Doesn’t socialism ignore the fact that people are basically selfish?

Capitalism has conditioned many people to be selfish. This conditioning can be undone by building a society based on solidarity, cooperation and collective ownership. For most of its existence, humanity lived in hunter gatherer societies organised on classless communist lines. Selfishness and dishonesty were largely unknown. Many of those societies succumbed to the march of technology that demanded new, exploitative forms of social organisation.

In capitalist societies, people are encouraged to consume and to be personally acquisitive to achieve a lifestyle and, through that, an identity. They often seek to amass wealth so as to have comfort and security in old age. In building socialism, people will have security from unemployment and in old age, so many of the incentives to be selfish will be removed.

There is some scope for personal, financial ambition under socialism. If your work is harder, requires more training, longer hours, is in a remote location or other demanding circumstance, you are paid more. If you work harder than others you will get a higher income. The adage for reward under socialism is “From each according to their ability, to each according to their work.” Under socialism, this drive is harnessed and delivers collective prosperity rather than private fortunes as under capitalism.

It is interesting to note that, even under capitalism, people reject the selfishness at the base of the system. Many people volunteer their time to serve the community. At times of crisis, whole communities’ capacity for sacrifice and self-organisation comes to the fore. This is the natural, social nature of humans left to develop free from the dictates of class-exploitative society.