Classics of Marxism
The four classics of Marxism, or MELS, the four heads of communism, along with other variations, refers to the original Marxist theorists who significantly augmented the body of revolutionary theory. The four classics are Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, and Joseph Stalin.
Followers of revisionist trends, particularly Dengists and Maoists, include Mao Zedong as the fifth classic of Marxism for his alleged contributions to theory. Many Maoists omit Stalin entirely in favor of Abimael Guzmán, in congruence with their anti-Stalinist leanings. Likewise, another brand of revisionism upholds Enver Hoxha as a fifth classic,[1] and propagates his inconsistency within its leading organs.
Classic theorists
The following theorists are considered to be classics by Marxist–Leninists.
Karl Marx
Karl Marx is considered the primary founder of Marxism alongside Engels. Among his many theoretical developments include the development of the materialist conception of history and enumeration of various aspects of political economy, including the role of surplus-value in the capitalist mode of production.[2]
Friedrich Engels
Vladimir Lenin
Joseph Stalin
See also
References
- ↑ "Who are the Five Classics of Marxism-Leninism?". The Espresso Stalinist
- ↑ Friedrich Engels (1878). Anti-Dühring. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.
"These two great discoveries, the materialist conception of history and the revelation of the secret of capitalistic production through surplus-value, we owe to Marx. With these discoveries socialism became a science. The next thing was to work out all its details and relations."