Marxism
Marxism takes its name from the praxis (the synthesis of philosophy and political action) of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Any political practice or theory that is based on an interpretation of the works of Marx and Engels (including the later Communist* Parties and Communist states, as well as academic research across many fields) may be termed Marxism. Most forms of Marxism share:
an attention to the material conditions of people's lives, and lived relations between people
a belief that peoples' consciousness of the conditions of their lives are reflections of these material conditions and relations
an understanding of "social class" in terms of differing relations to production, and as a particular position within such relations
an understanding of material conditions and social relations as historically malleable
a view of history in terms of conflict between classes with opposing interests
a sympathy for the working class
a belief that the ultimate interests of workers best match those of humanity in general.
The main points of contention among Marxists are the degree to which they are committed to a workers' revolution as the means of achieving human emancipation and enlightenment, and the actual mechanism through which such a revolution might occur and succeed.
Classical Marxism
Classical Marxism refers to the body of theory directly expounded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The term "Classical Marxism" is often used to distinguish between "Marxism" as it is broadly understood and "what Marx believed", which is not necessarily the same thing. For example, shortly before he died in 1883, Marx wrote a letter to the French workers' leader Jules Guesde and to his own son-in-law Paul Lafargue, both of whom claimed to represent Marxist principles, in which he accused them of "revolutionary phrase-mongering" and of denying the value of reformist struggles . Paraphrasing Marx: "If that is Marxism, then I am not a Marxist". As the American Marx scholar Hal Draper remarked, "there are few thinkers in modern history whose thought has been so badly misrepresented, by Marxists and anti-Marxists alike."
Marx·ism-Len·in·ism (märk'sĭz'əm-lěn'ĭ-nĭz'əm)
n. An expanded form of Marxism that emphasizes Lenin's concept
of imperialism as the final stage of capitalism and shifts the focus
of struggle from developed to underdeveloped countries.
source: Dictionary.com
*communism 1. A theoretical economic system characterized
by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor
for the common advantage of all members. 2. Communism; A system of
government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a
single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress
toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by
the people. b. The Marxist-Leninist version of Communist doctrine that advocates
the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat.
socialism . 1.a. A social system in which the means of producing
and distributing goods are owned collectively and political power is
exercised by the whole community. b. The theory or practice of those who
support such a social system. 2. The building of the material base
for communism under the dictatorship of the proletariat in
Marxist-Leninist theory.
proletariat 1.a. The class of industrial wage earners who,
possessing neither capital nor production means, must earn their living
by selling their labor. b. The poorest class of working people. 2. The
propertyless class of ancient Rome, constituting the lowest class of
citizens.
