Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism: A Marxist Perspective
The Revolutionary Nature of Capitalism and Its Contradictions
Capitalists were revolutionary when they broke with the feudal aristocracy, seeking new materials and new markets worldwide. Capitalism was revolutionary because it relies on competition and innovation, breaking with traditionalism and anything strictly because it is “immoral.” The model of capitalist thought emphasizes the primacy of money, competition, and the assessment of things by their quantity.
However, capitalism is incompatible with the rights of the vast majority of the population because labor, to capital, is only an instrument to make a profit, not an end in itself. The bourgeoisie makes laws for its own needs and convenience. In reality, only capitalists and landlords truly have rights; they possess enough money to influence public discourse through media and propaganda. This is why the socialist revolution must break with the legal structure and culture of capitalism and establish new rules.
Marx’s Vision: Socialism and the Abolition of Private Property
For Marx, socialism means two things:
- Abolition of private property, replaced by social ownership of the means of production.
- Dictatorship of the proletariat, understood as democracy for the majority.
From Proletarian Dictatorship to Communism: The End of Oppression
Capitalism is a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, and the state is a tool to exercise their power. The proletariat will establish its own state model, called the “dictatorship of the proletariat,” during which the working class will seize power and socialize, expropriating the old bourgeoisie. But the dictatorship of the proletariat—or socialism—is a stage until the final disappearance of the oppression of man by man: communism.
As long as there is government, there will be oppressors and oppressed. That is why human history is the history of class struggle. In bourgeois democracy, there is a ruling class and a dominated class. Under the dictatorship of the proletariat, the former exploiters become the oppressed. Communism will allow us to be people, not objects or tools. It would be the final stage or form of emancipation, when there is no alienation.
Communism: A New Anthropological and Ethical Horizon
Communism represents a new situation on the level of anthropology and ethics. Until now, man has become a miserable, distressed being, only valued while he could be used as a labor force. Communism, as the end of oppression, represents the liberation of man as a social being. But for Marx, communism is rather a horizon: it is the background, but it never fully arrives. Marx later ceased to use the word communism and decided to focus his study on the capitalist economy.
In capitalist society, only some men have rights, and others have only duties. In a communist society, each contributes according to their ability and receives according to their needs. This is impossible without prior education, which represents the utopian side of Marxism.
Liberal Capitalism vs. Marxist Socialism: Key Differences
The fundamental differences between liberal capitalism and Marxist socialism are significant. Liberal capitalism is characterized by:
- Individualistic principles.
- A strong supporter of competition and the free market.
- A proponent of individual differences.
- A defender of the market as the sole arbitrator and a minimal state regulator.
- A supporter of freedom as an individual right to difference.
- A defender of technology as the engine of history.
- An idealistic philosophical foundation.
Marxist socialism, however, is characterized by:
- Collectivist principles.
- In favor of central planning.
- A strong supporter of equality.
- A defender of the State as an instrument and the revolutionary party (a maximal state).
- Believes that freedom is subordinated to equality.
- A defender of class struggle as the motor of history.
- A materialistic philosophical foundation.