door Arjen » 27 okt 2005, 07:27
Dan doe ik het zelf wel...
wikipedia schreef:
Capitalism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In common usage capitalism refers to an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated in order to generate capital, and where investment and the production, distribution and prices of commodities (goods and services) are determined mainly in a free market, rather than by the state. The means of production are usually operated in pursuit of profit. (For examples of how capitalism has been defined by various sources, see Capitalism in Wikiquote.)
Capitalism is contrasted with feudalism, where land is owned by the feudal lords, which collects rent from private operators; socialism, where the means of production is owned and used by the state; and communism, where the means of production is owned and used by the community collectively.
An economy with a large amount of intervention - which may include state ownership of some of the means of production - in combination with some free market characteristics is sometimes referred to as a mixed economy, rather than a capitalist one [1] If intervention occurs to such a degree that it overwhelms private decision, such an economy is often referred to as statist. Some economists, such as Milton Friedman, oppose all or almost all such state control over an economy. However, such distinctions are disputed. By some definitions, all of the economies in the developed world are capitalist, or as mixed economies based in capitalism. Others see the world integrated into a global capitalist system, and even those nations which today resist capitalism, operate within a globalized capitalist economy.
In his 1765 book The National Gain, Anders Chydenius a Finnish parlamentarian, became the first to propose freedom of trade and industry and the principles of liberalism, 11 years before Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations (1776).
Anders Chydenius was first to propose free trade and industry and to lay out the principles of liberalism in 1765, eleven years before Adam Smith
Yet, Adam Smith became more famous as the intellectual father of capitalismFrom then on, most theories of what has come to be called capitalism developed in the 18th century, 19th century and 20th century, for instance in the context of the industrial revolution and European imperialism (e.g. Chydenius, Smith, Ricardo, Marx), The Great Depression (e.g.Keynes) and the Cold war (e.g. Hayek, Friedman). These theorists characterise capitalism as an economic system in which capital is owned by the capitalist class and economic decisions are determined in a market--that is, by trades that occur as a result of agreement between buyers and sellers; where a market mentality and entrepreneurial spirit exists; and where specific, legally enforceable, notions of property and contract are instituted. Such theories typically try to explain why capitalist economies are likely to generate more economic growth than those subject to a greater degree of governmental intervention (see economics, political economy, laissez-faire).
Some emphasize the private ownership of capital as being the essence of capitalism, or emphasize of the importance of a free market as a mechanism for the movement and accumulation of capital, while others measure capitalism through class analysis (ie class structure of society, relations between the proletariat and the bourgeois). Some note the growth of a global market system.
Others focus on the application of the market to human labor. Still others, such as Hayek, note the self-organizing character of economies which are not centrally-planned by government. Many, such as Adam Smith, point to what is believed to be the value of individuals pursuing their self-interest as opposed to altruistically working to serve the "public good."
Many of these theories call attention to various economic practices that became institutionalized in Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries, especially involving the right of individuals and groups of individuals acting as "legal persons" (or corporations) to buy and sell capital goods, as well as land, labor, and money (see finance and credit), in a free market (see trade), and relying on the state for the enforcement of private property rights rather than on a system of feudal protection and obligations.
Debates center on whether capitalism
is an actual system, or an ideal
has been actualized in particular economies, or if not, then to what degree capitalism exists in them (see mixed economy)
is historically specific (that is, that it emerged at a specific time and place), or a system that has existed in various places at various times
is a purely economic system, or a political, social, and cultural system as well
is fair or not. Ie, does it enrich more people (globally), or impoverish more people (globally).
is sustainable or not
is rational or not
is a coherent concept, is enforced private property compatible with a market free from coercion
Aside from referring to an economic or political system, capitalism may also refer to the condition of owning capital. Likewise, in addition to the term "capitalist" referring to someone who favors capitalism, capitalist also commonly refers to a person who owns and controls capital.
wikipedia schreef:
Communism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Communism refers to a theoretical system of social organization and a political movement based on common ownership of the means of production. As a political movement, communism seeks to overthrow capitalism through a workers' revolution and establish a classless society. A major force in world politics since the early 20th century, modern communism is generally associated with The Communist Manifesto of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, according to which the capitalist profit-based system of private ownership is replaced by a communist society in which the means of production are communally owned. This process, initiated by the revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeoisie (see Marxism), passes through a transitional period marked by the preparatory stage of socialism (see Leninism). Communism is now mainly understood to refer to the political, economic, and social theory of Marxist thinkers, or life in conditions of Communist party rule.
In the late 19th century, Marxist theories motivated socialist parties across Europe, although their policies later developed along the lines of reforming capitalism rather than overthrowing it. The exception was the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party. One branch of this party, commonly known as the Bolsheviks and headed by Vladimir Lenin, succeeded in taking control of the country after the toppling of the Provisional Government in the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 1918 this party changed its name to the Communist Party, thus establishing the contemporary distinction between communism and socialism.
After the success of the October Revolution in Russia, many socialist parties in other countries became communist parties, owing allegiance of varying degrees to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (see Communist International). After World War II, regimes calling themselves communist took power in Eastern Europe. In 1949 the Communists in China, led by Mao Zedong, came to power and established the People's Republic of China. Among the other countries in the Third World that adopted a Communist form of government at some point were Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Angola, and Mozambique. By the early 1980s, almost one-third of the world's population lived under Communist states.
Communism never became a popular ideology in the United States, whether before or after the establishment of the Communist Party USA in 1919. Since the early 1970s, the term "Eurocommunism" was used to refer to the policies of Communist Parties in Western Europe, which sought to break with the tradition of uncritical and unconditional support of the Soviet Union. Such parties were politically active and electorally significant in France and Italy. With the collapse of the Communist governments in Eastern Europe from the late 1980s and the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Communism's influence has decreased dramatically in Europe, but around a quarter of the world's population still lives under Communist Party rule.
Dan doe ik het zelf wel...
[quote="wikipedia"]
Capitalism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In common usage capitalism refers to an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated in order to generate capital, and where investment and the production, distribution and prices of commodities (goods and services) are determined mainly in a free market, rather than by the state. The means of production are usually operated in pursuit of profit. (For examples of how capitalism has been defined by various sources, see Capitalism in Wikiquote.)
Capitalism is contrasted with feudalism, where land is owned by the feudal lords, which collects rent from private operators; socialism, where the means of production is owned and used by the state; and communism, where the means of production is owned and used by the community collectively.
An economy with a large amount of intervention - which may include state ownership of some of the means of production - in combination with some free market characteristics is sometimes referred to as a mixed economy, rather than a capitalist one [1] If intervention occurs to such a degree that it overwhelms private decision, such an economy is often referred to as statist. Some economists, such as Milton Friedman, oppose all or almost all such state control over an economy. However, such distinctions are disputed. By some definitions, all of the economies in the developed world are capitalist, or as mixed economies based in capitalism. Others see the world integrated into a global capitalist system, and even those nations which today resist capitalism, operate within a globalized capitalist economy.
In his 1765 book The National Gain, Anders Chydenius a Finnish parlamentarian, became the first to propose freedom of trade and industry and the principles of liberalism, 11 years before Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations (1776).
Anders Chydenius was first to propose free trade and industry and to lay out the principles of liberalism in 1765, eleven years before Adam Smith
Yet, Adam Smith became more famous as the intellectual father of capitalismFrom then on, most theories of what has come to be called capitalism developed in the 18th century, 19th century and 20th century, for instance in the context of the industrial revolution and European imperialism (e.g. Chydenius, Smith, Ricardo, Marx), The Great Depression (e.g.Keynes) and the Cold war (e.g. Hayek, Friedman). These theorists characterise capitalism as an economic system in which capital is owned by the capitalist class and economic decisions are determined in a market--that is, by trades that occur as a result of agreement between buyers and sellers; where a market mentality and entrepreneurial spirit exists; and where specific, legally enforceable, notions of property and contract are instituted. Such theories typically try to explain why capitalist economies are likely to generate more economic growth than those subject to a greater degree of governmental intervention (see economics, political economy, laissez-faire).
Some emphasize the private ownership of capital as being the essence of capitalism, or emphasize of the importance of a free market as a mechanism for the movement and accumulation of capital, while others measure capitalism through class analysis (ie class structure of society, relations between the proletariat and the bourgeois). Some note the growth of a global market system.
Others focus on the application of the market to human labor. Still others, such as Hayek, note the self-organizing character of economies which are not centrally-planned by government. Many, such as Adam Smith, point to what is believed to be the value of individuals pursuing their self-interest as opposed to altruistically working to serve the "public good."
Many of these theories call attention to various economic practices that became institutionalized in Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries, especially involving the right of individuals and groups of individuals acting as "legal persons" (or corporations) to buy and sell capital goods, as well as land, labor, and money (see finance and credit), in a free market (see trade), and relying on the state for the enforcement of private property rights rather than on a system of feudal protection and obligations.
Debates center on whether capitalism
is an actual system, or an ideal
has been actualized in particular economies, or if not, then to what degree capitalism exists in them (see mixed economy)
is historically specific (that is, that it emerged at a specific time and place), or a system that has existed in various places at various times
is a purely economic system, or a political, social, and cultural system as well
is fair or not. Ie, does it enrich more people (globally), or impoverish more people (globally).
is sustainable or not
is rational or not
is a coherent concept, is enforced private property compatible with a market free from coercion
Aside from referring to an economic or political system, capitalism may also refer to the condition of owning capital. Likewise, in addition to the term "capitalist" referring to someone who favors capitalism, capitalist also commonly refers to a person who owns and controls capital.
[/quote]
[quote="wikipedia"]
Communism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Communism refers to a theoretical system of social organization and a political movement based on common ownership of the means of production. As a political movement, communism seeks to overthrow capitalism through a workers' revolution and establish a classless society. A major force in world politics since the early 20th century, modern communism is generally associated with The Communist Manifesto of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, according to which the capitalist profit-based system of private ownership is replaced by a communist society in which the means of production are communally owned. This process, initiated by the revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeoisie (see Marxism), passes through a transitional period marked by the preparatory stage of socialism (see Leninism). Communism is now mainly understood to refer to the political, economic, and social theory of Marxist thinkers, or life in conditions of Communist party rule.
In the late 19th century, Marxist theories motivated socialist parties across Europe, although their policies later developed along the lines of reforming capitalism rather than overthrowing it. The exception was the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party. One branch of this party, commonly known as the Bolsheviks and headed by Vladimir Lenin, succeeded in taking control of the country after the toppling of the Provisional Government in the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 1918 this party changed its name to the Communist Party, thus establishing the contemporary distinction between communism and socialism.
After the success of the October Revolution in Russia, many socialist parties in other countries became communist parties, owing allegiance of varying degrees to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (see Communist International). After World War II, regimes calling themselves communist took power in Eastern Europe. In 1949 the Communists in China, led by Mao Zedong, came to power and established the People's Republic of China. Among the other countries in the Third World that adopted a Communist form of government at some point were Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Angola, and Mozambique. By the early 1980s, almost one-third of the world's population lived under Communist states.
Communism never became a popular ideology in the United States, whether before or after the establishment of the Communist Party USA in 1919. Since the early 1970s, the term "Eurocommunism" was used to refer to the policies of Communist Parties in Western Europe, which sought to break with the tradition of uncritical and unconditional support of the Soviet Union. Such parties were politically active and electorally significant in France and Italy. With the collapse of the Communist governments in Eastern Europe from the late 1980s and the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Communism's influence has decreased dramatically in Europe, but around a quarter of the world's population still lives under Communist Party rule.
[/quote]