EL SOCIALISMO: EL LUGAR DE LA CRISIS

Abstract

Socialism assumes two kinds of premises. Some are normative, namely human beings flourish when they lives in a society characterized by egalitarian distributions, communitarian bonds, are radical democratic conditions. Other premises are empirical, specifically capitalism blocks the possibility of achieving that model of society. From them, socialist reach the conclusion that forms the core of socialist identity: to archive a society where human begins can flourish requires challenging capitalism. Aside from theses tradicional tenets, socialists also believe several theoretical propositions about the conditions that make up socialist society (mainly, conditions of abundance) and about the transition to socialism: capitalism is an unsustainable social arder with an inherit tendency to the socialism.This paper evaluates these ideas and concludes that while the core of socialism ideals remain relevant, the thesis about the transition to socialism and about its nature are wrong. Given these circumstances, socialist are faced with two dilemmas. One involves the possibility of socialism and the other concerns the compatibility, in the ligth of shortage conditions, between the differebt components of the socialist ideal.