The Communist Manifesto Philosophical Viewpoints: Communism

It's all about the moolah, folks. In the Communist Manifesto, Marx sees the world as defined by struggle between and among economic classes. He wanted the workforce (the proletariat) to revolt against the rich (the bourgeoisie)—violently if necessary—and to then establish a temporary government (the vanguard state) that would transition society to communism by abolishing class altogether. Communists would share in common the bourgeoisie's private property—not their houses and their stuff, but their means of production, like factories, and their capital, the profit that allows the rich to exploit the workers.

Questions About Philosophical Viewpoints: Communism

1. What explanations of communism have you heard that do not match Marx's actual views?
2. What other communist views exist besides Marx's? Think about the communist authors he attacks in Section 3. Or what about the communist views that have developed since Marx's day, like anarcho-communism?
3. Are Marxism and communism the same thing?

Chew on This

Communism is the political system we should strive for.

Communism is not the political system we should strive for.