Three Faces of Marxism [antikvár]

This book deals with the political ideas of Marxism from 1848 to 1968. It attempts to present in comprehensive form the changes undergone by the political concepts of Marx and Engels as they developed first into Leninism, later into Stalinism, and finally into the three main trends that exist today: Soviet Marxism-Leninism, Maoism, and humanist Marxism. The theme of the political concepts of Marxism is limited in a three-fold way. First, it means that this book is concerned exclusively with the political aims and concepts of Marxism in the narrow sense of the word, not with philosophical, economic, historical, or legal problems or considerations, interesting and important as these often are. Second, the book concentrates on the political concepts and aims of Marxism but not on the development of the Marxist or Communist movement in general, let alone on any practical political measures of organization or parties professing Marxism. Third, the book confines itself to the political concepts and theories of Marxism developed by Marx and Engels and subsequently supplemented, amended, or transformed in the world Communist movement, but not with Left-wing, socialist, or revolutionary doctrines in general. At the heart of the political concepts of Marxism, from Marx to the present day, are a few central issues which fall into two major groups. The first group concerns the social (or "socialist") revolution in the broadest sense of the term. This group embraces the following problems: what class is to perform the transformation of society? To what extent are other classes or strata necessary as allies? What forms of struggle are to be used? How should the Party, the political instrument, be structured and what are its characteristic features? What tasks does the Party have to fulfill, and with what tactical means is the struggle to be waged? What part is played by the national liberation movements in the world-wide conflict? How are the problems of war, peace, and disarmament to be assessed, and what attitude should be adopted toward them? What are the social and political prerequisites necessary for the social (or "socialist") revolution? Can the revolution be accomplished only in several countries sunultaneously, or in one country alone? Is a peaceful transformation of society possible and, if so, under what conditions? The second group of problems is concerned with the future class-