Progressive Values and Social Democracy

Any political movement fights for its system of values, which forms the foundation of its goals and the means to achieve them. Every article or speech by politicians inherently defends the value system they adhere to. Our articles are no exception, and therefore, we must honestly articulate the values that serve as the basis for our opinions on all matters and that must be strictly aligned with when writing. This is the foundation upon which a comprehensive and consistent theory can be built. Universal values often have elements such as religion or the free market “smuggled” into them. The result is that such value systems face significant internal contradictions. Yet these values form the basis for all political actions, including state policies.

In December 1790, Maximilien Robespierre proposed the slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” as the motto of the French Republic¹. This was an example of a concise list of the values of revolutionary France. In Putin’s Russia, there is an attempt to cultivate so-called “spiritual bonds”², although there is no official or precise list of what these entail. However, upon encountering what they are described as in practice, it becomes clear that they are just another interpretation of a set of broad conservative values, most of which are directly opposed to progressive ones.

Why is a system of values necessary?

Firstly, it is needed to correctly formulate the priority goals of a political movement’s program and the means of achieving them. As noted in the textbook Foundations of Social Democracy, “basic values and their realization in the form of fundamental human rights and freedoms are the most important criteria and benchmarks for assessing a political course”³. For example, if religion is among the core values of a political movement, then its goal will be to increase the number of places of worship and believers, while many other goals will take lower priority. If progress is a core value, the goals will focus on improving the efficiency of the education system, funding high-tech industries, and so on, while conservative institutions may be reduced.

Secondly, a system of values ensures that methods and actions do not contradict the goals. For instance, if someone in parliament proposes mandatory uniform hairstyles in schools, but freedom is a key value of the ruling party, this proposal can be immediately rejected as it contradicts the principles of state ideology. The proposer can also be accused of disregarding fundamental principles. Finally, this system of values is essential for combating other political movements whose actions contradict our principles.

Let us attempt to articulate the principles upheld by progressive forces, and consequently, by social democrats as well. It is worth noting that one of the most significant sources for defining these values is the declarations of human rights and the UN international covenants:

• The UN international covenants are universally recognized and legally binding sources of fundamental human rights, independent of cultural or national specifics. Over 140 countries worldwide have already ratified these covenants, making them part of enforceable law.
• The UN international covenants are aimed at fostering social development and ensuring the realization of fundamental rights through international cooperation. States are obligated to consistently work towards improving the actual implementation of basic human rights.
• The UN international covenants contain extremely broad and precise definitions of rights, which any individual can demand to be upheld⁴.

Standard of Living

One of the most critical values for social democrats must be the standard of living—the ability of every citizen to access quality food, clothing, housing, self-development, and conveniences. A person in poverty is an unhappy person. We have discussed examples of living standard indicators in a related article.

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, and necessary social services, as well as the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood due to circumstances beyond their control⁵.

Fair Distribution of Capital

It is reasonable for a person to earn money for organizational work. However, when someone uses their managerial powers to unjustly appropriate excessive resources—whether from a budget or as “surplus value” (to use the labor theory of value)—and ends up earning more than two hundred of their employees combined, this cannot be deemed fair. No work is so essential or irreplaceable as to merit such disparity compared to the labor of the average worker. Such injustice leads to the impoverishment of the masses, resulting in uprisings and bloodshed. Therefore, the goal of social democrats is to minimize social inequality as much as possible while maintaining economic growth. We have discussed the issue of social justice in greater detail in a separate article.

Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good⁶.

Equality Before the Law

A society in which the humblest and poorest individual can win a court case against the most powerful person if the latter is in the wrong is the only type of society where minimal levels of corruption, cronyism, and other destructive factors can exist. On the contrary, in a society where exceptions are made for the “privileged,” judges feel entitled to grant favors to themselves and to those who provide additional incentives. Social democrats value equality before the law and aim to ensure that all citizens receive equal justice. We have explored the rule of law and its necessity in another article.

The law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to participate personally or through their representatives in its formation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes⁷.

All are equal before the law and are entitled, without any discrimination, to equal protection of the law⁸.

Equality of People of All Races and Nations

In a separate article, we have explained how racism harms progress and social justice. Much of what applies to racism is equally relevant to discrimination based on nationality. For the reasons outlined in that discussion, social democrats advocate for equal treatment of individuals regardless of their race or national origin, opposing prejudice and the elevation of any specific group. The only debate among social democrats is the choice between multiculturalism (advocated by internationalists) and the “melting pot” model (supported by non-nationalists). Our journal’s editorial board aligns with the latter model, and we have provided a rationale for this choice in another piece.

Disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of humanity⁹.

Equal Opportunities

Conservatives argue that individuals differ in their contributions to society and abilities, and therefore significant social inequality is the norm. While it is true that people’s abilities and contributions to the common good are not always equal, the key issue is to ensure everyone has equal opportunities at the start. If one person is born into a billionaire’s family and another into a large, impoverished family in a famine-stricken African province, is it fair to expect equal abilities and contributions from them? One of the core missions of social democrats is to provide people with opportunities that are as close to equal as possible.

Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on common utility.¹⁰

The principle of equal opportunities also implies the militant rejection of privileges by social democrats, in contrast to the tolerant acceptance of them by conservatives.

Life and Health of the Individual

Social democrats must strive to ensure the safety of people not only from crime but also from those tasked with maintaining security —preventing abuses by law enforcement and judicial officials, and, of course, from terrorism. The specific harms of terrorism and the death penalty will be addressed in separate materials. For social democrats, the use of torture and abuse against any person is entirely unacceptable:

Every man being presumed innocent until he has been declared guilty, if it is deemed indispensable to arrest him, any severity that may not be necessary to secure his person ought to be severely repressed by Law.¹¹

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.¹²

Pacifism

It is natural for people to desire life over death, especially when dying serves the interests of a country’s elites. This does not mean that social democrats advocate for disbanding the military — armies are necessary as insurance against aggression (including cases where dictators suppress their own populations, which can also be considered aggression). However, social democrats strongly oppose the escalation of militaristic hysteria, nationalism, or revanchism, as these lead to war — and consequently, to the deaths of innocent people.

Freedom

A citizen should have the right to freely express their views, present themselves as they wish, work where they choose, and lead the sexual life they prefer — as long as their expressions and actions do not threaten the life or safety of others or themselves. “Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else”¹³. It is essential to provide separate discussions on the significance of press freedom and the plurality of opinions in fostering a healthy social-democratic society.

The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law¹⁴.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers¹⁵.

Leisure Time

One of the most important aspects of anyone’s life is leisure time. By depriving individuals of free time and forcing them to work to their limits, the elites of conservative societies rob them of true living. This time could otherwise be spent with loved ones, engaging in self-development, or contributing creatively to society’s welfare. The mission of social democrats is to maximize the time citizens have free from work and earning, allowing them to define the purpose of their lives as they see fit.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay¹⁶.

Progress

Social democrats believe in advancing science and production in ways that support and promote the values they uphold. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is one of the central goals of the social democratic movement. As this revolution progresses, humanity should aim for the future realization of an advanced robotic democracy and the colonization of other planets — endeavors that will ensure humanity’s survival and facilitate further strides in reducing inequality and increasing leisure time. If we stop striving for progress and yield to conservative complacency, we risk witnessing a future where they ban space exploration as blasphemous or prohibit chocolate as a narcotic substance. A social democrat must always stand firmly in favor of scientific and technological progress.

Democracy

If a person lacks the right to elect those who make state decisions or is deprived of the ability to participate in those decisions themselves, there is a very high likelihood that those in power will abuse their authority. This could eventually reduce such a powerless individual to the status of a servant or even a slave. The very name of the social democracy movement reflects its democratic foundation, with the principle of power rotation being one of its key tenets. We have described democratic institutions in detail in [this article], and we have separately explained why democracy is more effective than authoritarianism. In the absence of democracy, society has the right to rise up against an unjust government—one of the first documents to declare this right was the United States Declaration of Independence, alongside the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. One of the fundamental goals of social democracy is to minimize elite manipulation of the masses, limit elite power, and create opportunities for every citizen who wishes to influence politics to do so.

Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association¹⁷.

Secular State

An essential point in the demands of social democrats is the maximum separation of church and religion from the state. In our view, the state should not have an official religion, nor should any belief system be mandatory or privileged. Moreover, the state should not support any particular religion. We have analyzed the benefits and harms of religion in more detail, and social democrats do not advocate banning religion; instead, they emphasize the importance of education and enlightenment. A possible model for the religious policy of social democrats has been outlined in [this article].

Equality Between Men and Women

Since conservatives advocate for the assignment of rigid gender roles — essentially the principle of “men must” and “women must” — this creates a situation where obligations fall on everyone except the elites and the state. Aware of the vulnerability of their position, conservatives often attempt to misrepresent progressives as aiming to impose identical roles on men and women in society. In reality, progressives strive for equal opportunities, equal rights, and equal respect for both genders, along with equitable (not identical) distribution of responsibilities within families. A healthy and happy family is one built on genuine feelings and mutual respect, not on the oppression of women, reducing them to domestic servants, engaging in transactional relationships, or overburdening men with excessive duties.

The peoples of the United Nations have reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, and in the equal rights of men and women¹⁸.

The State Must Serve the People

People have the right to demand that the state faithfully fulfills its duties, which consist solely of serving as a provider of services to society, not as its master. If the government exceeds these functions or dismantles democratic institutions, citizens have the right to revolt.

When the government violates the rights of the people, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of rights and the most indispensable of duties¹⁹.

Ecology

Social democrats oppose unjustified cruelty toward animals and advocate for the preservation of nature and the environment. Measures aimed at achieving these goals must form an essential part of state policy. If we fail to preserve the planet’s ecology and work toward its improvement, we risk leaving our children a world unsuitable for a normal and healthy life.

Preservation of Humanity as a Species

One of the duties of social democrats is to consider the fate of future generations. How will our grandchildren and their descendants remember us—as rational and virtuous individuals, or as reckless egotists who traded their future for our present (the value of which is itself questionable)? We have only one planet, and an unforeseen global catastrophe could annihilate all humanity. Therefore, social democrats must already begin considering the possibilities of planetary colonization and the development of space exploration. While we respect the lives of those living today, we are equally obliged to respect those yet to be born.

A Comprehensive Approach

It is equally important to note that progressive values are embraced comprehensively, rather than in isolation. Their implementation must reflect this holistic understanding. Advocating exclusively for one value at the expense of others is unacceptable. In some instances, external circumstances may force us into difficult decisions. If a reactionary force, such as a Nazi-like regime, arises to enslave, kill, plunder, and strip people of their freedoms, and if isolating it from society while preserving the lives and health of its leaders and enforcers is not feasible, the humane and progressive choice in such a situation may involve neutralizing its leaders and executors. This is because the consequences for the comprehensive realization of progressive values would be far less severe than allowing a brutal dictatorship to take root.

Conclusion

Based on the progressive values outlined above, we can shape the goals and programs of social democratic movements, as well as the methods for achieving them. This system of values resonates with most people and aligns with the construction of a just, humanistic, and progressive society. These principles are widely shared by supporters of most democratic movements. Political alliances between these movements may be viable to varying degrees, whereas alliances with conservatives, authoritarians, or utopian populists may pose significant dangers.

1. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity // France in the United States / Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. (franceintheus.org). November 30, 2007. [Electronic resource]. URL: https://franceintheus.org/spip.php?article620 (accessed: October 24, 2019).
2. Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly // President of Russia (www.kremlin.ru). December 12, 2012, 1:30 PM. [Electronic resource]. URL: http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/17118 (accessed: October 24, 2019).
3. Tobias Gombert, Julia Bläsius, Christian Krell, Martin Timpe. Foundations of Social Democracy, p. 9. // Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (www.fes.de). [Electronic resource]. URL: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/akademie/07650.pdf (accessed: October 26, 2020).
4. Foundations of Social Democracy, p. 98.
5. Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Moscow: Prospect, 2019. ISBN 978-5-392-24161-3, p. 29.
6. F.F. Kokoshkin. Texts of the Most Important Fundamental Laws of Foreign States. Part 1. Moscow: M. & S. Sabashnikov Publishing, 1905, p. 27.
7. Ibid., p. 28.
8. Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Moscow: Prospect, 2019. ISBN 978-5-392-24161-3, p. 8.
9. L.N. Shestakov. Human Rights: A Collection of International Documents. Moscow: Moscow University Press, 1986, p. 21.
10. F.F. Kokoshkin. Texts of the Most Important Fundamental Laws of Foreign States. Part 1. 117 pp. Moscow: M. and S. Sabashnikov Publishing, 1905, p. 27.
11. Ibid., pp. 28-29.
12. Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 40 pp. Moscow: Prospect, 2019. ISBN 978-5-392-24161-3, p. 7.
13. F.F. Kokoshkin. Texts of the Most Important Fundamental Laws of Foreign States. Part 1. Moscow: M. & S. Sabashnikov Publishing, 1905, p. 28.
14. Article 11, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789).
15. Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
16. Article 24, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
17. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 20.
18. L.N. Shestakov. Human Rights. Collection of International Documents. – 232 pages. – Moscow: Moscow University Publishing House, 1986, p. 21.
19. French Constitution, June 24, 1793 // Historical Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University (www.hist.msu.ru). [Electronic resource]. URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/cnst1793.htm (accessed: 24.10.2019).