Present and Future 1 1 Socialism

SOCIALISM, PRESENT AND FUTURE 1 1. Meanings of socialism. 1, 2. Philosophic socialism. ˘ 3. So cialism in action. 1 4. Origin of the radical socialist party. 1 5. The two pillars of "scientific" socialism. 1 6. Aspects of the material istic philosophy of history. 1 7. Utopian nature of "scientific" so cialism. 1 8. Its unreal and negative character. f 9. Revisionism in the Marxian ranks. f 10. Socialism and anarchism. § 11. Syndi calism and I. W. W. f 12. Guild socialism. 1 13. Opportunism in socialist party tactics. I 14. Alluring claims of party socialism. I 15. Changes in the socialist party vote. § 16. Economic legislation and the political parties.

§ 1. Meanings of socialism.

Our reason for leaving to the last the discussion of authority as a method of distribu tion is not that it appeared last in historical development, but that it now is the most strongly advocated as an alterna tive of competition. In primitive, in ancient and in medie val societies, authority as a method of distribution was used much more than it now is, and the history of Europe from about the eleventh century is filled with the record of the displacement of authority and status by competition. But one of the most striking developments of opinion in the nine teenth century was that favoring an increasing use of author ity in distribution. Authority has been advocated not merely to supplement and modify competition, but to displace it com pletely or, in the more moderate program, in large part.

This opinion, or plan, has appeared under a variety of names, the main ones being communism, collectivism, social democracy, and socialism, of which the last name has just now the greatest vogue. Socialism is a word of manifold 588 meanings no one of which is generally accepted. Discussion is therefore often a Babel of tongues. Much of the confusion may be cleared up by observing that the word "socialism" designates (1) a social 1 philosophy (2) a mode of social action, (3) a particular political party. There is thus philo sophic, active, and partizan socialism. Each of these may

be taken either in an absolute or in a more or less relative sense. The first meaning is the most fundamental, the second less so, and the last the least fundamental, but just now the most frequently used.

§ 2. Philosophic socialism.

As a philosophy socialism is related to social just as individualism is related to individual. Socialism is faith in the group motive and group action rather than in self-interest and competitive action. Instead of social philosophy we may say social faith, or social ideals. This faith may be absolute, or radical, to the rejection of all eco nomic competition; or it may be moderate, and leave more or less place for self-interest and competition. Every man of conscience and of ideals has moods that are social istic (in this sense) and dreams of a world without toil, com petition, or poverty.

This social philosophy has taken form as "Christian Social ism" among men of strong religious natures, in various re ligious denominations. Great secular dreamers—Plato in his "Republic," Sir Thomas Moore. in his "Utopia," Edward Bellamy, in "Looking Backward," William Morris, in "News from Nowhere," and others—have painted beautiful pictures of ideal economic states from which all of the great evils and problems of our society have been banished.

§ 3. Socialism in action.

Active socialism is group action in economic affairs. This may be by private voluntary groups, as a club, church, or trade union, or by a public group, or political unit of government, which has therefore a com pulsory character. The most radical kind of active socialism would be the ownership by government of all the means of 1 See Vol. I, p. 8, on "social" and the social sciences.

production and the conduct of all business, assigning men, by authority, to particular work and granting them such in comes as the established authority thought they deserved. This kind exists nowhere, and never has existed, though it has been nearly approached in many parts of Russia under the Bolshevik regime.