within the western conception of democracy , we may say that democratic socialism emphasizes equality and fraternity , and is apt to lay less stress on liberty than do liberalism and conserva tism. modern democratic socialism also shares with communism a doctrine of economic organization. it accepts the marxist thesis yhat the way to reach social improvement is to abolish owerership of the means of production , distribution , and exchange. how then doesit differ form marxist communism? the difference is that modern democratic socialism shares the conviction of pre-marxist socialists or comunism that political policy should be rooted in ethical ideals , and especially in a notion of social justice . like other democrats , socialists found political aims on ethical aims. marxist communism takes the view that a socialism of this character is useless, unrealistic, 'utopian' . instead marxist theory put ports to derive its political policies from a 'scientific' sociology; i tries to found politics on scoence.