Why Not Socialism?

· Princeton University Press
12 reviews
Ebook
96
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

A compelling case for why it's time for socialism

Is socialism desirable? Is it even possible? In this concise book, one of the world's leading political philosophers presents with clarity and wit a compelling moral case for socialism and argues that the obstacles in its way are exaggerated.

There are times, G. A. Cohen notes, when we all behave like socialists. On a camping trip, for example, campers wouldn't dream of charging each other to use a soccer ball or for fish that they happened to catch. Campers do not give merely to get, but relate to each other in a spirit of equality and community. Would such socialist norms be desirable across society as a whole? Why not? Whole societies may differ from camping trips, but it is still attractive when people treat each other with the equal regard that such trips exhibit.

But, however desirable it may be, many claim that socialism is impossible. Cohen writes that the biggest obstacle to socialism isn't, as often argued, intractable human selfishness—it's rather the lack of obvious means to harness the human generosity that is there. Lacking those means, we rely on the market. But there are many ways of confining the sway of the market: there are desirable changes that can move us toward a socialist society in which, to quote Albert Einstein, humanity has "overcome and advanced beyond the predatory stage of human development."
A compelling case for why it's time for socialism Is socialism desirable? Is it even possible? In this concise book, one of the world's leading political philosophers presents with clarity and wit a compelling moral case for socialism and argues that the obstacles in its way are exaggerated. Th...

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Ratings and reviews

12 reviews
Bartosz Marynowski
November 6, 2026
from a Marxist-Leninist Perspective, this book is half-decent, while it does attempt to make sound arguments, the comparison to a camping trip is nonsensical, the book also mistakes what socialists want, no one wants equal wages, we want equal opportunity on a state level, we want fair wages for our labor, we under no circumstances desire to either have equal wages per hour across professions or the full elimination of all forms of inequality, just the elimination of systemic privilege, those more skilled, providing more value, deserve to have more than someone who provides less. from each according to his ability, to each according to his work. I understand that it's a short book about moral arguments, but some accuracy is expected, unless you're talking utopian socialism, then do whatever since it's not significant enough to worry about.
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d west
August 15, 2019
Why not? Behold the hundreds of millions of dead souls, killed by socialist marxists and utopian idealists who believe in the redistributionist Santa Claus dreams, and the unicorn riding Tooth Fairy's part time Eater Bunny gig. Capitalism rules.
2 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
February 10, 2014
Good little book! It gives people a preliminary idea of why the socialist ideal should be something worthwhile to fight for. Amidst it's supposed impossibility!
1 person found this review helpful
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About the author

G. A. Cohen (1941-2009) was emeritus fellow of All Souls College, University of Oxford. His books include Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence (Princeton), If You're an Egalitarian, How Come You're So Rich?, and Rescuing Justice and Equality.
G. A. Cohen (1941-2009) was emeritus fellow of All Souls College, University of Oxford. His books include Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence (Princeton), If You're an Egalitarian, How Come You're So Rich?, and Rescuing Justice and Equality.

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