Ism Differences

[JacobFeltz]

I think I have an idea but can somebody explain in laymens terms the differences between

Marxism
Leninism
Marxism Leninism
Trotskyism
Stalinism
Maoism
Luxemburgism

[Sixiang]

Unfortunately, that will take a very long time. A lot of it has to do with minor differences on ideas of how the revolution will/should happen and different ideas about the state.

[Widerstand]

There's no difference between Leninism and Marxism Leninism, as all of these ideologies (Leninism, Stalinism, Trotskyism, Maoism, Luxembourgism) are based on Marxism, and most are based on Leninsim as well (maybe not Luxembourgism). Many who call themselves Leninist are either Maoists/Stalinists or Trotskyists, and view their particular branch as the "correct" Leninist line.

As a rule of thumb, it means agreeing with that persons politics, differences are often many, a lot of them revolve about how to treat the USSR. A Leninist would agree with Lenin's conception of how a party should look, with the idea of having a vanguard, etc. A Trotskyist would agree with the tactic of Entryism and with the "permanent revolution" concept. A Maoist would agree with the "New Democracy" and "Bloc of classes" stuff, etc. As for comprehensive descriptions, others will give better ones, and I'm too lazy.

It is often argued that Stalinism and Luxemburgism aren't real ideologies. "Stalinist" is a term that is usually applied to people who uphold Stalin-era USSR as a progressive/socialist state. Most people that would be called Stalinists are also Maoists. Most people who call themselves Luxemburgists are Left Communists.

[Paulappaul]

Most people who call themselves Luxemburgists are Left Communists.

Luxemburgists are radical Social-Democrats, Left Communists are Communists. They are similar but there are alot of differences.

[Widerstand]

Luxemburgists are radical Social-Democrats, Left Communists are Communists. They are similar but there are alot of differences.

I don't think that's a fair characterization of the people on this website who call themselves Luxemburgists, much less of Luxemburg herself (she was rather disappointed with Social Democracy in Germany, even though she remained in the party for a while).

[The Man]

I believe that all the 'Isms' that you named all aim for Communism, they just seek different ways to achieve it.

[JacobFeltz]

Ok. Is it possible to be a trotskist-luxemburgist? Because after some further research that is how I would describe my views. They differ on quite a few but i would definitely dont agree with the totalitarianism of stalinism and the lack of expansion in a communist revolution. In terms of self determination I would side with the luxemburgists also I agree that vanguard party is not needed. In terms of trotsky i agree with the idea of a permanent revolution and the need to expand to other countries and the tactic of entryism.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Ism is just a good way to make sure commies spend more time arguing amongst themselves than conservatives.

[Victus Mortuum]

Don't try to find a label. You're a socialist.

Those are terms referring to obnoxiously over-complicated philosophies based on Marxism. Anarchism is the other major socialist philosophy.

Just start doing some reading of the some of the major philosophical figures of Marxism (Marx, Engels, Kautsky, Lenin, Luxembourg, Trotsky, Mao) and Anarchism (Stirner, Proudhon, Kropotkin, Goldman, Bookchin, Black). Perhaps you should start with some introductions to the two philosophies?

http://www.infoshop.org/page/AnAnarchistFAQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism (I don't know of any introduction to Marxism quite as comprehensive as the above anarchist faq, but wikipedia is a pretty good place to start)

[tbasherizer]

I agree with Victus Mortuum; ignore the isms.

Read things by all socialist authors and encourage others to do so as well. Agitate amongst the people by yourself or with a group, and you will have done more for humanity than if you had spent that time debating whether or not the Soviet Union was correct in suppressing the Prague Spring or deliberating if Lin Biaou was actually trying to overthrow Mao.

All the splits in leftist tendencies had to do with their own historical circumstances. We have our own unique circumstances and should use the knowledge gleaned from years of previous struggle to galvanize the working class movement. It's useless to try to fight over which old portrait we should hold dearest when there are people dying in the struggle who need us now, not after our own infighting is done.

[Paulappaul]

I don't think that's a fair characterization of the people on this website who call themselves Luxemburgists, much less of Luxemburg herself (she was rather disappointed with Social Democracy in Germany, even though she remained in the party for a while).

Lenin and Pannekoek were radical Social Democrats too. Luxemburg never lived to rise of organised "Communism" and "Left Communism" to place her in either category wouldn't make any sense. That would be like me saying Thomas Jefferson was a Proudhonist, Lenin was a Social Ecologist and Marx was a Situationist.

[Black Sheep]

Thanks OP, i learned the phrase "in layman's terms" thanks to you.



Marxism
The analysis of capitalism and its "wage labor is slavery" results by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels,the proposal to form a workers' party to seize political power and from there to manage and control the means of production by the working class itself so as to to drive production to satisfy human needs instead of profit.

Leninism,Marxism Leninism
(All leninists are marxists)
One of manyextensions (or some would sat alterations and distortions) of marxism, made by Vladimir Ilych Ulianof, aka lenin.Disregard the typos.
Leninists think the workers' party should be made of the vanguard of the working class (vanguard = most class concious part of the proletariat.Proletariat = workers with no wealth-generating private property, have to work for a wage to survive).The vanguard should lead and educate the working class to class struggle victories and on the long run communism.

Trotskyism
An extension (some would say alteration or distortion) to marxism leninism by Leon Trotsky (some would say only marxism, many trotskyists don't support lenin, and view his contributions as trotsky's ideas).Came out of the Russian revolution,which trotskyists support only up to a point,then heavily criticise it as degenerated workers' state.Trots say no socialist revolution is possible in isolated and/or economically poor countries.
Some of the craziest leftist parties are trotskyist,which is of course only a coincidence:D.

Stalinism
An extension to marxism (some would say alteration / distortion).Joseph Stalin, dude. Most stalinists reject the term, and view themselves as Marxist-Leninists(M-L's).The term originates from their support of the Stalin era in USSR.
They call themselves anti-revisionist, an opposition term in other self-proclaimed M-L's, who stalinists consider revisionists (meaning, they have 'revised' = altered/distorted key parts in marxist-leninist thought).

I'm not sure about the rest:

Maoism
An extension (some would say distortion/alteration) of M-L thought, based on the ideas of Mao Zedong.His stuff is based mostly on peasants and poor farmers, unlike traditional marxism which considers the working class as the heavy cavalry of the class revolution.

Luxemburgism
An extension of marxism (swsa/d), based on the works of Rosa Luxemburg and an opposition to the rise of Leninism (some would say critical support) and the bolshevik actions and strategy.