The Study On Rosa Luxemburg’s Idea Of “Self-centralism”

Rosa Luxemburg was a prominent Marxist theorist and revolutionist of the Second International.She had multiple influences on the development of Marxism due to her highly creative and controversial ideas,especially in the debate with Bernstein and Lenin on the interpretation of Marxism and the issue of proletarian revolution,which highlighted her distinctive personality in thought.Her idea of “self-centralism”,which she proposed and elaborated in response to Lenin’s centralized organizational principle of the Russian Social Democratic Party was once “frozen” because it had been criticized by Lenin and completely rejected by dogmatic Marxist researchers.However,this idea has been emphasized and “activated” in Western Marxist studies,especially in domestic and foreign Marxist studies since the end of the 20 th century,as an important ideological resource for exploring the construction of proletarian parties and improving the construction of a socialist democratic political system.Therefore,in the context of the “two overall situations”,especially the development of “the whole process of people’s democracy and guaranteeing the running of the country by the people ” in the construction of socialist democracy,from the perspective of Luxembourg’s unification of Marxist theory and proletarian revolutionary practice to explore the basic principles of the construction of proletarian parties and socialist democracy,to accurately explore and expound the spiritual essence of “selfcentralism”,and to grasp and judge the value of Luxembourg’s idea of “self-centralism”in this way is not only an important content for deepening the study of Luxembourg’s thought,but also an important link for advancing the study of the history of Marxist development.Based on Rosa Luxemburg’s writings,this paper analyzes her thoughts on the organizational principles of the Russian Social Democratic Party,focusing on the essential connotation,fundamental kernel and methodological basis of “selfcentralism”,and evaluates the main contributions,limitations and historical significance of “self-centralism”.Chapter 1 deals with the background of the formation of “self-centralism”.This chapter explores the prerequisites for the emergence of “self-centralism” in Luxembourg from two perspectives: the historical and the theoretical backgrounds.The problems in the construction of working-class parties in Poland,Germany and Russia inspired Luxembourg to think about the organization of proletarian parties;On the basis of inheriting the democratic thought of Marxism,Luxembourg raised and expounded the thought of "self-centralism" by criticizing the opportunism error of Stein and arguing with Lenin.Chapter 2 deals with the essential connotation,fundamental kernel and methodological basis of “self-centralism”.Stressing the organizing principle of the proletarian party must be centralization on the basis of democracy,that is,concentrated“the authoritative expression of the will of the conscious and militant vanguard of the workers”,and on this premise strengthening the correct leadership of the party and respecting the spirit of the people’s initiative,constitute the essence of “selfcentralism”.To clarify that the consistency of the Party’s leadership and the "selfcentralism",the unity of socialist democracy and the “self-centralism”,as well as the combination of the dictatorship of the proletariat and “self-centralism” constitute the fundamental kernel of “self-centralism”;The historical dialectic is the methodological basis of Luxemburg’s elaboration of “self-centralism”.Luxembourg inherited the overarching historical dialectic of Marxism and analyzed the objective inevitability of capitalism being replaced by socialism in a holistic and historical perspective as a logical starting point.And made a highly creative exposition on the historical transcendence of socialist democracy over bourgeois democracy,the consistency between party leadership and the subjectivity of the human class,the unity of democracy and centralization,as well as the unity of socialist democracy and the dictatorship of the proletariat.Chapter 3 discusses the main theoretical contributions limitations of “selfcentralism”.The theoretical contributions include that it developed Marx and Engels’ ideas of democracy and centralism,democracy and dictatorship,promoted the formation of Lenin’s "democratic centralism ",and leaded Western Marxists to explore proletarian parties and proletarian revolutionary movements.Its limitations include that her idea ignored the history of Russian society and the realities of the socialdemocratic party,and used only the democratic traditions of the Western developed capitalist countries as a background to elaborate “self-centralism”,lacked of thinking on the specific practical path of “self-centralism”,as well as the design of the implementation plan for socialist democracy is too idealistic.Chapter 4 discusses the historical significance of “self-centralism”.Luxembourg’s idea of “self-centralism” is still a source of inspiration for the construction of proletarian parties and socialist democracy in the present era.On the one hand,the idea of “self-centralism” is still a methodological inspiration for the various national states of the world socialist movement on how to base on their historical reality,concretely consider and resolve such issues as the relationship between the proletarian party and the party organization,the leaders and the working masses,the relationship between strengthening the centralized leadership of the party and giving full play to the historical initiative of the people,the relationship between democracy and centralization in the construction of the party,as well as the relationship between socialist democracy and people’s democratic dictatorship.On the other hand,the idea of “self-centralism” insists on the unity of democracy and centralism,emphasizes the importance of democracy for the proletarian party and socialist construction.It has certain significance for promoting the construction of socialist democratic politics with Chinese characteristics in the new era,especially for adhering to and improving democratic centralism and strengthening the construction of democracy within the party.Besides,the limitations of “self-centralism” also enlighten us that we must stick to the authority of the CPC Central Committee,adhere the centralized and unified leadership of the Party in the process of realizing Whole-process people’s democracy,as well as uphold the unity of Party’s leadership and running of the country by the people.