this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2023
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I feel like I understand communist theory pretty well at a basic level, and I believe in it, but I just don't see what part of it requires belief in an objective world of matter. I don't believe in matter and I'm still a communist. And it seems that in the 21st century most people believe in materialism but not communism. What part of "people should have access to the stuff they need to live" requires believing that such stuff is real? After all, there are nonmaterial industries and they still need communism. Workers in the music industry are producing something that nearly everyone can agree only exists in our heads. And they're still exploited by capital, despite musical instruments being relatively cheap these days, because capital owns the system of distribution networks and access to consumers that is the means of profitability for music. Spotify isn't material, it's a computer program. It's information. It's a thoughtform. Yet it's still a means of production that ought to be seized for the liberation of the musician worker. What does materialism have to do with any of this?

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[โ€“] WhyEssEff@hexbear.net 18 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

What does materialism have to do with any of this?

material reality, in this case, is the concept of what does not go away once you stop believing in it. if it helps to view it like that, even if you don't believe in physicality, then there you go shrug-outta-hecks

[โ€“] DroneRights@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago

Yeah, I don't think the idea of stuff existing when you stop believing in it is relevant to communism, except for how people who believe in reality need to have communism explained to them in real terms.