Reform or revolution is not an easy read as it contains many contemporary references, though in the edition i have, donny gluckstein provides a useful introduction that puts the work in context and had many useful endnotes. Unlike other critics of bernsteins, luxemburg was not merely aiming to defend the status quo. A polemic writing by the famous red rosa luxemburg, reform or revolution 1899 explains why capitalism can never overcome its internal contradictions. The russian revolution is the mightiest event of the world war. Buy reform or revolution 2nd edition by luxemburg, rosa isbn. Taking on the revisionist current, led by eduard bernstein, of the german social democratic party, luxemburg examines why capitalism cannot. She was also one of the last true social democrats in the sense of a commitment to both uncompromising socialism and uncompromising democracy. Germany 19181919 banner, 1986 karl kautsky, the road to power.
Reform or revolution and other writings by rosa luxemburg. Reform or revolution rosa luxemburg one of the most important marxist thinkers and leaders of the twentieth century, rosa luxemburg is finding renewed interest among a new generation of activists and critics of global capitalism. It must be preceded by a reform introduced from the center, and that in turn must be. Rosa luxemburgs major work, in full, in pdf format.
May 22, 2015 rosa luxemburg rosa luxemburg, along with karl liebknecht, was to play a key role in germany in the months that immediately followed the armistice in november 1918. Why capitalism cannot overcome its internal contradictions and the working class cannot reform away exploitation and economic crises. In the summer of 1898, rosa luxemburg prepared her reply, which appeared in the leipziger volkszeitung in the autumn before the stuttgart party congress. Rosa luxemburgs reform or revolution was the first clear statement warning of the danger of reformism to the socialist movement. Rosa luxemburgs legacy is very live, very relevant, and very contested.
Organisational questions of the russian revolution rosa. Rosa luxemburg wrote reform or revolution 1899, a defense of marxist orthodoxy against gradualism. Its two most important functions are to extend production and to facilitate exchange. An effective refutation of revisionist interpretations of marxist doctrine, it defines the position of scientific socialism on the issues of social reforms, the state, democracy, and the. Together with lenin and trotsky she was the outstanding representative of marxism in the 20th century.
A graphic biography of rosa luxemburg, and more expansively, a new translation of her complete works, both in tandem with verso books. Jul 08, 2008 reform or revolution july 8, 2008 helen scott, editor of the essential rosa luxemburg, looks at the crucial book to take up the issue that divided the socialist movement a century ago. Jul 21, 2005 organisational questions of the russian revolution rosa luxemburg this text is a translation of two articles entitled organisational questions of russian social democracy, written by rosa luxemburg in 1904. Despite the fact that this book does hold small excerpts of brilliance that encompass luxemburg s ability to combine passion with intelligence, her rebuttal was all but out of reach for me. Socialist revolution, bernstein argued, was not necessary.
Marxist philosopher rosa luxemburg s classic analysis of the dialectic of spontaneity and organization. In the first chapter we aimed to show that bernsteins theory lifted the program of the socialist movement off its material base and tried to place it on an idealist base. She was to work tirelessly right up to her murder, to defend revolutionary marxism. Rosas ideas to the contemporary left, something we have also done by publishing, most recently, red rosa. Her pamphlet social reform or social revolution was published in 1900 in response to bernsteins book, the preconditions of socialism and the tasks of social democracy. Her revolutionary activities forced her to flee to switzerland in 1889, where s. Though it was written more than 100 years ago under vastly different conditions, rosa luxemburg s pamphlet reform or revolution is. Rosa luxemburg was a shining star of the early socialist move ment. Social reform or revolu tion, by rosa luxemburg publisher. The accumulation of capital, probably the best book produced by a marxist and socialist thinker since karl marxs opus magnum, emerged from her sudden revelation. Rosa luxemburg was one of the last truly revolutionary socialists. Rosa remix represents a continuation of this everdeepening project.
Legislative reform and revolution are not different methods of historic. Reform or revolution and the mass strike, rosa luxemburg. She realised that if the working class of the european great powers could not summon up sufficient strength to end the war by revolution, then germanys defeat was the next best solution. In attacking bernsteins reformism she was implicitly challenging the existing reformist practice of the spd leaders.
Luxemburg saw in the russian revolution of 1905 a counter model. The realisation of socialism through social reforms capitalism and. In reform or revolution rosa luxemburg provided a comprehensive political response to bernstein. Rosa luxemburg, polishborn german revolutionary and agitator who played a key role in founding the polish social democratic party and the spartacus league, which grew into the communist party of germany. Mar 25, 2009 reform or revolution luxemburg strongly opposed the idea that gradually altering capitalism by way of reforms introduced through parliament could lead to socialism. The articles took issue with the work of eduard bernstein, an important figure within the german and international socialist. Consider the theory of winning a majority in parliament, after the revision of the constitution of saxony and in view of the most recent attempts against universal suffrage. The accumulation of capital 19, an analysis of capitalist expansion in the underdeveloped world. It is the basic argument about how to challenge capitalism.
Its two most important functions are to extend production and to facilitate. Rosa did not grasp the national question or, rather, swatted at it, but she had a burning insight into the sources of increasing conflict. Political reflections on growing into the revolution, john kautsky, ed. In opposing reform to revolution, they divorce democracy from socialism. Rosa luxemburg 5 march 1871 in zamosc, russian poland 15 january 1919 in berlin was a polishjewish marxist politician working in both poland and germany. Jul 21, 2006 a polemic writing by the famous red rosa luxemburg, reform or revolution 1899 explains why capitalism can never overcome its internal contradictions.
Reform or revolution is the title of a pamphlet written by rosa luxemburg in 1900. Rosa luxemburgs first struggles within the spd were against this reformist current. Luxemburg argues that trade unions, reformist political parties and the expansion of social democracywhile important to the proletariats development of class consciousnesscannot create a socialist society as eduard bernstein, among others, argued. Reform or revolution rosa luxemburg the crisis in the german social democracy the. Social reform or revolution, by rosa luxemburg publisher.
Verso sent me the pdf of her letters so i had a searchable document from. Militant publications, london, 1986 no first published. Jul 26, 1907 rosa travels to the second international congress. According to bernstein, the credit system, the perfected means of communication and the new capitalist combines are the important factors that forward the adaptation of capitalist economy. Until january 1912 rosa luxemburg was an orthodox follower of marx, believing that political economy had found its. Rosa luxemburg was also opposed to these negotiations as she feared a german victory in the war. In berlin, rosa became an active member of the left wing of the social democratic party of germany spd and wrote her famous brochure, social reform or revolution. Eduard bernstein, evolutionary socialiam schocken, 1961. For rosa luxemburg this was not just a question of defeating bernstein in a vote which happened time and time again at party congresses, but of educating the rankand.
Reform or revolution 3 the challenge of revisionism introducing reform or revolution rosa luxemburgs classic pamphlet reform or revolution also known as social reform or revolution was first published in 1899. This english translation of the original 1906 german pamphlet was published in 1986 by bookmarks publishing cooperative. Running through rosa luxemburg s entire work was the struggle against reformism, which narrowed down the aims of the labour movement to tinkering with capitalism instead of overthrowing it by revolutionary means. Unlike previous publications of her work from the early 1970s, this volume includes substantial extracts from her major economic writingsabove all, the accumulation of capital 19and from her political writings, including reform or revolution 1898, the junius pamphlet 1916, and the russian revolution 1918. Rosa luxemburg life, revolutionary activities, works. August 1918, she completed the russian revolution, a critique of the bolsheviks which. Reform or revolution is the more timeless of the two works, and is an interesting read even if the past 100 years does put her argument in a somewhat difficult position. Her humanitarian marxism stressed democracy and revolutionary mass action to achieve international socialism. This created a frame work in which the socialist movement should push for piecemeal reform, rather than the revolutionary overthrow of the system. In 1900, luxemburg wrote reform or revolution, arguing that it is only after the overthrow of the capitalist state and when the workers have power in their hands that socialism can begin to be. So far as we know, this is the first english translation of reform or. Along with a small handful of others, precious few of them theorists of any kind, rosa worked out in marxist terms the implications of capitals expansion to the very ends of the colonialized earth. The life of rosa luxemburg timeline timetoast timelines.
Rosa luxembourg article about rosa luxembourg by the free. Jul 01, 2006 a polemic writing by the famous red rosa luxemburg, reform or revolution published in 1899 explains why capitalism can never overcome its internal contradictions. Rosa luxemburg internet archive 1999 transcriptionmarkup. As she put it, legal reform and revolution are not different methods of historical progress that can be picked out from the counter of history as one picks out hot or cold sausages. An effective refutation of revisionist interpretations of marxist doctrine, it defines the position of scientific socialism on the issues of social reforms, the state, democracy, and the character of the proletarian revolution. Rosa luxemburg simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The mass strike is part recou no rating as i lack the background to do so effectively. Think of a theory of instituting socialism by means of social reforms in the face of the complete stagnation of the reform movement in germany.
Henry friedlander, the german revolution of 1918 garland 1992 sebastian haffner, failure of a revolution. Rosa luxemburg was one of the key leaders of the spartacist movement. A manual of regulations may master the life of a small sect or a private circle. The mass strike, the political party, and the trade unions 1906, propounding her theory of revolutionary mass action. It was published to confront the revisionist ideology beginning to emerge in. In the accumulation of capital, rosa luxemburg started from the aspect of capital accumulation to explore the source and internal mechanism of capitalisms crisis and make an etiological diagnosis. In her 1900 pamphlet reform or revolution, rosa luxemburg made. Reform or revolution by rosa luxemburg 53 pp 25 cents.