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[[File:Karl Marx 001 (colored).png|right|thumb|[[Karl Marx]], a foundational leftist figure.]] | |||
'''Leftism''' is a broad grouping of ideological tendencies which seek to alter and advance past the given socio-economic and political status quo in favor of a more egalitarian arrangement. In a modern context, leftist politics centers around the abolition of [[capitalism]] in favor of [[socialism]] and [[Communism (mode of production)|communism]]. Modern leftists also oppose the ideological forces in support of capitalism, including [[liberalism]] and [[fascism]]. | '''Leftism''' is a broad grouping of ideological tendencies which seek to alter and advance past the given socio-economic and political status quo in favor of a more egalitarian arrangement. In a modern context, leftist politics centers around the abolition of [[capitalism]] in favor of [[socialism]] and [[Communism (mode of production)|communism]]. Modern leftists also oppose the ideological forces in support of capitalism, including [[liberalism]] and [[fascism]]. | ||
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=== Marxism === | === Marxism === | ||
{{Main|Marxism}} | {{Main|Marxism}} | ||
Marxism is the framework of ideas developed by [[Karl Marx]] and [[Friedrich Engels]] in the 19th century. It incorporated [[continental philosophy]], early socialist thought, and contemporary [[political economy]] to create [[Dialectical materialism|dialectical]] and [[historical materialism]] as well as [[Marxian economics]]. Marxism distinguishes itself from other forms of socialist thought in that it regards itself as [[scientific socialism]], being founded on concrete analysis of historical phenomena. | |||
===== Marxism–Leninism ===== | ===== Marxism–Leninism ===== | ||
{{Main|Marxism–Leninism}} | {{Main|Marxism–Leninism}} | ||
[[File:Lenin gosr painting.jpg|right|thumb|[[Vladimir Lenin]], Russian [[Marxism|Marxist]] revolutionary.]] | |||
Marxism–Leninism is a communist tendency developed by [[Joseph Stalin]] as a continuation of Leninist theory. It was the official ideology of the [[Soviet Union]] and other socialist states. After the success of the Russian revolution in 1917 and the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922, many [[Communist party|communist parties]] around the world began to adopt Marxism–Leninism as their political line, and Marxism–Leninism was the main theoretical framework which guided multiple proletarian revolutions across the globe during the 20th century. Marxism–Leninism continues to be followed by a large portion of the international workers' movement to this day. | |||
==== Maoism ==== | |||
{{Main|Maoism}} | |||
Marxism–Leninism–Maoism, often called just Maoism, is a communist ideology which synthesizes the theory of [[Mao Zedong Thought]] into a universally applicable revolutionary doctrine. It was developed in part by [[Abimael Guzmán]] in the later part of the 20th century, taking heavy inspiration from Mao, and upholds concepts like [[protracted people's war]], the [[mass line]], and others as usable revolutionary theories for most if not all countries. Maoism has multiple sub-tendencies, many of which are local to a particular region, such as [[Gonzalo Thought]] in Peru. | |||
==== Trotskyism ==== | |||
{{Main|Trotskyism}} | |||
Trotskyism refers to the political ideology advocated by [[Leon Trotsky]]. Trotskyists usually consider the Marxist-Leninist states neither socialist nor capitalist, or socialist but not democratic, and only a minority of Trotskyists consider them as capitalist. They consider them [[degenerated workers' states]], and Trotskyist groups have historically had varying degrees of support for them. | |||
==== Left communism ==== | |||
{{Main|Left communism}} | |||
Left communism is a set of ideologies which place themselves "left" of the prevailing communist movement represented by the [[Communist International]]. Left communism is made up of the Dutch-German left ([[Council communism|council communists]]) and Italian left ([[Bordigism|Bordigists]]). | |||
=== Anarchism === | === Anarchism === | ||
{{Main|Anarchism}} | {{Main|Anarchism}} | ||
Anarchism is a [[Libertarian socialism|libertarian socialist]] tendency which views all forms of authority and unjust hierarchy as oppressive institutions which must be abolished, chief among them the [[state]]. Anarchists seek to create a stateless socialist society based around communal ownership and direct democracy, although there is a large amount of variation on how this model will be exactly implemented or reached among anarchism's sub-ideologies. | |||
==== Communist anarchism ==== | |||
{{Main|Anarcho-communism}} | |||
[[File:Peter Kropotkin circa 1900.png|right|thumb|[[Peter Kropotkin]], [[Anarcho-communism|anarcho-communist]] thinker.]] | |||
Anarcho-communism is an anarchist sub-ideology which seeks to create a communistic society in the immediate aftermath of a socialist revolution, using institutions such as a [[gift economy]]. One of the most popular proponents of anarchist communism was [[Peter Kropotkin]], who formalized many aspects of this tendency in his book The Conquest of Bread. Anarcho-communism broadly emphasizes communalism and localized economic distribution. | |||
==== Collectivist anarchism ==== | |||
{{Main|Collectivist anarchism}} | |||
Anarcho-collectivism is a tendency inspired by the works of [[Michael Bakunin]] and [[James Guillaume]] with additional influence from Proudhonian economics. It puts emphasis on workers' autonomy and holds that the exchange of goods between communities should be determined based on the cost of labor established by communal banks. Other anarchists have described this variant as a ''limited'' form of anarchist communism. | |||
==== Syndicalism ==== | |||
{{Main|Anarcho-syndicalism}} | |||
Anarcho-syndicalism is a sub-variety of anarchism involving organizing revolutionary [[trade unions]] that will lead a general strike in order to overthrow capitalism and the state, and will form the basis for a socialist society. | |||
=== Reformist === | === Reformist === | ||
{{Main|Reformism}} | {{Main|Reformism}} | ||
Reformist socialism includes multiple tendencies which seek to create a socialist society primarily by the gradual and peaceful reformation of capitalism. Although [[social democracy]] is sometimes considered to be a reformist socialist ideology, it is usually considered to be the left-ward flank of liberalism, a capitalist ideology. | |||
==== Democratic socialism ==== | ==== Democratic socialism ==== | ||
{{Main|Democratic socialism}} | {{Main|Democratic socialism}} | ||
Democratic socialism is a blanket term which can refer to a number of leftist ideologies that seek to establish socialism through participation in [[bourgeois democracy]], and stress the importance of democratic rights in the socialist society they want to establish. Democratic socialists often favor markets in addition to decentralized economic planning, although it is sometimes also misused as a synonym with capitalist social democracy. | |||
==Issues== | |||
===State verses anarchy=== | |||
{{Hatnote|See also: [[State socialism]]}} | |||
A common point of division between leftists is towards the question of a revolutionary state. Most Marxists, particularly [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist–Leninists]] and [[Marxism–Leninism–Maoism|Maoists]], argue it is necessary to create a [[Dictatorship of the proletariat|revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat]] following the revolution to maintain the gains of the [[working class]], fight class enemies, etc. Anarchists and other [[Libertarian socialism|libertarian socialists]] on the other hand believe that creating a state in any form, socialist or not, will lead to the leaders of that state growing as corrupt as the bourgeois government preceding it, which will reproduce capitalist society. Therefore, from an anarchist perspective, [[statelessness]] is the most liberative form of political organization.<ref>[http://bse.sci-lib.com/article055028.html "Anarchism" (In Russian)] ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' </ref> | |||
===Revolution verses reformism=== | |||
{{Main|Reform versus revolution}} | |||
[[File:Rosa Luxemburg.jpg|right|thumb|[[Rosa Luxemburg]], author of ''[[Reform or Revolution?]]''.]] | |||
One of the main contentions in left-wing thought is the question of whether socialism is to come by gradual reforms and participation in bourgeois democracy or by the extra-legal revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system. Reformist socialists argue that electoralism and participation in bourgeois parliament is adequate in slowly developing socialism, and is preferable over the potentially negative repercussions of a revolution.<ref name="Leninreformism">Vladimir Lenin (1913). [https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1913/sep/12b.htm ''Marxism and Reformism'']. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.</ref> The main supporters of reformism are democratic socialists and Eurocommunists. | |||
Revolutionary socialists, including most anarchists, Marxists, and other tendencies, regard reforms under capitalism as nothing more than temporary concessions by the ruling class, which themselves are often only able to be afforded by the wealth gained from imperialist extraction like in modern social democracies. Although many socialists argue that under certain conditions, tactical participation in parliament is warranted, revolutionists ultimately believe that only after the total overthrow of the violent capitalist system is socialism truly able to be achieved, and that long-term participation in the bourgeois government will result in nothing more than the party degenerating into a capitalist party (e.g. the modern Social Democratic Party of Germany).<ref name="Leninreformism"></ref> | |||
===Vanguardism verses spontaneity=== | |||
{{Main|Vanguard party}} | |||
Marxists–Leninists, Maoists, and other tendencies hold that a dedicated vanguard party of the most politically advanced sections of the working class is needed to secure revolutionary gains and organize the people for a [[revolutionary situation]]. This vanguard party will eventually form the basis for the dictatorship of the proletariat and socialist state after a socialist revolution. However, certain Marxist trends like [[council communism]] as well as most anarchists believe that a dedicated vanguard of revolutionaries will do little more than form a new bureaucratic caste, and therefore argue that the revolution must be directed by the [[spontaneity]] of the masses and other decentralized action.<ref>[https://espressostalinist.com/marxism-leninism-versus-revisionism/anarchism/ "Anarchism"]. ''The Espresso Stalinist''.</ref> | |||
===Markets verses planning=== | |||
In modern and historical leftist discourse, a question exists over how to organize a socialist economy. Tendencies like democratic socialism, [[Titoism]], [[market anarchism]], and [[Dengism]] have argued that markets are needed in order to develop the [[productive forces]] and provide a superior mode of distribution over a planned economy, which they perceive as ineffective and bureaucratic. On the contrary, socialist advocates of a planned economy argue that markets fundamentally reproduce capitalist relations, generate the same periods of economic crisis due to their inability to be rationally planned, and ultimately create a new bourgeois class which will eliminate socialism and restore capitalism as a whole once empowered. The exact form of a planned economy also differs among different tendencies; anarchists and other libertarian socialists wanting a decentralized and communal-based form of planning whereas Marxists–Leninists and others seeking centralized economic planning. | |||
==Terminology== | |||
===Far-left=== | |||
The '''far-left''' refers to the most radical and transformative elements within the left-wing movement. Far-left politics entails the support for the revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system rather than its gradual ''evolution'' into socialism through reforms. Positions which are considered far-left include Marxism–Leninism and anarchism. | |||
===Center-left=== | |||
The '''center-left''' are the reformist wings within the left-wing movement which seek the gradual reformation of the capitalist system through participation in bourgeois democracy. Commonly, center-left politics does not seek the total transformation of the capitalist system and instead seeks to preserve major elements of it such as markets, currency, and class distinctions. Democratic socialism is often considered center-left. | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Leftism]] | [[Category:Leftism]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:51, 10 May 2026
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Leftism is a broad grouping of ideological tendencies which seek to alter and advance past the given socio-economic and political status quo in favor of a more egalitarian arrangement. In a modern context, leftist politics centers around the abolition of capitalism in favor of socialism and communism. Modern leftists also oppose the ideological forces in support of capitalism, including liberalism and fascism.
Common left-wing tendencies include Marxism, anarchism, reformist or democratic socialism, and the various sub-groupings in those trends.
Etymology
The terms left-wing and leftism are derived from the French Revolution, when the more progressive, egalitarian political factions were seated on the left-side of the assembly whereas the reactionary factions sat on the right-wing.[1]
Tendencies
Marxism
Marxism is the framework of ideas developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th century. It incorporated continental philosophy, early socialist thought, and contemporary political economy to create dialectical and historical materialism as well as Marxian economics. Marxism distinguishes itself from other forms of socialist thought in that it regards itself as scientific socialism, being founded on concrete analysis of historical phenomena.
Marxism–Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist tendency developed by Joseph Stalin as a continuation of Leninist theory. It was the official ideology of the Soviet Union and other socialist states. After the success of the Russian revolution in 1917 and the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922, many communist parties around the world began to adopt Marxism–Leninism as their political line, and Marxism–Leninism was the main theoretical framework which guided multiple proletarian revolutions across the globe during the 20th century. Marxism–Leninism continues to be followed by a large portion of the international workers' movement to this day.
Maoism
Marxism–Leninism–Maoism, often called just Maoism, is a communist ideology which synthesizes the theory of Mao Zedong Thought into a universally applicable revolutionary doctrine. It was developed in part by Abimael Guzmán in the later part of the 20th century, taking heavy inspiration from Mao, and upholds concepts like protracted people's war, the mass line, and others as usable revolutionary theories for most if not all countries. Maoism has multiple sub-tendencies, many of which are local to a particular region, such as Gonzalo Thought in Peru.
Trotskyism
Trotskyism refers to the political ideology advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotskyists usually consider the Marxist-Leninist states neither socialist nor capitalist, or socialist but not democratic, and only a minority of Trotskyists consider them as capitalist. They consider them degenerated workers' states, and Trotskyist groups have historically had varying degrees of support for them.
Left communism
Left communism is a set of ideologies which place themselves "left" of the prevailing communist movement represented by the Communist International. Left communism is made up of the Dutch-German left (council communists) and Italian left (Bordigists).
Anarchism
Anarchism is a libertarian socialist tendency which views all forms of authority and unjust hierarchy as oppressive institutions which must be abolished, chief among them the state. Anarchists seek to create a stateless socialist society based around communal ownership and direct democracy, although there is a large amount of variation on how this model will be exactly implemented or reached among anarchism's sub-ideologies.
Communist anarchism
Anarcho-communism is an anarchist sub-ideology which seeks to create a communistic society in the immediate aftermath of a socialist revolution, using institutions such as a gift economy. One of the most popular proponents of anarchist communism was Peter Kropotkin, who formalized many aspects of this tendency in his book The Conquest of Bread. Anarcho-communism broadly emphasizes communalism and localized economic distribution.
Collectivist anarchism
Anarcho-collectivism is a tendency inspired by the works of Michael Bakunin and James Guillaume with additional influence from Proudhonian economics. It puts emphasis on workers' autonomy and holds that the exchange of goods between communities should be determined based on the cost of labor established by communal banks. Other anarchists have described this variant as a limited form of anarchist communism.
Syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a sub-variety of anarchism involving organizing revolutionary trade unions that will lead a general strike in order to overthrow capitalism and the state, and will form the basis for a socialist society.
Reformist
Reformist socialism includes multiple tendencies which seek to create a socialist society primarily by the gradual and peaceful reformation of capitalism. Although social democracy is sometimes considered to be a reformist socialist ideology, it is usually considered to be the left-ward flank of liberalism, a capitalist ideology.
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a blanket term which can refer to a number of leftist ideologies that seek to establish socialism through participation in bourgeois democracy, and stress the importance of democratic rights in the socialist society they want to establish. Democratic socialists often favor markets in addition to decentralized economic planning, although it is sometimes also misused as a synonym with capitalist social democracy.
Issues
State verses anarchy
A common point of division between leftists is towards the question of a revolutionary state. Most Marxists, particularly Marxist–Leninists and Maoists, argue it is necessary to create a revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat following the revolution to maintain the gains of the working class, fight class enemies, etc. Anarchists and other libertarian socialists on the other hand believe that creating a state in any form, socialist or not, will lead to the leaders of that state growing as corrupt as the bourgeois government preceding it, which will reproduce capitalist society. Therefore, from an anarchist perspective, statelessness is the most liberative form of political organization.[2]
Revolution verses reformism
One of the main contentions in left-wing thought is the question of whether socialism is to come by gradual reforms and participation in bourgeois democracy or by the extra-legal revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system. Reformist socialists argue that electoralism and participation in bourgeois parliament is adequate in slowly developing socialism, and is preferable over the potentially negative repercussions of a revolution.[3] The main supporters of reformism are democratic socialists and Eurocommunists.
Revolutionary socialists, including most anarchists, Marxists, and other tendencies, regard reforms under capitalism as nothing more than temporary concessions by the ruling class, which themselves are often only able to be afforded by the wealth gained from imperialist extraction like in modern social democracies. Although many socialists argue that under certain conditions, tactical participation in parliament is warranted, revolutionists ultimately believe that only after the total overthrow of the violent capitalist system is socialism truly able to be achieved, and that long-term participation in the bourgeois government will result in nothing more than the party degenerating into a capitalist party (e.g. the modern Social Democratic Party of Germany).[3]
Vanguardism verses spontaneity
Marxists–Leninists, Maoists, and other tendencies hold that a dedicated vanguard party of the most politically advanced sections of the working class is needed to secure revolutionary gains and organize the people for a revolutionary situation. This vanguard party will eventually form the basis for the dictatorship of the proletariat and socialist state after a socialist revolution. However, certain Marxist trends like council communism as well as most anarchists believe that a dedicated vanguard of revolutionaries will do little more than form a new bureaucratic caste, and therefore argue that the revolution must be directed by the spontaneity of the masses and other decentralized action.[4]
Markets verses planning
In modern and historical leftist discourse, a question exists over how to organize a socialist economy. Tendencies like democratic socialism, Titoism, market anarchism, and Dengism have argued that markets are needed in order to develop the productive forces and provide a superior mode of distribution over a planned economy, which they perceive as ineffective and bureaucratic. On the contrary, socialist advocates of a planned economy argue that markets fundamentally reproduce capitalist relations, generate the same periods of economic crisis due to their inability to be rationally planned, and ultimately create a new bourgeois class which will eliminate socialism and restore capitalism as a whole once empowered. The exact form of a planned economy also differs among different tendencies; anarchists and other libertarian socialists wanting a decentralized and communal-based form of planning whereas Marxists–Leninists and others seeking centralized economic planning.
Terminology
Far-left
The far-left refers to the most radical and transformative elements within the left-wing movement. Far-left politics entails the support for the revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system rather than its gradual evolution into socialism through reforms. Positions which are considered far-left include Marxism–Leninism and anarchism.
Center-left
The center-left are the reformist wings within the left-wing movement which seek the gradual reformation of the capitalist system through participation in bourgeois democracy. Commonly, center-left politics does not seek the total transformation of the capitalist system and instead seeks to preserve major elements of it such as markets, currency, and class distinctions. Democratic socialism is often considered center-left.
See also
References
- ↑ "left-wing" Wiktionary
- ↑ "Anarchism" (In Russian) Great Soviet Encyclopedia
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vladimir Lenin (1913). Marxism and Reformism. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Anarchism". The Espresso Stalinist.