10th November - this week's AS & A2 work

                                           The English city that wanted to 'break away' from the UK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29953611

A2

Research questions for Roads to socialism –revolutionary socialism

1.    On what major Issues have socialists been divided? Why is the choice of a particular ‘road to socialism’ of crucial significance? Why were revolutionary tactics attractive to socialists in the 19^th century?

2.    How did revolution reflect socialists’ analysis of the state? Why do Marxists refer to the ‘bourgeois state’?

3.    What is the Marxist view of Universal suffrage? What alternative does a ‘class conscious proletariat’ have?

4.    Why did the ‘revolutionary road’ lead to dictatorship & political repression?

5.    Why did the appeal of revolutionary tactics fade? Two points – one from the book/one your own

Research questions for Roads to socialism – Reform – The inevitability of gradualism

1.    What similarity did the Fabian view have with Marx’s view? How do these views differ? Why were the Fabians optimistic?

2.    Why have some claimed that democratic socialism is based on a contradiction?

3.    Have socialist parties in government been successful in abolishing capitalism?

4.    What unforeseen problems does democratic socialism face?

5.    How have left-wing socialists responded to these questions?

Research questions for Marxism – Philosophy & Economics

1.    What is Marx’s philosophy of history - a ‘materialist conception of history’?

2.    What do you think Marx meant by ‘social being determines consciousnesses? What is ‘Base & superstructure?’

3.    What did Marx mean by the ‘dialectic’ & why is capitalism doomed?

4.    Explain alienation. (4 points)

5.    How did Marx define class? Explain why class is the chief agent of historical change.

Research questions for Marxism - Politics & Orthodox Communism

1.    Describe the nature of the proletarian revolution. When & where would the revolution occur? What would be the subjective element?

2.    Why do they suggest a ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’? What would happen to it?

3.    How did 20^th century Marxism deviate from Marx? Explain the Vanguard party.

4.    In practice what did dictatorship of the proletariat require?

5.    How did Stalin differ from Marx?

Research questions for Monday - A future for Marxism?

1.    What 2 factors shaped neo Marxism?

2.    What did Lukacs mean by reification?

3.    What did Gramsci mean by hegemony?

4.    Find arguments that suggest Marxism is dead?

5.    How would Marxists argue the contrary?

Prep due on Friday: Distinguish between fundamentalist socialism and revisionist socialism (15).