Understanding And Development Of Marxism Of Engels In Old Age And The Second International

The research of Engels in old age and the Second International is overlooked by the circle of Marxism for too many years, so there are many misunderstandings and blanks in this field. From the materialist conception of history, the developing trends and the proletarian fighting strategies of the capitalism and the socialism theories, this paper is trying to use analysis and comparison to analyze it systematically, so that I could reveal the logic inheritance and gradual progress relationship between Engels in old age and the Second International, hoping to comb the theories in this special period and clarify matters and get to the bottom of it.The whole paper is divided into four parts: the first one is introduction, mainly explaining the reasons why the thoughts of Engels in old age have its specialties, the theoretical and practical relationship between Engels in old age and the Second International, the characteristics and aims of the Second International, the theoretical of the different denominations of the Second International.The second part is about how Engels in old age and the Second International understand and develop the Marxist materialist conception of history. From Engels'tiny turning in the understanding angle of view to Marxist philosophy, I try to point out that Engels in old age attaches great importance to materialistic, dialectics and the unity of them, regards materialist conception of history as historical materialism and makes up some shortages in the former Marxist and his theories disvaluing the superstructure effects, which is attacked by the capitalist class. Among the later theorists of the Second International, Bernstein finds what Engels in old age wants to make up. And he opposes the view that economy determines everything. Mixing the views of Kantism, he uses compromise to understand materialist conception of history. While Karl Kautsky explains the theories of the tutors repeatedly and finally uses naturalism to understand materialist conception of history because of the influence of Engels in old age and self-theory's tendentiousness. Sharply grasping the tiny turning of Engels'angle of view, Plekhanov regards materialist conception of history as dialectical materialism, developing and giving full play to Engels'complement of materialist conception of history.The third part is about the judgments of the developing trend of capitalism from Engels in old age and the Second International. Engels in old age see the rise of monopoly capitalist groups and joint-stock companies which Marx doesn't, and from which Engels in old age is aware of the big crisis in the future and the hope of the proletarian revolution. However, Bernstein doesn't agree with that. Facing the new circumstances and new phenomena after Engels'death, Bernstein draws a totally opposite conclusion. He thinks that capitalism is able to deal with the crisis. The leftist Luxembourg criticizes and retortes Bernstein firmly, and using the theory of primitive accumulation of capital, he declares that imperialism shall collapse capitalism. Hilferding is also a theorist who systematically expounds the features of imperialism and to great extent his financial capital theory is the continuation and development of Engels'. However, Luxuebourg and he both neglect the basis of imperialist economy, which leads to Kautsky's out-of-control in theory. He puts forward an extreme point of view, thinking that imperialism is nothing but a changeable policy and capitalism is still big and powerful.The forth part is about Engels'and the Second International's exploration of the proletarian fighting strategies and socialist theories. Based on the new circumstances, they point out that the proletariat must be good at making use of the general election right of capitalism and legal struggle to win rights and interests and that don't forget the basic principles and aims, know the relationship between legal struggle and violent revolution well, adhere to the dictatorship of the proletariat. And this is his revision of Marx's and his former strategy and theory. However, because not only his expositions of the combination of the abstract theory principle and his revised practical strategy is not detailed and clear enough, but also they contradict and have differences in a certain level, It is developed by the later theorists of the Second International. Bernstein's"improved"theory,"Peace in socialism"theory starts with the use of general election right put forward by Engels and the strategy of organizing the proletarian to take legal struggle. But in his later exposition, his view goes father and father, gradually forming the revisionism which is totally opposite to the proletarian revolution and the social theory. In fact,"Denying revolution", improved"movement is everything", this view has already belonged to Marxism; Kautsky gradually stands by the revisionism because of the interlinking to Bernstein's theory. And because his love of the way of general election right and parliament, he uses"pure democracy"to reproach and attack the October Revolution; The leftist outstanding theorist Plekhanov, the model who persists and develops Marxism in the Second International, inherits most of Engels'thoughts splendidly. He plays an important part in fighting against Narodnik's bound theory. Although he is also against the October Revolution, we can see the defense and persistence of Marxism in his theory, the shining points in which is still meaningful to what we undertake today.