Page - 51 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

thematerialist view of history 51 TheAustrian interpretation ofMarxismmainly grewout of opposition to revisionism.Itsessence–asmentionedinthefirstchapter–wasamodification ofthetheoreticalandphilosophicalpremisesofMarxism,whichwasachieved bycontrasting its conclusionswith the findingsof scientism,positivism,nat- uralismandneo-Kantianism.This process enabled theAustriansnot only to settle scoreswith the revisionists, but also to overcome theweaknesses and limitationsoforthodoxMarxist theory.Asa resultof their investigations, two different–yetnotwhollyopposing–modelsof interpretingMarxandEngels emerged. Anti-naturalist and anti-positivist elements outweighed scientistic elements inMaxAdler’smodel,while positivist and scientistic aspects char- acterisedFriedrichAdler,KarlRennerandOttoBauer’sapproaches. It isworth noting in passing that theAustromarxists regarded themselves as legitimate heirstoMarxandtheirtheoriesascreativeadvancementsofhisdoctrine.They knowingly overlooked the fact that their pathswere, in truth, divergent, and that therightwingheadedbyKarlRennerhadmovedfairlyclose to revision- ism.The fact that they tooka standagainst revisionismwasmotivatedmore byideologythanbytheory.Atleastatthelevelofproclamation,theirinterven- tion allowed them tomaintain the revolutionary character of theparty.One couldobservean interestingphenomenonintheprocess,whichAlfredPfabi- gan described: the Austrian socialists debated the views of Bernstein, Ignaz Auer,andLudwigWoltmann–butnot theirown,as theywereanxiousnot to castdoubtontheideologicalunityof theparty.13 Letus,however, focusonBauer’s interpretationofMarxism,whosepointof departurewas,likewise,itsreferencestorevisionism.Bauerassumedaposition thatwas not entirely consistent: he repeatedly assertedhis hostility towards revisionism,describingitasvulgarMarxism,yetwithoutofferinganyinterpret- ationofthatterm.14Atthesametime,hetendedtominimisethesignificanceof Bernstein’s theoreticalcritiquebyclaimingthat itdidnotconcernMarx’s sys- temasawhole,butmerelyabstract formulasandgeneralities.Norwashe,on intelligentsia and academic youth.Hewrote: ‘As the bourgeois intelligentsia no longer had to provide arguments for the suppression of theworkers’movement by force, but aimedtowinover theworkingclass, topacify thesocialistmovement, andeliminate its revolutionarycharacter, itnowscornedthevulgaroldcriticismofMarx.Itrecognisedthe historical achievement and scientific importance ofMarxism, but at the same time, of course it sought todetach socialism from its previous revolutionary ideology. Theneo- Kantianismwhich was dominant in the universities provided it with arguments and methods’–Bauer1978d,p.51. 13 SeePfabigan1985,p.41. 14 SeeBauer1979f.