Communism is an ideology that seeks to build a classless society where there is no economic disparity. And communism believes that production control is the key to creating an egalitarian society where there is no difference between the rich and the working class.
The basic idea of communism as philosophy is based on the ideology of Karl Marx. You can read further to learn some characteristics of this ideology.
Build a classless society
The main goal of communism is to build a classless society. This means a society with no difference between the rich and the poor. Instead, society is divided into the bourgeoisie class and the working class. And communism as an ideology aims to reduce this vast disparity between rich and poor.
Establish common ownership
To mitigate the vast gulf between rich and poor and establish a classless society, people must change the current control and division system. Communism says that common ownership is the core to achieving this dream. Here, the community will produce, and everyone will reap its benefit.
Abolishing Private property
When private people and businesses enter the production chain, their main motive will be to make a profit.
As their earning capacity increases, their quality of life will improve, and their lifestyle will considerably change. But this does not happen for those who do not have money. They will work for the rich people and will not gain anything. Therefore, communist ideology seeks to abolish private property, widening the class disparity.
Achieve Social Equality
The basic characteristic of communist ideology is to achieve social equality. Their main ideology is building an egalitarian society that does not discriminate between the rich and the poor.
Do not support democracy
The ideology of communism is against the idea of democracy. Democracy gives the liberty of a private organization and people to enter the market, which is against the ideology of communism. The latter is against privatization as it will increase class-based differences and discrimination. China is one such communist country that is against the idea of democracy.
Promotes State Ownership
In a communist system, the state owns all the capital, including land, infrastructure, buildings, and everything. Therefore, there is a strict restriction on personal property or own personal items. An example is a communist society moving people from their houses to apartments to use the land for infrastructure projects.
Bureaucratic elite
They need a large bureaucracy for central planning and control of the state. Communism as an ideology claims to remove discrimination, but when it comes to practice, it gives birth to bureaucracy. In this situation, the competition from producing value will shift to acquiring positions within the government.
Use Repression
Theoretically, communist ideology is meant to remove all social inequality. But when it comes to practice, they will not tolerate any political opposition or economic freedom. On the contrary, a communist system will repress all these activities and freedom, such as freedom of speech, movement, religion, privacy, and more.
Like every other ideology, communism has its benefits. For example, they can ensure more job security, education, and healthcare regardless of their economic class. But they often use repressive methods and rules to enforce their ideology.