Page - 233 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the ‘thirdway’ to socialism 233 ofBauer’swouldamounttoarevisionofhistheoryontheintegrallinkbetween democracyandsocialism. In fact, Bauerwas convincedof theprogressive character of theBolshevik dictatorship,even ifhecriticised itspolitical terrorandits repressionofMen- sheviks andSocial Revolutionaries.As if foreshadowinghis later positions in 1931,BauerclaimedthatunderRussianconditions,despotismcouldofferaroad tosocialistdevelopment.Inhisview,Russiamightthusbeabletoovercomeits economicstagnancyandlaythegroundworkforafuturebourgeoisdemocracy. OneconsequenceofthiswasthatBauerendorsedBolshevikpolicies,including Trotsky’sconceptofa‘militarisationoflabour’,andpermittedthepossibilityof socialismwithoutdemocraticpremises.ItisimperativetonotethatBaueronly condoneddespoticmethods inanundevelopedcountrybecausehebasedhis perspectiveonanunderstandingofdemocracyasthehigheststageofhistoric development.147Whatismore,inthiscaseheinstrumentaliseddemocracyasa meanstoanend,deprivingitofitsintrinsicvalue.Heexpressedthisasfollows: Theprinciplesofdemocracy, likewise,arenoteternaltruths.Evendemo- cracy is an evolutionaryproduct and stage.Democracy is only possible whentheproductive forces, class struggles, andculturalmaturityof the masseshavereachedaparticularstageofdevelopment.Wherethesepre- conditionsareabsent, thedespotismofaprogressiveminority isa trans- itionalnecessity,atemporarilyindispensabletoolofhistoricalprogress.148 ourtranslation Bauerpresumedthatundereconomicallyandpoliticallybackwardconditions, socialismhadtotakeashapethatdifferedfromtraditionalmodels,according towhichsocialismcorrespondedwithdemocracy.Bauer referred to this vari- ationas ‘despoticsocialism’.149 It is questionable as to whether Bauer, a democrat and humanist, truly believedthatonecouldbuildanewsocietyontherenunciationofelementary rights and liberties. Rather, he endeavoured to accentuate the role of com- 147 CompareLeser1979b,p.98. 148 ‘AuchdiePrinzipienderDemokratiesindkeineewigenWahrheiten.AuchdieDemokratie ist Entwicklungsprodukt und Entwicklungsphase. Nur auf bestimmter Entwicklungs- phase der Produktivkräfte, der Klassenkämpfe, der kulturellen Reife derMasse ist die Demokratiemöglich.Wo diese Voraussetzungen nicht gegeben sind, ist der Despotis- museinervorgeschrittenenMinderheiteinetransitorischeNotwendigkeit, einzeitweilig unentbehrlichesInstrumentdeshistorischenFortschritts’–Bauer1976c,p.293. 149 CompareLeser1979b,p.98.