The ancients once used the stars in constellation to find the proper place of humanity in the cosmos. The origin of rosa luxemburgs slogan socialism or barbarism. As a jew, a woman, and a socialist revolutionary, rosa luxemburg was in a unique position to think about the meaning of marxs ideas from. The revolutionary rosa luxemburg books the guardian.
One could say that marxism ran in her bloodstream these words written by leon trotsky are probably the best characterisation of rosa luxemburg to date. Looking back to the moment of luxemburgs murder, we survey the ruins of a historical accomplishment unprecedented in the history of humanity. Leninism in 1935 by the antiparliamentary communist federation. Rosa luxemburgs critique of lenins concept of revolutionary organisation, show the disagreements within the marxist movements in europe in the years preceding 1917. This text is a translation of two articles entitled organisational questions of russian social democracy, written by rosa luxemburg in 1904. It is a theory developed upon by rosa luxemburg and other founders of the german spartakus bund, which would later become the communist party of germany. Rosa luxemburg 18701919, one of the most remarkable and controversial personalities in the marxist movement, opposes in this book not the bolsheviks quest for power but the way they took power, the way they held power, the way they justified themselves in doing both. From the other, rosa luxemburg and the polish marxists argued that capitalist economic development had eliminated the very possibility of selfdetermination. She founded, along with karl liebnecht, the antiwar spartacus league in 1915, which later became the communist part of germany. This document represents rosa luxemburgs contribution to the debate within the russian social democratic movement on party organization and democratic centralism.
Form of leftcommunism, in opposition to leninism at the time of the 3rd international. Rosa luxemburg life, revolutionary activities, works. Rosa luxemburg 18701919 is one of the greatest figures ever produced by the international socialist movement. First, like most marxists of her historic era, luxemburg was confident that history would compel a new society to arise, making it unnecessary to. Inspired designs on tshirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Rosa luxemburg was born in the small polish town of zamosc on 5 march 1871. Together with lenin and trotsky she was the outstanding representative of marxism in the 20 th century. Leninism or marxism was published as an article in 1904 under the title organisational questions of the russian social democracy in iskra and neue zeit, and later reprinted in pamphlet form titled marxism vs. She joined a revolutionary party called proletariat, founded in 1882, some 21 years before the russian social democratic party bolsheviks and mensheviks came into being. This article, first published by socialist party ireland looks at her defense of both the fundamental ideas of marxism and the necessity of revolutionary change against an increas. If we capture a glimpse of the marxism of rosa luxemburg, it is antiquity to our own. Council communism holds onto most of the traditional views of marxism, including. Successively, she was a member of the social democracy of the kingdom of poland and lithuania, the social democratic party of germany, the independent social democratic party and the communist party of germany.
Rosa luxemburg was one of the outstanding fighters of the working class movement in germany as well as internationally. Reform or revolution was one of the most important of her early writings. 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. While leading parts of the 1919 german revolution, she was murdered by rightwing. Rosa luxemburg continues to be listed as a libertarian marxist, libertarian socialist or anarchist, and that rosa hated the october revolution and the bolsheviks and really nothing could be. Rosa luxemburg, who became active in the polish and german socialist movements in the 1880s, undoubtedly read kautskys. Rosa luxemburg was a polish marxist, philosopher, economist, antiwar activist and revolutionary socialist who became a naturalized german citizen at the age of 28. Luxemburgs marxism denied that economic development rushes headlong, like an autonomous locomotive on the tracks of history, and that politics, ideology, etc. Her contribution, as theorist and activist, deserves to be recognised and celebrated by the newer generations of socialist activists who have become involved in the movement in recent decades.
Part one ended with lenins criticisms of bauer and cultural nationalism. Rosa luxemburg always postulated failure as an alternative to the successful resolution of the dialectic. Luxemburg, after studying all the aspects of revolution. The editors claim that something of luxemburgs role in the intellectual legacy of marxism can be gleaned from a careful reading. Rosa luxemburg is famous for helping to found the spartacus league, which grew into the communist party of germany. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Rosa luxemburgs leninism or marxism internet archive.
For discussion on luxemburgism, marxismluxemburgism and. After the spd supported german involvement in world war i in 1915, luxemburg and karl liebknecht cofounded the antiwar spa. Rosa luxemburg, a revolutionary opposition leader in the german social democratic party a massive, more radical version of our labor party savagely denounced the party leaders capitulation to just such appeals when the actual world war i broke out. I see rosa luxemburg as the marxist who did the most to carry on karl marxs own theoreticalrevolutionary praxis in the period after the death of marx and engels. From early youth she was active in the socialist movement. After reading this article you will learn about the conflict between lenin and luxemburg. Rosa luxemburg was a polish marxist, philosopher, economist, antiwar activist and revolutionary socialist who became a naturalized german citizen at the age. Rosa luxemburgs critique of lenins concept of revolutionary organisation, show the disagreements within the marxist movements in europe in. The pps went to great lengths never to expose themselves to a discussion with their adversaries before the working masses, making every effort to avoid it, so that the masses would not hear any criticism of their program. Rosa luxembourg was a marxist intellectual who played an active role within leftwing politics throughout her life. Our aim is for this volume, hudis states, to provide a new vantage point for getting to better know and appreciate rosa luxemburgs distinctive contribution to marxism. In this sense, rosa was the foremost leading advocate of democratic forms of workers organisation and popular struggles in her generation of theoreticians and revolutionaries. Rosa luxemburg was a polish political philosopher, economist, marxist, and revolutionary who played a pivotal role during the first world war and the german revolution. Leninism or marxism by rosa luxemburg internet archive.
The translation was made by the united workers party in america and first published in britain in pamphlet form in 1935 by the antiparliamentary communist federation. History notes on rosa luxemburg, who lived 1871 1919, about marxism, communism and the difference between luxemburgism and leninism. The first attempt is that of the late peter nettl, and is succinctly resumed in the following judgement. Though at the beginning there was a cordial relationship between lenin and luxemburg, this did not last long. Luxemburgism is a variety of orthodox marxism characterised by its bottom up approach to organisation characterised by adherence to the dialectic of sponteneity and organisation as laid out in luxemburgs work, the mass strike and commitment to democracy. Here rosas views take forward marxs view that socialism is essentially a revolution of the majority by the majority for the majority.
The task of marxist theory was the criticism of socialist politics as a means of developing marxism itself, and with it the possibility for new social. A serious controversy between the two great marxists surfaced on the issue of spontaneity. Lis mandl looks at how rosa luxemburg considered the womens question as inseparable from the struggle of the working class as a whole. On the marxism of rosa luxemburg world architecture community.
The marxism of rosa luxemburg marxists internet archive. The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways. Rosa luxemburgs contribution to marxism by ulli diemer. Lenin, the social democrats and the elections in st. Rosa luxemburg and marxist politics links international. Rosa luxemburg and the womens question marxism in her. Luxemburg here alludes to the fact that the socialist alexandre millerand participated as minister of commerce, industry, posts and telegraphs in the bourgeois french government of prime minister pierre waldeckrousseau from 1899 until 1902. Not because of any fanatical concept of justice but because all that is instructive, wholesome and purifying in political freedom depends on this. Rosa luxemburgs words back in 1906 remind me of todays leninist sects. Rosa luxemburg, hal draper and rudolf hilferding are prominent thinkers in the orthodox marxist tradition. In one of her earliest interventions in the socialdemocratic party of germany spd, participating in the notorious theoretical revisionist dispute, in which eduard bernstein infamously stated that the movement is everything, the goal nothing, the 27 yearold rosa luxemburg 18711919 clearly enunciated her marxism. Luxemburg, in her critique of the spd through regarding the party as a.
It is the final goal alone which constitutes the spirit and. Both its approach and its method make it appear as a kind of natural appendage to the end of section ii of the accumulation of capital where it would take its place as the fourth round in her treatment of this crucial problem of capitalist development. For example, she cofounded the antiwar spartacus league and the newspaper the red flag to raise awareness of exploitation under capitalism. Rosa luxemburg warned us against national unity red flag. The writings of the martyred socialist rosa luxemburg give a. Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently. Rosa luxemburg freedom only for the supporters of the government, only for the members of one party however numerous they may be is no freedom at all. Rosa luxemburg devoted a whole pamphlet which was published posthumously exclusively to the refutation of marxist vulgar economics. Rosa luxemburg, organizational questions of russian social democracy, in the russian revolution and leninism or marxism. Rosa luxemburg, and the myth of her libertarian marxism. Rosa luxemburg was one of the most important figures in the history of the international workers movement. Nearly a century ago, in january 1919, rosa luxemburg, founder of the german communist party the spartacus league, was murdered by a unit of the freikorps, the bands of counterrevolutionary officers and soldiers a breeding ground for the future nazi party who had been summoned to berlin by the social democratic minister gustav noske to crush the spartacist. She also looks at how the struggle for womens rights was also a struggle against the reformists within the movement who constantly tried to limit demands for full womens emancipation. Leninism or marxism rosa luxemburg leninism or marxism was published as an article in 1904 under the title organisational questions of the russian social democracy in iskra and neue zeit, and later reprinted in pamphlet form titled marxism vs.
Rosa luxemburg was a marxist philosopher, political theorist, economist and revolutionary leader from poland. Rosa luxemburg 5 march 1871 15 january 1919 was a polishborn german leftwing political activist, revolutionary socialist, coleader of the german communist party and a major key influence in libertarian antiauthoritarian variants of marxi. Rosa luxemburg 18711919 was a marxist theorist, philosopher and economist. Rosa luxemburg believed in the international socialism, i. Lenin was also criticized by rosa luxemburg, especially regarding the ideas he held regarding democracy in the party and the dictatorship of the proletariat.