Page - 46 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

46 chapter 2 ethicalsocialistsandso-calledrevolutionaryMarxists–rightlyobjectedtothis interpretationofMarxism. In their view, it reducedMarxian theory to ahis- toricalautomatism,andinpoliticalpracticeitstrengthenedso-calledattentist attitudes intheworkers’movement.3 Incontrast,theMarxistswhoadvocatedanactiviststandpoint–alsoknown asthehumanistperspective–stressedtherelativeindependenceofthesphere of consciousness from the economic structure. Most overstated subjective factorsinthehistoricalprocess,particularlyethicalandpoliticalfactors,which theyultimatelyseparatedfromthesocio-economicfoundation.4 TheemergenceofthesetwoprimarymodelsofunderstandingMarxismcan be attributed to the fact that the theorists of the Second International took twoopposingpositions in relation to their ‘masters’.5 The first approachwas characterised by a relatively unreflective attitude towards the adopted doc- trine, which they considered self-contained, unified, and self-sufficient. The advocates of this interpretationbelieved thatMarxismencompassed a com- prehensiveworldview,heldareadysetofquestionsandindisputableanswers thatexplainedallphenomenaofnaturalandsocial life,andproduceditsown scientific criteria andmethodological tools. Karl Kautsky, Georgi Plekhanov, RosaLuxemburg,VladimirLeninandJosephStalin,amongothers,wereinthis group. Incomparison, thesecondstancewascharacterisedbyacertaindistrustas to thedurabilityandcorrectnessof thesolutionsofferedbyMarxandEngels, andanopenness towardsquestionsandproblemsposedbyother intellectual currents. It took an instrumental approach towardsMarxist theory, albeit in thepositivesenseoftheterm.Characteristically,Marxismwastreatedasabase thatsuppliedanalyticalmethodsandtoolstoconductresearchinvariousfields of the social sciences, e.g. philosophy, sociology, history, economy, andpolit- ics.Marx’s theoryas suchwasnotdeemedof interest asa separate subjectof study.ThelikesofEduardBernstein, theethical socialists, theAustromarxists, AntonioLabriola,AntonioGramsci, and the ‘young’GyörgyLukács represen- tedthisapproachto the foundingdoctrine.Whilenaturalistic interpretations ofMarxism generally went hand in handwith the previous stance, activist interpretations were associated with the latter. However, one cannot apply 3 Thepoliticsofpassivelywaitingforeventstounfoldautomatically. 4 For the representatives of bothdeterminist andactivist interpretations, the following idea ofMarxwasunclear: consciousnessalwaysmeansconsciousbeing, since it isbasedonour active lifeprocess,whichisaccomplishedinspecificsocio-historicalconditions. 5 SeeKołakowski2005,511.