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Title: Critique of Marxism Author: Huang Lingshuang Date: May 1919 Language: en Topics: Chinese Anarchism, Marxism, critique, China Source: From Robert Graham (Ed.), Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas; Volume One: From Anarchy to Anarchism (300 CE to 1939). https://libcom.org/library/anarchism-documentary-history-libertarian-ideas-volume-1-2
Marx’s idea of politics can be found in ‘The Communist Manifesto,”
coauthored with Engels (there was confrontation in the International
Working Men’s Association between Marx and Bakunin, an anarchist.
Actually, Marx’s idea of communism is the contemporary idea of
collectivism, while Bakunin’s idea of collectivism is the contemporary
idea of communism). In the Manifesto there are ten measures, which can
be seen as the policies of social democracy. What are these policies all
about?
of the state;
The most severe criticism of these policies came from anarchists, whose
communism is quite different from Marx’s collectivism. Anarchists
believe that in a historical perspective the state is organized solely
for the protection of the privileges and property of the few. By now all
the power of education, state religion and national defence has been
concentrated in the hands of the state. If we endow the state with more
power, such as control of the land, mines, railways, banks, insurance,
will the tyranny of the state be even harsher (these are Kropotkin’s
words in the Encyclopedia Britannica)? Can we guarantee that our leaders
will not become a Napoleon or a Yuan Shikai [Chinese strongman]?
Moreover, socialism should not be the suppression of individual freedom.
The government of the social democratic party wants to establish
industrial armies and agricultural armies. Isn’t this a suppression of
the individual? There are also some problems in their principle of
distribution. Society is different from an individual. In the light of
socialism, the possessions of society should belong to the public rather
than to the individual. According to Marx’s idea of collectivism,
things, such as houses and clothes, may be privately owned. I believe
that private ownership of property is contradictory to the principle of
socialism. Is it problematic if in the same house the cattle-shed is
public property while the bedrooms are privately owned? Moreover, the
Marxists advocate to each according to his capacity. If so, men of
strong ability would enjoy rewards while men of poor ability would lose
their means of living. Poor ability is caused by one’s physiological
condition. This does not result from his laziness. Such a method of
distribution has nothing to do with human happiness. Anarchist
communists want to subvert the organization of the state and allow the
common people to establish a variety of associations to run enterprises,
such as educational associations and agricultural associations. Step by
step these associations will become complex enough to deal with all
business in society so as to abolish all kinds of authoritarian power
and bring equality and happiness to every individual. Their principle of
labour is “from each according to his capacity,” and their principle of
distribution is “to each according to his needs.” This is the focus of
the difference between anarchists and Marxists.