Portal:Socialism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The Socialism Portal

Red flag II.svg
Socialism refers to a broad array of ideologies and political movements with the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils—or indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an economic system, socialism is often characterized by state, worker, or community ownership of the means of production, goals which have been attributed to, and claimed by, a number of political parties and governments throughout history. For Karl Marx, who helped establish and define the modern socialist movement, socialism would be the socioeconomic system that arises after the proletarian revolution, in which the means of production are partly owned by the state, and partly owned privately. This is called a mixed economy.
Show new selections

Selected article

A sunflower-Edited.png
Eco-socialism or Green socialism is an ideology merging aspects of Marxism, socialism, Green politics, ecology and the anti-globalization movement. Eco-socialists generally believe that the expansion of the capitalist system is the cause of social exclusion, poverty and environmental degradation through globalization and imperialism, under the supervision of repressive states and transstatal structures; they advocate the non-violent dismantling of capitalism and the state, focusing on collective ownership of the means of production by freely associated producers and restoration of the Commons. (more...)
More articles...

Selected biography

Henri de Saint-simon portrait.jpg
Henri de Saint-Simon (October 17, 1760–May 19, 1825) was a French Utopian socialist thinker. His theories influenced Karl Marx and founded French socialism.

In the school of Saint-Simon we find a great advance on the vague and confused views of the master. In the philosophy of history they recognize epochs of two kinds, the critical or negative and the organic or constructive. The former, in which philosophy is the dominating force, is characterized by war, egotism, and anarchy; the latter, which is controlled by religion, is marked by the spirit of obedience, devotion, and association. The two spirits of antagonism and association are the two great social principles, and on the degree of prevalence of the two depends the character of an epoch. The spirit of association, however, tends more and more to prevail over its opponent, extending from the family to the city, from the city to the nation, and from the nation to the federation. This principle of association is to be the keynote of the social development of the future. Under the present system the industrial chief exploits the proletariat, the members of which, though nominally free, must accept his terms under pain of starvation. The only remedy for this is the abolition of the law of inheritance, and the union of all the instruments of labour in a social fund, which shall be exploited by association. Society thus becomes sole proprietor, entrusting to social groups and social functionaries the management of the various properties. The right of succession is transferred from the family to the state. (more...)

More biographies...

Selected quote


A free health service is pure Socialism and as such it is opposed to the hedonism of capitalist society.

Aneurin Bevan, sixteenth U.K. Minister of Health, In Place of Fear, 1952

More quotes...

Selected picture

Photo credit: Spanish Socialist Workers' Party

A poster by the Partido Socialista Obrero (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) from the Spanish Revolution.

More pictures...

Did you know?

Portal:Socialism/Did you know

Categories

Topics

Related portals