History: Socialism

Socialists strive for a world built upon the shared principles of fraternity, equality and egalitarianism. Socialism believes that humankind can evolve beyond where we are now, just as we have done in the past.

This MindMap illustrates the key features of socialism at a glance. It is an ideology that seeks equality, common ownership and social justice for all. Socialism seeks an end to class conflict and cooperation between all sects.

The genesis of Socialism and Communism is attributed to the writings of Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels in the mid-19th century. Later contributors to the Socialist ethos include figures such as Rosa Luxemburg and Anthony Crosland.

Socialism is not a narrow definition. Historically, Socialism exists within primitive societies, though in modern times Socialism can be separated into branches such as Evolutionary Socialism and Revolutionary Socialism.

The social systems proposed by Revolutionary Socialists and Democratic Socialists differ in a number of ways. Their conceptions of State, Society,Economy and even Human Nature itself contain differences that alter their idea of government.

Often Socialism is confused for Communism. True Communism, as Marx defined it, has not yet been achieved by any state, but there have been efforts, perhaps most notably in the former USSR.

There some important terms to remember in a conversation about Socialism. These Flashcards will help you differentiate your bourgeoisie from your proletariat.

The history of Socialism - the key figures and the most prominent ideologies. Take this quiz to revise your knowledge of Socialism and see if you know the difference between Karl and Groucho Marx.