Editing Socialism (section)

== Criticism ==
{{main|Criticism of socialism}}
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| footer            = L–R: [[Milton Friedman]], [[Ludwig von Mises]] and [[Friedrich Hayek]], economists belonging to the [[Chicago school of economics|Chicago]] and [[Austrian school of economics|Austrian]] schools of economics and critics of socialism in the 20th century
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According to [[analytical Marxist]] sociologist [[Erik Olin Wright]], "The Right condemned socialism as violating individual rights to private property and unleashing monstrous forms of state oppression", while "the Left saw it as opening up new vistas of social equality, genuine freedom and the development of human potentials."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Erik Olin |date=15 January 2012 |title=Toward a Social Socialism |url=https://thepointmag.com/politics/toward-a-social-socialism/ |access-date=27 September 2022 |website=The Point Magazine |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022120117/https://thepointmag.com/politics/toward-a-social-socialism/ |archive-date=22 October 2020}}</ref>

Because of socialism's many varieties, most critiques have focused on a specific approach. Proponents of one approach typically criticise others. Socialism has been criticised in terms of its [[Socialist economics|models of economic organization]] as well as its political and social implications. Other critiques are directed at the [[socialist movement]], [[Socialist Party|parties]], or existing [[Socialist state|states]].

Some forms of criticism occupy theoretical grounds, such as in the [[economic calculation problem]] presented by proponents of the [[Austrian School]] as part of the [[socialist calculation debate]], while others support their criticism by examining historical attempts to establish socialist societies. The economic calculation problem concerns the feasibility and methods of resource allocation for a [[Planned economy|planned socialist system]].<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Durlauf |editor1-first=Steven N. |editor1-link=Steven Durlauf |editor2-last=Blume |editor2-first=Lawrence E. |editor2-link=Lawrence E. Blume |date=1987 |title=The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Online |chapter=Socialist Calculation Debate |pages=685–692 |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_2070-1 |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |access-date=2 February 2013 |doi=10.1057/9780230226203.1570 |isbn=978-1349951215}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Biddle |first1=Jeff |last2=Samuels |first2=Warren |author2-link=Warren Samuels |last3=Davis |first3=John |date=2006 |title=A Companion to the History of Economic Thought |publisher=[[Wiley-Blackwell]] |page=319 |quote=What became known as the socialist calculation debate started when von Mises (1935 [1920]) launched a critique of socialism.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Levy |first1=David M. |last2=Peart |first2=Sandra J. |date=2008 |chapter=Socialist calculation debate |title=The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics |edition=Second |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]}}</ref> Central planning is also criticized by elements of the radical left. Libertarian socialist economist [[Robin Hahnel]] notes that even if central planning overcame its inherent inhibitions of incentives and innovation, it would nevertheless be unable to maximize economic democracy and self-management, which he believes are concepts that are more intellectually coherent, consistent and just than mainstream notions of economic freedom.<ref name="Hahnel, Robin 2002">{{cite book |last=Hahnel |first=Robin |author-link=Robin Hahnel |title=The ABC's of Political Economy |publisher=[[Pluto Press]] |date=2002 |page=262}}</ref>

[[Economic liberals]] and [[right-libertarians]] argue that [[Private enterprise|private ownership]] of the [[means of production]] and market exchange are natural entities or moral rights which are central to freedom and liberty and argue that the economic dynamics of [[capitalism]] are immutable and absolute. As such, they also argue that [[public ownership]] of the means of production and [[economic planning]] are infringements upon liberty.<ref name="milton2">{{cite web |title=On Milton Friedman, MGR & Annaism |url=http://www.sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/11-25_Friedman_MGR.php?uid=2075 |access-date=30 October 2011 |publisher=Sangam.org}}</ref><ref name="Bellamy, Richard 2003 60">{{cite book |last=Bellamy |first=Richard |title=The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Political Thought |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-0521563543 |page=60}}</ref>

Critics of socialism have argued that in any society where everyone holds equal wealth, there can be no material incentive to work because one does not receive rewards for a work well done. They further argue that incentives increase productivity for all people and that the loss of those effects would lead to stagnation. Some critics of socialism argue that income sharing reduces individual incentives to work and therefore incomes should be individualized as much as possible.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Zoltan J. |last1=Acs |author1-link=Zoltan Acs |first2=Bernard |last2=Young |title=Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Global Economy |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |page=47 |date=1999}}</ref>

Some philosophers have also criticized the aims of socialism, arguing that equality erodes away at individual diversities and that the establishment of an equal society would have to entail strong coercion.<ref name="Self">{{cite book |first=Self |last=Peter |author-link=Peter Self |chapter=Socialism |title=A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy |editor1-last=Goodin |editor1-first=Robert E. |editor1-link=Robert E. Goodin |editor2-last=Pettit |editor2-first=Philip |editor2-link=Philip Pettit |publisher=[[Blackwell Publishing]] |date=1995 |page=339 |quote=Extreme equality overlooks the diversity of individual talents, tastes and needs, and save in a utopian society of unselfish individuals would entail strong coercion; but even short of this goal, there is the problem of giving reasonable recognition to different individual needs, tastes (for work or leisure) and talents. It is true therefore that beyond some point the pursuit of equality runs into controversial or contradictory criteria of need or merit.}}</ref>

[[Milton Friedman]] argued that the absence of private economic activity would enable political leaders to grant themselves coercive powers, powers that, under a capitalist system, would instead be granted by a capitalist class, which Friedman found preferable.<ref name="Bellamy, Richard 2003 602">{{cite book |author=Bellamy, Richard |title=The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Political Thought |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0521563543 |page=60}}</ref>

Many commentators on the political right point to the [[mass killings under communist regimes]], claiming them as an indictment of socialism.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Piereson |first=James |title=Socialism as a hate crime |url=https://newcriterion.com/blogs/dispatch/socialism-as-a-hate-crime-9746 |access-date=22 October 2021 |website=newcriterion.com |date=21 August 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826070443/https://newcriterion.com/blogs/dispatch/socialism-as-a-hate-crime-9746 |archive-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>{{sfnp|Engel-DiMauro|2021|pp=1–17}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Satter |first=David |date=6 November 2017 |title=100 Years of Communism—and 100 Million Dead |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/100-years-of-communismand-100-million-dead-1510011810 |access-date=22 October 2021 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112092528/https://www.wsj.com/articles/100-years-of-communismand-100-million-dead-1510011810 |archive-date=12 January 2018}}</ref> Opponents of this view, including supporters of socialism, state that these killings were aberrations caused by specific authoritarian regimes, and not caused by socialism itself, and draw comparisons to killings, famines and excess deaths under capitalism, [[colonialism]] and [[Anti-communist mass killings|anti-communist authoritarian governments]].<ref>{{harvp|Bevins|2020|pp=238–240}}; {{harvp|Ghodsee|Sehon|2018}}; {{harvp|Engel-DiMauro|2021|pp=1–17}}; {{harvp|Sullivan|Hickel|2022}}</ref>