Socialism - Rosa Luxemburg Flashcards
What party was Rosa luxemburg part of
Social Democratic Party
Who upheld the views of Karl Marx
Rosa Luxemburg
Who in the SDP questioned the party’s commitment to revolution and the complete overthrow of capitalism
Eduard Bernstein, a German political journalist
What did Bernstein argue
That it was wrong for the party’s revolutionary wing to cling to predictions made by Marx as he had proven to be incorrect
- Marx thought wages would always fall, B noticed wages steadily rising
What did Luxemburg view on evolution
- Evolutionary socialism could not work and only revolution could create real change. And that socialists means and ends were inseparable 1§
What did she argue in the Social Reform or Revolution
That Bernstein wasn’t just proposing a different, more gradual path to the same socialist future, he was proposing a different goal entirely
- she said ‘the suppression of he abuses of capitalism, not the suppression of capitalism itself’
What did luxemburg think about overthrowing capitalism
That there was no I gradual way to overthrow capitalism - parliamentary action could only contribute to wider revolution
She argues the state wasn’t neutral like Marx and it would only support the ruling class
What was Luxembourg’s view of capitalism
Like Marx, she argued that capitalism was exploitative
How did Lenin say revolution could be brought by
Revolution could be brought by through the vanguard approach through revolutionary elite. A vanguard party that would lead to revolution, educating masses about socialism until they recognised their true interest.
What were Luxemburg’s two main principles to revolution
- Dialectical spontaneity & organisation
- Socialist democracy
Dialectical of spontaneity & organisation
She thought revolution would arise spontaneously after a class consciousness had been brought about through the proletariats ongoing battle for progress and argue for the importance of mass strike action as this would bring interests together and would ignite a wider revolution that would bring proletariat together and overthrow the state
Why did Luxemburg reject legislative reform
Because the state represented it and was controlled by the ruling class. She said reformism will only advocate capitalism and not socialism.
As socialists value reforms not only for benefits to workers but because the process
