ABSTRACT
IT IS, I believe, recognized by everybody and in particular by all orthodox socialists that the transition from the capitalist to the socialist order will always raise problems sui generis whatever the conditions under which it may take place. But the nature and extent of the difficulties to be expected differ so greatly according to the stage of the capitalist evolution at which the transition is to be made and according to the methods which the socializing group is able and willing to use that it will be convenient to construct two different cases in order to typify two different sets of circumstances. This device is all the more easy to apply because there is an obvious connection between the When and the How. Nevertheless both cases will be dealt with in reference to fully developed and “fettered” capitalism only—I shall not waste space on the possibilities or impossibilities presented by any earlier stages. Bearing this in mind, we shall call them the cases of mature and premature socialization.
