2. What is Communism?
Lesson Objectives
To identify the key features of Marxist ideology
Notes from Lesson PowerPoint:
Lesson Objectives
To identify the key features of Marxist ideology
Notes from Lesson PowerPoint:
- Fascism:
- A class of political ideologies and historical political regimes
- Takes its name from the movement led by Benito Mussolini that took power in Italy in 1922
- Characterised by: militant nationalism, charismatic leaders, national unity, anti-Communism, contempt for democracy, glorification of physical strength, propaganda and aggressive foreign policy - Nationalism:
- A category of similar ideologies
- Based on the premise that each nation constitues a natural political community whose members should all live together under the authority of "their own"independent nation state - Socialism:
- Class of ideologies favouring an economic system
- Most productive resources are the property of the government
- Production and distribution of goods and services are administered primarily by the government rather than by private enterprise
- Any remaining private production and distribution is heavily regulated by the government rather than by market processes - Stalinism:
- Method of rule or policies of Joseph Stalin
- Associated with a regime of terror marxist ideology based on the theory of permanent revolution first expounded by Trotsky
- Came to represent whatever ideology Stalin wished it to represent - Totalitarianism:
- A State dominated by a single like-minded governing elite of all organised political, economic, social and cultural activities in a country
- Single-party monopoly of power and police repression in forms of dissent and opposition and all forms of independent private organisations
- Rigorous censorship of the mass media, centralised state planning and administration of the economy
- Pervasive propaganda to inculcate the principles of the obligatory official ideology - Marxist-Leninism:
- A variant of socialism
- Emphasises that a truly communist society can be achieved only through violent overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of a "dictatorship of the proletariat"
- Prepare the way for the future idealised society of communism under the authoritarian guidance of a hierarchical and disciplined Communist Party - Maoism:
- A doctrine composed of the ideology and methodology for revolution developed by Mao
- Represented a revolutionary method based on a distinct revolutionary outlook not necessarily dependent on a Chinese or Marxist-Leninist context - Leninism:
- Set of Marxist principles expounded by Vladimir I Lenin
- Concepts represented a contribution to or a corruption of Marxist thoughts has been debated
- Influence on subsequent development of communism in USSR has been of fundamental importance - Capitalism:
- Form of economic order characterised by private ownership of means of production and freedom of private owners to use, buy and sell their property or services on the free market at voluntarily agreed prices and terms
- Only minimal interference in transactions by the state or anyone else - Imperialism:
- State policy, practice or advocacy of extending power and dominion
- Direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas - Communism:
- Ideology based on the communal ownership of all property and a classless social structure with economic production and distribution to be directed and regulated by means of an authoritative economic plan that supposedly embodies the interest of the community as a whole - Trotskyism:
- Marxist Ideology based on theory of permanent revolution - Dictatorship:
- Government by a single person whose discretion in using the powers and resources of the state
- Unrestrained by any fixed legal or constitutional rules and who is in no effective way held responsible to the general population or their elected representatives - Authoritarianism:
- Form of government which is characterised by the principle of blind submission to authority as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action
- Denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people - What is Communism?
- Political principles of Communism were developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the books Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital
- The writings of Marx were based on the materialists conception of history that he developed
- Theory that human history was largely determined by the "history of class struggles" between ruling and oppressed classes
- Marx believed that if the workers were successful in overthrowing capitalism, they would be abel to construct a socialist society rule by the working class
- Classless society
- Society of plenty rather than scarcity because it would be based on the economic advances of industrial capitalism - Marxist theory of stages
- Believed in the idea of "permanent revolution" and "uninterrupted revolution"
- Did not believe that progression through stages of society was inevitable and could actually be turned back
- Believed that a backward society could "jump" a stage if aided by other countries - Materialist Conception of History
- Marx argued that the economic structure based on the relations of production in any society is the real foundation of any society
- Built that legal, political and intellectual superstructures of society
- Social existence that largely determines people's consciousness or beliefs
- By changing ownership of production, you could change history - Dialectical Materialism
- Marx's philosophy of history was influenced by German idealist philosophy (Hegel, Herder, Kant) the ideas of French Socialists and writings of British economists
- Dialectical (contradiction) Materialism emerged from Marx's criticisms of Hegel's ideas
- Social relations were made up of opposite forces
- Class struggle between these poles would eventually lead to a new mode of production and a new stage in history - Plenary
- Marx's theory of dialectical materialism argued that economic systems create social beliefs and political structures
- Economic systems change inevitably over time from feudal to capitalist to socialist and communist
- Change was inevitable, it will take place over a long period of time
- Existing ruling class will always resist giving up their power therefore communists advocate destroying the ruling class