Scientific Socialism – Key Vocabulary

A vocabulary set summarising the principal concepts, classes, institutions and processes discussed across the seven chapters of Scientific Socialism, suitable for rapid review before examinations.

Scientific Socialism

The Marxist–Leninist branch that studies the political-social laws, principles and paths for the transformation from capitalism to socialism and communism.

Marxism-Leninism

The unified worldview and methodology consisting of dialectical materialism, historical materialism (philosophy); Marxist political economy, and scientific socialism.

Dialectical Materialism

Marxist philosophy that explains nature and society through the unity of opposites, change, and development driven by material conditions.

Historical Materialism

The Marxist theory that social development is determined chiefly by the mode of production and class struggle.

Surplus Value (Mehrwert)

The portion of new value created by workers but appropriated by capitalists; cornerstone of Marx’s critique of capitalist exploitation.

Mode of Production

A historically specific unity of productive forces and relations of production that frames a society’s economic structure.

Capital–Labour Contradiction

The antagonism between the socialised productive forces and private capitalist ownership, expressed as the conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat.

Working Class / Proletariat

The class that owns no means of production, sells labour-power, is exploited for surplus value, and is destined to lead the socialist revolution.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class that owns the principal means of production and exploits wage labour for profit.

Historical Mission of the Working Class

The objective role of the proletariat to overthrow capitalism, establish its own state power, and build socialism & communism.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat

The transitional state form in which the working class holds political power to suppress exploiting classes and construct socialism.

First International

The International Working Men’s Association (1864-1876) founded under Marx’s guidance to unite the world labour movement.

Utopian Socialism

Pre-Marxist socialist thought that criticised capitalism morally but lacked scientific understanding of class struggle and economic laws.

Industrial Revolution

18th–19th-century technological and organisational change creating large-scale industry and the modern proletariat.

Theory of Evolution (Darwin)

Natural-science discovery providing a materialist view of biological development; one scientific precondition for Marxism.

Communist Manifesto (1848)

Marx and Engels’ programmatic document marking the birth of Marxism as scientific socialism.

Political-Social Laws

Objective regularities governing class relations, social movements, and state power uncovered by scientific socialism.

Transition Period to Socialism

The long revolutionary phase between capitalism and fully developed socialism, characterised by coexistence of old and new elements.

Lower Phase of Communism (Socialism)

The first stage of communist society where distribution follows “to each according to his work” and remnants of capitalism persist.

Higher Phase of Communism

Society of abundance and full human development where distribution follows “to each according to his need.”

Public Ownership of the Means of Production

The socialist economic foundation replacing capitalist private ownership, expressed as state or collective property.

Economic Base

The totality of production relations that determines a society’s legal-political and ideological superstructure.

Superstructure

The legal, political, and ideological institutions built upon and serving the economic base.

Socialist Democracy

The broadest, most substantive form of democracy, retaining class content but ensuring political power for the working people.

Socialist Rule-of-Law State

A proletarian state that organises society and protects citizens’ rights primarily through a system of socialist legality.

Direct Democracy

Form of popular power where citizens themselves decide on public affairs (e.g., referenda, mass meetings).

Representative Democracy

Form of popular power exercised through elected bodies such as parliaments or people’s councils.

Half-State

Lenin’s term for the proletarian state, envisaged to wither away as class antagonisms disappear.

Worker–Peasant–Intellectual Alliance

Strategic coalition, led by the working class, uniting peasants and intelligentsia to build socialism.

Social Structure

The patterned arrangement of social groups, classes, and relationships in a given society.

Class Structure

The system of social classes and their relations, determined primarily by ownership of the means of production.

Peasantry

Class that owns small-scale land and primarily engages in agricultural labour; strategic ally of the proletariat in many revolutions.

Intelligentsia

Social stratum of educated professionals whose labour is predominantly mental and who contribute scientific and cultural knowledge.

Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)

Contemporary wave of cyber-physical, digital, and AI technologies reshaping production and the composition of the working class.

Nation

Stable community of people formed on the basis of common territory, economic life, culture, and language.

Right of Nations to Self-Determination

Marxist-Leninist principle that every nation may choose its political status, including independence or voluntary union.

Equality of Nations

Principle that all nations—big or small—enjoy equal rights in political, economic, and cultural spheres.

Union of Workers of All Nations

International solidarity of the proletariat across national boundaries, key to successful socialist struggle.

Ethnic Minority (Vietnam)

One of Vietnam’s 53 non-Kinh groups, each with its own cultural identity but equal rights in the socialist state.

Religion

A form of social consciousness consisting of beliefs in the supernatural, expressed through doctrines, rituals, and organisations.

Origins of Religion – Natural

Early humans’ powerlessness before nature generated belief in supernatural forces.

Origins of Religion – Social

Class antagonisms, exploitation, and alienation nurtured religious hopes for justice in an afterlife.

Political Function of Religion

Religion’s use by social forces to mobilise support, legitimise authority, or resist domination.

Freedom of Belief

Democratic right of citizens to follow any religion or none, guaranteed in socialist constitutions.

Separating Ideological and Political Aspects (Religion)

Marxist guideline: respect genuine faith yet combat reactionary use of religion for anti-socialist aims.

Family

A social group based on marriage and kinship, sharing a household and fulfilling reproduction, economic, educational and emotional functions.

Marriage

Legally and socially recognised union forming the core of a family; foundation for kinship relations.

Kinship (Blood Relations)

Biological ties between parents and children or among people sharing common ancestors.

Nuclear Family

Family unit consisting of spouses and their unmarried children.

Extended (Multi-generation) Family

Household including several generations or collateral relatives beyond the nuclear core.

Communal (Collective) Family

Early form of family with group marriage practices, prevalent in primitive communist society.

Family Functions – Reproduction

Biological and social renewal of the population through childbirth and child-rearing.

Family Functions – Economic

Production, income generation, and organised consumption within the household.

Family Functions – Education

Primary socialisation, moral upbringing, and cultural transmission performed by parents and relatives.

Family Functions – Emotional

Provision of affection, support, and psychological security to members.

Household (Hộ gia đình)

Administrative term for persons living together and sharing expenses, not identical with kinship family.

Patriarchal Family

Historical family form where the male head holds authority and inheritance follows the paternal line.

Matriarchal Family

Historical family form centred on maternal lineage and authority, common in early clan societies.

Private Property

Exclusive ownership of productive assets by individuals or groups; economic basis of class society.

Public Property

Collective or state ownership of key means of production characteristic of socialism.

Law of Value

Marx’s economic law that socially necessary labour time regulates commodity exchange under capitalism.

Social Division of Labour

Allocation of different productive tasks among individuals or groups, intensifying with societal progress.

Class Consciousness

Awareness by a social class of its position, interests, and historical tasks.

Revolutionary Party of a New Type

Lenin’s concept of a disciplined vanguard party rooted in the working class to lead socialist revolution.

Superstructure – Ideology

System of political, legal, religious, artistic, and philosophical views arising from and serving the economic base.

Political Economy of Capitalism

Marxist analysis of capitalist production, distribution, exchange, and consumption based on surplus value extraction.

Contradiction between Productive Forces and Relations of Production

Core driver of social change when relations fetter further development of productive forces.

Socialist Ownership Forms

State (whole-people) and collective ownership of principal means of production under socialism.

Multi-sector Economy (Vietnam)

Economy containing various ownership sectors—state, collective, private, FDI—managed toward socialist orientation.

Industrialisation and Modernisation

Strategy of developing large-scale industry and advanced technology as material foundation for socialism.

Economic Planning and Market Mechanism

Combination used in Vietnam’s socialist-oriented market economy to allocate resources efficiently and equitably.

Proletarian Internationalism

Principle of solidarity among working classes across nations, opposing chauvinism and imperialism.

Chauvinism

Exaggerated, aggressive nationalism violating the equality of nations.

National Liberation Movement

Struggle of oppressed nations against colonialism and imperialism for independence and self-determination.

Social Mobility

Movement of individuals or groups between social strata, intensified during transition to socialism.

Industry 4.0 Worker (Knowledge Worker)

Segment of the proletariat whose labour centres on digital, automated, and AI-based production processes.

Alliance Principle – Vietnam

Party strategy: strengthen great national unity on the worker-peasant-intellectual alliance under Party leadership.

Democratic Centralism

Organisational principle combining internal democracy with unified discipline, foundational to socialist governance.

Socialist Cultural Values

Core ideals promoted under socialism: labour, equality, justice, democracy, freedom, and collective well-being.

Socialist Ethics

Moral system championing collectivism, internationalism, honest labour, and human emancipation.

Law-governed State (Nhà nước pháp quyền)

A state in which all organisations and citizens operate under a transparent, codified legal system.

Right to Freedom of Religion and Non-religion

Constitutionally protected liberty allowing citizens to follow any faith or none without coercion or discrimination.

Secularism

Principle that state institutions remain separate from religious organisations, ensuring equality of beliefs.

Family Planning

Policy and practice controlling the number and spacing of children, influencing population and labour quality.

Social Reproduction

The maintenance and renewal of labour-power, social relations, and cultural life from one generation to the next.

Socialist Public Health

State-run system ensuring universal, equitable healthcare as a social right.

Universal Education

Guarantee of accessible, compulsory schooling for all citizens, vital for socialist human development.

Social Equality

Goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating class-based and social disparities in wealth, power, and opportunity.

Social Justice

Distributional principle ensuring fair access to resources, rights, and benefits in socialist society.

Communist Morality

Highest stage of ethical development where personal interests merge with collective interests of society.

Withering Away of the State

Marxist prediction that the state apparatus will become unnecessary and disappear in the classless communist society.

Socialist Market Economy (Vietnam)

Economic model combining market allocation with socialist orientation and state regulation to achieve social goals.