What is national socialism?

National socialism is a nationalist form of socialism, based on the view that the nation has primacy, with political and economic policy directed toward the national interest. National socialists share a disdain for liberal democracy and the parliamentary system, with certain strains like the Nazis supporting scientific racism and eugenics. While it is generally associated with Nazism and fascism, national socialism is its own distinct ideology.

In national socialism the Marxist notion of class conflict is replaced with conflict against an enemy of the state, which could include racial, national, religious, or economic enemies. The term itself arose out of attempts to create a nationalist redefinition of socialism, as an alternative to both international socialism and free–market capitalism. National socialism opposes cosmopolitan internationalism and seeks to convince all parts of society to subordinate their personal interests to the common good, accepting political interests as the main priority of economic organisation.

Take it offline

Do you want to make use of Spekr without needing an internet connection? Do you want to print Spekr to use on a tabletop or bind it into a book? You can download a copy and use Spekr as you wish, so long as you abide by the terms of the license.