https://www.quora.com/How-did-Norway-become-so-rich-despite-being-a-socialist-country
Often in class, the ideals of freedom or "free will" of a person have been rooted against "assurances" from the government in contrast. These assurances essentially create a safety net in most cases for the citizens, but the opportunity cost to this usually entails a reduction in freedom. Because of this, it is difficult to strike a perfect balance between the two within the modern society, and socialism in Norway (among others) is in many ways a prime example of a favorable approach to assurances over freedom of the marketplace, etc. While there are still capitalistic components in Norway's system, the higher degree of regulation of the economy and all its working parts utilizes much more restraint than that of many other states.
One of the more important points stated in the article was the belief that there is "a very high level of trust in Norwegian society, which makes a lot of things easy." The apparent demonstration of greater trust and dignity of Norway certainly contrasts with the views on human nature by Dostoevsky and Hobbes, and as a result it could be argued that socialism is possible because of this. However, there is obviously a strong variation among societies around the world in how cohesive they are/can be, which poses issues for a prospective plunge into a more socialist landscape. However, Dostoevsky would most likely agree primarily with the enforcement of socialist policies, as he feels that man would choose assurances of food, money, and material goods over free will. If this were to be true, would socialism be more beneficial when considering foremost the negative views on human nature of Hobbes and Dostoevsky?
I wonder if Tocqueville and his idea about a 'social state' being important could play a role in why Norway has a high level of trust and therefore a more successful assurance/free will balance?
ReplyDeleteI studied abroad in Denmark last year, and as far as I know, they have a political and social system similar to that of Norway (and Sweden). While the system seemed to work well in general, there were definitely some people mooching, and the quality of service in restaurants and stores was certainly lower than what we are accustomed to in the U.S., partially as a result of the no-tipping policy and a certain reduction in competition.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Tocqueville really takes any stands in the socialist program. From our reading, The Inquisitor argues about the freedom in a way that people should be deprived of their freedom for better goodness. But if you mean people have their trust in government, it is different that being deprived of freedom. However, we are not sure if Tocqueville supports The Inquisitor or not.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Tocqueville really takes any stands in the socialist program. From our reading, The Inquisitor argues about the freedom in a way that people should be deprived of their freedom for better goodness. But if you mean people have their trust in government, it is different that being deprived of freedom. However, we are not sure if Tocqueville supports The Inquisitor or not.
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