Introduction to Marxism and Communism
Objective 12/1:
To understand the
basic principals
of a communist
economic system
and to determine
its effectiveness
or lack thereof.
Adapted from a lecture by Don Pogreba and Lindsey Barnes
Definitions from the beginning of the
year: Economic systems
1. Capitalism  goods/business are controlled by
private ownership.
 United States, China, India, Germany etc.
2. Communism  All goods/business are owned by
the government in the name of the people.
Cuba, North Korea…
3. Socialism  mixed – where some
goods/business is owned by the government and
some is private.
 Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, Sweden,
Norway, Ireland, New Zealand etc.
The Birth of Communism
~1840’s
Human Economic Evolution in History
According to Karl Marx
German philosopher and founder of Communism
Stage 1: Tribal system of common property.
Stage 2: “Get Stuff” period of acquiring private
things.
Stage 3: Capitalism
Stage 4: Communism
 Marx believed we needed to have capitalism to have
enough “stuff” to divide between the masses once
communism was put in place.
What is Capitalism?
• An economic system based on private
ownership and use of capital (money)
• 3 main factors:
1. Private ownership – people are free to use their
capital as they wish
2. Profit motive – when enough people want a
certain product, producers will supply it because
they want to make a profit, thus responding to the
law of supply and demand
3. Market Economy – buyers and sellers are free to
exchange goods and services, with prices
determined by supply and demand
Capitalism continued…
• Laissez faire – French term meaning
government does not have control over
markets and on property rights
• Capitalism is generally viewed as encouraging
economic growth.
U.S. technically is more of a mixed economy  Medicaid,
Medicare, public ed., etc.
Lindsey Barnes, 2015
What is Communism according to Marx
 Abolish all private property!
• An economic movement that aims for a classless
society structured upon:
– common ownership of goods,
– free access to goods, and
– the end of wage labor and private property
Comes from the theory of Marxism by Karl Marx
Why would Marx want something
other than capitalism?
Europe in 1843: dirty, poor, no bathing, workers on factory
lines for 18hr days, no leisure time, no fun, no pleasure…
work, work, work, and for what?
1-2% of people in society were the luxurious wealthy
and 98-99% were breaking their backs to work.
2 classes in society
– The Have’s  control the
production of goods and owned
most of the wealth; called the
bourgeoisie* (wealthy class);
minority of people with all the
wealth
The Haves
– The Have Not’s  do all the labor
but get none of the rewards; called
the proletariat* (working class);
majority of people who are poor
– Have not’s are taken advantage of
by the have’s
– Leads to class struggle
The Have Nots
Marx’s beliefs
– Marx believed workers were controlled by
– *False Consciousness* and
– *Alienation.*
False Consciousness (Thinking)
 Marx said that workers are controlled by false ideas that are
presented as universal societal values and operated against
their own best interests. For example:
 The American Dream - “work hard and you will prosper” Marx
would ask, “Will you?”
 Consumerism – “acquiring stuff is desirable.” Marx would ask,
“Is it?”
 Self-Reliance – “pull yourself up by your bootstraps.”
(improve one's position by one's own efforts.) Marx would say “pull
everyone up together.”
 Marx thought not only are these ideas wrong, they serve an
important political function— control of the proletariat
(majority of poor people).
Alienation [Separation]
“It is true that labor produces for the rich wonderful things –
but for the worker it produces privation [hardships]. It
produces palaces – but for the worker, hovels [shacks]. It
produces beauty -- but for the worker, deformity.”
--Karl Marx
Alienation (Separation)
 Marx believed that there were three types of alienation in a
capitalist society:
1. First, the worker is alienated from what he produces.
 They can’t buy it.
2. Second, the worker is alienated from himself; only when she
is not working does she feel truly herself (working too
much).
3. Finally, in capitalist society people are alienated from each
other; that is, in a competitive society people are set against
other people.
 Marx believed that the solution was communism, which would
allow the development of our full “potentialities as a human”.
Marx’s plan to implement Communism
1. Arrive at class consciousness  realize the
“man” is getting you down; you are being
exploited and taken advantage of by the 1%.
2. Proletariat (have nots) will naturally realize
this and overthrow the bourgeoisie (haves) in
a revolution.
3. Government will wither away and everyone
will share and live happily ever after!
Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto:
“The Communist…openly declare that their ends
can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all
existing social condition. Let the ruling classes
tremble at a communist revolution. The
proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains.
They have a world to win. Workers of the world,
unite!”
After Revolution…
• Once a revolution took place and the government was
taken over, changes would be made
• Distribution is based on need
• Working class is to be the ruling class
• True Communism should have a command economy:
– decisions about politics and the economy are made
by central leadership in the best interests of the
collective society
– Every member of society is given equal weight
equality
Communism in Theory and in Practice
• Theoretically, a communist society would have no
governments, countries, or class divisions
• People would be free from oppression and lack of
goods
• In practice, “Communism” today is used to refer
to countries that are run by the Communist Party,
regardless of whether or not they follow economic
communist principles.
– Russia is a communist country but does not have a
communist economy.
Communism in Practice
• Historically, communist countries have been
dominated by a single political party or have
been run by dictators.