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| The evolution of [[theoretical communism]], as a scientific guide for [[revolution]]ary action, traces a path from [[Karl Marx]]'s foundational insights to [[Vladimir Lenin]]'s adaptations for the imperialist era, culminating in [[Mao Zedong]]'s universalization of revolutionary strategy. This trajectory represents a continuous development, with each stage building upon and refining the preceding one, ultimately presenting [[Maoism]] as the most advanced and universally applicable form of revolutionary [[communist]] thought.
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| == Karl Marx: the foundations of scientific socialism ==
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| Karl Marx, alongside [[Friedrich Engels]], laid the intellectual groundwork for [[scientific socialism]], providing a comprehensive critique of [[capitalism]] and a theoretical framework for its revolutionary overthrow. Their contributions are primarily articulated in works such as ''Capital'' and ''[[The Communist Manifesto]]''.
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| === Historical materialism ===
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| Marx's most fundamental contribution is the theory of [[historical materialism]]. This theory posits that the development of human societies is driven by the material conditions of existence, specifically the [[mode of production]]. The forces of production and the relations of production are in a constant state of dynamic tension. When the relations of production become a fetter on the development of the forces of production, a period of social revolution ensues, leading to a new mode of production. This [[dialectics|dialectical]] process explains the transition from [[primitive communism]] to [[slavery]], [[feudalism]], [[capitalism]], and ultimately, to [[socialism]] and [[communism]].
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| === Class struggle ===
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| Central to Marx's analysis is the concept of [[class struggle]]. In capitalist society, Marx identified two primary antagonistic classes: the [[bourgeoisie]] (owners of the means of production) and the [[proletariat]] (wage laborers who own only their labor power). The inherent [[contradiction]] within capitalism, where the bourgeoisie exploits the proletariat by appropriating [[surplus value]], inevitably leads to intensified class conflict. The [[accumulation of capital]], driven by the pursuit of [[profit]], exacerbates these contradictions, leading to crises and ultimately, to the revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeoisie by the proletariat.
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| === Theory of surplus value ===
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| Marx's theory of surplus value is the cornerstone of his economic critique of capitalism. He argued that the value of a [[commodity]] is determined by the [[socially necessary labor time]] required for its production. However, workers are paid only for a portion of the value they create; the remaining portion, the surplus value, is appropriated by the capitalist as profit. This exploitation is an inherent structural feature of the capitalist mode of production. The extraction of surplus value is the engine of capitalist accumulation and the source of class inequality.
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| === Dictatorship of the proletariat ===
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| Marx envisioned a transitional phase between capitalism and communism, which he termed the "dictatorship of the proletariat". This concept refers to a state where the working class, having seized political power, uses its authority to dismantle the remnants of the old capitalist order and build the foundations of a socialist society. It is a period of intense class struggle, where the proletariat suppresses the resistance of the former ruling classes and reorganizes society along socialist lines. This is not a dictatorship in the conventional sense of arbitrary rule, but rather the democratic rule of the vast majority over the former exploiting minority.
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| == Vladimir Lenin: Adapting Marxism to the era of imperialism ==
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| Vladimir Lenin's contributions represent the second stage in the development of theoretical communism, adapting Marx's theories to the specific conditions of the early 20th-century, particularly the rise of [[imperialism]].
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| === Imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism ===
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| Lenin's most significant theoretical contribution is his analysis of imperialism. As detailed in ''[[Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism]]'', Lenin argued that capitalism had entered a new, monopolistic stage characterized by the dominance of finance capital, the export of capital, the formation of international capitalist monopolies, and the territorial division of the world among the great capitalist powers. He posited that imperialism was an inherent and inevitable development of capitalism, driven by the need for new markets, raw materials, and investment opportunities. This stage, he argued, intensified the contradictions of capitalism on a global scale, leading to inter-imperialist wars and revolutionary upheavals in the "weakest links" of the imperialist chain.
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| === The vanguard party ===
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| Lenin recognized that the spontaneous struggles of the working class, while important, were insufficient to achieve a socialist revolution. In ''What Is to Be Done?'', he argued for the necessity of a disciplined, centralized, and ideologically coherent [[vanguard party]] composed of the most conscious and revolutionary elements of the proletariat. This party, armed with Marxist theory, would provide political leadership, educate the masses, and organize them for revolutionary action. The vanguard party's role is to instill socialist consciousness into the working class, which otherwise would only develop "trade-union consciousness". This concept was crucial for the success of the [[Great October Socialist Revolution]] in 1917.
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| === The state and revolution ===
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| In ''[[The State and Revolution]]'', Lenin further developed Marx's concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat, emphasizing the necessity of smashing the bourgeois state apparatus and replacing it with a new, proletarian state. He argued that the state is an instrument of class rule, and therefore, the working class cannot simply seize the existing state machinery and use it for its own purposes. Instead, the old state must be "smashed" and replaced by a new type of state, based on workers' councils (soviets), which would serve as the instrument of the dictatorship of the proletariat. This new state, while still a state, would be a "semi-state" that would eventually wither away as class distinctions disappeared and communism was fully realized.
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| === The right of nations to self-determination ===
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| Lenin also made significant contributions to the Marxist understanding of the national question. He argued for the right of nations to self-determination, recognizing that national oppression was a significant feature of imperialism. Lenin believed that supporting national liberation movements in oppressed nations was crucial for weakening imperialism and advancing the global socialist revolution.
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| == Mao Zedong: Universalizing revolutionary strategy and the highest stage of communism ==
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| Mao Zedong's contributions represent the third and highest stage of revolutionary communist thought, known as Maoism. His theories, developed through the crucible of the [[Chinese Revolution]], provided a universal guide for the working class and oppressed peoples, particularly in the [[Global South]].
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| === Protracted people's war ===
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| Mao's most significant contribution to revolutionary theory is the strategy of [[Protracted People's War]] (PPW). Developed from the experience of the Chinese Revolution, PPW is a military strategy for revolutionary movements in semi-feudal, semi-colonial countries, where the revolutionary forces are initially weaker than the enemy. PPW involves three strategic phases: strategic defensive, strategic stalemate, and strategic offensive. The core of PPW is to build base areas in the countryside, mobilize the peasantry, and encircle the cities from the countryside. This strategy, which emphasizes self-reliance, guerrilla warfare, and the political mobilization of the masses, is universally applicable to countries where the conditions of oppression and exploitation necessitate a revolutionary overthrow of the existing order.
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| === New democracy ===
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| Mao developed the theory of [[New Democracy]] to address the specific conditions of semi-colonial and semi-feudal societies. Mao argued that in such societies, the immediate goal of the revolution was not socialism but a "new democratic" revolution led by the proletariat, but involving a united front of all anti-imperialist and anti-feudal classes (workers, peasants, petty bourgeoisie, and national bourgeoisie). This stage would establish a state of the dictatorship of the joint revolutionary classes, paving the way for the eventual transition to socialism. This theory provided a concrete path for revolution in countries that did not fit the classical Marxist model of an advanced capitalist society.
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| === Mass line ===
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| The [[mass line]] is a fundamental principle of Maoist parties worldwide, emphasizing the importance of learning from the masses and serving their interests. The mass line involves the process of "from the masses, to the masses". This means collecting the scattered and unsystematic ideas of the masses, concentrating them into coherent policies, and then taking these policies back to the masses for implementation and testing. The mass line ensures that the party remains deeply connected to the people, understands their needs, and leads them effectively. This iterative process of policy formulation and implementation is crucial for building and maintaining revolutionary momentum.
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| === Theory of contradiction ===
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| Mao further developed the [[Marxist–Leninist]] theory of dialectical materialism, particularly the concept of contradiction. Mao argued that contradiction is universal and absolute, present in all processes and things. He distinguished between principal and secondary contradictions, and between antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions. Understanding the principal contradiction in a given situation is crucial for formulating correct revolutionary strategy. For example, in semi-colonial China, the principal contradiction was between the Chinese nation and imperialism, and between the masses and feudalism. This nuanced understanding of contradiction provides a powerful analytical tool for understanding social phenomena and guiding revolutionary practice.
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| === Cultural revolution and continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat ===
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| Mao's later theoretical contributions include the concept of continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat, most notably exemplified by the [[Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution]]. This theory posited that even after the seizure of state power and the establishment of socialism, class struggle continues, and there is a danger of capitalist restoration from within the party and state apparatus. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically launch mass movements to combat [[revisionism]] and consolidate the dictatorship of the proletariat. This concept highlights Mao's emphasis on the ongoing nature of class struggle and the need for constant vigilance against bourgeois tendencies.
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| === Maoism as the universal guide ===
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| Maoism, as the third and highest stage of revolutionary communist thought, is universally applicable because it provides a scientific guide for the working class in seizing power and building a socialist society, particularly in the context of global imperialism and the vast majority of the world's population living in oppressed nations. Its adoption by communist parties actively waging protracted people's wars throughout the Global South demonstrates its practical efficacy and ideological superiority. The principles of Protracted People's War, New Democracy, the Mass Line, and the theory of contradiction offer a comprehensive framework for revolutionary struggle in diverse conditions, making Maoism the most advanced and relevant theoretical contribution to the science of communism.
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