The development of early social democracy as an ideological and political alternative to Marxism from the perspective of rights and social justice

Abstract

This article explores the rise of early social democracy in 19th-century England as an ideological and political alternative to Marxism, with a focus on rights and social justice. While Marxism emphasized class struggle and revolution, early social democrats sought gradual, legal reforms to improve working-class conditions. Scholars have often overlooked the legal and institutional contributions of early social democracy to the foundations of modern welfare states. This study fills that gap by examining how early social democrats conceptualized justice, equality, and reform through democratic institutions. They promoted universal suffrage, civil liberties, social legislation, and legal accountability as pathways to economic and social fairness. The article uses historical analysis to trace the ideological development of social democracy, discursive analysis to understand the spread and reception of its ideas, and a social constructionist framework to examine how rights and welfare were shaped by social context. Unlike Marxism, which rejected existing legal structures, social democracy worked within them to promote inclusive governance. The article argues that early social democracy served as a bridge between radical theory and practical reform, laying the groundwork for lasting institutions of social protection, equality before the law, and democratic accountability. Its legacy continues in today’s welfare-oriented democratic states. Keywords: early social democracy; ideological alternative; Marxism; democratic reforms.