Capitalism vs. Socialism: Antinomy of Nations or Antinomy of Systems?

Abstract

This paper is a reflection on the legitimacy of commonly accepted opposition of the notions of "capitalism" and "socialism". The leading thesis is that although they can be considered as antinomies, their real referents should not be treated analogously. Capitalism, as understood by its very name, emerged in the second half of the 19th century and evolved constantly from this moment, often changing its main features. Socialism, in contrast, was created as a notion opposing the capitalistic reality of the 19th century. Yet it never really existed in this form. The actual economic system, referred to as "socialism", was in fact a hybrid of capitalism and neo-feudal bureaucracy.