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Concepts & DefnitionSocialism is a orm o government which primarily intends to reduce and

ultimately eliminate medical, social, political and economic inequality within its

population. To accomplish this, in theory, the production and distribution o

goods and services must be owned, regulated and administrated by thegovernment !eeder, "##$%. lmost all socialists are united under a cause to

oppose and eradicate the in'ustices brought by Capitalism. Capitalism(s

oundations lie on the means o production being under private ownership and

the distribution o goods and services being determined by individual choices in

a ree mar)et *ritannica%. +nortunately, this system has a tendency or the

most wealth and power to be concentrated within a minority o people who

triumph in a world o eploitation and competition written by the Capitalist laws

o the mar)et Saber, -/%. Thus socialists, or most o history, have held that

the assured way to remedy the ills o a capitalist society was or the 0means o

production, distribution and echange( 1 2ailways, actories and other resources

required to or the production o goods and services3 to be nationalised by the

state and, 45anaged on behal o all society(s members6 *ritannica%.

7istory & *ac)ground8n early -/thcentury !rance the seeds or societal reorm were sown as a result o

the negative consequences o new capitalist society born rom industrial

revolution. 9arly industrialisation saw the development o barbaric inequalities,

whereby actory owners and entrepreneurs acquired riches through the

eploitation o a large wor)ing class, who generally su:ered long hours, measly

wages and terrible conditions Saber, -/%. 7aving been moved by this Charles

!ourier, Claude37enri de Saint3Simmon and others developed a system allowingairer distribution o wealth, thus establishing themselves as the ounders o

socialist thin)ing Sinton, "#--%. 7owever ;arl 5ar and !riedrich 9ngels are

oten considered the oreathers and pioneers o socialism while also being

credited with providing an in

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society so that everyone(s basic needs are met and all can eist

comortablyBequally. Socialism thereore, would argue that 5an should never

eploit anyone or anything, but in act be generally co3operative and

communally concerned. This is evident as, 45ost socialists have preached a

secular version o the Christian 0*rotherhood o 5an(. An this principle they are

opposed to nationalism, wars, colonialism and the eploitation ounderdeveloped countries.6olitical systems o the world, -@%.

iology orms a signifcant portion o a worldview as it is concerned with the

nature o values, what is good and what is right Eergen, -/@%. Socialism is

essentially about the good or all over the greed o the individual. 8t vehemently

opposes capitalism(s eploitive nature and has theoretically reorganised society

so that a minority o individuals did not hold all the power and wealth at the

epense o the ma'ority o people ntoir, "#-$%. 8n this way it has signifcant

parallels to +tilitarianism, more specifcally the idea o doing the greatest good

or the greatest number. s such, socialism would accept that what is good and

what is right in an action, is the one that is not only co3operative but also wouldhave a air, benefcial or 'ust outcome or as many as possible involved.

lthough Socialism is not directly concerned with religion and aith, it still has

some principles that allow it to address the topic o Theology, which deals with

belies about the nature and eistence o god. 5any religions maintain and

preach the very same core principles that socialists do such as, no eploitation,

'ustice, communal concern, acting to ensure every attains their basic needs,

reducing poverty etc 5ary, -%. s such, there appears to be no reason why

religion and socialism couldn(t coeist. 7owever, traditional socialist or 5arists

would fnd themselves opposing the very eistence o god. This is because

socialism originated as a, 4Fuasi3religious movement6 where it was supposed to

ulfl and eplain the purpose o lie ntoir, "#-$%. 5ar and his predecessors

strongly believed that a secular and rational society could never be established i

individuals devoted themselves to a, 4supernatural being6 and clutched onto

their, 4selfsh desire or salvation 5ary, -%.6

7ow socialism orms a worldview and how your lie

would be a:ectedThe way socialism addresses those three ologies, theology, aiology and

anthropology, orm a signifcant portion o ideas and belies needed to synthesise

a worldview, in turn a:ecting the way a person acts, thin)s and processes the

morality o an action. 9ssentially, a person holding a socialist perspective will be

against any wealth or social divides and as such many o their action and

behaviours will be directed at ensuring people who are struggling fnancially in

society are receiving their basic needs Stern, -?$%. This may include more

generous donations to charities, doing more volunteer wor), always trying to

help struggling amilies and riends and voting or more equality in society

welare, same3se marriage etc%. This means in everyday lie it(s li)ely that

through a socialist worldview an individual would be anti3war, pro3 immigration

or reugees and in general more open to change, as such their political stance in

ustralia would be with the Eabor party. Gith this in mind it(s quite li)ely that

their idea o right and wrong action is ormulated by thin)ing about whetherthrough an action a ma'ority o people will eperience the most air, 'ust and

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benefcial outcome. !urthermore, a person with a socialist worldview will have

little, i any, material attachment or desire or materials. This is because an

individual whose worldview is established on socialist principle will be satisfed

once all his basic needs are met *ritannica%. lso, it(s clear that a person, living

in a socialist country, with a socialist perspective will attempt to be as productive

as possible at wor) because they )now that it will beneft all members o societyand ensure that everyone can live comortably. 8n essence communal concern

and sel