Tag: capitalism

Capitalism

Capitalism, from a Marxist-Leninist perspective, is a mode of production characterized by private ownership of the means of production, wage labor, and the pursuit of profit as its primary motive. It emerged historically from the decline of feudalism and established itself as the dominant economic system with the rise of industrial production.

Under capitalism, the bourgeoisie, or capitalist class, owns the means of production—factories, land, and resources—while the proletariat, or working class, sells its labor power to survive. This relationship is inherently exploitative: workers produce more value (surplus value) than they are paid in wages, and this surplus is appropriated by capitalists as profit. This exploitation is the foundation of capitalist accumulation.

Capitalism perpetuates inequality and alienation. Workers are alienated from the products of their labor, the production process, their fellow workers, and their own humanity. Furthermore, capitalism’s inherent contradictions, such as overproduction and the concentration of wealth, lead to crises that destabilize society.

Marxist-Leninists argue that capitalism cannot be reformed to serve the interests of the majority. Instead, a revolutionary transformation is necessary to establish socialism—a system where the means of production are collectively owned and the economy is planned to meet human needs, rather than generate profits for a few.