Marx, Revolution, and Social Democracy

Philip J. Kain

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English

Oxford University Press Inc
22 June 2023

Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900; Social & political philosophy; Marxism & Communism; Economic theory & philosophy

Many people think Marx a totalitarian and Soviet Marxism the predictable outcome of his thought.

If one shows them the texts-proves to them that Marx was a radical democrat--they often flip and think him utopian.

Totalitarian or utopian--for many those seem to be the alternatives.

How might one combat this completely mistaken image?

To establish the connection between Marx and social democracy, philosopher Philip J. Kain argues four main points. First, economy if markets are controlled to eliminate alienation, socialist society for Marx is compatible with a market. Second, markets can be controlled democratically. Third, Marx had a theory of revolution compatible with a democratic electoral movement engaged in by a social democratic party. And fourth, from the late 1860s on, Marx and Engels worked with the German Social Democratic Party of Liebknecht, Bebel, Bernstein, and Kautsky--which eventually became the largest party in Germany and the largest socialist party in the world.

If social democracy is a true expression of Marxism, then Marx cannot be called a totalitarian. There is nothing remotely totalitarian about social democracy. Nor is it utopian. It exists all over Western Europe. Moreover, social democratic parties have always opposed the undemocratic tactics of Soviet Marxism. Drawing on these four points, Kain argues against the depiction of Marx as either utopian or totalitarian, and instead makes a case for Marx as a social democrat, whose strongest legacy is found in Western Europe.

By: Philip J. Kain
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 148mm, Width: 211mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 398g
ISBN: 9780197667187
ISBN 10: 019766718X
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 22 June 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction I. Marx and Marxisms II. Terminology Chapter One: Marx and Markets I. Markets and Fetishism II. Ending Fetishism III. Post-capitalist Stages IV. Socialist Inefficiency Chapter Two: Marx and Democracy I. Political Alienation II. Paris Commune III. Democracy IV. Dictatorship of the Proletariat V. State as Battleground VI. Proletarian Minority Chapter Three: Marx and Minority Revolution I. Minority Revolution II. Permanent Revolution III. Russian Revolution Chapter Four: Marx and Majority Revolution I. Majority Revolution II. Historical Materialism and the Categorical Imperative III. Compatibility of Models for Revolution IV. Political Revolution and Social Revolution Chapter Five: Marx and Social Democratic Revolution I. Social Democratic Revolution II. Industrial Proletariat Never Becomes a Majority III. Social Democracy and the Categorical Imperative. IV. Social Democracy and Historical Materialism V. Marx and the Social Democratic Party of Germany Chapter Six: Marx and Social Democracy I. Characteristics of Social Democracy II. The Meidner Plan III. Planning IV. Social Democracy and Capitalism V. Polarization and Immiseration VI. Concluding Remarks Bibliography Index

Philip J. Kain is Professor of Philosophy at Santa Clara University. He has taught at the University of California Santa Cruz and Stanford University, and has authored books on Marx, Hegel, and Nietzsche.