Difference Between Communism and Socialism

Difference Between Communism and Socialism: The difference between Socialism and Communism is a matter of long debate. Scholars have their thoughts on the genesis and the practicality. Socialism, for the matter, seeks to bring equality among the means of production to the working class, whereas Communism takes the concepts of socialism a step further and revolutionizes the aspects of production and consumption.

In this article, we will look into the definitions, types, and examples of communism and socialism. Also, we will cover the key differences between communism and socialism.

What is Communism?

Communism is a political and economic ideology that aims to create a central unit of governance that shall be responsible for all the decision-making, and the main objective is not profit-making rather their objective is to fulfill the needs of society at large. The business houses will not have the power to make business decisions and central decision-making will regulate and guide the market proceedings. Here the central unit established shall direct businesses and the private sector about the pricing, market offering, and salary structures. Low decision-making power is given to the private sector after a review of the framework of capitalism.

Types of Communism

Communism includes a variety of schools of thought, which broadly include:

1. Marxism: This ideology believes that no economic class exists, including wage workers, and landowners. According to Marx, everyone should contribute what they can, and everyone should receive what they require.
2. Marxism-Leninism: Marxism-Leninism is a communist philosophical school of thought that arose as the dominant trend among Communist parties during the 1920s. Inspired by the 1917 Russian Revolution and the formation of the Soviet Union, Leninism’s philosophy was based on updated Marxism’s ideas, and Soviet Communism’s ideology used this as a theoretical foundation.
3. Trotskyism: Leon Trotsky’s Marxist philosophical thoughts are also known as Trotskyism. His politics differed from Joseph Stalin’s Marxism-Leninism in terms of declaring the requirement for an international proletarian revolution and the support for a true proletarian dictatorship which was based on direct autonomous ideology.
4. Luxemburgism: This is a revolutionary theoretical model based on the writings by Rosa Luxemburg that falls under the category of Communism. Her politics differed from Lenin and Trotsky primarily because she refused their concept of “democratic centralism,” which she described as undemocratic.
5. Religious Communism: This is a type of communism that is based on the religious beliefs of a community such as Christianity, Taoism, Jainism, Hinduism, or Buddhism. It refers to having a group of classless and utopian religious societies that practice voluntary abolition of the idea of private property, allowing society’s benefits to be distributed based on individual needs and everyone to work as per their abilities.

What is Socialism?

Socialism is a political and economic system, where the property and the means of production are owned in common ownership typically controlled by the state or government. Socialism is based on the idea that there will be greater equality among the sections of society if there is common or public ownership of resources and means of production. Socialism is somewhere raised from the adverse impact and effects of capitalism, where Capitalism is based on the principle of private ownership of resources and means of production, and individual choices in a free market.

Types of Socialism

Types of Socialism include the following:

1. Democratic socialism: A type of socialism whose idea is based on having a socialist society that is democratically run.
2. Marxist socialism: A type of socialism whose idea is based on for having public ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange.
3. Utopian socialism: A type of socialism whose idea is based on for having public ownership in a socialist society that is run according to socialist ideals.
4. Christian socialism: A type of socialism whose idea is based on for having public ownership in a socialist society based on the teachings of Christianity.
5. Islamic socialism: A type of socialism whose idea is based on for having public ownership in a socialist society based on the teachings of Islam.
6. Market socialism: A type of socialism whose idea is based on for having public ownership of the means of production but allows for a certain amount of private ownership and market activity.
7. State socialism: A type of socialism whose idea is based on for having public ownership of the means of production and distribution but also allows for a certain amount of private ownership.

Difference Between Communism and Socialism

The following table lists the difference between communism and socialism:

Basis of Difference	Communism	Socialism
Basic ideology	It opposes capitalism, and the decision-making authority is held by a central unit that represents society. Under communism, wage labor, commodity production, and the market are all abandoned.	The idea of individual freedom and equality of opportunity is available only to those who can control the means of production.
Key Proponents	Known researchers like Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Peter Kropotkin, Rosa Luxemburg, and Vladimir Lenin, propounded and supported this theory	Known researchers like Charles Hall, François-Noël Babeuf, Henri de Saint-Simon, and Louis Auguste Blanqui supported this theory.
Central idea	Here the central idea is that all the people are the same and therefore no class distinction. The government here should own all the means of production and land and also concept of private property should not exist.	Here the central idea is that all individuals should have access to necessities of consumption and public goods.
Political System	This society is stateless, classless, and is governed directly by the people. Although this has been never practiced practically and has never been achieved.	This ideology can coexist with different political systems. Most socialists uphold the idea of participatory democracy, also some advocate parliamentary democracy, whereas Marxist-Leninists advocate the idea of “Democratic centralism.”
Social Distinction	Here all types of class distinctions are eliminated. It is a society where everyone is both the owner of the means of production and their own employees.	In this school of thought the Class distinctions are diminished to a minimum level. Here status derived is more from the political distinctions as compared to class distinctions.
Religion	Here religion based distinctions are abolished. All religious and metaphysics of all sorts are rejected.	Under this society there is freedom of religion, but usually the scholars here promotes practice of secularism.
Private Ownership	The concept of property is negated and abolished. Here private ownership is replaced with the concept of commons and ownership with “usership”.	Under this society there will be two kinds of property which are Personal property, which can be houses, clothing, other personal assets etc. owned by the individual.
Means of control	Under this society theoretically there exists no state control.	Under this form of society there is involvement of government.

Summary – Communism vs Socialism

Communism and Socialism are political and economic ideologies with distinct characteristics and goals. Communism, rooted in the works of Karl Marx, envisions a classless, stateless society where all means of production are collectively owned, eliminating individual ownership and class distinctions. Various types of communism, including Marxism and Trotskyism, offer nuanced perspectives on achieving this societal structure. On the other hand, socialism, with diverse forms like democratic socialism and market socialism, seeks greater equality through collective or government ownership of the means of production. Unlike communism, socialism may coexist with different political systems and allows for private ownership to varying degrees. While communism strives for a society without classes and a state, socialism aims for reduced social inequality within a framework that permits individual freedom. The distinctions between the two lie in their core ideologies, views on private ownership, and approaches to social and political organization.

FAQs on Difference Between Communism and Socialism

1. What is Communism?

Communism is a political and economic ideology advocating for a classless and stateless society where the means of production, such as factories and land, are collectively owned and controlled.

2. What is Socialism?

Socialism is an economic and political system that advocates for collective or governmental ownership and control of the means of production, with the goal of reducing or eliminating social inequality.

3. What is the difference between Communism and Socialism?

Communism upholds for working class to take control of industry and production, and also advocates collective shared ownership of all property. Socialism upholds a shifting of power from the elite to the working class and socialism is focused on the collective good.

4. Is China a Communist Country?

The constitution of politics in China is different and, the only political party in China with full authority is Chinese Communist Party(CCP). China has a blend of communism and capitalism. The China operates under the highly centralized, and a single-party ruling of the Communist Party. Every region, be it a province or a city comprises of two sets of leadership which is a local government functionaries and Communist Party officials.

5. Is India a Socialist Country?

Indian economy is a mixed economy. A mixed economy can be referred to as a market system which comprises of features from both the capitalism as well as socialism. Decisions in a mixed economy are jointly taken by both the private as well as public sector, where public benefit is taken as priority.

6. Who Invented Communism?

In the year 1848, Marx and Engels offered the new definition for communism and popularized the term in their famous book ‘The Communist Manifesto’, advocating the radical uprooting of the wealthy ruling class to set up a democratic free society with no class divisions and shared ownership of the means of production with equal allocation of resources.

7. Is Marxism Socialism or Communist?

Marxism is a social, political, and economic theory coined by Karl Marx, main focus of the theory was on the struggles between capitalists and the working class, whereas communism stated a classless society. Whereas Marxists believe that socialism is a necessity.