Reaction to Berstein and Luxemburg Reading

The main difference in ideology between the two authors was that Bernstein believed in Social Democracy and Luxemburg believed in scientific socialism. Bernstein believed that the impending collapse of capitalism, that Marx and Engels predicted in the Manifesto of the Communist Party, would take a lot longer than predicted. This led Bernstein to hypothesis that capitalism would not fail, but democracy would be able to balance the issues with capitalism. Luxemburg, on the other hand, said that if capitalism was not going to result in its own demise, then socialism would cease to exist.

Bernstein believed that capitalism was not going to lead to a catastrophe, in which, socialism would arise as the dominant form of government. On the contrary, Bernstein believed that capitalism would not fail, but adapt. Capitalism will be able to adapt by the organizing the working class, which would allow them to gain political power, and fight for reforms. Bernstein believes that the more a country's government moves towards democracy, the less likely there will be a collapse in capitalism.

Luxemburg disagreed with Bernstein's critique of the Manifesto of the Communist Party. Luxemburg believed that if Bernstein was correct, then there would be no use for socialism. Luxemburg believed that capitalism would ultimately lead to its own ruin. Socialism would no longer be necessary if capitalism did not fail, because socialism is to be the result of the material development of society (capitalism). Socialism believes that the growing anarchy or capitalism, is what ultimate leads to the working class gaining power and over throwing the bourgeoisie.

Luxemburg, throughout the entire piece, never states his true feelings on the matter. Instead Luxemburg concentrates on clarifying the fact that socialism would cease to exist if capitalism was able to adapt rather then fail. Luxemburg implies that Bernstein's argument shows him to be a social democrat. According to Luxemburg this means that Bernstein believes that the working class "should not direct its daily activity toward the conquest of political power, but toward the betterment of the condition of the working class." (Luxemburg 4)