A Thread on the Marxist theory of the state

Marxism is as much a theory of political action as it is a theory of history. A key part of this theory is how we understand the state, a topic that has carries important implications for political practice. 1/10

Marxist state theory can be summarized as follows: all states are ultimately a form of class dictatorship. The state is a product of the existence of classes, and for a ruling class to hold power over an exploited class it must hold state power. 2/10

This position is radically different from liberals, who see the state as a neutral arbiter between atomized free individuals. For the liberal, like John Locke, the ideal state is meant to stand above individuals pursuing their private interests in civil society...3/10

... and provide a framework for them to do so without infringing on each other's rights or having society collapse into what Hobbes called "a war of all against all." The rule of law is seen as set of rules that are impartial and ensure justice for all. 4/10

The Marxist position sees this as a justification for the capitalist class to rule over society and ensure the domination of their class, presenting themselves as representing society as a whole. For Engels, the state was the "executive committee of the capitalist class." 5/10

From this, it follows that the modern state is ultimately a class dictatorship, no matter how democratic its constitution may be. Yet does it follow from this that the anarchists are right that the state must be avoided at all costs and not be seized in a revolution? 6/10

For Marx, Engels, and Lenin, the bourgeois state must be smashed through revolution. But in its place, a new state that represents the dictatorship of the proletariat must be formed. This state must have a radically different form that serves the needs of the proletariat. 7/10

As Marx explains in the Civil War in France using the Paris Commune as an example, the new proletarian state must be a form of radical political democracy that puts power into the hand of the masses of workers while limiting the power of the old ruling class. 8/10

Because the state is a product of class society, as classes are abolished through the development of socialism the state will ultimately whither away, transcended by the cooperative administration of society. The final goal of stateless society can be accomplished. 9/10

To quote Lenin from his classic work on this exact topic, State and Revolution, "So long as the state exists there is no freedom. When there is freedom, there will be no state." 10/10

End of thread.