GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

THEORY OP COMMUNISM 707
of the unequal distribution of wealth in ignorance that
the wise man does not desire equality in such things, nor
thinks that the rich has any advantage over the poor, or
the prince over the subject He leaves these opinions to
the vulgar".
That the criticism which I have attributed to Plato is,
in its bearing upon the immediate ends of communist
'endeavour, justified, cannot, I think, be gainsaid. It
should, however, be remembered that there is no ground
for equating the ultimate end of Communism with the
accumulation of material goods. In truth we are not in a
position to say what the ultimate ethical aims of Communism
is. Even in -regard to the transitional condition of
contemporary Russia, it is noticeable that the money
motive operates with diminishing power on the higher
rungs of the Soviet hierarchy. The efforts and ambitions of
the Soviet Commissars, for example, would appear to be
little fired by love of money, though much by love of
power. Thus in respect of the motives of the men at the
top, modern Russia approximates more closely to .the
State which is two degrees removed from Plato's ideal
State, the State, namely, which values power, than to
that which values money.
(II) DIFFERENCE IN REGARD TO CONTROL. So
long as the differences between classes persist, Communism
demands that the workers should control the
State. It is moreover, through the aid of the workers that
a communist government climbs to power, for it is by
disseminating propaganda among the discontented masses
which Capitalism has brought into being that members
of the communist parties in all countries seek to overthrow
the capitalist structure of society. The object of communist
propaganda is to arouse the resentment felt by the masses
against the conditions to which Capitalism condemns
them to such a pitch of exasperated hatred, that they will
have the courage to destroy the system which is responsible
for their misery. Thus the exploited proletariat is at once
the lever by means of which the communist ruler obtains