Introduction

The two central questions facing socialism, as well as any other system of political economy, are whether it is feasible and whether it is morally desirable. As I have argued, these questions are lexical. The desirability of a system of political economy is, in part, a function of its feasibility, and before we can judge whether it is appropriate or desirable in itself, we must have a sense of the difficulties, challenges, and costs involved in implementing it. Investigation into the proper system of political economy must be motivated by a genuine concern for the prosperity and well-being of the people affected by the system—all of them, not only a subset of them. To warrant serious consideration, it must be a complete proposal, which requires addressing both of the aforementioned questions. A proposal addressing only one question does not yet rise to the level of a legitimate contender.

One of Aesop’s fables, “The Fox and the Grapes,” tells the story of a fox strolling through an orchard and coming upon a grape vine that has been trained over a high branch. That high branch has sweet, succulent grapes hanging from it. After repeated attempts, however, the fox simply cannot reach those grapes. In frustration, the fox finally gives up, declaring that the grapes were probably sour anyway. Aesop’s moral: “It is easy to despise what you cannot get.” Let us conclude our analysis of socialism by asking both the necessary questions: Is socialism unattainable, like the high grapes in Aesop’s fable? And if it is, does that mean it is not morally desirable in itself—or is our condemnation of it just sour grapes?