 10

Socialism is a process where the govt controls the foundation for industry -- resource production, major manufacturing -- also where the govt regulates other business activity, in the name of the greater good to society.

Capitalism is where business is privately owned, and barely (if at all) regulated by the govt.

Capitalism works in two situations -- where the businesses actually have the best interests of their consumers at heart, and where the consumers actually care enough to control the businesses through market feedback.

Absent such goodwill or consumer activism -- businesses can run rampant, and cause real harm.

Generally, what works best is a balance between govt regulation of the worst abuses, combined with consumer regulation of a free market economy.

Answer 11

For most supporters of socialism, "socialism" usually means that the workers control the means of production, while "capitalism" means another class controls the means of production.

Historically, supporters of socialism have varied from opponents of the state (like Proudhon or Bakunin) to supporters of it (like Engels), as well as from supporters of completely free markets (like Proudhon or Tucker) to supporters of planned economies (like Marx) to supporters of free access to common means of production (like Kropotkin).

Indeed, many socialists (e.g. most anarchists) regard markets where people own their own means of production (or have reasonable chances to do so) as forms of socialism, and states where the state owns the means of production (as in the Soviet Union) as capitalism, with the ruling party as the capitalists.

For many supporters of capitalism, "capitalism" means a free market and private control of the means of production, while "socialism" means a planned economy and state control of the means of production; some introduce another category, sometimes called "syndicalism," (which has more specific meanings for socialists) to describe stateless socialism.