Communism: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 05:41, 12 December 2001 view sourceEgern~enwiki (talk \| contribs)0 edits Prefer "Collective public ownership" to state ownership, because in Marxist theory there is no state under what it terms "communism"← Previous edit		Revision as of 17:17, 12 December 2001 view source Egern~enwiki (talk \| contribs)0 edits Attempted to reorganize a bit to make more coherent, and added a few details.Next edit →
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Communism is a political doctrine advocating collective public ownership of property,		Communism is a political doctrine advocating collective public ownership of property, especially of means of production, and the abolition of the division of the society in classes. It is a development of classical forms of ] and ].
	especially of means of production, and the abolition of the division of
	the society in classes. It is a development of classical forms of
	] and ].

		⚫	The term is also used to refer to historical instances of ] ] (as distinct from ]). Regimes
	In theory, the state holds the property on behalf of its citizens. In practice, communism is widely regarded as failing to live up to its stated ideals, with members and especially high-ranking officials constituting a new privileged class (see ]).

⚫	The term is also used to refer to historical instances of ]
	] (as distinct from ]). Regimes
	described as communistic have, according to most Western observers,		described as communistic have, according to most Western observers,
	generally been despotic and extremely abusive of ]. Examples		generally been despotic and extremely abusive of ]. Examples
Line 14:		Line 8:

	In ] theory, communism refers to the final stage of social		In ] theory, communism refers to the final stage of social
			development. In theory, prior to this final stage, the state holds the property on behalf of its citizens. In practice, communist ideology is widely regarded as failing to live up to its stated ideals, with members and especially high-ranking officials constituting a new privileged class (see ]). The term "communism" and ideology has a history that predates Marx, however, closely associated with (socialist) ]. According to Marxist theory, the state will eventually wither away because the class divisions that underly the existence of the state will have disappeared. Prior to this final stage, however, state ownership is supposed to exist during a what is ostensibly a transitional period that Marxist theory describes as socialist. No Marxist government actually claimed to have instituted a communist society; instead, the official doctrines of these regimes held that their governments were only transitional socialist regimes.
	development. According to this theory, the state will wither away because the class divisions that underly the existence of the state will have disappeared. The term and ideology has a history that predates Marx,
	however, closely associated with (socialist) ].

	There are various kinds of communism or socialism; some kinds of communism		There are various kinds of communism or socialism; some kinds of communism
Line 23:		Line 16:
	slow development of technology/economy (and the according		slow development of technology/economy (and the according
	philosophy/religion) and a rapidly changing short period of		philosophy/religion) and a rapidly changing short period of
	technology/economy. ~~] and ] were two early forms~~		technology/economy.

	of communism-in-practice advocated by Russian (mainly ex-patriate)
			The short-lived ] of 1870, a brief revolutionary government after the defeat of France in the ], was an early attempt at instituting a socialist regime, and Marx wrote approvingly of it. ] and ] were also two early forms of communism-in-practice, advocated by Russian (mainly ex-patriate) communists in the late 19th and early 20th century; the Mencheviks favored
	communists in the late 19th and early 20th century; the Mencheviks favored
	peaceful change, while Bolsheviks called for, and eventually organised, a revolution, putting power in the hands of the soviets of workers and peasants.		peaceful change, while Bolsheviks called for, and eventually organised, a revolution, putting power in the hands of the soviets of workers and peasants.
	] is the name given to Bolshevik leader ]'s		] is the name given to Bolshevik leader ]'s
	system of thought, which emphasises the need to spread the revolution to other countries, and to exclude any compromise with the ]. Lenin's rule		system of thought, which emphasises a top-down party structure known as ''democratic centralism'', and the need to spread the revolution to other countries, and to exclude any compromise with the ].

			Lenin's rule
	gave way to ]'s and Stalin's style of communist dictatorship		gave way to ]'s and Stalin's style of communist dictatorship
	is known as ]; Stalin's government was violently repressive of		is known as ]; Stalin's government was violently repressive of
	individual liberties and of ] and featured more [[five-year		individual liberties and of ] and featured more [[five-year
	plans]] as well as massive ], under the un-Marxist pretext of constructing "socialism in one country". ~~The~~ ~~practices~~ of ] are known as ].		plans]] as well as massive ], under the un-Marxist pretext of constructing "socialism in one country". ] opposed the doctrine of "socialism in one country", and criticized Stalin's regime as being a "bureacratically deformed" worker's state. Followers of Trotsky are known as ].


			he practices of ] are known as ].

	See also:		See also:

Revision as of 17:17, 12 December 2001

Communism is a political doctrine advocating collective public ownership of property, especially of means of production, and the abolition of the division of the society in classes. It is a development of classical forms of communalism and socialism.

The term is also used to refer to historical instances of totalitarian socialism (as distinct from democratic socialism). Regimes described as communistic have, according to most Western observers, generally been despotic and extremely abusive of human rights. Examples are the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China and Cuba.

In Marxist theory, communism refers to the final stage of social development. In theory, prior to this final stage, the state holds the property on behalf of its citizens. In practice, communist ideology is widely regarded as failing to live up to its stated ideals, with members and especially high-ranking officials constituting a new privileged class (see Nomenklatura). The term "communism" and ideology has a history that predates Marx, however, closely associated with (socialist) anarchism. According to Marxist theory, the state will eventually wither away because the class divisions that underly the existence of the state will have disappeared. Prior to this final stage, however, state ownership is supposed to exist during a what is ostensibly a transitional period that Marxist theory describes as socialist. No Marxist government actually claimed to have instituted a communist society; instead, the official doctrines of these regimes held that their governments were only transitional socialist regimes.

There are various kinds of communism or socialism; some kinds of communism are varieties of ideology, while others are terms for practices or styles of governance. Marxism holds--among other things--that human history has had and will have a developmental structure, alternating between slow development of technology/economy (and the according philosophy/religion) and a rapidly changing short period of technology/economy.

The short-lived Paris Commune of 1870, a brief revolutionary government after the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War, was an early attempt at instituting a socialist regime, and Marx wrote approvingly of it. Bolshevism and Menchevism were also two early forms of communism-in-practice, advocated by Russian (mainly ex-patriate) communists in the late 19th and early 20th century; the Mencheviks favored peaceful change, while Bolsheviks called for, and eventually organised, a revolution, putting power in the hands of the soviets of workers and peasants. Leninism is the name given to Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin's system of thought, which emphasises a top-down party structure known as democratic centralism, and the need to spread the revolution to other countries, and to exclude any compromise with the bourgeoisie.

Lenin's rule gave way to Joseph Stalin's and Stalin's style of communist dictatorship is known as Stalinism; Stalin's government was violently repressive of individual liberties and of political dissidents and featured more [[five-year plans]] as well as massive industrialization, under the un-Marxist pretext of constructing "socialism in one country". Leon Trotsky opposed the doctrine of "socialism in one country", and criticized Stalin's regime as being a "bureacratically deformed" worker's state. Followers of Trotsky are known as Trotskyists.

he practices of Mao Tse Tung are known as Maoism.