Basic Principles of Communism – Discover Local Treasure

The basic principles of communism include common ownership of the means of production, a classless and stateless society, and distribution of resources based on need. Key tenets, derived largely from Karl Marx, advocate for the abolition of private property and the establishment of a transitional state (socialism) that transfers power to the working class, also known as the proletariat.

Core principles

Common ownership:

The major means of production, such as factories and land, are owned and controlled by the community as a whole, not by private individuals.

Classless society:

Communism aims to eliminate social classes. It seeks to replace the existing system, where a bourgeoisie class owns the means of production, with a society where the working class (proletariat) has power.

Stateless and moneyless society:

The ultimate goal is a society without a state, private property, or money, where wealth is shared and allocated based on need.
- Collective responsibility and labor:
  
  All members of society have an equal obligation to work, and competition is abolished in favor of collective effort and a planned economy.
  
  Key transitional steps
  
  Socialism:
  
  A transitional phase is required to transition from capitalism to communism. This often involves the state controlling the economy, nationalizing industries, and managing the distribution of resources.
  
  Abolition of private property:
  
  Key steps, outlined in The Communist Manifesto, include the abolition of property in land, a heavy progressive income tax, and the abolition of the right of inheritance.
  
  State control of infrastructure:
  
  The state would centralize control of credit, transportation, and communication to be used for the benefit of all citizens, not private profit.
  
  Free public education:
  
  Free education would be provided to all children, and child labor in its existing form would be abolished.
  
  End of exploitation: The overarching goal is to create a society that ends the exploitation of one class by another and reorganizes labor for the benefit of all, leading to a more equitable system.