Let R be an associative ring
with identity. Then the left socle of R is a direct summand of R as a right
R-module if and only if it is projective as a left R-module and contains no
infinite sets of orthogonal idempotents. This implies, for example, that a
ring with finitely generated left socle and no nilpotent minimal left ideals is
a ring direct sum of a semisimple artinian ring and a ring with zero left
socle.