Communist

Communism

Overview

Communism is a political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. It is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates.

Key Concepts

References

Old Version

Communism is a political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society1. It is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates1.

Communism is most closely associated with the ideas of Karl Marx, who outlined his ideas for a utopian society in The Communist Manifesto2. Marx believed that capitalism, with its emphasis on profit and private ownership, led to inequality among citizens. Thus, his goal was to encourage a system that promoted a classless society in which everyone shared the benefits of labor and the state government controlled all property and wealth2.

Marx described two phases of communism that would follow the predicted overthrow of capitalism: the first would be a transitional system in which the working class would control the government and economy yet still find it necessary to pay people according to how long, hard, or well they worked, and the second would be fully realized communism—a society without class divisions or government, in which the production and distribution of goods would be based upon the principle “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”1.

Today, communism is the official form of government in only five countries: China, North Korea, Laos, Cuba, and Vietnam. However, none of these meet the true definition of communism. Instead, they can be said to be in a transitional stage between the end of capitalism and the establishment of communism1.

The constitutions of most communist states describe their political system as a form of democracy. They recognize the sovereignty of the people as embodied in a series of representative parliamentary institutions3.

In summary, communism is a form of government that seeks to eliminate socioeconomic class struggles by creating a classless society in which everyone shares the benefits of labor, and the state controls all property and wealth2. It’s important to note that the practice of communism often falls short of the ideal2.