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p Socialism and communism, the lower and higher phases of the new, communist society, rest on a highly developed material and technical basis, and their immutable economic foundation is social ownership of the means of production and the absence of exploitation of man by man.

p Since private ownership, exploiting classes and oppression of man by man are non-existent under socialism or communism, the relations of production of the two systems are those of fraternal co-operation and mutual assistance.

p The law of planned, proportionate economic development operates under both socialism and communism. The purpose of social production (the fullest possible satisfaction of the people’s material and spiritual requirements) and the means of achieving this purpose (uninterrupted development and improvement of production through the application of the latest technical advances) are likewise similar under socialism and communism.

p Both socialism and communism are characterised by friendship and co-operation among nations, while the preservation and consolidation of peace are the bedrock of the relations between all countries, big and small; in both socialist and communist society all citizens enjoy the right to work according to their ability; under both these systems there is harmony between the individual and society, and communist ideology holds complete sway.

p In view of the community of basic features of socialism and communism, the classics of Marxism-Leninism regarded them as two phases (stages of development) of one and the same communist society. “Insofar as the means of production become common property,” Lenin wrote, “the word ‘communism’ is also applicable here, provided we do not forget that this is not complete communism.”  [172•* 

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p Socialism is incomplete, undeveloped communism because it grows directly from capitalism, is built on material inherited from the capitalist system and, naturally, retains traces, “birth marks" of this old society. Such, for example, are the survivals of the old division of labour, the lack of complete economic equality, survivals of the past in the minds and behaviour of people, and so forth.

p Under communism, the higher phase of the new system, mechanisation and automation reach unprecedented proportions in production, and the level of labour productivity and output is so high that society can go over from the socialist principle of distribution—“From each according to his ability, to each according to his work"—to the qualitatively new, communist principle—“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”. Labour itself changes considerably. All citizens will have an inner urge to work for the benefit of society voluntarily and according to their inclinations.

p Marked qualitative changes will take place not only in economy but also in social relations, in people’s thinking and the way of life. The essential distinctions between town and country and then between mental and physical labour will disappear and all citizens will be workers of a communist society. The state will wither away and socialist statehood will develop into communist social self-government.

p “Communism," states the Programme of the C.P.S.U., “is a classless social system with one form of public ownership of the means of production and full social equality of all members of society; under it, the all-round development of people will be accompanied by the growth of the productive forces through continuous progress in science and technology; all the springs of co-operative wealth will flow more abundantly, and the great principle ’From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs’ will be implemented. Communism is a highly organised society of free, socially conscious working people in which public self-government will be established, a society in which labour for the good of society will become the prime vital requirement of everyone, a necessity recognised by one and 174 all, and the ability of each person will be employed to the greatest benefit of the people."

p To carry out these fundamental qualitative transformations society needs time and the corresponding material, social and spiritual prerequisites: a large material and technical basis, improved social relations that will be free of exploitation of man by man, a rich spiritual culture, and a high level of political consciousness among the people. Insofar as all these prerequisites are created only under socialism it is impossible to by-pass the socialist stage of development, to accomplish a leap directly from capitalism to the higher stage of communism. “From capitalism,” Lenin wrote, “mankind can pass directly only to socialism, i.e., to the social ownership of the means of production and the distribution of products according to the amount of work performed by each individual.”  [174•* 

Being a special stage of social development, socialism is, therefore, inevitable. In the same way as the stem and not the ear grows directly from a grain seed, only socialism springs directly from capitalism.