Communism in Marx and Engels
The concept of communism occupies a key position in the theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and must be distinguished from the general pre-Marxist concept.
Definition
The theory of communism is explained by Marx and Engels primarily in the works Economic-Philosophical Manuscripts (Marx 1844), Principles of Communism (Engels 1847) and the Communist Party Manifesto (Marx / Engels 1848). In contrast to the critical analysis of capitalism, however, it is primarily about theoretical conclusions from the course of history, for the course of which some concrete measures and goals are formulated, but which are expressly to be interpreted in the historical context and with them changing circumstances lose their immediate validity:
"The practical application of these principles, explains the 'Manifesto' itself, will depend everywhere and at any time on the historical circumstances, and therefore no particular emphasis is placed on the revolutionary measures proposed at the end of Section II."
Because of the merging of theory and practice, particularly advocated by Marx, the concept of communism has a double role in Marxist theory: on the one hand, communism is described as the final stage of social development in which class contradictions are eliminated and there are no longer any economic conflicts of interest. Engels speaks of practical communism :
"For the time being, I want to mention only one of the many possible ways of preparation, which has been mentioned several times recently - namely the implementation of three measures which must necessarily result in practical communism."
On the other hand, the social movement that pursues the goal of communism is also called communism:
“A ghost is haunting Europe - the ghost of communism. (...) Communism is already recognized by all European powers as a power. "
“For us, communism is not a state that is to be established, an ideal according to which reality [will] have to orient itself. We call communism the real movement that abolishes the current state. "
Communism as a form of society
occurrence
For Marx and Engels, the emergence of communism was inevitably connected with a previous revolutionary leveling of social conditions. Unlike z. Propagated by Lenin , for example , and often wrongly ascribed to Marx and Engels themselves, a revolution in the sense of a violent overthrow of the political elite was not necessarily associated with this idea. On the contrary, a strong communist movement was for Engels a means of avoiding what he believed to be an otherwise inevitable bloody conflict:
"If these conclusions are correct, my gentlemen, if the social revolution and practical communism are the necessary result of our existing conditions - then we shall above all have to deal with the measures by which we are violent and can prevent bloody upheaval in social conditions. And there is only one means, namely the peaceful introduction or at least preparation of communism. "
However, the authors made several suggestions for creating the conditions for communism ( Manifesto of the Communist Party , MEW 4, p. 481; Zwei Reden in Elberfeld , MEW 2, p. 547f; Principles of Communism , MEW 4, pp. 361–380 ). Primary was always the demand for the socialization of the means of production, that is, the expropriation of privately owned capital in order to be able to distribute it directly or indirectly to all people. To this end, Engels proposed a general, progressive capital tax in 1845 to replace the existing taxes. In 1847 he proposed the gradual expropriation of landowners, manufacturers, railway owners and shipowners, partly through competition from state industry, partly directly in return for compensation in assignats .
Further demands were u. a. a compulsory state education and training system, the creation of colonies for the poor, in which they work collectively for their livelihood, the abolition or restriction of the right of inheritance, a general obligation to work and the state centralization of the credit system.
Marx and Engels were of the opinion that the bourgeoisie would oppose this endeavor by force and saw it as right that the working class should prevail in this case by force. However, they considered it desirable that the measures could be carried out in a peaceful way:
“It would be hoped that this could happen, and the communists would certainly be the last to rebel against it. The communists know too well that all conspiracies are not only useless but even harmful. They know too well that revolutions are not made deliberately and arbitrarily, but that they were everywhere and at all times the necessary consequence of circumstances which are absolutely independent of the will and the direction of individual parties and entire classes.
But you also see that the development of the proletariat is forcibly suppressed in almost all civilized countries and that this is how the opponents of the communists are working towards a revolution with all their might. If the oppressed proletariat is ultimately chased into a revolution as a result, then we communists will defend the cause of the proletarians just as well as we do now with the word. "
At the same time, however, they tried to create a willingness among the bourgeoisie to support a peaceful transformation in favor of a leveling of social conditions. In 1845, Engels warned in the Two Speeches in Elberfeld that if one did not want the bloody solution to the social problem , one had to deal seriously and impartially with the social question and that it was our concern to contribute to the humanization of the situation of the modern helots .
The phase in which the measures to level class differences are carried out is often referred to as the dictatorship of the proletariat or socialism . However, the first designation is only mentioned in a few brief accounts, especially by Marx (in the works of Marx and Engels, literally nine times), the second not at all in this context.
Political order
Marx and Engels did not comment in detail on their conception of communism. But the core of the idea of communism is economic common property. Under communism, people would still have the power to appropriate social products; it only takes away the power to subjugate themselves through this appropriation of other people's work .
See also
Web links
- http://www.mlwerke.de/me - all texts by Marx and Engels with MEW page numbers
Footnotes
- ↑ All page numbers with “MEW” refer to the edition of the Marx-Engels-Werke
- ^ Two speeches in Elberfeld, MEW 2, p. 548
- ↑ Principles of Communism, MEW 4, pp. 361–380
- ^ Two speeches in Elberfeld, MEW 2, p. 547
- ^ Two speeches in Elberfeld, MEW 2, p. 547f
- ↑ Manifesto of the Communist Party, MEW 4, p. 481
- ↑ Principles of Communism, MEW 4, pp. 361–380
- ↑ Manifesto of the Communist Party, MEW 4, p. 481
- ↑ Principles of Communism, MEW 4, pp. 361–380
- ↑ Manifesto of the Communist Party, MEW 4, p. 481
- ^ Two speeches in Elberfeld, MEW 2, p. 556
- ↑ Manifesto of the Communist Party, MEW 4, p. 477