Conclude Unit IV (4/29)

Conclude Einstein: Socialism

Begin Review: course themes

A Predatory Society

Social structure shapes people (within biological limits)Monopoly makes people greedy;Societies based on Monopoly and Risk upset the balance between the social and the egotistical drives.Material acquisition and individualist competition need to be checked.

The crisis of our time

For Einstein, “humans can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only in their relations and mutual aid with others.”

But at the present time, most people perceive their ties to others and to world-society not as an organic, supportive connection, but as an imposition on their rights.

Einstein argues that capitalism is the source of this exaggeratedly individualist attitude.

“Socialism”

“I am convinced that there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils; namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by the society and utilized in a planned fashion. The work is distributed among those able to work, and the society guarantees a livelihood to every man woman and child.”

What can social science tell us?

He begins by saying that he is not a social scientist, and so he asks whether he has anything to contribute to social debates.

He respects social science, and he certainly does not speak as a “great man,” but

He suggests that technical social science runs into two main limitations in speaking about the future:

1st Limit of science: Society and humans change

The future may be different from the past.

Aristotle’s Politics said that you could not have civilization or democracy except on the basis of slavery, Which had been true up until then.

Einstein says that we have not yet emerged from the “predatory stage of society,” And so our theories have difficulty conceiving what

a non-predatory society could look like.

2nd limitation of science: values

The question what kind of society and what kind of world we want to live in is partly a question of values.

Science cannot dictate values.

Einstein believes that there is a deeply pathological set of values rooted in present social structure: “Look out for number one.” “Me first; my family first; my ethnic or racial group first; my country first.”

Man’s double nature:As a solitary being, one protects oneself, those closest, and satisfies personal desires.As a social being, one shares the pleasures and sorrows of one’s fellow human beings and strives to improve their conditions of lifeWhat classical social theory does this resemble?How does and how can the balance between these vary?

The balance of egoism and altruism

There is a biological component of both of these, but Einstein argues,the personality that finally emerges is largely formed by the environment in which a man happens to find himself during his development, by the structure of the society in which he grows up, by the traditions of that society and by its appraisal of particular types of behavior.

That is, this social/cultural constitution is subject to change.

Capitalism

The entire productive apparatus is privately owned (by a tiny fraction of the population).Those with no means of production are increasingly disciplined by the “reserve army of the unemployed,” (including immigrant and foreign workers).Owners of the means of production increasingly dominate the political process.The educational system inculcates competitive attitudes and acquisitive success.

Capitalism as “Monopoly”

property

Income

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Political influence

Social and academic prestige

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When there are no policy restraints, possession of resources aids in the acquisition of more; the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

The concentration of power and influence means that usually the policy restraints are minimal.

Attitudes and Values encouraged by Capitalism

These attitudes are not created by capitalism, but are encouraged by it.

1. Me first; look out for number one.

2. Materialism

3. My group first (family, race, nation, etc.)

His first example:

Einstein was discussing with a colleague the need for a world organization with real power.He argued that if different nations pursue their own self-interest in the atomic age this will ultimately destroy the human race.The reply was “So what?” “Why are you so opposed to the end of the human race?”Which is a symptom of a more pervasive attitude of not caring about the other guy.

But what about freedom?

Is competition the price we pay for freedom? Do markets maximize freedom?

When there is inferior health care, education, unsafe neighborhoods, etc. it feels like “freedom” to be able to escape.

But it is not clear that anyone’s freedom is maximized by the existence of inferior health care, education, unsafe neighborhoods, etc.

Political DemocracyMost Americans believe that the U.S. is the most democratic country in the worldBut:

1. Poor black and Hispanic center city voters are largely disenfranchised

2. The person who wins the most votes is not elected

3. Civil liberties have been deeply eroded.4. Most people if asked, say that the political

system is unresponsive and corrupt.Einstein suggests that inequality, privilege and markets are the main threat to political freedom.

Social Democracy

Besides political freedom, there is the actual ability to do what one wants. Sometimes social democracy is contrasted to political democracy.The “whip of hunger” reduces freedom.Almost anyone would say that the U.S. is low on social democracy.It is very hard for many people to get into rich communities; many places are unsafe for many people

Comparisons of Einstein with other theories

1. Murray: believes that individualist capitalism is socially efficient and morally good.

2. Feagin: believes that individualist capitalism often generates socially and ecologically unsustainable (suicidal) structures and sustains racism, in practice.

3. Pettigrew: believes that unregulated capitalism often creates social dilemmas; one must find out whether external effects (unintended consequences of individual action) are positive or negative.

Capitalism and “The Dispossessed”

Leguin, comparing a free-enterprise and a socialist-anarchist state suggests that unfettered capitalism creates a mall-society:

1. Capitalism generates materialism2. Lack of knowledge or concern for labor3. Huge inequalities4. And therefore need for police powers.

Varieties of socialism

All public provision of health, education and welfare is “socialistic” in some sense.All industrial societies have a mixed economy.Einstein argues that such a society should be democratic, and must be guarded against becoming bureaucratic.

21st century Issues

The main political and social issues of the 20th century involved the appropriate mixture in economy, health, education, housing and other social areas.

The end of the 20th century 1989-2000, saw a large increase in unfettered capitalist arrangements.

The balance between social and private provision is one of the key issues of the 21st c.

Materials to review

The form of the exam will be the same as the mid-term.The final exam review questions will be discussed next time in the ReviewThe links on the list of lectures will be updated by then.Today, I shall particularly stress the course themes

Review of the first half

Although the exam will not be cumulative, there are a number of materials from the first half that have reappeared:

1. Functional v. conflict theory

2. Macro v. micro theory: the sociological imagination

Themes developing functional v. conflict theoryEach chapter has further developed the issues of functional v. conflict theory

The ideas of a “system” and of “dynamic feedbacks” have developed some of the main ideas of the two perspectictives.

The concept of system

Pettigrew defined a system as an arrangement of interdependent parts. Functional and conflict theory are two theories of how the parts of a society fit together.For functional theory, the parts are functionally differentiated to get certain jobs done. For example, the functional theory of stratification, the

functions of the family or of education.

For conflict theory, the structure of class and inequality and competition over who gets what and why structure institutions and groups. For example, class, race, gender and religious-national

conflicts.

Functional and Conflict theory

Functional

1. Negative feedbacks

2. Control systems

3. Norms

4. functions

Conflict

1. Positive feedbacks

2. Matthew Principle

3. Inequality

4. monopoly

Dynamic Feedback systems as the core of functional and conflict

theory

Positive feedbacks act as amplifiers, and ordinarily create inequality. They are central to conflict theory E.g. the game of Monopoly model of Marx.

Negative feedbacks act as control systems They are central to functional theory. E.g. the model of a normative control system of

Durkheim.

Myrdal’s model of race relations includes both functional and conflict elements.

The theme of Self-Fulfilling prophecies

The main kind of positive feedback system we have stressed in the second half are self-fulfilling prophecies.In race and gender relations, what one expects of another group often elicits that behavior.What others expect of us often influences what we expect of ourselves.What we do determines what we can do.

Macro- and micro-theoryLevels and Unintended Consequences

There are complex relations between individual action and social structures.The Themes of levels and unintended consequences have developed these ideasThe analysis of tipping points, of social dilemmas, and of institutional racism or sexism has stressed the complex relations between individual action and social outcomes.

Pettigrew and Unintended consequences

For Pettigrew, the main issues of public policy vs. private markets are the unintended consequences of individual actions and the unintended consequences of public policiesOnly a tiny fraction of the consequences of actions is consciously intended.Systemic analysis of consequences: Invisible hands vs. invisible fists Dark clouds vs. silver linings Eg. Einstein and Murray.