Scientific communism was one of the three major ingredients of Marxism-Leninism as taught in the Soviet Union in all institutions of higher education and pursued in the corresponding research institutions, and departments. The discipline consisted in investigation of laws, patterns, ways, and forms of class struggle, socialist revolution, and development of socialism and construction of communism.
Passing exams in scientific communism was an obligatory prerequisite in obtaining any postgraduate scientific degree in the Soviet Union; see "Kandidat" article for details.
Typical courses of study included the following topics, among others.
- Origins and development of the communist theory
- Theory of socialist revolution
- International communist movement
- Dictatorship of the proletariat
- Transformation of socialism into communism
- Socialist democracy
- Communist interpersonal relations and upbringing
- Criticisms of anti-communism
Read more about Scientific Communism: Other Components of Marxism-Leninism
Famous quotes containing the words scientific and/or communism:
“There is one great fact, characteristic of this our nineteenth century, a fact which no party dares deny. On the one hand, there have started into life industrial and scientific forces which no epoch of former human history had ever suspected. On the other hand, there exist symptoms of decay, far surpassing the horrors recorded of the latter times of the Roman empire. In our days everything seems pregnant with its contrary.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“The crusade against Communism was even more imaginary than the spectre of Communism.”
—A.J.P. (Alan John Percivale)