African, Arab Asian and Latin American Socialisms: Capitalism, Socialism and Nationalism

Huang Annian, May 2008  

This article is the 9th topic in the chapter of the author Huang Annian’s “The Contemporary World in Fifty Years” ( 1945-1995 ) (Sichuan People ‘s Publishing House, January 1997 edition, pages 183-200 .

Generally speaking , the political thoughts in the contemporary world can be divided into three major trends: contemporary capitalism, contemporary socialism and contemporary nationalism.

1. Major contemporary Western political trends and their influence

 Contemporary Western bourgeois liberal thought and its influence

The 1950s and 1960s were the heyday of Western bourgeois liberal thought , which echoed the Western welfare state and formed the political and ideological basis for the climax of liberal reform in developed countries. Its basic characteristics are:

First, we strive to unify individual freedom with public interests and oppose the tradition of blindly emphasizing the development of individual freedom.

Second , Western bourgeois liberal thought advocated expanding the role of state intervention in economic and social life and building a “positive” welfare state.

Third , it emphasizes expanding the scope of citizens’ rights.

Fourth , Western bourgeois liberal thought focuses on providing various prescriptions for capitalism to solve social problems in order to ease social contradictions and consolidate capital rule.

Fifth , Western bourgeois liberal thought emphasizes social cooperation , pursue reformism , and seek a third path of development.

The representative figure of contemporary Western bourgeois liberal thought was mainly : John Rawls. His representative work “A Theory of Justice” , published in 1971 , is listed as a classic of American philosophy . John Rawls is also known as “contemporary Hegel” and “contemporary Plato”. The basic idea of ​​”A Theory of Justice” is :

First, John Rawls advocated the principle of justice. John Rawls argued that “the main issue of the principle of social justice is the basic structure of the social system” and that justice is “the arrangement of the main social systems in a cooperative system.” [1] He divided justice into two categories: justice applied to the system and justice applied to individuals. He argued that every citizen enjoyed equal political rights . as for the social and economic interests of citizens, they could not be equal. He emphasized that justice took precedence over the principle of efficiency and the principle of maximizing the total amount of benefits , and that fair opportunity took precedence over the difference principle. [2]

Second, John Rawls proposed a new contract theory , emphasizing that contracts are based on justice. John Rawls said that people use the principle of justice as a basis to arrange basic rights and obligations , determine the division of social interests, adjust conflicting demands, and plan the blueprint of society, thus forming “the most appropriate moral foundation for a democratic society.”

Third, John Rawls stressed that equality and freedom are above all else. He argued that the basic freedoms of citizens include : political freedom , personal freedom , freedom of speech and assembly , freedom of conscience and freedom of thought , and freedom from arbitrary arrest and deprivation of property according to law. The basic freedoms of citizens are the foundation of the constitutional democratic political system. He advocated a just constitution.

Fourth, fair distribution. To this end , John Rawls advocated the establishment of a basic social structure regulated by a just constitution , guaranteeing equal opportunities , and ensuring the “social minimum value” through measures such as welfare subsidies. ⑤

Fifth, clarify responsibilities and obligations. Advocate for the positive role of non-violent resistance. [3]

Modern liberalism is one of the most important political concepts of the Western bourgeoisie. It has become the mainstream of contemporary American society, especially before the 1970s. It has a profound impact on all areas of social science. Today, various social and political trends, including conservatism, bear the imprint of modern liberalism to varying degrees, such as social democracy, Fabian socialism, democratic socialism, pragmatism, welfare state, and neo-conservatism. In its development process, conservative tendencies have emerged, such as emphasizing the restriction of freedom to the current level, advocating freedom to return to tradition , restoring the original nature of individual freedom, declaring that freedom is higher than equality , and opposing excessive equal measures. [4]

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