"This book provides an introduction to arguments for and against socialism. The approach is logical and analytic: arguments are broken down into numbered steps, with each step clearly labeled as a premise or an inference from previous steps. This method effectively lays bare the structure of an argument, allowing the reader to see exactly what is assumed by the argument and whether those assumptions really do logically imply the claimed conclusion. While the book aims to be fair to the arguments from both sides, it ultimately sides with socialism: it defines socialism as coming in degrees, and maintains that the arguments indicate that we should move in a strongly democratic socialist direction. The overarching argument has relatively simple premises: socialism promotes human well-being better than capitalism, and socialism does not violate rights of individuals. Naturally, the defender of capitalism will deny these premises and will claim that capitalism better promotes human well-being; many capitalists also claim that socialism does violate individual rights, particularly property rights. The bulk of the book sorts through the data and arguments on both sides, considering arguments from philosophers like G.A. Cohen, Jonathan Wolff, David Schweickart, Ronald Dworkin, and John Tomasi. But the book also considers arguments by scholars from other fields, including economists F.A. Hayek and Milton Friedman"-- Provided by publisher.
|
