Abstract: The Western idea of "social state" and the demand for social justice are similar to the socialist ideal. This idea and relevant provisions have been written into the constitutions of many Western countries, providing favorable conditions for the creation and development of socialist factors. On the basis of a profound reflection on capitalism, a large-scale social reform was carried out across the Western world, which has helped to form welfare states aimed at protecting human dignity and realizing social equity and has become an important feature of the Western world in the 20th century. Nationalization, planning and extensive welfare state practices geared toward social justice and equality, though still far from being comparable to socialist institutions, contain rich socialist factors. This fully shows the attractiveness of socialism and the vitality of the concept of justice and equality. However, due to the inherent limitations of the capitalist framework, the socialist factors in the Western world will not develop smoothly and will encounter twists and turns. 

Keywords: Western, socialist factors, social state, capitalism, social democracy

DOI：10.16619/j.cnki.rmltxsqy.2021.08.006