First, Marxism- Leninism has nothing to do with "popularity", it has to do with revolutionary exigency, that is, extremism in favor of ostensible proletarian class interest. In one sense, M-L is relativistic, insofar as it supposes that morality reflects class interests, but from another perspective it is absolute, insofar as the point of view of the proletariat is fated to triumph in the dialectic of history. The main thing that you call "relativistic" is the point of view of the revolutionary situation, which really reflects the special circumstances of class warfare. Just as "ordinary war" admits of exceptions to normal morality because of extreme conditions, and the necessity of defeating the enemy, so it is with the Marxist- Leninist. Since, however, the Leninist believes that the intellectual vanguard acts on behalf of the proletariat, which is still enmeshed in "bourgeois ideology", many of the actions taken to forward the revolution might well be unpopular, for example, the suppression of the churches.
Second, according to Thomas Aquinas, prudence takes into account the particulars of a situation in the application of moral principles, including the consequences of behaving in a certain way, to seek the best outcome. In a political "trial", consideration of the common good cannot be eliminated........ |
