Revisionist Vs. Revolutionary Marxism

Paper Summary:

The paper identifies the most significant tension between revolutionary and revisionist Marxism that was a fundamental disagreement over how to rid the world of capitalism and replace it with communism. The paper explains that revolutionary Marxists believed that communism could only be achieved through violent upheaval or revolution, while revisionist Marxists believed that communism could be achieved through gradual and peaceful means.

From the Paper:

"As is the case with every ideology, the central and significant tensions within Marxism can be identified in terms of their different prescriptions for political life. Revolutionary Marxists believed in the prescription for revolution formulated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in The Communist Manifesto, which called for the overthrow of capitalist governments in Europe by the working class.
"Marx expected The Communist Manifesto to trigger revolution across Europe and believed he would be able to contribute directly to the triumph of communism through the fiery rhetoric of the Manifesto. He proclaimed that, "the immediate aim of the Communists is the same as that of all other proletarian parties: formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of the bourgeois supremacy, and conquest of political power by the proletariat." (Marx and Engels)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Marx, Karl and Engels, Friedrich. The Communist Manifesto. Online. Available: http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html. 30 July 2007.
• Pastor, Robert. A Century's Journey: How the Great Powers Shaped the World. New York: Basic Books, 2000.
• "Socialism As A Worldview." Class Material.
• "Socialism's Utopian Roots." Class Material.

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