Related Terms • socialism • capitalism • proletariat • bourgeoisie

Definition:
Communism is a political and economic system which is characterized by the collective ownership of property (by the proletariat) and, furthermore, by the organization of labor for the common purpose of all members. Communism is similar to socialism, but contrasted with capitalism.

Although people popularly associate communism with the writings of Karl Marx, in fact the basic ideas behind it can be traced back much further. Among the earliest known writings on the subject is the Ancient Greek concept of a "Golden Age," a time of bliss and harmony without private property. Plato's ideal society was also one in which all property was held in common. It seems likely that the very earliest human tribes held much, if not all, property communally.

Various religious groups have included communism has a basic principle of their religious community. The earliest Christians appear to have held property in common, if the descriptions in the New Testament book of Acts is at all reliable, and this tradition has continued in the Roman Catholic Church with various monastic orders.

During the Middle Ages people defended their rights to work and benefit from communal property - even to the point of armed uprisings when necessary. Sir Thomas More's seminal work Utopia included the idea of communal ownership of some property.

The writings of Marx and Engels, while generally seen as revolutionary, are thus actually part of a long tradition of utopian writings. More than that, they were also part of a larger reaction to the social and economic excesses of capitalism during the early industrial revolution.

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