Marxism-Leninism

1. MARXISM

2. Marxism
“Marxism is the theory of how the
normality of our everyday world, … its
workday habits and its working day, its
monetary stresses and pressures on
one end and its leisure and freedom on
the other, is driven from within by
what Marx called ‘class
struggle’ ”(Literary Theory: an
Anthology, 231).
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3. Class struggle: a contradiction
between those with wealth and those
lacking it. This contradiction sustains
the society while at the same time
threatening to disintegrate it.
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4. Karl Marx: “The Father of
Communism”

5. Karl Marx (1818-1883)
• The German Ideology (1846)
• The Communist Manifesto (1848)
• Capital (1867)
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6. Capitalism
 Promoting private accumulation of wealth
 Advocating individual freedom in economic matters
 Inequality in distribution of wealth
 Enslaving the working class through economic
policies and control of production
 Class differentiation
 Severe poverty
 Works by a “hidden disequilibrium” in the work we do
what we get (salary) < what we give (labor)
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7. Future Marxists At An Early Age:
Lenin and Stalin

8. Socialism According to Marx
 Karl Marx- German philosopher,
supported the establishment of socialism
and communism.
 Wrote the “Manifesto of the Communist
Party” along with Friedrich Engels.
 Marx was unhappy with capitalism and the
negative aspects of industrialization (Most
significantly, the unfair exploitation of the
working class.

9. Socialism According to Marx
 He believed that a select few in society
controlled most of the wealth and were
taking advantage of the working class
(Long hours, low pay, miserable working
conditions, etc.)
 2 classes emerged:
1. Bourgeoisie- Those who owned the
means of production and were considered
the wealthy class in a capitalist society

10. 2 Classes cont.
 Proletariat- Working classes or lower
class in Capitalist society.
 Originally derogatory in nature, Marx used
the term to describe the working class.

11. What Needs To Take Place
First?
 Marx believed that history could be
explained through class struggle
 Marx was convinced that history would
pass through certain phases (I.E.
Feudalism, Capitalism, Socialism) until
finally a Communist society would emerge.

12. Major Historical Events
Feudalism: This picture shows
serfs at work in the fields and
Louis XVI being beheaded
during French Revolution.
Major events in history according
To Marx

13. Basic Characteristics of
Communism:
 Collective ownership of land and the
means of production.
 Classless society (Everyone is =====)
 Everyone would work according to their
abilities and…
 Everyone receives according to their
needs.

14. Communism Appears Easy,
However…
 Before it can take place, the working class
(Proletariat) in the capitalist nation, must
rise up and overthrow the minority who
controlled the means of production
(Bourgeoisie).
 Marx refers to this as the “dictatorship of
the proletariat.”

15. Bolshevik Revolution

16. Communism
 After the proletariat has successfully
overthrown the bourgeoisie:
1. Communism would gradually
emerge.
2. The need for government would no
longer exist.
3. There would no longer be separate
classes in society.

17. History of Class Struggle
Utopian Society
Feudalism Capitalism
Bourgeiosie/Proletariat Emerge
Socialism
Dictatorship of the Proletariat
Communism