A Theoretical Study Of Democracy In The Era Of Monopoly Capitalism And Its Change Mode By Kautsky

Karl Kautsky is a contradictory and highly controversial theorist. As the representative of the "orthodox Marxism", Kautsky has enjoyed a high reputation in the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands and even within the Second International, but he ends up with a "traitor" of life in his old age. For a long time, the researches on Karl Kautsky are mainly derogatory instead of being commendatory. Since the reform and opening up, China has gradually initiated a Socialism road with Chinese Characteristics, thus creating a favorable environment for furthering the theoretical understanding of Marxism. In the context of monopoly capitalism, centered on the important issues with a focus on the possibility of the transition from capitalism to socialism by means of democracy by the proletariat and the relationship between socialist democracy and capitalist democracy within the Second International, this paper explores the democratic theory of Karl Kautsky.The first chapter is to examine the historical background of the formation of Kautsky’s democratic theory. In the era of monopoly capitalism, while capitalism is increasingly controlled by financial capital with "monopoly", some new phenomena emerge. For example, the emergence of the new forms of economic development, represented by joint-stock companies, promotes the development of "socialized" mode of production. The increasing maturity of parliamentary democracy, represented by capitalist democracy, provides opportunities for people to participate in public affairs actively and strive for their own interests. In terms of theoretical background, Marx’s theory of proletarian’s struggling, late Engels’viewpoint of parliamentary struggling, and discussions on approaches to socialist revolution in the context of monopoly capitalism within the Second International, have important implications on the formation of Kautsky’s democratic theory.The second chapter mainly explores Kautsky’s understanding and development of historical materialism from the methodological perspective. Based on the understanding and grasp of social reality with concrete and historical methods, Kautsky believes that monopoly capitalism contains the development processes of "monopoly" and "democracy" and new "democracy" elements will provide new chances for social development, despite the fact that monopoly capitalism is "monopolized" in essence. In view of the internal disagreements within the Second International, Kautsky establishes the "centrist" way that is different from the "left" and "revisionist" to interpret Marxism, thus forming his unique democratic theory.The third chapter investigates Kautsky’s concrete and historical understanding of the concept of democracy. Kautsky divides "democracy" into "primitive democracy" and "modern democracy" and "social democracy"."Primitive democracy" exists in the early human society, featured by simplicity and directness."Modern democracy" mainly refers to the "democracy" under the condition of capitalism. Kautsky uncovers the superficial hypocrisy of modern capitalist democracy, and finds the bud of new economic and political democracy in the modern capitalist democracy in contrast with the "monopoly" of capitalism, which means that the tendency of "socialized " production and development of democratic political system provide the economic foundation and institutional condition for real social democracy. On the basis of these, he maintains that capitalism has the dual feature of "monopoly" and "democracy". The proletariat fights against the bourgeoisie exploitation and builds socialism. The real "democracy" should be social democracy characterized by "self-regulated right".Chapter IV is "democratic social revolution", which explains the specific ways of the leap from capitalism to socialism by Kautsky. Combined with the specific situation of monopoly capitalism, Kautsky proposes "the social birth theory", stressing that the social revolution should be a developmental process with the combination of long accumulated revolutionary forces with "the instant birth". The proletariat should learn to use the parliamentary struggle, strikes and other democratic means to promote progressive development of society. He does not deny violent revolution, but lays stress on the leap from capitalism to socialism with democracy by the proletariat.The fifth chapter analyses the relationship between capitalist democracy and socialist democracy. Kautsky’interprets "socialism" as "everyone having the freedom and bread" and socialism is the real realization of social democracy. As a social operational mechanism, social democracy can avoid the superficial economic democracy and political democracy and has substantive contents, thus enabling people to become the subject of society. On the basis of this, he further clarifies the dialectic relationship of "democracy" and "dictatorship" that are taken as the transitional phase from capitalism to socialism, which is the supplement to his "democracy" theory. At last, he assumes that socialist democracy sublates and develops capitalist democracy.The sixth chapter discusses "the democratic revolution" of Kautsky, which is the feature of democracy theory and has certain historical limitations. Being positioned in the developed capitalist society allows Kautsky to emphasize the importance of democracy on building socialism, and it is reasonable to some extent. However, he underestimates other revolutionary ways. His conclusion of "no democracy, no socialism" has important implications on the promotion of socialist democratized construction with Chinese characteristics.