Discussion – Marxism vs. Socialism

Discussion – Marxism vs. Socialism

Introduction

1. Thesis: although Marxism and Socialism share the egalitarian perspective on the sharing/distribution of wealth generated by workers in society, the two differ in terms of power structure transition, political system, ownership of personal property, ownership of the means of production, and proletariat revolution.
2. Socialism refers to an economic structure whereby the production and allotment or circulation of goods and services are controlled, organized, and planned by the central government, ensuring that all employees are allocated an equal share of the wealth generated based on their efforts. Marxism (or communism), on the other hand, is a political philosophy that the upper class (the wealthy and those who own the means of production) should exploit employees. These employees (lower class) often sell their labor to the capitalist upper class, leaving them starved and deprived (Sofroniou 51).

Topic 1: Power structure transition

Socialists hold the idea that it is possible to transition peacefully from a capitalist system to a socialist structure without damaging the old state framework. They suggest that the government can utilize the current capitalism framework effectively to benefit all workers. On the contrary, Marxists think that after removing the state machinery, capitalist despotism or dictatorship must be overthrown by the working class. Marxists support a classless community (Cam and Kayaoglu, 387).

Topic 2: Political systems

Whereas socialism tends to house various political structures, including parliamentary democracy and participatory democracy, Marxism loathes and prevents any other system of control or power structure. Marxists believe that the ultimate authority and power is vested in the hands of the citizens. They believe in a people’s government where no hierarchy or external power makes the rules, such as the distribution of wealth.

Topic 3: Ownership of personal property

For socialist proponents, public property (like means of production and factories) is owned by the government or state, while personal property (cars and houses) is owned by individuals. However, communists or Marxists do not identify with or recognize the vocabulary “ownership” (Cam and Kayaoglu, 389).

Topic 4: Ownership of means of production

In a socialist structure, the ownership of all means of production lies in the hands of cooperatives and public corporations or businesses, with the extra or surplus value of the production process being enjoyed by all community members based on the theory of individual contribution. For a Marxist system, there is no individual ownership, with the means of production shared equally. Production is an organized process that is intended to address the needs of all citizens.

Topic 5: The proletariat revolution

As highlighted by Karl Marx, the proletariat revolution is possible in a communist system because capitalists own and control the low class or working class. Capitalists own the means of production and dictate all the rules of the market (including workers’ pay and the prices of products). They manipulate entrepreneurship, capital, land, and other vital economic factors. In the end, this system generates an imbalanced and unfair society. In a socialist system, however, there is no room for class distinction since the state owns all the means of production. For that reason, there is zero chance for any proletariat revolution to occur in a socialist economy (Cam and Kayaoglu, 386).

Conclusion

While Marxism and Socialism share the egalitarian perspective on the sharing/distribution of wealth generated by workers in society, the two differ in terms of power structure transition, political system, ownership of personal property, ownership of the means of production, and proletariat revolution. For instance, in terms of the political system, whereas socialism tends to consider various political structures, including parliamentary democracy and participatory democracy, Marxism disallows any form of control or power.

Works Cited

Cam, Taner, and Kayaoglu, Mustafa. “Marx’s Distinction between Socialism and Communism.” International Journal of Human Sciences, vol. 12, no. 1, 2015, 385-391.

Sofroniou, Andreas. Marxism, Socialism & Communism. Lulu.com.

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Compare/Contrast Essay – Choose one topic provided in these instructions to compare and/or contrast.

The table below provides an extensive list of topic options from which you must select, and we recommend that you choose one from below that you are interested in beyond this course. For instance, if you are a Finance or Business major, you might be interested in the Dividends v. Capital Gains topic. If you are a Science major, you might choose Hybrid Seeds v. GMO Seeds. Or perhaps you’re taking StraighterLine’s Survey of World History course, in which case you might opt to research the similarities and differences between the United States and the Roman Empire. You will use at least two credible sources to support your claims and remember; you must include your sources throughout the body paragraphs of your essay in a mix of cited quotes, paraphrases, and summaries. Both the support and research portions of the rubric will be negatively affected if you do not integrate your researched data.

· Rosa Parks vs. Harriet Tubman

· Treaties vs. Executive Agreements

· Roman Empire vs. United States

· Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” vs. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”

· Verbal vs. Nonverbal Communication

· Biblical Old Testament vs. New Testament

· Leonardo di Vinci vs. Michelangelo

· Apple iPad vs. Microsoft Surface

· Dividends vs. Capital Gains

· Marxism vs. Socialism

· Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox

· Jazz vs. Blues

· String Instruments vs. Wind Instruments

· Amphibians vs. Reptiles

· Charles Darwin vs. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

· Solar Power vs. Wind Power

· Hybrid Seeds vs. GMO Seeds

· Public School vs. Home School

Write an essay comparing or contrasting the two topics in your selection using EITHER the point-by-point OR the subject-by-subject method to organize the details and specific examples. Consider focusing on three to five subtopics and generate ideas through prewriting. Develop a strong thesis statement for your essay that includes your two topics from the list above, your three to five subtopics, and a claim about how they are similar, different, or both.

Sample Thesis Statements:

If you will argue that your two topics are mostly similar:

Topic A and Topic B share many similar characteristics, including (Supporting point 1), (Supporting point 2), and (Supporting point 3); while they differ in (Additional supporting point), the similarities greatly outweigh the differences.

OR

If you will argue that your two topics are mostly different:

While Topic A and Topic B have (Additional supporting point) in common, they are mostly quite different; in fact, they differ in characteristics such as (Supporting point 1), (Supporting point 2), and (Supporting point 3).

OR

If you will argue that your two topics have many important/interesting similarities and differences:

Analyzing Topic A and Topic B reveals many fascinating similarities as well as differences; for instance, they share (Supporting Point 1) and (Supporting Point 1) but are vastly different when it comes to (Supporting Point 3) and (Supporting Point 4).

Tips

To brainstorm, you might consider using a Venn diagram or a simple list to show what your topics have in common and how they differ. Then you can select the most prominent or interesting characteristics that you want to highlight in your paper.

Be sure to avoid beginning your comparisons or contrasts in the introduction. Your thesis is the only place in the introduction where you will include this information. Use the introduction to get your reader’s attention, and consider using a good strategy that leads into the topic. For instance, you might relate a short anecdote to illustrate your topic, an interesting quotation that relates to your topic, or perhaps a surprising statistic that reveals something about your topic.

Then, in the body paragraphs, remember to support your claim(s) outlined in the thesis. For instance, if one of your points says the city and the country are different in terms of transportation, be sure the topic sentence of one body paragraph presents a similar statement. In addition, spend equal time on each subtopic in each body paragraph, and one way to develop organized body paragraphs is to focus on one topic before moving to the next one so that the paragraph support is split 50/50. In other words, using the example above, you would explain the transportation options in the city in full, and then you would detail the types of contrasting transportation in the country. End each body paragraph with a strong concluding sentence that synthesizes that paragraph’s discussions.

The conclusion should sum up the specific supporting points as well as your overall assessment of why these points are important. Consider what kinds of interesting or new conclusions you can draw from your comparison. In other words, your essay must reveal why your comparison is important. A well-developed paragraph often contains a minimum of five sentences. Note that any of the main sections below labelled with Roman Numerals (I, II, III, IV) could be more than just a single paragraph.