The Theoretical Argument Of The Second International And The Division Of Marxism

The fate of Marxism is closely related to the epoch. Its viability could be attributed to its ability to solve temporary problems with the changes in temporal and special dimensions. The Second International period was a time of fundamental changes. Faced with new features of capitalism and new situations of proletariat revolutions, the Second International theorists like Kautsky, Bernstein, Lenin, and Luxemburg fiercely debated about theme of the times and ways to realize socialism. Different interpretations about Marxism were put forward, and resulted in divisions on Marxism after the dearth of Marx and Engels.For a long time, influenced by the former Soviet Union, Chinese academic community dismissed all other interpretations than Lenin’s as either Revisionism or Opportunism. After the collapse of the former Soviet Union, especially recently, Chinese academic community began to re-focus on the Second International, and made important progresses. Now, academic community has reached consensus on the source of disintegration of the Second International, that is, due to change of epochal conditions, different theorists, along with their effort to update Marxism, took different positions on ways to realize socialism. However, current research has some deficiencies, the most obvious of which is fragmentation and lack of integration. This paper is the very product based on the improvements in our knowledge of the current studies on the Second International. In line with materialistic history views and based on solid historical facts, this paper makes every effort to describe the debate among various theorists in whole, and explores the reasons and consequences of the debate, in order to illustrate a conclusion that, only by developing with the change of time and combining with specific national situations, does Marxism demonstrate infinite viability. Meanwhile, this paper consistently paid attention to key issues in the debate and provided appropriate answers. Reaching to the very source and opening up new beginnings.Throughout, this paper is guided by historical materialism and complemented by an analytical framework along the route from analysis on contemporary capitalism (present) to exploration and fine-tuning of the ways of realizing socialism (road) till scientific forecasting about communist society (goal). First of all, my research, based on specific historical background, explores classical Marxists’understandings and changes of positions on ways of realizing socialism according to new development of capitalism. From the point view of historical materialism, social development is as like natural development and socialism will replace capitalism in due course. Accordingly, socialism will be realized mainly by two ways, either violently or peacefully, and which one is better depends on specific conditions.Then, after the passing away of Marx and Engels in the latter part of 19th century, Marxist theorists in the Second International, faced with new features of capitalism, adapted Marxism to their varied national cultural heritage and debated on the ways of how to realize socialism. Although Bernstein’s revisionism in theoretic dimension and reformism in practical dimension were myopic, they helped begin the exploration on ways of realizing socialism in the West Europe. Centralism, represented by Kautsky, sprung from "the perspective of the long-term and common interests of international proletariat", always treated practical political issues as academic issues and hence dogmatized Marxism. The left wing, represented by Lenin and basing their theory on the reality of economically and culturally under-developed countries like Russia, explored fruitfully about ways to realize socialism and opened a new road in practice of Marxism.Within the Second International, three interpretations of Marxism, which resulted in the divisions of Marxism after the First World War, are based on different understanding about such issues as theme of the times, ways of realizing socialism, Russian revolution and the newborn Soviet Union. Studying on the theoretic debate during the Second International era and the resultant different interpretation about Marxism has both theoretic and practical implication for us today to understand and develop Marxism, stick to and develop contemporary China’s Marxism.