5.15: Discussion Questions
- Page ID
- 292850
This page is a draft and is under active development.
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Compare and contrast the libertarian socialist rejection of the state (through Mutualism or Anarcho-Collectivism) with the Marxist and Leninist view of the state as a "transitional instrument" for deconstructing capitalism. Why did Mikhail Bakunin argue that a "revolutionary dictatorship" would inevitably lead to the government of the masses by a "handful of privileged individuals"?
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How does the emergence of eco-socialism challenge the historical "productivist" doctrine that originally sought to dominate nature to increase industrial growth? Discuss the implications of André Gorz’s argument that capitalism cannot be ecological because it prioritizes "exchange value" over the "use value" of the environment.
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The sources describe the "Third Way" (social liberalism) as a middle ground that prioritizes "equal opportunities" rather than "egalitarianism". Does this approach still align with the fundamental "socialist core" of an egalitarian human community, or does it move too far toward the neoliberal ideology it seeks to regulate?
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Historically, socialism often prioritized social class over other identities (monism), yet modern currents have moved toward pluralism by integrating feminist, multicultural, and nationalist issues. In what ways can a socialist movement balance the struggle against capitalism with the specific needs of oppressed cultural or gender-based minorities?
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Despite the decline of traditional socialist and communist parties since 1990, the author argues that socialism is reinventing itself through a "new industrial revolution" and social mutations. Based on current global trends in technology and environmental crises, what characteristics do you believe will define the "socialist currents of tomorrow"?

