Which Socialism Is in Question

There is a curious convergence on the concept of 'socialism' among both those who defend 'socialism' and those who oppose it. This is reflected in the quasi-consensus of opinion that the recent developments in the Soviet Union and elsewhere in East Europe and in China reflect a crisis of 'socialism'. This paper argues that this supposition is unwarranted, that the way Marx conceived of socialism or a socialist society is exactly the opposite of what passes for 'socialism' among most of its defenders and opponents and that, consequently, the question of 'crisis' of socialism in the sense of Marx simply does not arise.