marxism
- Noun:
- A socio-economic and political theory: Marxism is a comprehensive system of thought developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It analyzes society through the lens of class relations and social conflict, using a materialist interpretation of historical development.
- A critical theory of capitalism: It posits that the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. It critiques capitalism, arguing that it is exploitative and will inevitably be replaced by a classless, communist society through proletarian revolution.
- Noun:
- His analysis of the industrial revolution was deeply influenced by Marxism.
- The professor specialized in the study of 20th-century Marxism.
- They debated the relevance of classical Marxism to modern economies.
"Orthodox Marxism": Refers to the body of Marxist theory that adheres closely to the original works of Marx and Engels.
- The party's doctrine was based on orthodox Marxism.
"Western Marxism": A broad term for various Marxist theoretical traditions that developed in Western Europe, often focusing on cultural and philosophical issues beyond strict economic determinism.
- His work is situated within the tradition of Western Marxism.
"Marxism-Leninism": A political ideology synthesizing orthodox Marxist theory with Lenin's theories of revolutionary party organization and imperialism. (Note: This is a compound term listed here as it is a major variant of Marxist thought).
- The state's official ideology was Marxism-Leninism.
Marxist (adj): Relating to or characteristic of Marxism.
- A Marxist analysis of literature.
Marxist (n): An adherent of Marxism.
- She was a committed Marxist.
Marxian (adj): Pertaining specifically to the ideas of Karl Marx, sometimes used to distinguish his original thought from later interpretations.
- Marxian economics.
- Historical materialism: (A core component of Marxism) The methodological approach of analyzing history based on the material conditions and economic activities of society.
- Scientific socialism: (A term used by Engels) The Marxist conception of socialism as a scientific, inevitable outcome of historical laws, as opposed to utopian socialism.
Class struggle: The conflict of interests between the proletariat (working class) and the bourgeoisie (capitalist class), a central concept in Marxism.
- Marxism views history as a series of class struggles.
Dialectical materialism: The philosophical foundation of Marxism, applying Hegelian dialectics to material conditions, stating that history progresses through the conflict of opposing forces (thesis, antithesis, synthesis).
- He explained social change using the principles of dialectical materialism.
Means of production: The facilities, resources, and tools used to produce goods. In Marxism, who controls the means of production defines economic and social power.
- Marxism argues that under communism, the means of production should be communally owned.
- the economic and political theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that hold that human actions and institutions are economically determined and that class struggle is needed to create historical change and that capitalism will ultimately be superseded by communism