Marxism and Maoism
Marxism and Maoism: A Comparative Analysis
By:
Umme Salama
5/10/2013
This paper intends to provide a comparative analysis of Maoism and Marxism with reference to the Chinese socialist revolution and Marx and Engel’s writings. It aims to do so by applying a case study approach of the revolution in China and analyze it as a practical movement inspired by Marxist theory. Maoism is a philosophical theory, named after its founder, Mao Zedong. Moreover, as a method of analysis of social reality, it is an extension of Marxist ideology but with Leninist elements in terms of strategy and practice. This description leads one to ask a sequence of other questions, such as, what is Marxism and what is Leninism? Therefore this paper will briefly discuss these two schools of thought and how they influenced Maoism and its resultant consequences in China. In addition, by exploring some aspects of the revolution, it will highlight the prevalent similarities and variations between Maoism and Marxism.
Marxism, in its orthodox and simplistic form is an ideology, founded by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, “that addressed itself to a post-industrial revolution which would liberate society from the disabilities produced by intensive industrialization” (Gregor and Chang 307). The Communist Manifesto, one of their most profound and influential works, begins with the following line, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (1). This quote condenses the argument they are trying to make in the Manifesto, that class consciousness is the driving force of history, which forms the backbone of their proposed revolution – a revolt by the working class, overthrowing the capitalistic structure of the economy and evolve into a more equitable form of social organization. Thus, capitalism, according to Marx and Engels, due to its inherent exploitative characteristics digs its own grave by providing the proletariat class with weapons for its
By:
Umme Salama
5/10/2013
This paper intends to provide a comparative analysis of Maoism and Marxism with reference to the Chinese socialist revolution and Marx and Engel’s writings. It aims to do so by applying a case study approach of the revolution in China and analyze it as a practical movement inspired by Marxist theory. Maoism is a philosophical theory, named after its founder, Mao Zedong. Moreover, as a method of analysis of social reality, it is an extension of Marxist ideology but with Leninist elements in terms of strategy and practice. This description leads one to ask a sequence of other questions, such as, what is Marxism and what is Leninism? Therefore this paper will briefly discuss these two schools of thought and how they influenced Maoism and its resultant consequences in China. In addition, by exploring some aspects of the revolution, it will highlight the prevalent similarities and variations between Maoism and Marxism.
Marxism, in its orthodox and simplistic form is an ideology, founded by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, “that addressed itself to a post-industrial revolution which would liberate society from the disabilities produced by intensive industrialization” (Gregor and Chang 307). The Communist Manifesto, one of their most profound and influential works, begins with the following line, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (1). This quote condenses the argument they are trying to make in the Manifesto, that class consciousness is the driving force of history, which forms the backbone of their proposed revolution – a revolt by the working class, overthrowing the capitalistic structure of the economy and evolve into a more equitable form of social organization. Thus, capitalism, according to Marx and Engels, due to its inherent exploitative characteristics digs its own grave by providing the proletariat class with weapons for its
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