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Marx, Lenin and Ma0 MARX, LENIN AND MA0 Structure 18.1 lntrod~lction 18.2 Karl Marx (1 8 18 - 1883) 18.2.1 Alienation 18.2.2 Misrorical Materialism 18.2.3 Class War 18.2.4 Surplus Value 18.3 V. I. Lenin (1 870-1924) 18.3.1 Party as Vanguard of the Proletariat 18.3.2 De~nocraticCentralisin 18.'3.3 Impesinlism 18.3.4 Wcaltcst Link sf the Chain 18.3.5 Sponlaneity Element gives way to Selectivity of Til~ieand I'lace 18.4 Mao Tse-Tung (Now Mao Zedong) (1893-1976) 18.4. I Peasant IZcvol~~tioll 18.4.2 Contradictions 18.4.3 On Practice 18.4.4 United Front and New Dci~iocracy 18.5 S~rmrriary 18.G Exercises 18.1 INTRODUCTION For over the last two hu~ldrcdyears, Libcralisnz has beeti the lzzost dominant stralid it1 political phitosopky. In its carliest incarnation, which is now called clslssical or negative liberalis~n(as distinct kom its later versions as welfare or positive liberalisin and neo-libera1isn-1) it stood. Inore than any thing else, for individ~~nlliberty. While as a political doctrine it was a defence of certain inalienable ~ialuralrights of the individual, in its econo~nicdiine~isiori it stood for luiss~z~firireor free-market ecotlomy. Because of these twin postulates of libernlism, it soon became tlie ecorlolnic philosoplly of capitalism ain~edat protecting and pro~~~otitigthe interests of the bourgeoisie or the capitalist class. While on tllc one hand, it led to the cotlcentration of capital in a few hands, oh the other, it cilln~i~~ateclin the alie~~aiionand exploitatiot~of ~hc proletariat (the working class). As a result of illis negative Pi11 out, liberalism became a target of at$ack fko111 dif'lkrent quarters, Tlie most virulent and systematic attack on classical liberillis~n and laissez,fi~iwecoliolnics came fro111 Karl Marx, who went so far as to assert that the worlting class could be redeemed froln its alienation and exploitatiori only by tlre revolutionary overthrow of the wliole capitalist order. Because of the I~iglllypolemical nature of his political, social and eco~~ornicphi losophyj the mamian ideas soon acquired the character of n powerful, anti-liberal, political ideology which tias popularly come to be known as socialism or communism. In fact, for about the last one Iiundred and liAy years, liberalism and lnarxism have emerged as the two major contending ideologies each criticising, denigrating and attacking tht: other. In this whole process, the theory and practice of Iiberalis~nas well as lnarxis~nhave undergone several changes. So much so that many ofthe original marxian formulations have been enriched, adapted arid even modified by the various post-Marx marxists. In this rcspect, the contributions of V. I. I,enin and Mao Tse Tung (now Mao Zedong) have been most seminal and noteworthy. This unit is aimed at fa~niliarzingyou with soine of the most significant aspects of marxism, particularly with the ideas of Marx, Lenin and Mao. These three have been tlle most proniinent theoreticians of mamism, each of whom has, in his own unique way, dolninated the minds of millions of men and have changed the face of the world during the twentieth century. While Marx laid the theoretical foundations of this change, Leniri and Mao successfully modeled their respective societies - the erstwhile Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China - by adapting the principles and postulates of marxist theory to the conditions prevailing in their countries. In the process of doing so, they have enriched the marxist theory and practice by adding various new dimensions and by offering diverse i~~terpl-etationsto the original marxian formulations. Let us briefly look at the contribution of each of the~n. 18.2 KARL MARX (181 8-1 883) Born at Trier in Germany in 18'1 8 (May 5) Marx studied law at the University of Bonn and later at the llniversity of Berlin where lie got attracted to the y0111igHegelian movement which was highly critical not only of the Prussian Government, but also of Christianity. Because of his association with this anti-government movement, his career options in university or govertuuent wcre virtually closed. Therefore, he took to journalism and became the editor of R~IC'~J~.SL'~B%eilzli?g(1 842). I-lere, he began writing radical articles on economic issues criticizing the govern~nent"~ecano~nic policies. The Prussian I-ulerswere annoyed at his views and ordered the closure of' his newspaper. Fceling suffocated in Germany, Marx migrated to France in 1843. During his stay at Paris, he came into contact with the French socialists and began to organise the ~nigrantGerman workers. It was also at Paris that Marx wrote his first major wo1.1~:fico~~umic undPhilosophical Manuscripts pop~llarlyknown as EPM(which was written in 1844 but was first published in 1932). The central concern of this worlc is alienation. It was also duri~lghis stay at ~&isthat he met Friedrich Engels who became his life long friend and benefactor. However, bec'quse of his revolutionary ideas Marx was expelled from France as well it1 1844 and (along Wit11 Engels) he moved to Belgiiun. During his stay in Belgit~m, spanning over three years, ~arrgot involved in a serious study of llistory which led him to propound his famous theory of historical mcrteriulism or 171aterialisticinterpretation ofhistory. This theory is contained in the first joint work of Marx and Engels titled, The Gerrnan Idrology. Like EPM even this work was not published during Marx's life time. Around this time, he joined the Comr?~unistLe,.cz,g*e, which was an organisation of emigrant Gennan workers. When tlic leagi~elneld its conference at London in 1847, Marx and Engels were assigned tlie task of writing a Con~~nunisthfanifesto. It was the p~~blicatioliof this work in 1848 which led to a wave of workers revolutions in Europe, more particularly in France. Marx's analysis of these revolutio~~sis contained in two worlcs: Thc Class Struggk in France and the Eiyhleenth Brzmmirc. qf'lozris Bonuparle. In 1848 Marx ret~lrnedto France and fro111there to Gerrnany where Ile again started the publication of his earlier newspaper, Rheinsche Zeitung. Like its earlier stance, the paper was highly critical of tlie Prussian Government and it was again closed dow~iby the authorities. In 1849 (May) Marx moved to Engla~idand stayed at London till his death in 1883. Marx's 3-1 years stay in England is marked by two changes in him. Firstly, he moved gradcsaily but decisively from 1'lrilo.sophy lo Economics. IJnlike olienc.rtiv11wliich is tlie central theme of EPA.2 Marx r~owgo1 erlgrossed in tl-le analysis of the phenomenon of ex~~~uitcrlion(see T.R. Sharnia, "Karl Mars: From Alienatiol~to Exploitation", In~ii~irm.~oztn7u! oflYoliticcrl Science, Vol. 40 (No. 3) SepternL?er,1979, Pages 339 ff). He devoted liis attention to scrious econo~nic qt~estionslike M~LI);L' /~thol(i',c~~pif(llisin and szty1z1.r volue. Secondly, he was as much involved in writing serious treatises as in Icading the worlcers' rnovcinents in Europe. He was not nierely an arrn-cl~nirtheoretician critical of capitalism, and its exploitative nature but also a revolutionary and nn icleologue of communism. His ~iiustiricisive work in this direction was a massive rnal~uscripttitled "T.rlmdris.~e"(Outline) which 11c wrote around 1857 but whicli came to light only ill 1939. An abridged version orthis worlc is contaitled in his ..l llrc.fLice to C'on/i.ihzrtionto C 'ritiqzre c~f'l'oiitic"i1Ec'o~~oI~~J. M is thesis nbour Itrho 1114 theo1.y r<#'vciltle,szrrl~tus vallle and ~LI\I~.Yuf'ccq~II~1 ~~('~'rri~~ill~~tio~ are contained i1.1 liis threc vcll ilme m~ignu~~iopus C'lrpiftrl cvliose first volumc come out in 1867 and tlle reniaining two volun~eswere published by Engels aiter Mars's death. Marx's stay in London was also devoted to orga~iisingthe British and Frencli workers. In 1 864 he (alongwirli others) set LIPthe first major orgall isnt ion of' workers of Europc which was niinied "l~ller~iatiorldWorlcing Men's Association (popularly Icnown 4s C.~omrn~~tiist In~clnational).It remained :ictive up to I876 ancl its brightest hour was ill 187 1 when it succeeded in setting LI~tlie 1'~ri.s.Commzt,~e. The WOI.I~L'~Nof I3;iris captured tlic city ilnd rtiled it for nearly two ~no~itlrs.Marx's C'lvil JVur in I;IYIIIL*Civrit1~11 in 1871 i:; an cl:ibo~.ntion01' [he ai~iisanti working of tlic P:it.is C'olnmune. After 1870, Marx was n~ostlyreacting to various political developments which wcrc taltillg place irr Ftiropc. I-le ufas critical of tliose con~rn~~nistswile were supportilig sl:tte sociLtlismof'1,ass:ilt:. This criticism is ccmtaincd in his I'i.ificlric qf'tlrc C;olhr, l'rog~+cr~~iinc( 1 875). As pointed o~ltabove, h/rn:~in his early ycnrs was nttrucied to I-icgclian iclealisrn, but under Llie inlluonce ol' 1:cucrbach lie etiibraccd comniunism 01' tlie Iiuinanist variety which he articulated in his 1;Ji'Ai.1 fe c:-iticized capitalis111bccause it leads to the alienation oi'labottr. It is only il.1 cornm~lnisni111:lt lii~mnnbeings will be redec~icdiiwln this pl~enometlon.Alienation is a very cornpic?: concept. Sometimes. it is equated with such conccpts as cslr.ungcme:.iif, ol?jrct{ji<-nl'iottalld i*e!'ficcrrion.To put it in simple wol-ds, it i niplies de-hunt(miz~rtionor the lo.s.ruj~.vclj:'The worker it1 a capitalist order works in a mechanical mal~nerand does not derive ;uiy pleasure fro111his work.
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