Liberalism, conservatism and socialism Notes

Why Did Competing Ideologies Emerge?

1. Imagine living in a time when everything around you is changing: new machines, new jobs, new cities, new social classes. That’s the nineteenth century.
2. With society flipping upside down, people started asking: “How should society work?”
3. And because everyone had different experiences: rich, poor, traditional, modern, they came up with different answers.
4. That’s how we ended up with liberalism, conservatism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, and the rest.

1. Liberalism: “Give people rights and let them choose their leaders.”

1. What liberals wanted
   1. Governments chosen by elections, not birthright.
   2. Voting rights for all adults (eventually).
   3. Competing political parties, so people had real choices.
   4. Governments that serve for a limited time, then must face voters again.
   5. Protection of individual rights: free speech, religious freedom, right to join unions.
   6. A capitalist economy where people own property and businesses.
   7. Free trade (few tariffs, open markets).
2. Why it emerged
   1. Middle-class people (merchants, lawyers, factory owners) were gaining wealth but had no political power.
   2. Absolute monarchies looked outdated.
   3. Revolutions showed that people could overthrow unfair rulers.

2. Conservatism: “Slow down. Don’t destroy the traditions that keep society stable.”

1. What conservatives believed
   1. Society works best when traditions and hierarchies are respected.
   2. Sudden, dramatic change usually leads to disaster.
   3. Monarchy, Church, army, and family are stabilising forces.
   4. Authority isn’t automatically bad, it can protect people.
   5. Change should be gradual, not revolutionary.
2. Why it emerged
   1. People saw the French Revolution turn violent very quickly.
   2. Elites were terrified of losing their privileges.
   3. Many ordinary people simply valued stability.

3. Socialism: “The Industrial Revolution is making life unfair. We need to fix that.”

1. When industrial cities exploded in the 1800s, workers lived in horrible conditions: long hours, unsafe factories, tiny wages. Socialism grew as a response.
2. What socialists believed
   1. Wealth shouldn’t be concentrated in a few hands.
   2. The state should step in to protect workers.
   3. Society should move toward more equal ownership of land and industry.
   4. Welfare systems (healthcare, housing, pensions) help create fairness.
3. Why it emerged
   1. The new factory system created a huge gap between owners and workers.
   2. Liberalism helped with political rights, but not economic suffering.
   3. Workers wanted a movement that addressed poverty, not just voting.

4. Marxism: “Capitalism can’t be fixed. It must be overthrown.”

1. Marx and Engels took socialism and pushed it into a full theory of revolution.
2. Their argument in a nutshell
   1. History is a fight between classes.
   2. Under capitalism, workers are exploited.
   3. Eventually, workers will rebel and overthrow the bourgeoisie.
   4. They will create a workers’ state.
   5. Eventually, this evolves into communism: a classless society.
3. Why Marxism caught on
   1. Many countries had extreme inequality.
   2. Gradual reforms felt too slow or weak.
   3. Marx offered a big, dramatic solution.

5. Communism: “The end goal of Marxism.”

1. What communism claims to want
   1. No private property.
   2. No classes.
   3. A society where everyone works for the common good.
2. What happened in reality
   1. Russia’s 1917 revolution replaced the Tsar with a one-party state.
   2. Lenin and Stalin used strict control to hold power.
   3. Other communist states (China, Cuba) followed similar patterns.

6. Democratic Socialism:“Let’s make society fairer, but do it through democracy.”

1. What it stands for
   1. Change through elections, not revolution.
   2. Strong welfare systems to reduce inequality.
   3. Public services like healthcare, education, unemployment benefits.
   4. Still keeps democracy and often some capitalism.

7. Social Darwinism: “Survival of the fittest, but applied horribly to society.”

1. What social Darwinists believed
   1. Strong groups should dominate weaker ones.
   2. Government shouldn’t help the poor (“it interferes with nature”).
   3. Some races were “superior” (a racist, pseudoscientific claim).
   4. Inspired eugenics, forced sterilisation, and racial segregation.
2. Why it emerged
   1. Industrialisation made inequality obvious, and some wanted to justify it.
   2. Empires wanted excuses for colonising “weaker” peoples.

8. Fascism: “One strong leader, one united nation, total obedience.”

1. What fascists believed
   1. The nation is everything; individuals don’t matter.
   2. A strong dictator is necessary for unity.
   3. Violence and war are good for society.
   4. Democracy is weak.
   5. Extreme nationalism, often racist.
   6. State controls the economy (“Corporate State”).
2. Why it emerged
   1. After WWI, people were desperate for stability.
   2. Economic crisis made radical solutions look appealing.
   3. Fear of communism pushed people toward strong leaders.

So Why Did All These Ideologies Appear at the Same Time?

1. Society was changing too fast.

1. Industrialisation turned millions of people’s lives upside down.

2. Old systems didn’t have answers.

1. Monarchies and traditions couldn’t cope with urban poverty, mass politics, or global trade.

3. Different groups wanted different things.

1. Middle class → political rights (liberalism)
2. Working class → economic fairness (socialism)
3. Elites → stability (conservatism)
4. Radicals → revolution (Marxism, anarchism)
5. Nationalists → strength and unity (fascism)

4. Fear and hope shaped politics.

1. In good times, people push for freedom.
2. In crises, people push for security, sometimes at the cost of freedom.