Some questions on ideologies.

[freakazoid]

I have been wondering about this for a while and haven't really been able to find out an answer, although I haven't really had much time to study this.

What are the main differences between socialism and communsim?

What are the main differences between communsim and anarchy?

Also it is said that communsim is the next step after socialism so could anarchy be the step after that?

And finally, if communism is suppose to come after socialism then why don't socialists just call themselves commnunists?

Could you people answer this or provide a link that could answer these questions. Thanks for responding. :)

[Aurora]

What are the main differences between socialism and communsim?
In Marxist theory socialism(the lower phase of communist society) is the period after capitalism but before communism.
It is a state run for the working class by the working class using direct democracy.The main function of socialism is to supress capitalist elements in society and to prepare the working class for communism.When classes have been eliminated the state will have no function and will whither away.
communism is a stateless classless society.


What are the main differences between communsim and anarchy?
As societal systems there is no diference.As movements communists and anarchists argue about how to achieve a classless society.Communists argue that a transitional period is needed(socialism) Anarchists argue that it is not and that the state cannot be run for the interests of the working class.


And finally, if communism is suppose to come after socialism then why don't socialists just call themselves commnunists?
Some marxists call themselves socialists because of the stalinist regimes which called themselves communist in the USSR,PRC etc. They choose to distance themsleves from the negative connotations of the word.
Also some socialists are not marxists and believe in creating socialism by working within the government and not actively calling for revolution.

For books and pamphlets written by prominent marxists and anarchists i would recommend Marxists.org (http://www.marxists.org)

If your interested in the fundamentals of marxism The Communist Manifesto (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm) is a good book and i believe there is a study group on it at the moment.
Also The State and Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/index.htm) is a book i found very usefull.

[freakazoid]

Thank you so much for the reply, :D. Actually I own the Communist Manifesto and I have read it, although I found it hard to read, :(

[Aurora]

No problem :)

And dont worry too much about the manifesto,marx and engels are probably the most difecult to understand.

[BobKKKindle$]

Socialism is a broad term in that it can refer to (and has been adopted by the proponents of) a very diverse range of ideologies, including ideologies that we might consider bourgeois because they want to achieve change through existing political institutions (Social Democrats) and ideologies that claim to reflect the values of Socialism but in reality are forms of reaction and dictatorship (Nationalistic Socialisms). All Communists are Socialists, but only a small proportion of Socialists would call themselves Communists.

As such, communism is a subset of ideologies that falls under Socialism - I say subset, because there are also differences of opinion as to how a Communist society could operate and how one could be reached, and so one could say that Council Communism and Euro-Communism are ideologies unto themselves.

As I understand it, Anarchism differs from Communism in the method advocated to attain a Communist Society. Communists would advocate the existance of an intermediete period in which the State still exists, whereas Anarchists would believe a state is unnecessary.

As another poster suggested, Socialism can also refer to a stage of history in marx's concept of historical materialism.

[R_P_A_S]

Originally posted by [email protected] 25, 2007 03:57 am
Thank you so much for the reply, :D. Actually I own the Communist Manifesto and I have read it, although I found it hard to read, :(
keep reading it. keep going back to it. I always do. because the more i read other things the more it makes sense.

[RedAnarchist]

Originally posted by [email protected] 25, 2007 03:57 am
Thank you so much for the reply, :D. Actually I own the Communist Manifesto and I have read it, although I found it hard to read, :(
Someone once wrote on this forum (although I think they were talking about another book) that you should put exclamation marks after every sentence and if it doesn't sound like a revolutionary phrase or quote, then you don't need to consider it.