Economic Inequality
"Social and economic equality is neither feasible nor desirable"
Do you agree?
The statement "Social and economic equality is neither feasible nor desirable" is one that reflects the thinking of defenders of tradition. It is believed that there is a need for a social hierarchy, that we are not fit to govern ourselves and in the word of Thomas Carlyle, "The few wise have to take command of the innumerable foolish." However, this view is seen by many as an attempt by the elite (who currently benefit from their position) to preserve the status quo. An even wider range of opinion would agree that economic equality is not feasible option for a healthy economy, and that surely those who have achieved economic wealth through hard work deserve to do so. However, the two are closely linked, and it can be argued that one is …show more content…
They believe the solution is to eliminate the existence of private property, "which has led to an unequal distribution of economic power between the property owning bourgeoisie and the propertyless proletariat" (Heywood 1998: 110). This means taking property and means of production out of the hands of the citizen and placing it in the hands of the state. Marxists believe that this can only be achieved with a people 's revolution.
A more feasible solution to gaining economic equality is that put forward by Social Democrats. To 'tame ' capitalism rather than eradicate it. They believe that rather than removing private ownership from the hands of the people, it can be simply distributed to increase economic equality in society. This is a much less radical and more realistic aspiration, for which the framework is already in place; expanding the welfare state or introducing a progressive system of taxation (Heywood
Do you agree?
The statement "Social and economic equality is neither feasible nor desirable" is one that reflects the thinking of defenders of tradition. It is believed that there is a need for a social hierarchy, that we are not fit to govern ourselves and in the word of Thomas Carlyle, "The few wise have to take command of the innumerable foolish." However, this view is seen by many as an attempt by the elite (who currently benefit from their position) to preserve the status quo. An even wider range of opinion would agree that economic equality is not feasible option for a healthy economy, and that surely those who have achieved economic wealth through hard work deserve to do so. However, the two are closely linked, and it can be argued that one is …show more content…
They believe the solution is to eliminate the existence of private property, "which has led to an unequal distribution of economic power between the property owning bourgeoisie and the propertyless proletariat" (Heywood 1998: 110). This means taking property and means of production out of the hands of the citizen and placing it in the hands of the state. Marxists believe that this can only be achieved with a people 's revolution.
A more feasible solution to gaining economic equality is that put forward by Social Democrats. To 'tame ' capitalism rather than eradicate it. They believe that rather than removing private ownership from the hands of the people, it can be simply distributed to increase economic equality in society. This is a much less radical and more realistic aspiration, for which the framework is already in place; expanding the welfare state or introducing a progressive system of taxation (Heywood