Utopian Socialism verses Democratic Socialism
by Rit NosotroComparative Essay
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Summary: Utopian Socialists seek a classless society where everyone works for the common good. Labor is not for the benefit of one’s selfish aims but for the aims of the entire society. The goal is to distribute the wealth among the community to a point where everyone has equal material wealth.
Democratic Socialists also work for an equal and classless society, yet the citizens are allowed more power than those in a Utopian Socialist society. The citizens are given general control over their own economy, being able to keep some of the produce of their labor. The ideal Democratic Socialist society consists of people who work as a sense of duty for their community and their society in general.
While they both stem from the same roots, Utopian Socialism and Democratic
Socialism, both forms of government systems, differ. Socialism dates back to
the 300’s BC when the Greek philosopher Plato suggested that one ruling
class own everything in common for the better of the community. He wanted them
to put the welfare of the state above the individual’s desires. Utopian
Socialism follows the same idea with desires for an ideal society and economy
under one government. Democratic Socialism calls for more input from the people.
Some Communists view socialism as a stage in the development of Communism, another
form of government similar to socialism. While neither system seems to work,
they both proclaim ideal conditions for society and, and their ideals follow
Scripture. However, neither one physically follow Scripture.
Utopian Socialism started in the early 1800’s when men such as Robert
Owen of Great Britain and Charles Fourier of France made proposals for setting
up communities with ideal economic and social conditions. These socialists desired
for the people to work together under one government to obtain perfect living
conditions for everyone. The gained the name “Utopians” from the
book Utopia, written by the English statesman Saint Thomas Moore in 1516. The
book spoke of an ideal society where everyone possessed equality. Utopians desired
a classless society where everyone possessed the same amount of power under
the government. They believed everyone deserved a decent house to live in and
food on the table. No one owned private property because it all belonged to
the public. While they wanted material equality for all men, the amount of work
required from each man differed. While some performed much manual labor, others
performed small tasks. Because Utopians required each man to give up his profits
as public property, they destroyed the work ethic. Man made no personal gain,
so he felt no need to work. This also stunted the invention of new items. It
pulled man’s desire to better himself to a halt because, ideally, he received
all he needed from the government. Utopians seemed to live in a fantasy world
with equality, rather than a realistic world where men desire individual power.
Democratic Socialism holds mainly the same beliefs as Utopian Socialism, with
a few exceptions. Some members of the Communist party look at socialism as a
stage in the development of Communism. In this stage a Communist government
runs the nation, the economy runs on a national production plan, and almost
no private property exists. However, the nation still lacks the funds to give
all its citizens the needed material wealth. At this stage, the government coerces,
or forces, the people to work hard for very little profit. When the nation supports
itself, Communism takes over. The Democratic Socialists’ view of socialism
differs from the Communism view of it. The Democratic Socialists are socialists
in non-Communist countries. They focus more on the fair and equal distribution
of material goods than on economic growth. They allow the people to claim a
say in what to produce. Rather than a dictatorial government, they believe in
using more democratic processes to run the nation, and they do not silence all
opposing parties. While they believe some government coercion is necessary to
make good citizens out of some people, they oppose using violence and revolutions.
Like the Utopians, the Democratic Socialists desire equal material wealth for
all people. However, the Democratic Socialists give the people more say in their
government and allow some private ownership of land.
Both Utopian Socialism and Democratic Socialism operate with ideals of a perfect
society where everyone possesses equal material wealth. They take from the wealthy
and give to the poor to even out the classes. They both believe in a classless
society where everyone lives with the same amount of material goods. Both systems
want men to willingly give up their profits to even out the economy and society.
However, not all men desire equal wealth. Some men want more power and money.
The problem of making both socialist systems run rests in that fact.
Commentary:
The ideals
of both systems follow Scripture. Proverbs 14:21 says, “He who despises
his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.” God wants
people to give to the needy and take care of them, but he said nothing of giving
everyone equal material wealth. Rather, Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break
in and steal. For where you treasure is, there you heart will be also.”
Both socialist systems desire to give to the needy and even out material wealth,
but they concern themselves too much with storing up the treasures on earth.
Both systems follow basically the same ideas. Utopian Socialism calls for a
classless society with fair and equal material wealth. Democratic Socialism
wants the same thing, but it allows the people more say in their government.
Both systems partially follow the Scripture as they desire to take care of those
in need, but they concern themselves too much with earthly wealth instead of
treasures in heaven. The truly ideal government rests in an absolute monarchy
where God rules the people with Jesus Christ as our head.
QuickQuiz:
Bibliography:
Kreis, Steven. “The Utopian Socialists: Charles Fourier” <http://www.historyguide.org/ intellect/Lecture21a.html> (2000)
Blunden, Andy. “Utopian Socialism” <http://www.marxists.org/subject/utopian/ index.htm>
Walker, Anthony. “Utopian Socialism” <http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/feb99/ utopian.html>
“What is Democratic Socialism?” <http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/maxpages/faculty/ merupert/Research/far-right/dem_soc.htm>
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