21654 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Mao Zedong, Communist Party Of China, Political Spectrum
Political Spectrum: Democratic, Communist and Authoritarian I
3. Communism:
Envisions a better world with a strategy of revolutionary action in enabling the world’s workers to
establish the ‘inevitable’ classless society, critiquing capitalism and imperialism under the
philosophy of Marxism.
Sources: Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, Mao Zedong (Chinese Communism). Communism peeked
in the 1960’s and collapsed with the USSR in 1990, currently existing in China, Cuba, North Korea
and Vietnam.
Pros: liberating philosophy in theory, communism has never evolved to primary objective of
socialism so realistic comparison is not feasible.
Cons: Utopian socialism never developed past proletariat stage, limits individual freedoms, state
media control, underestimated development of capitalism, failure as a viable political, economic
and social system.
4. Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism:
Authoritarianism occurs when the political power of a state is in the hands of an elite group of
dictator, whereas Totalitarianism consists of complete political, economic and social control of
people and institutions by a dictatorial, single party regime.
Dictatorship: form of government with power centralised under the control of a single person or
small group, with no separation of power, citizens having few rights, sometimes under rigged and
falsified elections. However, dictatorships can be far more swift and decisive than democracies.
Absolute Monarchy: Rule of the throne is inherited by birth, able to create laws on some decision
and no other institution can make laws that affect the monarch. Citizens have no right to decide
laws.
Fascism: Radical nationalist authoritarian political ideology with dictatorial leadership,
characterised by glorification of the nation-state, aggressive militarism and violence, Autarky
(strong national corporate links) and an anti-communism and anti-liberal ideology.
Italy, Germany, and Spain were fascist nations during WWII.
Pros: May be very good good for business as evident in the Chinese economy.
Cons: Often ethically questionable, can be very unstable for business with limited legal protection.
Animal Farm
Which is most true?
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Document Summary
Political spectrum: democratic, communist and authoritarian i: communism: Envisions a better world with a strategy of revolutionary action in enabling the world"s workers to establish the inevitable" classless society, critiquing capitalism and imperialism under the philosophy of marxism. Sources: marxism, leninism, stalinism, mao zedong (chinese communism). Communism peeked in the 1960"s and collapsed with the ussr in 1990, currently existing in china, cuba, north korea and vietnam. Pros: liberating philosophy in theory, communism has never evolved to primary objective of socialism so realistic comparison is not feasible. Cons: utopian socialism never developed past proletariat stage, limits individual freedoms, state media control, underestimated development of capitalism, failure as a viable political, economic and social system: authoritarianism and totalitarianism: Authoritarianism occurs when the political power of a state is in the hands of an elite group of dictator, whereas totalitarianism consists of complete political, economic and social control of people and institutions by a dictatorial, single party regime.
