Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg
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Following is a discussion on the page titled: Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg.
Below is the discussion so far. Feel free to add your own comments!"The arguments of Reform or Revolution, though sound in the main, were not accepted by the majority of the German SDP. Bernstein’s reformism was preferred."Wasn't Bernstein opposed by most of the German social democrats?
Quote:During his stay in England Bernstein published writings, notably "Evolutionary Socialism," which afterwards came to be described and known as "Revisionism." He held that Marx's theories had to be modified on the grounds that capitalism had not developed along the lines that Marx had anticipated. He held, for example, that the middle-class and the capitalist-class were not decreasing in numbers, but were increasing both in numbers and in the amount of wealth that they owned; that the theory of the recurring cycle of industrial crises was wrong. Bernstein produced statistics, based on income-tax returns, to show that at one period there were more millionaires than at a slightly earlier period: and this, he claimed, was a flat contradiction of the theory that wealth was becoming concentrated into fewer and fewer hands !What he seemed unable to grasp was that in a period of rapid capitalist expansion the capitalist-class could increase in number and wealth without affecting the concentration of wealth into fewer hands. Nor did he connect the fact of an increase in the number of millionaires with a possible decrease in the number of smaller capitalists. Similarly, what he mistook for a middle-class growing in numbers and security was a growing army of relatively well-paid salaried workers and officials who were brought into existence by capitalist development.Bernstein's "Revisionism" was in the first place due to his failure to interpret modern tendencies in the light of Marxian teachings; and, secondly, to the anti-Marxist influences of the British labour movement. He was lavish in his praise for the Fabian Society—particularly Mr. and Mrs. Webb—and the "I.L.P.," and held the "progressive reformism " of these organisations before the Social Democratic Party as being suitable for Germany. Like the I.L.P. in this country, he advocated compensation for the capitalists, arid stated that to expropriate the capitalist class without compensation was "robbery."Bernstein did have the decency to stand by his socialist anti-war principles and was a founder member of the Independent Social Democratic Party alongside Kautsky Leibnecht and Eisner.
Sympo wrote:But didn't Kautsky write a lot about how bad Bernstein was?He wasn't so bad when he was Marx archivist. Kautsky became a reformist too, but before that, he was a very good socialist
The same thing that happened to Lenin took place with Bernstein. He was not able to see or visualize the matured ideas of Marx and Engels. In our times we have many so-called Marxists who have not been able to see the full development of Marx complete body of ideas. It is one of the biggest merits of the founders of the Socialist Party of Great Britain, they visualized the immature ideas of Marx but they were able to see the full development of Marx thoughts, we did not reject him completely, we took the best from Marx body of ideas. It is called critical thought. Is there any better outside despite all our limitations? I don't think so.
Marcos wrote:He wasn't so bad when he was Marx archivist. Kautsky became a reformist too, but before that, he was a very good socialistWhen exactly did Kautsky become a reformist?
Sympo wrote:Marcos wrote:He wasn't so bad when he was Marx archivist. Kautsky became a reformist too, but before that, he was a very good socialistWhen exactly did Kautsky become a reformist?
in 1900 before Lenin called him a renegade https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1930s/1939/no-413-january-1939/kautsky’s-work-socialismIn 1900 he was responsible for the “Kautsky resolution” at the 1900 International Socialist Congress. That resolution stated that a Socialist could accept a gift of a seat in a capitalist cabinet in a national emergency. This was only a short step from supporting the German capitalist class in 1914, which he did, though certainly without the enthusiasm of the jingo. He apologised for this attitude on the grounds that Socialism is a power for peace, not against war. An apology which prompted the scathing comment from Rosa Luxemburg that the famous appeal of the Communist Manifesto should now read, according to Kautsky’s revision: “Workers of all lands, unite in peace and cut one another’s throats in war!”https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1920s/1920/no-191-july-1920/russian-dictatorship
There is a compilation of the complete works of Rosa Luxembourg in two volumes, with a preface written by Peter Hudishttps://www.versobooks.com/books/2079-the-complete-works-of-rosa-luxemburg-volume-ii
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