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Socialism vs Authoritarianism - What's the difference?

socialism | authoritarianism |

As nouns the difference between socialism and authoritarianism

is that socialism is (marxism) the intermediate phase of social development between capitalism and full communism in marxist theory in which the state has control of the means of production while authoritarianism is a form of government in which the governing body has absolute, or almost absolute, control typically this control is maintained by force, and little heed is paid to public opinion or the judicial system.

socialism

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (Marxism) The intermediate phase of social development between capitalism and full communism in Marxist theory in which the state has control of the means of production.
  • Any of several later political philosophies such as libertarian socialism, democratic socialism and social democracy which do not envisage the need for full state ownership of the means of production nor transition to full communism, and which are typically are based on principles of community decision making, social equality and the avoidance of economic and social exclusion, with economic policy should giving first preference to community goals over individual ones.
  • * 1978 , , The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism , Basic Books, page xii:
  • For me, socialism is not statism, or the collective ownership of the means of production. It is a judgment on the priorities of economic policy.. the community takes precedence over the individual in legitimate economic policy. The first lien on the resources of a society therefore should be to establish that "social minimum" which would allow individuals to lead a life of self-respect, to be members of the community.

    Derived terms

    * socialist

    See also

    * capitalism * communism * Leninism * Maoism * Marxism * Stalinism * Trotskyism

    authoritarianism

    Noun

    (-)
  • A form of government in which the governing body has absolute, or almost absolute, control. Typically this control is maintained by force, and little heed is paid to public opinion or the judicial system.