311
Basic Moral Principles
of the Builder
of Communism
 

p Communist morality is reflected in the moral code of the builder of communism formulated in the Programme of the C.P.S.U.

p Serving the proletarian class struggle, communist morality pursues the goal of facilitating the completion of communist construction. Its point of departure is that a 312 person is virtuous if he contributes to society’s progress towards communism and immoral if he hinders this onward movement. The struggle for the new society is not only the fundamental goal of communist morality but also the criterion, a scientific criterion at that, of moral behaviour. Another indication of the scientific nature of communist morality is that Marxism-Leninism, the only really scientific world outlook, forms its theoretical foundation. Showing the content of communist morality and generalising mankind’s ethical progress and, in particular, the best features of people’s behaviour in the building of socialism and communism, the moral code embraces the following main principles: 

p dedication to communism and devotion to the socialist motherland and other socialist countries; 

p conscientious work for the benefit of society; he who does not work, neither shall he eat; 

p concern for safeguarding and multiplying social wealth; a lofty sense of civic duty and intolerance of infringements of social interests; 

p collectivism and comradely mutual assistance; one for all and all for one; 

p humane relations and mutual respect between people; man is to man a friend, comrade and brother; 

p honesty and integrity, moral purity, simplicity and modesty in social and private life; 

p mutual respect in the family, concern for the upbringing of children; 

p intolerance of injustice, parasitism, dishonesty, careerism and money-grubbing; 

p friendship and fraternity among all the peoples of the U.S.S.R., intolerance of national and racial hatred; 

p intolerance of the enemies of communism, peace and freedom; 

p fraternal solidarity with the working people of all countries, with all nations.

It goes without saying that each of the principles of the moral code has a significance of its own in the life and development of society and in the behaviour of individuals. The most important of these principles are devotion to communism and intolerance of its enemies, a communist attitude to work and social property, honesty and 313 truthfulness, collectivism and humanism, socialist patriotism, the readiness to sacrifice one’s life in Defending the gains of socialism, and internationalism. These cardinal principles determine the rules of behaviour in society and people’s concept of good and evil, honour and dishonour, justice and injustice.

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Notes