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"Communism is the positive supersession of
private property as human self-estrangement [alienation], and hence the true appropriation of the human
essence through and for man. It is the complete restoration of man to himself as a social i.e., human being, a restoration
which has become conscious and which takes place within the entire wealth of previous periods of development. This communism,
as fully developed naturalism, equals humanism, and as fully developed humanism equals naturalism; it is the genuine resolution
of the conflict between man and nature, and between man and man, the true resolution of the conflict between existence and
being, between objectification and self-affirmation, between freedom and necessity, between individual and species. It is
the solution of the riddle of history and knows itself to be the solution. "-
Marx Econoic and Philosophical Manuscripts
When referring Communism toPhilosophy
it is important to first accertain an acurate defenition of it. The above serves as a Marxist-Humanist defenition of Communism.
Their have been many defenitions of Communism, the Post-Marxist Stalinist defenition for communism was tied up in beaurocratic
entanglements, and "crude communism" believed in a one party totalitarian state which Marx fiercly opposed. The general consensus
is that Marxes defenition of Communism was the most humanist and acurate. It implies a conscious movement for universal
human emancipation, the movement through which modern society must get rid of the present socio-economic order, and transform
itself into a free association of producers. Making possible the free development of individualities, this will be appropriate
to and worthy of our human nature. (These quotations are all from the works of Marx, of course.)
Humanism is an ethical philosophy in which
human interests, values and dignity are most important. With respect to morality most humanists will focus on the people
involved, instead of what some supernatural being (god, the devil, etc.) would want. Although humanism is popular among
atheists, not all humanists are atheists Marxist-Humanism is a form of Marxism that focuses on the humanist side of Marxs
philosophy. Other Marxists often tend to downplay or ignore the humanist side of Marxs philosophy.
Marxism breaks away from the abstract
conception of the individual as divorced from his social environment. A Marxist is aware that only through the elimination
of private propriety and the misconception that man is divorced from his social environment that humanism may truly flourish.
Marx once wrote, "Communism's demand for abolishing private ownership means the demand for a life worthy of human beings.
It means the triumph of practical humanism."
The struggle for socialism is the struggle for a humane society, a society free from exploitation
of man by man. This must be achieved through practical struggle in everyday life, through the class struggle, not through
philosophizing on how to make the violent system of capitalism more "humane."
Only by breaking the reigns of capitalism can "freedom" and "democracy" move forward from the
realm of idealism to the realm of material reality. The capitalist countries are the most vocal in spewing forth proclamations
of "freedom" and "democracy" to only violate the most elementary rights of man the very next day. Through their actions they
show that in reality they care little for the suffering of humanity.
The starting point of socialist/marxist humanism
is a militant struggle against "those conditions in which mankind is abased, enslaved, abandoned or rendered contemptible."
Marxist
share the outrage from the violation of individual rights in the world today but furthermore we understand that this
is an inherit part of the capitalist system, a vital mechanism to maintain the status quo and hinder revolutionary social
movements. Advocating "peace now" in the abstract will do mankind no good, we know that there can be no peace under capitalism,
peace can only be brought by the war to end wars: the socialist revolution. Anarchism's "vague" conception of a better society
shows its bankruptcy, it offers no solution, no alternative, and no guide to action.
The
Unity Of Philosophy And Action
The Unity Of Philosophy And Action is a Marxist-Humanist idea that says that both philosophical theorizing and social
activism should be closely linked. On one hand, if you want to change something you obviously need to do some activism.
On the other hand, if you want to change something youre also going to need to understand what youre fighting. Thus,
you need both. What this means is that we do things like spending the first part of our meetings talking about theory
and the other planning activism.
The peace that the bourgeois offer is the maintaining of imperialist order and the disarming of the world
proletariat for "peace" The world proletariat is faced with a choice of revolutionary struggle to build a humane socialist
society or for "peace" under the vile rule of imperialist exploitation. Which will you choose?
"Peace reigned in Europe; but this peace was maintained because the rule of the European nations over hundreds
of millions of inhabitants of colonies was exercised only by constant, uninterrupted and ceaseless wars, which we Europeans
do not regard as wars, because often they resembled, not wars, but the brutal massacre, extermination, of unarmed people."
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