Liberalism prioritizes individual liberty, conservatism emphasizes order and inherited institutions, socialism seeks greater social and economic equality, and Marxism explains politics through class struggle and aims ultimately at a classless, stateless society. Their central differences concern freedom, equality, property, and the purpose of the state.
| Ideology | Core principles | Role of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Liberalism | Individual rights, liberty, consent, toleration, and usually private property | The state protects rights and maintains the rule of law. Classical liberals favour limited government, while modern liberals support state action to create meaningful opportunities. |
| Conservatism | Tradition, authority, social order, continuity, and cautious change | The state preserves stability and established institutions. Conservatives often argue that human reason is limited, so radical political reconstruction is dangerous. |
| Socialism | Social equality, cooperation, collective responsibility, and some form of social ownership | The state may redistribute wealth, provide public services, regulate markets, or control productive resources. Democratic socialists seek change through democratic institutions. |
| Marxism | Historical materialism, class conflict, exploitation, and collective ownership of the means of production | The capitalist state serves the interests of the dominant economic class. After a proletarian revolution and a transitional socialist stage, the state is expected eventually to “wither away.” |
The ideologies also define freedom differently. Liberals commonly stress freedom from unjustified interference and, in modern liberalism, the capacity to develop. Socialists connect freedom to material security and reduced economic inequality, while conservatives may argue that stable institutions make responsible freedom possible.
A key misconception is that Marxism and socialism are identical. Socialism is a broad ideological tradition containing democratic, reformist, revolutionary, and Marxist forms. Marxism is a specific theory of history and capitalism associated with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Exam Technique
For an IB Philosophy response on the state, do more than list definitions. Compare the ideologies using a clear philosophical issue, such as whether state authority protects liberty, preserves order, or reinforces class domination. Avoid treating any ideology as completely uniform, and support distinctions with relevant thinkers or arguments.
