Che and Maoism

Abstract

ABSTRACT Even though Ernesto Che Guevara and Mao Zedong were two of the most influential Marxist revolutionaries of the twentieth century, there have been practically no attempts to explore the intellectual relationship between Guevara’s Marxism and Maoism. Yet an examination of Guevara’s writings, speeches and interviews reveals that several of the assumptions and postulates that constitute the core of Maoist political theory also represent fundamental components of Guevara’s theoretical perspective. These include the belief that a society can skip developmental stages on the road to socialism; an emphasis on the importance of remoulding people’s values and attitudes; opposition to the conventional division of labour; the prioritization of moral incentives in building socialism and communism; and condemnation of the policy of peaceful coexistence with imperialism. Despite these similarities, it would be an error to consider Guevara a Maoist, given his rejection of some of the theses and practices characteristic of Maoism.