Alexander Cirilo

Prof. Stephan Conway

FIQWS Composition

16 December, 2019

Communism and Capitalism

Communism and capitalisms are two very distinctive political systems. There are many differences between these two ideologies. On the one hand, Communism involves the people needs and making of a classless state. On the other hand, capitalism is an economic system that goes along with individual growth and free marketing. These ideologies have different aims towards how to grow a society. Communist and capitalists have different ideas towards free enterprise, private companies, how they relate to socialism, and what governments usually goes hand in hand with the certain political theory.

Both Communism and Capitalism are distinct in many ways. In Yuri Contreras- Vejar(2012) view, “Throughout human history, from the influence of religious mysteries in Plato‘s conception of society to the early modern vision of a utopia in Thomas Moore’s Christian conception, the ideal of a society without social and economic divisions has been a powerful political idea. During the 20th century, Marxist communism was the most global and ambitious sociopolitical project that attempted to implement a real egalitarian society” (Communism, 2012). In other words, the capitalistic ideas ruled the world for throughout most of history. Always wanting more or what you have is human nature. However, Marx and Engels opposed the powerful political idea of capitalism. Furthermore, Elaine Sternberg (2015) argues that, “Capital and competition are also not part of the essential definition” (Defining Capitalism, 2015). In other words, competition is a key aspect to capitalism. Competition does not exist in communism due to common ownership of property.

Communist and capitalists take different perspectives on free enterprise. Communism does not allow for free enterprise. Capitalism is all for free enterprise. According to Elaine Sternberg (2015) “Capitalism is an economic system characterized by comprehensive private property, free‐market pricing, and the absence of coercion” (Defining Capitalism, 2015). In other words, Elaine believes free marketing is directly involved with capitalism. On the other hand, communism does not allow for free enterprise as everyone is treated equally. No one receives more them another person. Everything in the society is shared equally amongst the people. Free enterprise is not allowed because no one works more than others. If someone did do extra work, they wouldn’t be compensated for it. My conclusion, then, is that communism and capitalism oppose each other when it comes to free enterprise.

In one hand we have private owners that flourish and grow in a capitalistic economy. On the other hand, communism eliminates all private companies. According to Elaine Sternberg (2015), “For markets to operate and the price system to function properly, people must be free to own, use, and transfer their property, and free to enter into enforceable contracts with any willing counterparty (Defining Capitalism, 2015). In other words, private properties should be free and should not be intervened with. Competition will most likely grow as every company wants to be at the top of the market. Furthermore, according to Yuri Contreras- Vejar(2012), “Communism is the sociopolitical ideal that aims to create a society based on common ownership of goods and property”(Communism, 2012). Therefor with the elimination of ownership of goods, private owners are nonexistent. Having said this, capitalistic and communistic beliefs on private property are incommensurable.

Socialism has many similarities and differences with capitalism and communism. According to Robert J. van der Veen and Philippe van Parijs (1986), “The term ‘socialism’ here covers what Marx calls lower stage of communism… It refers to a society in which workers collectively own the means of production…” (A Capitalistic Road to Communism, 1986). Socialism is the incomplete version of communism. Karl Marx is the founder of communism and wrote the Communist Manifesto. So, having him say socialism is the lower stage of communism shows they are related. In addition, according to Christopher Pierson (2016), “socialist thinkers have been hostile to private property in capital goods and in capital more generally” Socialism, 2016). Pierson claims that socialism is a refute of capitalist idea of private property, and I agree because socialism is a response to capitalism as a whole.

Governments and economical principles are usually complimentary. For example, Elaine Sternberg (2015) says, “Capitalism, an economic system, is often associated with democratic social and political systems, and confounded with democracy” (Defining Capitalism, 2015). In other words, democracy and capitalism are complimentary. Modern examples of this are the U.S.A and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, a past form of government involved with communism was dictatorship.  

In all, communism and capitalism are two beliefs that support different ideas of how the economy should be distributed. Communism is a critique of capitalistic practices. Communism favors distribution of wealth amounts all of its people. While capitalism favors individualism rather than the people as a whole.

References

Elaine Sternberg (2015), Defining Capitalism, Economic Affairs (Volume 35, Issue3, pages 380-396), Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/doi/full/10.1111/ecaf.12141

Yuri Contreras- Vejar (2012), Encyclopedia of global religion (Vol. 1 page 238), retrieved from https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&u=cuny_ccny&id=GALE|CX1958900151&v=2.1&it=r&sid=exlibris

Van der Veen, R., & Van Parijs, P. (1986). A Capitalist Road to Communism. Theory and Society, 15(5), 635-655. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/657301

Pierson, C. (2016-10-13). Socialism. In Just Property: Volume Two: Enlightenment, Revolution, and History. : Oxford University Press. Retrieved 16 Dec. 2019, from https://www-oxfordscholarship-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199673292.001.0001/acprof-9780199673292-chapter-6.