Page - 172 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

172 chapter 5 cracyasanorganisational formofeconomicandsocial lifeevenundersocial- ism,andsecondly,hereferredtothelackofobjectiveandsubjectiveconditions forsocialist revolution. Inmostofhistextsandspeeches,Bauerarguedforthe reformistpath, theexceptionbeinghisworksandstatements fromtheperiod of fascisisation.Even if theydidnotcontainanyevidence for the inevitability ofsocialism,hepersonallybelievedinitsvictory.9Thiswasrootedinthebelief thatreformswereanecessarystageinthestruggleagainstcapitalism,because they shook its economicandsocial foundations, thusaccelerating socialism’s victory.Over the years, Bauer’s faith in the effectiveness of reformist politics under capitalism faded –which, however, did not stop him fromdefending reformismasanecessary step in thedevelopmentof theworkers’movement until theendofhis life.10Hisrationalismandpragmatismprevailedover ideo- logy,andit isdifficult todenythattheworkingclassmustattainitsday-to-day interests inwhateverstate it lives in. TherationalebehindBauer’s insistenceonthereformistpathwasprimarily hisevaluationof theroleand levelofmaturityof theobjectiveandsubjective conditionsforrevolution.EvenifhewasnoorthodoxMarxist,hesharedMarx’s viewthatthevictoryofproletarianrevolutiondependedonobjectiveandsub- jective conditions for revolution. Theobjectiveprerequisites, forBauer,were all the conditions defined byMarx’s law of development of socio-economic formations, i.e. thedevelopment levelofproductive forces, intensityof social antagonisms,andtheeconomicandnumerical strengthof theproletariat.He regardedthepsychological factoras themost importantsubjectiveprerequis- iteofrevolution:thewill toabolishcapitalismandthedevelopmentstructures ofpolitical-ideologicalconsciousnessof therevolutionaryclass. Whatappearsparticularlychallenging inBauer’s theory ishisdefinitionof the interrelationshipbetweenobjectiveandsubjective conditions for revolu- tion.ThispredicamentisrootedinBauer’sinterpretationofMarxism.InChap- 9 Albers sharesmyview–seeAlbers 1983,p.49.Onthisquestion,Bauer’spolemicagainst Kautsky’sthesesfromTheRoadtoPowerappearssymptomatic.Inthelatter,Kautskypoin- ted to the immiserationof theproletariat andausteritymeasures inwelfare legislation as consequences of the imperialist stage of capitalism; he highlighted the necessity of struggle forpoliticalpowerasabasicprerequisite forchangingtheconditionof thepro- letariat. Inhis reply, Bauernot only contradictedKautsky’s thesis of powerlessness and growing immiserationof theproletariat–he rejectedhisdemandto struggle forpower, justifyinghisstancewiththemasses’ insufficientmaturityandlackof faithinrevolution. Furthermore,hehighlightedtheroleofdemocracy formitigatingclassantagonismsand theimportanceandpossibilitiesofreformistpolitics.SeeBauer1976g,p.957. 10 SeeBauer1976p,p.253.