socialism

Marx and Engels

They argued that human nature had been contaminated

Born in Germany, Marx and Engels were the first socialist thinkers to offer a detailed analysis of how humans were social and economic beings. Specifically they argued that human nature had been contaminated by the prevailing economic system - capitalism - which encouraged selfishness, ruthlessness and greed. They further argued that capitalism had instilled in mankind a flase cnsciousness far removed from mankind’s original nature - one that had been cooperative, selfless and fraternal. The task, they argued, was to create a new, non-capitalist economic system that would revive such noble characteristics.

thoughts on state

Marx and Engels were among the first to challenge the liberal notion that the state was politically neutral. Instead they argued the state would always serve the interests of whichever class controlled the economy. Consequently, the liberal state was merely a commitee for the ruling capitalist class and could never provide an evolutionary road to socialism. This argument would inspire later revolutionary socialists such as Ralph Milliband and Tariq Ali, who ridiculed the parliamentary socialism championed by the organisations such as the labour party.

thoughts on should we start a revolution?

Marx and engels became the first socialist to explain why revlution was nt just inevitable but essential and to describe what should happen once revolution had occured. They asserted that in the wake of revolution, an entirely new state should arise that would govern in the interests of the new, economically dominant class - they called the state the dictatorship of the proletariat. Once this alternative state had cemented scialist values it would wither away and be replaced by communism: a stateless society involving common ownership and the principle of ‘from each according to his ability and to each accrding to his needs’

Luxemburger

Whats her earliest publication

In Reform on Revolution 1900, Luxemburg accepted Marx’s argument that capitalism promoted exploitation and conflicted with humanity’s natural, fraternal instincts. She also agreed that evolutionary sciality was impassible as only revolution could create real change. Like Lenin, she had little sympathy for Marx’s historicism, and his view that foor revolution to occur, capitalism would have to reach an advanced stage. However, Luxemburg’s analysis of how revolution should come about distinguished her from both Lenin and marx

She rejected who’s claim?

She rejected Lenin’s claim that revolution culd only occur through the planning and leadership of a vanguard elite . Instead, she envisage revolution arising spontaneously, after class consciousness had gradually been broought about through the proletariat ongoing battle for progress in the workplace. Mass strike actin would develop spontaneously from this and would eventually ignite a much wider revolutionary movement that would overthrow the capitalist state,