Communism is explained by Marx as a form of society which the proletariat will bring into existence through its revolutionary struggle. In Communist Manifesto Marx and Engels argued that the communists have no interests separate and apart from the interests of the proletariat as a whole.
In his Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts-Marx defined communism as the positive abolition of private property. It also entailed the abolition of classes and abolition of division of labour. In economic terms the communist society will be a “society of associated producers”. In political terms communism will be the first state in the history of mankind to use political power for universal interests instead of partisan interests.
Thus, it will be different from the state in capitalism which is no more than the Managing Committee of the Bourgeoisie. For Marx the state in capitalism is serving the long-term interests of the bourgeoisie as a whole. It promotes and legitimises the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie.
Image Source: crowdact.com
ADVERTISEMENTS:
‘In Critique of the Gotha Programme, Marx talked of two stages of communist society. In the first state communism will bring about the socialisation of means of production. It means that the means of production will not be in the hands of any one class but in the hands of society as a whole.
At this state wage labour will continue to exist and the organising principle of the economy will be: ‘from each according to his capacity to each according to his work’. It means that everyone will work according to one’s ability and get according to the amount of work done. At the second and the final stage the communist society will ensure’ the end of man’s domination by the objective forces.
As already stated, communism for Marx is not only the positive abolition of private property but also the abolition of state and abolition of human self- alienation. It will be a classless and stateless society in which government of men will be replaced by administration of things.
It will be return of man to himself as a social, i.e., really human being. Communism is viewed by Marx as the true final solution of the conflict between existence and essence; objectification and self affirmation; freedom and necessity; individual and the species.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Marx also claimed that communism is the final solution to the riddle of history and knows itself to be this solution. Man in communism will become conscious of himself as the prime mover of history as well as its product.
As stated earlier, since communism will ensure the disappearance of social division of labour; it will become possible for man to do one thing to day, another tomorrow “to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening and criticise after dinner without ever becoming a hunter, a fisherman, a shepherd or a critic’.
Moreover, it will be a state of plenty where everyone will work according to capacity and get according to need. The creation of new needs will also ensure the creation of means for their satisfaction. History will not come to an end; it will continue’ in terms of creation of new needs and creation of methods of their fulfilment.