Socialism as a political ideology has been best defined by its upmost opposition to capitalism. It has offered an alternative economic and social structure for society with the principle of equality at its core. The feature of equality for socialism is seen to allow the maximisation of human freedom in the sense that it allows and provides satisfaction in terms of material needs and provides the basis for personal development as a result. As a result it is seen that without equality society will be doomed as the features of capitalism will create oppression on humanity, this again portrays the utilitarian and pluralistic nature of socialism. The biggest problem for most socialists and especially Marxists is capitalisms ability to divide society into sections, these being social classes. As a result this causes an imbalance in society in which different social class hold different degrees of equality in terms of opportunity and outcome, thus creating a structure of economic hierarchy. Socialism also inherits other principles such as community, cooperation and common ownership all of which allow a larger degree and maximisation of social cohesion and stability alongside economic equality for society. However socialism can be seen as an ideology with a passion and effort towards industrial equality; a theory of social evolution, and an organized International movement. Nevertheless within socialism there are also debates over the role of equality this has subsequently partial led to the creation of different forms of socialism forming utopian socialism, reformist state socialism, and ethical, pluralist, and market socialism In this essay I will explain and illustrate the role of equality through the spectrum of socialism.
Utopian socialism is the idea that collective ownership eliminates greed and promotes personal growth, cultural enrichment, and democracy. People would work for the common good in jobs