Key Marxist-Leninist Concepts

key terms and concepts in Marxist-Leninist theory essential for exam preparation.

Dialectical Materialism

The Marxist-Leninist worldview that sees all reality as composed of matter in constant motion, driven by internal contradictions.

Historical Materialism

The application of dialectical materialism to human society and history, emphasizing that material economic conditions determine political, legal, and ideological structures.

Surplus Value

The value created by workers in excess of the wages they receive, which is the source of capitalist profit.

Proletariat

The working class that does not own the means of production and must sell their labor power to survive.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class that owns the means of production and extracts surplus value from the labor of others.

Imperialism

The monopoly stage of capitalism characterized by finance capital, colonial domination, and global competition among capitalist powers.

Finance Capital

The merger of banking and industrial capital; banking interests dominate industry

Fascism

The defense of finance capital when capitalist rule is threatened. Class core is financial oligarchy

Labor Aristocracy

A privileged stratum of workers in imperialist countries who benefit from imperialist profits and are used to undermine class consciousness.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat

A transitional socialist state where the working class holds political power and suppresses the bourgeoisise.

The State

An instrument of class domination under all modes of production

Contradiction

A core principle of dialectics indicating that every process contains opposing forces that drive change.

Principal Contradiction

The most important contradiction in a process at a given moment that determines developmental direction.

Antagonistic Contradiction

A contradiction that cannot be resolved peacefully and requires revolutionary action.

Non-Antagonistic Contradiction

A contradiction that can be resolved through reform or unity.

Base and Superstructure

The economic base comprises production forces, while the superstructure includes political and ideological structures arising from the base.

Vanguard Party

A tightly organized revolutionary party that leads the proletariat in class struggle.

Mass Line

A Maoist method where ideas are gathered from the masses, refined through Marxist analysis, and returned as policies.

Social Chauvinism

The betrayal of internationalism for one's own bourgeoisie in imperialist wars.

Purity Fetish

An idealistic approach prioritizing doctrinal purity over practical engagement with class struggle.

Book Worship

Blind adherence to texts without applying Marxism-Leninism to real-world conditions.