Reform or Revolution and Other Writings

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English language

ISBN:
978-0-486-44776-6
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Social Reform or Revolution? (German: Sozialreform oder Revolution?) is an 1899 pamphlet by Polish-German Marxist theorist Rosa Luxemburg. Luxemburg argues that trade unions, reformist political parties and the expansion of social democracy—while important to the proletariat's development of class consciousness—cannot create a socialist society as Eduard Bernstein, among others, argued. Instead, she argues from a historical materialist perspective that capitalism is economically unsustainable and will eventually collapse and that a revolution is necessary to transform capitalism into socialism. The pamphlet was heavily influential in revolutionary socialist circles and along with Luxemburg's other work an important precursor to left communist theory.

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reviewed Reform or Revolution and Other Writings by Rosa Luxemburg

Lots of shit talk, and I like that

I don't always agree with Luxemburg but she's got some bangers for sure. She ruthlessly tears apart her contemporaries, and whether I agree with her criticism or not it's definitely entertaining. Not to mention I get to see a non-Leninist but still Marxist perspective on revolution.

Her criticisms of the Bolsheviks and their organization, especially in "Leninism or Marxism?" definitely need to be taken with a grain of salt considering her decentralized party had her executed by Nazis (she criticizes centralism and promotes decentralized organizing), but they shouldn't be written off.

reviewed Reform or Revolution and Other Writings by Rosa Luxemburg

Review of 'Reform or Revolution and Other Writings' on 'Goodreads'

The first essay, Reform or Revolution was so on point. An amazing essay that transcends time and place to perfectly sum up my opposition to Bernie Sanders or Scandinavian-style social democrats today. Fair warning, "Social Democracy" was revolutionary when Rosa was writing and she used the term to describe her own political alignment.

The other two essays were less enthralling but still adequate. The end of the Russian Revolution was interesting as she offered apology for Lenin and Trotsky getting a little dictatorial after being subjected to imperialist oppression.