Communism is a political and economic ideology that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production and the natural resources of a society
. It is a form of socialism, and its goal is to create a classless society in which everyone shares the benefits of labor and the state controls all property and wealth
. The term communism derives from the Latin word "communis," meaning "shared" or "common"
. The seminal tract of communism is Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' "Communist Manifesto," which was published in 1848
. Exactly how communism differs from socialism has long been a matter of debate, but the distinction rests largely on the communists’ adherence to the revolutionary socialism of Karl Marx
. In a fully realized communist society, there would be no class divisions or government, and the production and distribution of goods would be based upon the principle "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"
