It is fair to state that a commitment to economic and social equality is a defining and unifying feature of socialism, and this sets it apart from other influential ideologies. Unlike liberals and conservatives, socialists do not accept that inequality can be explained solely because of natural differences in the abilities of individuals. Rather, socialists argue that inequality is largely a consequence of structural forces, namely the economic system, or ‘mode of production’. Socialists believe that capitalism is exploitative, and thus left alone, it tends to develop into a competitive and selfish society, diverting humanity from its cooperative, communal nature.
For socialists, the foundational equality recognised by conservatives and liberals is insufficient in and of itself, as it ignores the structural obstacles that capitalism puts in the way of most people achieving their potential. In other words, to a socialist, foundational equality is meaningless if there is vast inequality in the distribution of economic (e.g. food, shelter) and social (e.g. culture, education) needs. So, while you may hear the phrase ‘equality of opportunity’ used by some socialist politicians, socialists – unlike liberals and conservatives – are generally sceptical about equality as meritocracy.
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