Marxism Term Analysis

Marxism is a social, political, and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It advocates for a classless society through the abolition of private property and the overthrow of capitalist structures. Marxism argues that class struggles drive history, with capitalism inevitably giving way to socialism and, ultimately, communism, where collective ownership replaces private property. In this envisioned society, resources and power are equally shared, eliminating class distinctions and economic inequality. In The Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn critiques the Soviet Union’s implementation of Marxist principles. Rather than creating a utopian society, Solzhenitsyn argues, the Soviet government exploited Marxist ideology to justify and enforce a totalitarian regime, punishing dissent and perceived disloyalty.