Brennan Stock

Prof. Moore

POLS 2300

13 October 2019

Contrasting Contemporary Conservativism and Communism

The history of communism is ideologically saturated and sometimes misinformative. It

can be argued that societies practiced a form of communism independently of pre-industrial

times with various religious communities, or with Gracchus Babeuf and the Conspiracy of

Equals, or even, as Fredrich Engels suggests, with “primitive communism” existing in

hunter-gatherer societies (​Origin of the Family,​1884). Nonetheless, Karl Marx and Friedrich

Engels are the figureheads of modern communism, and their ideas formulate the main tenets of

the ideology. When contrasting communism with any other ideology, it must necessarily revolve

around the economic aims of the opposing ideology, seeing that communism is mainly an

economic system. Communists in government would radically alter the nation's economic

structure, however, the theory is always separated from the practice in history. Conservativism

would attempt to protect the institution of market economics and social order.

One man came to define and differentiate communism from the socialist experiments:

Karl Marx. Marx is the symbol and leading voice of communism and various factions have

arisen to interpret his theories. According to Marxist doctrine, communism is worker’s

ownership over the means of production in a stateless, classless, and moneyless society as

defined in numerous Marxist texts​. ​Communism opposes private property which is defined as

any property in which capitalist employment or rent can be collected. This follows his theories
on “surplus value” which states that workers are not given the full value of their wages (​Capital

Chapter IX​, ​1867). Marx followed a materialist conception of world history stating that cultures

and societies are products of man’s economic interaction with his material world, and that

material interaction, class differentiation started to occur with the division of labor and warfare

giving way to class conflict (​German Ideology Vol.1​ Section C, 1845). Besides Marx’s vast

contribution to socialist thinking, Marx placed socialism as a step toward communism in

revolution.

Conservativism is not necessarily a set doctrine of beliefs but rather a reaction against

societal change. Starting with Edmund Burke’s distaste for the radical liberalism and nationalism

of the French revolution, conservative philosophy is one that distrusts change and attempts to

protect tradition. Most modern conservatives support the political and economic of classical

liberalism, which seeks to protect capitalism and limit the size of the state, they also believe a

small state is necessary to protect civil liberties. Conservatives, generally, do not follow a

materialist doctrine of history, however, they do feel the individual is the basis of the “organic

society” (Heywood, p. 73, 2012). Communists believe that the individual is pressured by his

material surroundings; thus subject to wage labor for subsistence and the adverse effects of

alienation in their work. Whereas conservativism states that man is free in the market, Marxists

posit that man should be freed from the market. The philosophy separating the ideologies is

largely economic and the arguments concerning the “social” or “individualist” nature of man are

seen as unsupported by Marxists.

Differences in governing techniques vary between theory and practice for both

ideologies. Conservatives would attempt to limit the state in regulating the economy and would
typically favor free trade. Conservatives would also encourage some form of protection for

traditional social customs. The idea of social authority and clericalism are prevalent in the

ideology, however not all conservative factions support the ideas. Communists, following the

Manifesto, ​would socialize the means of production and organize the economy into some sort of

planning. Workers would agree on a common plan in accordance with national or local demand.

The dictatorship of the proletariat would assume a democratic form, in which all workers would

vote on the leadership of a central party. Social conditions may be liberalized and greater

freedom to women has been a trend in communism’s history. Importantly, and most commonly

forgotten in the political sphere is communism’s doctrine of statelessness. Lenin in ​State and

Revolution ​openly states that the state will “wither away” as communism is achieved, thus

making planning temporary, although economic planning can also be done locally. Marx did not

outline any mechanisms that would serve in economic planning, however, computers and

high-speed information could be used in the modern-day to appropriately gauge demand and

award incentives.

Conservativism and communism have extreme differences in the vision for society,

although there can be some common elements among some conservative and some communist

ideas mainly focused on suspicion toward globalization. Nonetheless, the arguments for retaining

capitalism will always tend to shift communists away from a political alliance, and nearly all

conservatives fear an expansion of government control. It is a necessity in the academic and

political spheres to understand these vital differences and especially in an academic setting to

read the criticisms of both sides. Indeed though the future of Marxism and communism seem
bleak, Marxism will continue to act as a powerful critical voice against the increasing grip of

global capitalism.

Sources:

Marx, Karl/Engels, Fredrich

Capital, A Critique of Political Economy​ (1847)

Communist Manifesto, The​ (1848)

Critique of the Gotha Program ​(1891)

The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State: in the Light of the Researches

of Lewis H. Morgan ​(1884)

Heywood, Andrew (2012)​ Political Ideologies, an Introduction​, 5th edition, pages 65-96