Scientific Socialism Review Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary review flashcards covering foundational concepts, key historical figures, dates, and core theoretical principles of Scientific Socialism.

Three Great Inventions of Marx and Engels

Historical materialism, the theory of surplus value, and the doctrine of the worldwide historical mission of the working class.

Scientific Socialism (Narrow Sense)

The initial stage of the communist socio-economic formation.

Scientific Socialism (Broad Sense)

A practical movement, an ideological and theoretical trend, and a superior social regime encompassing both the lower and higher stages of the communist socio-economic formation.

Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848)

The foundational classic work written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, published in February 1848, marking the birth of scientific socialism.

Direct Theoretical Premises of Scientific Socialism

Classical German philosophy, classical English political economy, and French utopian-critical socialism.

Natural Science Premises of Scientific Socialism

The law of conservation and transformation of energy, cell theory, and Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Outstanding Representatives of French Utopian Socialism

Claude Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen.

Historical Limitation of Utopian Socialism

Failing to identify the working class as the vanguard force to execute the revolutionary transition, and failing to discover the true nature of wage labor and social developmental laws.

Object of Study of Scientific Socialism

The socio-political laws of the formation and development of the communist socio-economic formation, as well as the conditions, paths, and forms for realizing the historical mission of the working class.

Practical Basis for the Formation of Scientific Socialism

The struggle movements of the industrial working class, notably the Chartist movement in Britain, the textile workers' uprisings in Lyon (France), and in Silesia (Germany).

Primary Methodological Basis of Scientific Socialism

Dialectical materialism and historical materialism.

V.I. Lenin (Role in Scientific Socialism)

The revolutionary leader who inherited and developed scientific socialism after Marx and Engels, translating theory into practice through the 1917 October Revolution.

Chartist Movement in Britain

A major political struggle movement of the British working class taking place between the 1830s and 1850s (circa 1836 to 1848).

Silesia Textile Workers' Uprising

A major workers' uprising against capitalist exploitation in Germany that took place in 1844.

Lyon Textile Workers' Uprisings

Two major working-class uprisings in Lyon, France, occurring in 1831 and 1834.

First Socialist State in History

Soviet Russia, established following the success of the October Revolution in 1917.

Historical Mission of the Working Class

To abolish the capitalist system and the exploitation of humans by humans, successfully build socialism and communism, and liberate the working class, working people, and all humanity.

Vanguard Role of the Communist Party

Acting as the political nucleus, vanguard detachment, and highest leadership of the working class and society in the revolutionary struggle.

First-Born Child of Modern Industry

The British working class, historically recognized as the first industrial working class in the world.

Synonymous Terms for the Working Class (Marx and Engels)

The proletariat, the modern industrial working class, and modern wage laborers.

Two Dimensions Defining the Working Class

The economic-technical dimension (industrial mode of production) and the socio-political dimension (capitalist relations of production).

Manufactory Workers vs. Factory Workers

Manufactory workers rely primarily on manual craft techniques, while factory workers operate with automated machinery and large assembly lines.

Modern Factory Industrial Workers

The most typical representative section of the modern proletariat.

Genuine Product of Large-Scale Industry

The working class (proletariat), which grows and strengthens with the rise of modern industry while other classes decay and disintegrate.

Fundamental Contradiction of the Capitalist Mode of Production

The contradiction between increasingly socialized productive forces and the private capitalist ownership of the means of production.

Basic Socio-Economic Characteristic of Workers under Capitalism

Being deprived of the means of production, forced to sell labor power to capitalists to survive, and subjected to surplus value exploitation.

Social Manifestation of the Fundamental Capitalist Contradiction

The class struggle between the proletariat (working class) and the bourgeoisie (capitalist class).

Source of Bourgeois Wealth

The appropriation of surplus value generated by wage workers during production without compensation.

Working Class in Socialist Countries vs. Capitalist Countries

In capitalist countries, workers are exploited wage-earners; in socialist countries, they are the ruling class mastering the state and the primary means of production.

Class without Private Ownership Interests

The working class (proletariat), which has no private property interests to preserve as an exploiting class.

Cultural-Ideological Mission of the Working Class

Building an advanced ideological system based on Marxism-Leninism, eliminating outdated cultural remnants, and establishing a new socialist culture.

Economic Basis for Ending Human Exploitation

The establishment of public ownership over the principal means of production.

Condition for the Self-Emancipation of the Working Class

The complete emancipation of the entire society from all forms of oppression and exploitation.

Communist Society

The ultimate classless social regime established through a radical proletarian revolution, ending human exploitation permanently.

Objective Conditions of the Working Class's Historical Mission

The socio-economic status of the working class within capitalism and the fundamental contradiction of the capitalist mode of production.

Subjective Conditions of the Working Class's Historical Mission

The growth of class consciousness, organizational discipline, and above all, the founding and correct leadership of the Communist Party.

Primary Subjective Factor in Fulfilling the Historical Mission

The establishment and sound leadership of the Communist Party.

Origin of Working-Class Organizational Discipline

The disciplined, specialized, and concentrated nature of modern large-scale machine-operated assembly production lines.

Economic Content of the Working Class's Historical Mission

Promoting the development of productive forces, transforming production relations, mastering major means of production, and laying the material-technical foundation for socialism.

Formation Formula of the Communist Party

The synthesis and combination of scientific socialism (Marxism-Leninism) with the practical workers' movement.

Impact of Industrial Revolution 4.0 on the Working Class

Shifting labor toward intellectual work, reducing manual tasks, giving rise to 'white-collar' and 'knowledge' workers, while heightening unemployment risks.

Intellectualization of the Working Class

The contemporary trend represented by 'knowledge workers' and 'white-collar workers' driven by rapid technological advancements.

Essence of Modern Workers Despite 'Middle-Classization'

Remaining detached from the ownership of key means of production, continuing to sell labor power, and still being subjected to sophisticated surplus value extraction.

Socio-Economic Formation Theory

The theory formulated by Marx and Engels identifying human historical development as an objective historical-natural progression governed by material production.

Core Law of Socio-Economic Formation Theory

The law of the necessary correspondence of production relations with the character and developmental level of productive forces.

Path from Capitalism to Communism

Executed through a socialist revolution (proletarian revolution) under the leadership of the Communist Party.

Two Developmental Stages of Communist Formation

The lower stage (socialism) and the higher stage (communism).

Nature of the Transition Period to Socialism

A protracted period of revolutionary transformation from capitalism to communism, containing elements of the old society intermingled with seeds of the new.

Transition Strategy for Underdeveloped Nations (Lenin)

Requires a prolonged transition period characterized by intermediate transitional steps under the political leadership of the Communist Party.

Economic Contradiction of Advanced Capitalism

The sharp contradiction between increasingly mechanized, modernized, and socialized productive forces and private capitalist appropriation.

Prerequisites for the Emergence of Communism

The high development of modern industrial productive forces and the political maturity and organization of the working class.

Highest Goal of Socialism

Liberating humans from all oppression, exploitation, and injustice, and enabling the comprehensive, free development of every individual.

Economic Characteristic of Socialism

A highly developed economy underpinned by modern productive forces and public ownership of the principal means of production.

Class Nature of the Socialist State

Rooted in the class nature of the working class, while expressing a broad popular and deep national character.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat (State Concept)

The socialist state apparatus established to manage society, safeguard working people's mastery, and suppress counter-revolutionary forces.

Five Historical Socio-Economic Formations

Primitive communism, slaveholding, feudalism, capitalism, and communism.

Direct Transition to Socialism

The transition process taking place directly from highly advanced capitalist countries.

Indirect Transition to Socialism

The transition process taking place in countries that have not undergone advanced capitalist development, bypassing the capitalist regime.

Starting Year of Nationwide Transition in Vietnam

1976, marking the national reunification of North and South Vietnam.

Starting Year of North Vietnam's Transition to Socialism

1954, following the historic victory of the anti-colonial resistance war.

Economic Structure in the Transition Period

A multi-sector economic structure operating according to market mechanisms under socialist state regulation.

Political Nature of the Transition Period

Establishing and consolidating the socialist rule-of-law state, curbing counter-revolutionary forces, and promoting socialist democracy.

Ideological-Cultural Scene of the Transition Period

The complex coexistence and struggle between socialist ideology and legacy backward, feudal, or bourgeois thoughts.

Social Structure Scene of the Transition Period

The coexistence of various social classes and strata, along with persistent differences between town and country, and intellectual and manual labor.

Historical Starting Point of Vietnam's Transition

An underdeveloped, backward agricultural society with a colonial and semi-feudal legacy.

Bypassing the Capitalist Regime (Essence)

Bypassing the establishment of the dominant position of capitalist relations of production and bourgeois political superstructure.

1991 Party Platform (7th National Congress)

The foundational platform establishing 6 fundamental characteristics of the socialist model in Vietnam.

2011 Amended Party Platform (11th National Congress)

The updated platform developing and defining 8 fundamental characteristics of socialism in Vietnam.

Role of the State Economy in Vietnam

Playing the leading and guiding role within the socialist-oriented market economy.

Ho Chi Minh's Definition of Democracy

Democracy means the people are the masters ('dan la chu') and the people act as the masters ('dan lam chu').

Primitive Democracy

The pre-class form of collective decision-making where community members elected military leaders through the General Assembly of the People.

Three Historical Class-Based Democratic Systems

Slaveholder democracy, bourgeois democracy, and socialist democracy (feudal society lacked any democratic system).

Bourgeois Democracy (Class Nature)

A political regime where genuine power and social mastery belong to the capitalist class and the minority possessing production capital.

Socialist Democracy (Definition)

A democratic system serving the working masses and exploited people, embodying democracy for the vast majority.

Emergence of Socialist Democracy

Sprouted embryonically during the 1871 Paris Commune and officially established by the 1917 Russian October Revolution.

Economic Basis of Socialist Democracy

The regime of public ownership of the primary means of production.

Highest Stage of Democracy in Human History

Socialist democracy, realizing real, comprehensive power for the working people.

Military Democracy

A term designating primitive democracy during the late phase of primitive communism when clans and tribes began to dissolve.

Social Roots of State Emergence

The appearance of private property, socio-economic differentiation into opposing classes, and irreconcilable class antagonisms.

Four Historical Types of State

The slaveholding state, the feudal state, the capitalist state, and the socialist state.

Primary Objective of the Socialist State

Caring for, protecting, and advancing the fundamental rights and interests of the working majority.

State Functions by Scope of Power

Internal (domestic) functions and external (foreign affairs) functions.

State Functions by Nature of Power

Class function (suppression of hostile elements) and social function (organization, administration, and management).

Establishment of People's Democratic Regime in Vietnam

Established following the triumph of the August Revolution in 1945 with the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Rule-of-Law State (Core Principle)

The supremacy and reign of the Constitution and written laws over all institutions, officials, and citizens.

Highest Organ of State Power in Vietnam

The National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, functioning on a 5-year term.

Etymological Origin of 'Democracy'

Originates from the Greek word 'Demokratia' (demos meaning people, kratos meaning power or rule), formulated around the 7th-6th centuries BC.

Paris Commune (1871)

The historic proletarian uprising from March 18 to May 28, 1871, representing the first historical embryo of the socialist state.

Forms of Socialist Democracy in Vietnam

Direct democracy (direct citizen decision-making) and indirect democracy (representative governance through elected bodies).

Grassroots Democracy Motto in Vietnam

'People know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, people benefit.'

Lenin's Characterization of the Transitional State

A special apparatus of suppression that remains necessary but is already a transitional state, no longer a state in the proper sense of the word.

Social Structure

The system of human communities together with the totality of social relations produced by mutual interactions among those communities.

Social-Class Structure

The system of social classes and strata objectively existing within a given production system, interacting through cooperation and struggle.

Central Position of Social-Class Structure

The pivotal and dominant social structure that determines and directly impacts all other forms of social structures.

Determining Driver of Social-Class Shifts

Transformations and restructuring within the economic system (productive forces and relations of production).

Basic Classes and Strata in Vietnam's Transition Period

The working class, the peasant class, the intellectual stratum, the business/entrepreneurial team, small proprietors, and youth.

Vanguard Force of the New Mode of Production

The working class, which leads society and class alliances through the Communist Party.

Cause of Working-Class Defeats in Late 19th Century (Marx and Engels)

The failure to forge a solid, unified revolutionary alliance between the working class and the peasantry.

Lenin's Highest Principle of Proletarian Dictatorship

Upholding and consolidating the firm alliance between the working class and the peasantry.

Lenin's Formula on Science and the Proletariat

The alliance of scientific representatives, the proletariat, and the technical intelligentsia, against which no dark force can stand.