Page 22 - Issue 20

advanced and more meaningful form of national
culture. The reason lies in the fact that some of the
arguments for Jewish nationalism coincide with
some of the arguments for socialism. The purpose
of socialism is simple enough: the complete
liberation and fulfilment of the individual. By this I
mean that the individual is able to realise his
maximum potential, both in terms of his work and
creative abilities and in terms of his relationships
with others. In order to achieve this, two conditions
must be met. One is that the individual has a high
level of personal awareness, that is, that he is
conscious of his potential and withes to achieve it.
The other is that the structure of society is such
that not only is the individual not thwarted in
realising his potential but indeed that the social
system actively promotes it. This means mat
collective self- awareness is also a pre-requisite for
personal self-realisation.

Now, some argue that in fact capitalism does
precisely this, that it allows the individual free rein
to realise his potential. The difference though
between capitalist and socialist assumptions on
this matter is considerable. Under the former the
individual is entitled ‘to make it’ at the expense of
others, while socialism sees human beings as
having equal worth. Further, individual 'success'
under capitalism is frequently dictated by
commercial considerations or are defined in
financial terms: the 'successful' artist is the one that
sells well, not necessarily the one most admired by
the cognoscenti. Under socialism the skill of the
artist and his contribution to the aesthetic