Communism is a mode of production characterized by common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes. The term is also used to refer to the movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of this mode of production.
The material abundance and resultant social relations of such a society can be summarized by the slogan: "From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs." which was popularized in Karl Marx's 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program.
In the first volume of Capital, Marx mentions it as "an association of free men, working with the means of production held in common, and expending their many different forms of labour-power in full self-awareness as one single social labour force."
Lenin was the first person to give distinct meanings to the terms socialism and communism. The socialism/communism of Marx was now known simply as communism, and Marx's "transitional phase" was to be known as socialism.
Christian communism is a theological view that the teachings of Jesus compel Christians to support religious communism. Although there is no universal agreement on the exact dates when communistic ideas and practices in Christianity began, many Christian communists argue that evidence from the Bible suggests that the first Christians, including the Apostles in the New Testament, established their own small communist society in the years following Jesus' death and resurrection. Many advocates of Christian communism and other communists, including Karl Kautsky, argue that it was taught by Jesus and practised by the apostles themselves. This is generally confirmed by historians.
There are those who hold the view that the early Christian Church, such as the one described in the Acts of the Apostles, was an early form of communism or Christian socialism. The view is that communism was just Christianity in practice and Jesus was the first communist.
Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
Elements that would form the basis of Christian socialism are found in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testaments. They include Deuteronomy 15:1–5, Ezekiel 18:7, Isaiah 58:2–7, James 2:14, James 5:1–6, Job 31:16–25, 28, John 11:10–11, Leviticus 25:35–38, Luke 4:18, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 19:23–24, Matthew 25:40–46, Proverbs 28:3–28, and Proverbs 31:9.
Anarchist communism is a political ideology and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private property but retention of personal property and collectively-owned items, goods, and services. It supports social ownership of property and the distribution of resources "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs".
Christian anarchism is a Christian movement in political theology that claims anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels. It is grounded in the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answerable—the authority of God as embodied in the teachings of Jesus. It therefore rejects the idea that human governments have ultimate authority over human societies. Christian anarchists denounce the state, believing it is violent, deceitful and idolatrous.
Christian anarchists hold that the "Kingdom of God" is the proper expression of the relationship between God and humanity. Under the "Kingdom of God", human relationships would be characterized by horizontal organization, servant leadership, and universal compassion—not through the traditional structures of organized religion, which most Christian anarchists consider hierarchical and/or authoritarian structures. Most Christian anarchists are also pacifists who reject war, militarism, and the use of violence.
Also, some early Christian communities appear to have practised anarchist communism, such as the Jerusalem group described in Acts, who shared their money and labour equally and fairly among the members.
Left-libertarianism, also known as left-wing libertarianism, is a political philosophy and type of libertarianism that stresses both individual freedom and social equality. Left-libertarianism represents several related yet distinct approaches to political and social theory. Its classical usage refers to anti-authoritarian varieties of left-wing politics such as anarchism, especially social anarchism.
While right-libertarianism is widely seen as synonymous with libertarianism in the United States, left-libertarianism is the predominant form of libertarianism in Europe. …Although libertarianism in the United States has become associated with classical liberalism and minarchism, with right-libertarianism being more known than left-libertarianism, political usage of the term libertarianism until then was associated exclusively with anti-capitalism, libertarian socialism, and social anarchism; in most parts of the world, such an association still predominates.
While all libertarians begin with a conception of personal autonomy from which they argue in favor of civil liberties and a reduction or elimination of the state, left-libertarianism encompasses those libertarian beliefs that claim the Earth's natural resources belong to everyone in an egalitarian manner, either unowned or owned collectively. Like other forms of libertarianism, left-libertarian views on the state range from minarchism, which argues for a decentralised and limited government, to anarchism, which advocates for the state to be abolished entirely.
Many libertarians believe that outlawing abortions violates a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. However, the nonaggression principle, which is the philosophic foundation of libertarianism, prohibits committing acts of aggression. Murder is certainly an act of aggression. Therefore, even though all humans have a right to bodily anatomy, this does not justify abortion.
No one ever asked an expectant mother, “how’s the fetus?” Instead, people ask about the baby. This implicitly acknowledges the unborn child’s humanity and thus the child’s right to live. The denial of this right has warped our constitutional system. More importantly it has contributed to the devaluing of human life that is the root of much of America’s moral crisis. A society that devalues life will not respect liberty. Therefore, all who value liberty must protect the right to life. This does not just include ending abortion. It also includes rejecting the militaristic foreign policy that kills innocents in the name of “freedom and democracy.”
—Former Libertarian Party presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul (Source)
Total Liberation is the idea of taking a stand against all forms of oppression and pointing out the interconnectedness of them (such as sexism, racism, queerphobia, ableism, classism and capitalism, ageism, and speciesism). Based on anarchism, it is sometimes called veganarchism or collective liberation. Some of its goals are to fight all oppression, tackle climate change and heal ecosystems, and help intersectional people include nonhuman animals in their circle of compassion and realize the hypocrisy of being against all other forms of oppression but not speciesism.
But there is one form of oppression that some total liberation activists leave out: preborn oppression. Abortion is a particularly violent form of oppression against preborn humans (and nonhuman animals.) In order to actually have a consistent ethos of tackling all oppression, we have to take a stand against abortion. You can’t have total liberation without preborn liberation. Otherwise, it’s not total liberation, it’s just hypocrisy.
—Vegans for Preborn Rights
Eco-socialism is a socialist ideology which states that in order to mitigate climate change and create a sustainable world, a socialist mode of production must be established, as capitalism cannot combat climate change. Eco-socialists also typically advocate for a revolution, and they disregard reformist methods.
The Green Party opposes capitalism and seeks to build an alternative economic system based on social ecology, decentralization of power, and freedom from state control. We will build an eco-socialist economy based on large-scale green public works, municipalization, and workplace and community democracy. Worker and community empowerment will ensure that decisions that greatly affect our lives are made in the interests of our communities, not at the whim of capitalist CEOs and distant boards of directors. Democratically run enterprises embedded in and accountable to our communities will make more ecologically sound decisions and help end labor exploitation, environmental exploitation, and racial, gender, and wealth inequality and bring about economic and social justice.