5.1: The Socialist Core
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Introduction to Socialism
Socialism is an ideology that is difficult to define since it incorporates many currents that are sometimes antagonistic and often contradictory. However, all the currents that claim to be socialist share the same conception of society, which they perceive as an egalitarian human community that aspires to the common good through social progress.
Socialism thus envisages changing today’s society. For this reason, it is critical of capitalism, which is seen as a system that allows those who hold the means of production to establish their domination. In the face of capitalism, socialism advocates for emancipation, which means “overcoming obstacles in the path of self-control; a release from waged production (…); and the consequence enabling of self-realization within a social framework, which exploitation and alienation had impeded” (Freeden, 1996, p. 456). This desire for emancipation leads socialism to oppose any other forms of power deemed oppressive, whether they originate from the state, the market or any other institution.