POLS1301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Karl Kautsky, Rosa Luxemburg, Friedrich Engels
Lecture 6 - Social Democracy + Anarchism
soc dem:
theory of change is different to socialism
Engels:
you could use parliamentary democracy on the path to socialism
Key Social Democrats:
Eduard Bernstein (1850-1932)
called revisionist socialist
Contemporary of Friedrich Engels, Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Kautsky
Germany socialist and later social democrat
Caution of revolution leading to catastrophic
reformist path to socialism
did not believe in inevitable socialism
saw some positive effects of cap
thought cap could accommodate conditions in working conditions
Revisions:
thought central goals of soc could be achieved through reform and not revolution
(theory of change)
seeks an accommodation with capitalism rather than an antagonist relationship
state can deliver goals of socialism rather than imagining the withering of the state
(strong role of state)
govt should be for all and class differences were not everything
Ideas of Social Democracy:
strong role of the state
central role in ameliorating the effects of capitalism on society - regulated capital
Welfare state as a means to deliver equality and ameliorate effect of capitalism
strong role of society
is privileged - seen as important in delivering democracy
society closely associated with the state
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ideological purity is not a feature of social democracy - it is accommodationist, works
existing ideas for progressive change
equality is important (expressed imperfectly as a smaller gap between have and have-
nots)
achieved through making sure the state + society delivers more to everyone
social rights
Basic tenets of soc dem and connection to socialism:
struggle for political rights o the worker
some notion of collectivity
some idea of redistribution of wealth through society
subordination of the market to social forces - usually through state reg of capital and a
large welfare state
equality and justice
UK Labour Party:
Constitution involved working for common ownership of the means of production
Soc dem and soc lib:
Similarities:
expanded role of the state
welfare state
Equality
individual freedom
democracy
rule of law
Supportive of markets
differences:
welfare state - universal (soc dem) not safety net (soc lib)
a place for decommodificatios of life (not everywhere subject to the market)
e.g. public schooling, healthcare, housing
social rights - active work of the state to make good on the goals of equality,
freedom, democracy
without this intervention these ideas are just procedural
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find more resources at oneclass.com
