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The importance of defining terms before debating ideas.
I picked up the newspaper and noticed an article titled, "Democratic Socialism: What It Is, What It Isn't." It caught my attention as I wasn't sure what democratic socialism means.
Before deciding whether democratic socialism is a good idea or a bad idea, I decided wants to understand what is meant when people used the term.
I assumed that would be easy.
It wasn't.
A Disclaimer Before We Begin
Unlike engineering and scientific terms, there appears to not be a single universally accepted definition for the terms, democratic socialism.
Dictionaries, encyclopedias, historians, political scientists, political organizations, and politicians describe it differently or emphasize different aspects of it.
That doesn't mean the term has no meaning.It means we shouldn't assume everyone is using the same definition.The purpose of this article (podcast) isn't to evaluate which definition is "correct."It's to illustrate why defining terms should be the first step toward understanding an idea.
What Does "Democratic Socialism" Mean?
I Started with Wikipedia
The first place I went to was Wikipedia. The article there provided an overview of democratic socialism, its history, and the various schools of thought associated with it.
It was informative.
It didn't answer my question.
The newspaper article I read didn't seem to be describing democratic socialism the same way.
That made me realize Wikipedia wasn't explaining what every modern organization calling itself democratic socialist is about. Wikipedia was summarizing the history and concept of democratic socialist - not the same thing. To understand what the news article was referring to, I went to and read the primary source it cited.
AI Taught Me a Different Lesson
I asked AI how what democratic socialism means. AI recommended reading multiple sources. It replied:
"To understand democratic socialism within current U.S. election politics, the best approach is to pull from a mix of primary socialist platforms, mainstream political reporting, and independent polling."
It appeared it could not accurately answer my question.
My question was: "What does the term democratic socialism mean?"
AI appears to average multiple sources to answer that question. It answered a different one. The answer it gave told me how the term might be generally understood across different sources and for different organization and people.
That's not what I was asking.
If ten organizations define a term, in ten slightly different ways, combining those definitions does not produce the correct definition for any one organization. At best, it produces an average. That may be useful if your goal is understanding the broader meaning of a term. It won't, tell you what a particular organization, political party, journalist, or candidate means when they use the term.
Following the Newspaper's Source
The newspaper article directed readers to the website of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). To understand what that organization meant by democratic socialism, I read the explanation, on the DSA's website, rather than the newspaper's summary of it.
As I read, instead of agreeing or disagreeing with the ideas presented, I found myself writing questions in the margins of my notebook. Not political questions. Definition questions.
One Definition Led to Another
One of the first statements on the website describes capitalism as:
"Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit."
I couldn't evaluate the sentence.
What is capitalism?
Who belongs to the owning class?
What does exploit mean?
Without defining these words, two people can debate that sentence for an hour while meaning different things as they do so.
Every Paragraph Raised Another Question
The more I read, the more this happened. The website refers to:
- ordinary people
- a real voice
- democratic socialism
- social democracy
- authoritarian socialism
- the capitalist class
- the working class
- collective ownership
- single-payer healthcare
- the Green New Deal
- freedom
- justice
Each raised another question.
What is meant by ordinary people?
What is a real voice? Does that mean voting? Workplace ownership? Direct democracy?
What is single-payer healthcare?
I've heard the term used interchangeably with "government healthcare." Are those the same?
If so, why not simply say it so?
If not, what's the difference ?
The same questions arose with the term, Green New Deal. There are many summaries of it. Which version is being referenced by DSA ?
I wasn't disagreeing.
I was trying to understand.
I Realized I Was Investigating Language
Somewhere along the way, I realized this wasn't an article about democratic socialism. It was becoming an article about how we understand language. Words such as:
- capitalism
- socialism
- democratic socialism
- communism
- social democracy
They sound precise. Different people use them differently. That isn't a problem itself. It simply means we shouldn't assume everyone shares the same definition of a word or term.
Labels Can Replace Thinking
Suppose two people agree healthcare costs are too high. One proposes a solution and says it's “democratic socialism.” The other rejects that solution because of the label.
Now reverse the situation. Someone hears the words "democratic socialism," likes the label, and supports every proposal attached to it, without pausing to ask whether each proposal included solves the problem.
In both, the same thing happens: a label replaces an analysis.
Maybe We're Bundling Too Many Problems Together
As I continued my research, another thought occurred. Political philosophies represent and present, packages of proposed solutions
Healthcare.
Housing.
Energy.
Transportation.
Education.
Climate.
Taxes.
Labor.
Each addresses a different problem. Do we have to accept or reject an entire package proposed solutions? Could someone support publicly owned electric utilities while preferring private grocery stores? Could someone support universal healthcare, while opposing government ownership of transportation?
Of course. Yet political labels encourage us to think in teams, rather than individual problems. That's unfortunate, as every proposal for a solution to a problem deserves to be evaluated on its own merits.
Better Questions
I found myself asking fewer political questions and more analytical ones:
What problem is this proposal (modern day Democratic Socialism) trying to solve?
Why do its supporters believe the solution works?
What tradeoffs does it create?
Are there other ways to solve the same problems?
The Bigger Lesson
I began this investigation hoping to understand, to find a definition for, democratic socialism. Instead, I learned the biggest challenge isn't understanding a political philosophy - it's recognizing how easily we debate labels before agreeing on what they mean.
That's why political conversations can become frustrating. People believe they're discussing the same idea. In reality, they may be using the same word, when that word has different definitions for different people.
Before We Debate Solutions
Whether the subject is democratic socialism, capitalism, artificial intelligence, climate policy, healthcare, or immigration, the first question shouldn't be:
"Do I agree with this?"
It should be:
"What exactly do you mean?"
Only after we've defined the terms can we begin asking questions that matter, such as:
What problem is being solved?
Does the proposed solution address that problem?
What evidence suggests it will work?
What tradeoffs does it introduce?
Are there better alternatives?
Before we decide whether an idea is right or wrong, we should make sure we're talking about the same idea.
Before we can evaluate a solution, we have to understand the language being used to describe it.
About the Author
Daniel Stih (danielstih.com) is an aerospace engineer, software engineer, indoor environmental consultant, and author of 12 books. For more 30 years, he has investigated complex problems spanning engineering, technology, the built environment, and human decision-making. His work explores how evidence, assumptions, and systems shape the conclusions we draw—and whether we're solving the right problem. Learn more about his approach in Why I Think This Way.