DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

MARXISM-LENINISM AND
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY
EDUC503 FIRST SEMESTER 2022-2023

PRESENTED BY: JEAN ARWINA A. MECIJA

POLITICAL IDEOLOGY

• A definition of 'ideology’ must be neutral.

• an action-orientated belief system, an interrelated
set of ideas that in some way guides or inspires
political action.
MARXISM
• a body of doctrine developed by Karl Marx and, to a
lesser extent, by Friedrich Engels in the mid-19th
century.
• It examines the effect of capitalism on labor,
productivity, and economic development and argues
for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in
favor of communism.
• Marxism posits that the struggle between social
classes—specifically between the capitalists, and
workers—defines economic relations in a capitalist
economy and will inevitably lead to revolutionary
communism.
MARXISM-
LENINISM
VLADIMIR LENIN
• 1870-1924
• Grew up in a comfortable middle class
background and had been well educated.
Graduated law from St. Petersburg University.
• Became a disciple of Marx and would end up in
Siberia for three years because of his views and
activities.
VLADIMIR LENIN
• In 1903 when the Russian Social
Democrats split into two groups (the
Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks). Lenin
became leader of the more militant
radical group- Bolsheviks.
MARXISM-LENINISM

• is an adaptation of Marxism developed by Vladimir Lenin, which led to the

first successful communist revolution in Lenin's Russia in November 1917.
• The Russian economy was practically feudalistic with barely any
industrialized factories, therefore no industrial workers to carry a revolution.
So instead of squeezing the square material conditions of Russia into the
round hole of a Marxist revolution Lenin started improvising.
• Lenin’s Revolution was carried out by a professional group of largely
middle class Communist revolutionaries.
MARXISM-LENINISM

• Lenin introduced the concept of Democratic Centralism.

• Democratic centralism is embodied through collective
leadership and collective decision making.
• Every member of the leadership has his or her right to express
opinions, but the final decision will accord with the consensus
reached by the group. Individuals can keep their opinions to
themselves, but have to honor the collective decision.
SOCIAL
DEMOCRACY
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

• The history of social democracy stretches back to the 19th-century

socialist movement. It came to advocate an evolutionary and peaceful
transition from capitalism to socialism, using established political
processes, in contrast to the revolutionary socialist approach to transition
associated with orthodox Marxism.
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

• Democracy = rule by the people.

• Social democracy has been described as the evolutionary form of
democratic socialism that aims to gradually and peacefully achieve
socialism through established political processes rather than social
revolution as advocated by revolutionary socialists.
• A way of organizing society so that all groups are guaranteed some level
of social well-being and economic security.
COMPARISON BETWEEN MARXISM-LENINISM
AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

MARXISM-LENINISM SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

1. Once decision are made, they
are implemented.
2. Those in disagreement with
decisions do not block or
undermine implementation.
1. free, critical –minded discussion
before decisions are made.
2. Decisions democratically made.
COMPARISON BETWEEN MARXISM-LENINISM
AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

MARXISM-LENINISM SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

3. Centralized government 3. Free elections
4. All class distinctions are 4. Due to capitalist society. Varies
eliminated. from state to state.
5. Freedom of religion is permitted
5. All religious and metaphysics is
rejected.
COMPARISON BETWEEN MARXISM-LENINISM
AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

MARXISM-LENINISM SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

6. Either the collective "vote" or the 6. Individuals may make decisions for
state's rulers make economic and themselves.
political decisions for everyone else.
7. The means of production are held in 7. Democracies tend to be free-market
common. economies. 
8. Communists believe that war is good 8. Depends on the majority opinion
for the economy by spurring
production, but should be avoided.