GLOSSARY OF MARXIST-LENINIST TERMS AND CONCEPTS From: USA Survival News http://www.usasurvival.org/ck05.14.1.html
House, Moscow, 1982 POLITICAL TERMS A AGITATION: "an activity in the form of dissemination of ideas and information and of putting forward of slogans and appeals during talks, at meetings, on the radio, TV, in films and through the press (newspapers), magazines, books, posters, cartoons, and so on), aimed at influencing the minds and feelings of the people. Agitation is one of the forms of political, ideological struggle between social classes and parties." ANTAGONISM: is "an irreconcilable contradiction In a society based on exploitation antagonism manifests itself in struggle between exploiters and the exploited, oppressors and the oppressed. This contradiction can be resolved only in a revolutionary way, through social revolution." ANTI-SOVIETISM: is "hostile activity against the Soviet Union which consists in misrepresenting the Soviet way of life and the Soviet state's domestic and foreign policy. Anti-Sovietism is the central component of anti-communism." B BOURGEOIS-DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION: "abourgeois revolution [is] distinguished by the participation in it of the broad masses of the people pressing their demands." BOURGEOIS REVOLUTION: is "a socialrevolution whose principal task is to destroy the feudal system (or its vestiges) and to establish the economic and political domination of the bourgeoisie. In dependent and colonial countries the bourgeois revolution is aimed also at winning national independence." C CLASS STRUGGLE: is "struggle between classes whose interests are incompatible and irreconcilable. ...This struggle is determined by the production relations established between the two principal classes of capitalist society -- the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, by the fundamental opposition of their economic and political status in society.
"The proletariat wages its class struggle in three main forms: economic, political and ideological." COMMUNISM: is "the social and economic formation which replaces capitalism and which is based on public ownership of the means of production. Socialism is its first, lower phase. The higher phase of this formation is communism proper which is a 'classless social system with one form of public ownership and full social equality of all members of society;' ... . "The building of communism is the ultimate aim of the Communist parties." COUNTERREVOLUTION: is "active struggle by the reactionary class, which has been or is being deposed in the course of a social revolution, against the new social order and for the preservation or restoration of the outdated social and political system." CULTURAL REVOLUTION: is "the mastering by the masses of the people of advanced progressive ideology and culture, the creation of a new culture on the basis of critical assimilation of the cultural heritage of the past, of the treasures of world culture. "The cultural revolution is a component part of the building of socialism." D DEMOCRACY "(literally, government by the people), a form of political organization of society and the state under which power legally belongs to the people, and all citizens are equal before the law and enjoy political rights and freedoms, including the right to take part in managing the affairs of state. "In a society divided into antagonistic classes the benefits of democracy are enjoyed primarily by the dominant class of exploiters. DEMOCRATIC CENTRALISM: is "the guiding organizational principle of Marxist-Leninist Communist and workers' parties, government organs and youth, trade union and other public organizations in the socialist countries. "Democratic centralism in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union means that all leading Party bodies from top to bottom are elected. . . It means inner-Party democracy, criticism and self-criticism." "DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: "a political conception according to which capitalism can be transformed into socialism through democratic means. "The proponents of democratic socialism reject the fundamental propositions of Marxism-Leninism on classes and class struggle, socialist revolution and dictatorship of the proletariat and preach the ideas of "people's capitalism" and of the alleged conversion of the capitalist state into the 'welfare state.' "In their political programmes they do not envisage destruction of the social and
economic foundations of the capitalist system... ." DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM, "the scientific philosophical world outlook, a component of Marxism-Leninism, the universal method of cognition of the laws governing the development of nature, society and thought... . The philosophy of Marxism is materialistic because it is based on the doctrine of the material nature of the world, of the world being matter, infinite in space and time. "This philosophy is called dialectical because it recognizes the universal interconnection of things and phenomena in the world, the motion and development of the world as a result of internal contradictions." DIALECTICS: is "a science of the development of nature, society and thought which examines things and phenomena from all aspects, in their contradictions and interconnections, in specific historical conditions and in relation to social practice." DICTATORSHIP: "1) state power expressing the interests of the dominant class and ensuring is political supremacy; 2) autocratic rule; concentration of power in one or several persons as under fascist dictatorship." COMMENT: Thus, in accord with the first expression, the "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie" expresses the interests of that class. In the same fashion, the "dictatorship of the proletariat" expresses the interests of that class. These two forms of "dictatorship" are hostile as are the two social systems which each represents, and can only be resolved by the victory of one over the other. DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT: "rule by the working class established as a result of a socialist revolution and maintained through the transition period from capitalism to socialism as essential to the building of socialism. "This rule is called proletarian because leadership in society and the state is exercised by the working class which is headed by its Marxist-Leninist party and which acts in alliance with the peasantry and other non-proletarian strata of working people. "This rule is called a dictatorship because, while ensuring the broadest democracy for working people, it may use force to suppress the resistance of exploiting classes and activities of elements hostile to socialism. DISARMAMENT: "a system of measures aimed at completely destroying or substantially reducing or limiting the means of warfare and thus clearing the way to eliminating the danger of the outbreak of war. " COMMENT: Would disarmament as defined above then mean the problems between the two hostile social systems have been resolved and people there would no longer be tension between the two camps? No! It simply means the struggle would continue, but more importantly, the Soviet Union and the socialist camp would be free to use scores of other "forms of struggle" to accomplish its goal without ever having to worry about
going to war to defend its system or that the "enemy" camp would resort to war to defend itself. DOMESTIC POLICY: is "policy expressing the relationships between the classes, social groups and nations of a given state and aimed at safeguarding the interests of the dominant classes. " E EXPLOITATION: "the use of other people's labour for the purpose of enriching oneself. Exploitation is based on private ownership of the means of production." F FASCISM: "a political trend which emerged in capitalist countries in the period of the general crisis of capitalism and which expresses the interests of the most reactionary and aggressive forces of the imperialist bourgeoisie. Fascism in power is an openly terroristic dictatorship of these forces. Fascism is characterized by extreme chauvinism, racism, and anti-communism...." FOREIGN POLICY: is "policy regulating a particular country's relations with other states and peoples in the international arena... The foreign policy of socialist countries is based on the principles of proletarian internationalism and peaceful co-existence of states with different social systems...." H HEGEMONY: is "leadership, preponderance in power and in influence. The hegemony of the proletariat means the latter's leadership in relation to other social classes in revolutionary struggle to overthrow the rule of the monopoly bourgeoisie, and after the victory of the socialist revolution in building socialism and communism." I IDEALISM: is "one of the two principal trends in philosophy which, in opposition to materialism, holds that the idea, spirit, or consciousness are primary and that nature, being, or matter are secondary. Idealism is the philosophical expression of a religious understanding of the world. "There are two varieties of idealism, subjective and objective. Subjective idealism regards the world as not existing independently of man's consciousness and it considers that the only reality is individual consciousness, individual sensation and perception. Objective idealism maintains that all things and phenomena, which do exist objectively, independently of man's consciousness and will, have as their basis an 'absolute idea', a 'universal idea', or ultimately, God." IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE: "one of the forms of class struggle between capitalism and
socialism." IDEOLOGY: is "a system of political, legal, scientific, philosophical, religious, ethical and aesthetic ideas and views. Ideology has a class character... . The prevailing ideology in the USSR and other socialist countries is the ideology of Marxism-Leninism which expresses the vital interests of the working class and serves the purpose of transforming society along communist lines." IMPERIALISM: is "monopolistic capitalism, the highest and last stage of capitalism which began at the turn of the century, when the economic domination of capitalist monopoly and finance capital was supplemented with their omnipotence in politics...." INDIVIDUALISM: "a type of world outlook whose essence consists in regarding the rights of the individuals as absolute and setting him against society. In reality the full development of the individual is possible only in a collective and only with active attitude towards social life." INTELLIGENTSIA: "a social group consisting of persons professionally engaged in complex mental labour and possessing the requisite special knowledge. The intelligentsia is not a social class.... "Under capitalism the intelligentsia consists in the main of members of the propertied class.... "In developing countries the intelligentsia to a large extent takes revolutionarydemocratic and anti-imperialist positions. Where the proletariat has not yet come to play the leading role in society, the intelligentsia often constitutes the leading forces of progressive social development, voicing the interests of the peasantry, artisans and other working people. "In the transition period from capitalism to socialism a new, socialist intelligentsia is moulded which serves the interests of the working people. With the victory of socialism and the abolition of exploiting classes the intelligentsia serves the needs of the working people and its interests are inseparable from those of workers and peasants." INTERNATIONALISM, PROLETARIAN: "one of the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism, consisting in an awareness of the community of interests and of the need for effective international solidarity of the working class and all working people in the struggle for the overthrow of the bourgeoisie, for national liberation and social progress and for the building of socialism and communism. "Proletarian internationalism governs relations between the national contingents of the working-class movement the Communist parties and the socialist countries, demanding their solidarity and united action in the fight for the freedom and equality of all peoples, for their friendship and co-operation, against racism, chauvinism, and bourgeois nationalism." L
LIBERALISM: "a political and ideological trend which unites supporters of the bourgeoisparliamentary system...." M MARXISM-LENINISM: "a doctrine concerned with the fundamental laws of development of nature and society, the revolutionary overthrow of the system based on exploitation and the building of communism...." MATERIALISM: "one of the two main trends in philosophy which, in contrast to idealism, holds that the world is material, that matter, nature or being exist apart from and independently of human consciousness, that matter is primary and the source of sensations, while consciousness is secondary and derivative, that the world and the laws governing its development can be apprehended by man and made use of in his activity. "Materialism develops in the course of struggle against idealism and superstition and in close interaction with science, it is the world outlook of the foremost revolutionary classes and strata of society. "...They [dialectical and historical materialism] equip working people with scientific knowledge of the world and inspire them to active struggle for the overthrow of the capitalist system and for the building of socialism and communism. MORALITY: "a form of social consciousness consisting of the sum total of standards and principles of behavior in social and private life... "Morality has a class character, and so different classes have different views on what is moral and immoral, what is good and evil. "...The moral code of the builders of communism calls for devotion to the communist cause, friendship and fraternity of all the peoples of the USSR, ... and fraternal solidarity with the working people of all countries." N NATIONALISM: "bourgeois and petty-bourgeois ideology and policy in matters relating the national question. Nationalism regards a nation as the supreme form of social community existing outside history and transcending the class framework, as a harmonious entity with identical basic interests shared by all the constituent social strata. "Nationalism is often used by reactionary circles to blunt the class consciousness of working people... NATIONAL LIBERATION REVOLUTION: "the revolution growing out of the national liberation movement and aimed at destroying foreign domination and winning national
independence, eliminating national-colonial oppression and exploitation, implementing the right of nations to self-determination and establishing a national state. "In a situation in which two world systems, socialist and capitalist, exist, and the balance of forces tips in favour of socialism, enslaved peoples in win independence through armed struggle... "The working class and the peasantry are the main driving forces of the present-day national liberation revolution." NUCLEAR FREE ZONE: "a territory where atomic and thermonuclear weapons are not manufactured or deployed." O OPPORTUNISM: "a policy of class conciliation and accomodation hostile to the working class. Opportunism manifests itself "as a rejection of of revolutionary methods of struggle" and a "collaboration with capitalist and imperialist governments." "Right opportunism represents the theory and tactics of the bourgeois-influenced labour aristocracy and the middle strata of capitalist society consisting in reliance on spontaneity in the working-class movement, renunciation of socialist revolution and denial of the necessity of the conquest of power by the working class." " 'Left' opportunism is the ultra-revolutionism and adventurism of ruined small proprietors and declassed elements based on voluntarist conceptions of the omnipotence of revolutionary violence. Exponents of 'Left' opportunism try to push the working-class movement onto the road of political gambles and senseless sacrifices." P PEACEFUL AND NON-PEACEFUL [VIOLENT] FORMS OF TRANSITION TO SOCIALISM: "forms of revolutionary transition to socialism. Historical conditions determine which form will be used. Both forms, however, are complimentary since each is directed towards the victory of socialism. "Marxists consider it desirable to use the peaceful form wherever possible and resort to non-peaceful [violent] methods only when this is unavoidable." "But one cannot rule out the possibility that at a particular stage in the development of the revolution the masses may have to use arms if the ruling circles attempt to crush the revolutionary movement by resorting to force." PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE: "of states with different social systems, the fundamental foreign policy principle of the socialist countries in the period of transition from
capitalism to socialism on a world scale; the peaceful form of struggle between the opposing social systems (socialist and capitalist) in the political, economic and ideological spheres. The principle was formulated by Lenin. "The main task of peaceful coexistence is to avoid armed conflict in settling disputes." COMMENT: It is worth noting that that while avoiding armed conflict in settling disputes is desirable, that the preceeding definition, peaceful and violent forms of transition, makes it clear that violence is not ruled out. PEOPLE'S DEMOCRACY: "the form of political organization of society that emerged as a result of people's democratic revolutions in the 1940's in several European and Asian countries. ...In a number of countries of people's democracies a multiparty system has emerged in which Communist and worker's parties play the leading role. These parties are the guiding force in the national fronts which have been establish there and which unite all the political parties and mass organizations of working people (their names vary from one country to another)." PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTIONS: "the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal democratic revolutions which took place in a number of European and Asian countries during and after the Second World War (1939-1945) and which were the prelude to socialist transformation in these countries. ...The strengthening of the positions of the working class and its allies, the growth of Marxist-Leninist parties and the isolation of the bourgeoisie made it possible to establish the power of the working people in the form of a state of people's democracy, which signified the victory of socialist revolution." PETTY BOURGEOISIE: "a social class occupying the immediate position between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, namely, working peasants, artisans and the like. PREVENTIVE WAR: "a war supposedly aimed at preventing aggression but being in reality a form of aggression. the more reactionary imperialist circles advocate the theory of preventive war against socialist countries." PROLETARIAT: "the class of wage labourers deprived of ownership of the means of production and exploited by the bourgeoise. The class struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeois leads to a socialist revolution, in which the proletariat is the main driving force and provides leadership to the working peasantry and other strata of working people." COMMENT: It is worth remembering that the communist party is always the vanguard of the proletariat. In essence, the party leads the leaders. PROPAGANDA: "dissemination and explanation of ideas, doctrines, knowledge and theories with a view to making them firm convictions of people. Propaganda is a powerful weapon in the class struggle because the mass media enable it to reach broad sections of the population. Bourgeois propaganda often deceives public opinion by spreading deliberate lies and slander against socialist countries and progressive regimes."
R REFORMISM: "a political trend within the working-class movement whose supporters try to turn the bourgeois state into a "welfare state" and capitalism into a society of "universal prosperity" by means of minor reforms which do not affect the social and economic foundations of capitalism and which are carried out within the framework of bourgeois democracy. "The official doctrine of modern reformism, which is opposed to scientific communism, is "democratic socialism"; this doctrine denies the necessity of class struggle, the socialist revolution and the seizure of power by the working people, and calls for collaboration of the exploiting and exploited classes. " RELIGION: "a specific form of social consciousness whose basic feature is a belief in an afterlife, in the immortality of the soul, resurrection a God or gods, god and evil spirits, angels and so on. "Religion is often used by reactionary bourgeois ideologists and politicians in the interests of the exploiting classes as a means of keeping working people humble and submissive, of diverting them from the class struggle for a just refashioning of society. "Thus the attitude of Marxism-Leninism towards religious institutions and movements is determined by the concrete aims which they pursue." REVISIONISM: "an opportunist trend in the worker's movement, so called because it strives to reconsider or revise the political, philosophical and economic foundations of Marxism-Leninism, to deprive it of its revolutionary essence." REVOLUTIONARY SITUATION: "a political situation in which the correlation of class forces is such that the ruling classes that have outlived their time are no longer able to maintain their supremacy in its old form. "A revolutionary situation is characterized by a sharp deterioration of the condition of the poor and oppressed classes and increased political a activity on the part of the progressive class capable of assuming leadership in mass revolutionary action. "Successful development of the revolution depends in a large measure on the existence of a militant revolutionary party armed with progressive theory." REVOLUTIONARY VIGILANCE: "an ability to identify and paralize the enemies of the revolution, to find one's bearings in conditions of sharp class struggle between capitalism and socialism." S SCIENTIFIC COMMUNISM: "one of the three component parts of Marxism-Leninism which provides social and political grouns for the historic mission of the proletariat; a science of the ways,forms and methods of reshaping society along communist lines.
"Its tasks include substantiation of the idea of the historical inevitability of the revolutionary transformation of capitalist society into communist society, the place and role of the working class and of the non-proletarian strata it leads in revolutionary struggle, the content and role of national liberation and other democratic movements in the world revolutionary process, the role and principles of the dictatorship of the proletariat, the laws, ways and forms of building socialism and communism, and the main principles of the strategy and tactics of Commmunist and workers' parties at all stages of the struggle for communism. "Scientific communism requires that the specific national features of each country be taken into account in carrying out the tasks of the communist transformation of society. The further development of scientific communism is based upon general conclusions drawn from the wordlwide experience of revolutionary struggle." SOCIAL DEMOCRACY: "a political trend in the international working-class movement which emerged in the last third of the 19th century. Initially social democracy adopted a revolutionary stand, spread the ideas of socialism and promoted the formation of mass organizations of the working class. "At the turn of the century, however, revisionist and opportunist trends grew strong with social democracy, as a result of which it confined itself to advocating peaceful actions and gradual social reforms and class collaboration with the imperialist bourgeois, adopted a conception of the state and democracy that was "above" class considerations, and regarded socialism as primarily a question of morality and ethics." SOCIALISM: "the social system which replaces capitalism; the first phase of communism. Under socialism there are no exploiting classes and no exploitation of man by man, private ownership of the means of production is replaced by public ownership. "Socialism has become a world system exerting a decisive influence on the course of history." SOCIALIST ORIENTATION: "the policy of some developing countries aimed at creating the necessary conditions for building the foundations of socialism. "The social and economic basis for socialist-oriented countries is the state sector of the national economy, and the political basis, the transition of power into the hands of the revolutionary democratic forces comprising the working class, the working peasantry, the intelligentsia and office employees and professional workers. "Assistance rendered by the world socialist system is an important factor in the advance of developing countries on the road of socialist orientation." SOCIALIST REVOLUTION: "the highest type of social revolution which accomplishes the transition from capitalist to socialist society. The working class headed by its MarxistLeninist party is the main driving and leading force of the socialist revolution."
SOVIET THREAT: "an anti-Soviet propaganda myth about a danger allegedly menacing the capitalist countries and coming from the Soviet Union." SUPERPOWERS: "the term used, as a rule, by bourgeois ideologists, revisionists of all kinds, opportunists and opponents of detente in an attempt to put the blame on the Soviet Union for trying, just as the United States does, to decide the fate of the world in its own interests, without regard for peoples' wishes." T TERRORISM: "the policy and practice of intimidation and violence, up to and including physical annihilation, against political opponents. "...the overall aim of terrorism is to destabilize the political life of a particular country, to suppress democracy, to create conditions for the accession to power of the most reactionary dictatorial regimes." COMMENT: The problem is hardly explained by this, nor does this definition, only partly quoted, suggest that the communists, one and all, support revolutionary terror, revolutionary violence, and revolutionary (just) wars. V VOLUNTARISM: "an idealist trend in philosophy which regards the will of separate individuals as the main principal of social development." W WAR: "armed struggle between states or between social classes (civil war). There are just wars and unjust wars. Just wars are fought to repel aggression, to win freedom from exploitation. ..Unjust wars are waged to perpetuate the domination of the exploiting classes and to enrich them through enslaving other countries and peoples." WORLD OUTLOOK: "a set of views on the world, nature and society. A sharp struggle is being waged in our era between two opposing world outlooks, the communist and the bourgeois. The communist world outlook rouses the working people to active transformation of the world and inspires people with confidence in their powers and in social progress." WORLD REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS: "the sum total of revolutionary movements of our times: socialist revolutions, national liberation, anti-imperialist, anti-feudal and democratic revolutions; the struggle against facist and other tyrannical regimes for peace, democracy and social progress. "The world socialist system is the leading force of the world revolutionary process. "In the present epoch the international working class and its political vanguard, the
Communist and workers' parties, actively fight for the rights of the working people, for peace and the security of the peoples. Today communist parties are active in 94 countries. (Source is dated 1982). COMMENT: The Hoover Institute's publication on world communism lists 97 active parties in 1984. WORLD SOCIALIST SYSTEM: "the social, economic and political community of countries building socialism and communism and working for the just cause of peace and the security of the peoples, for the interests of working people." Z ZIONISM: "a reactionary nationalist movement which arose among the Jewish bourgeoisie in several countries in the 19th century under the slogan of the union of all Jews regardless of their class status. Zionism is closely linked with imperialist monopolies and is hostile to the working-class movement and to communism. Zionism is the official aggressive ideology of the State of Israel."
House, Moscow, 1982
