Reference no: EM133302570

Question: Explain Social Reform or Revolution is an 1899 pamphlet by Polish-German Marxist theorist Rosa Luxemburg. Luxemburg argues that trade unions, reformist political parties and the expansion of social democracy-while important to the proletariat's development of class consciousness-cannot make a socialist society as Eduard Bernstein, among others, argued. Instead, she argues from a historical materialist perspective that capitalism is economically unsustainable and will eventually collapse and that a revolution is necessary to transform capitalism into socialism. The pamphlet was heavily influential in revolutionary socialist circles and along with Luxemburg's other work an important precursor to left communist theory.

Rosa Luxemburg explains social reform or revolution by saying that it is a process that happens when the working class becomes increasingly aware of the contradictions within society, and decides to take action to change the system. She argues that revolution is not something that can be created by a small group of people; it requires the involvement of the masses. Revolution is also not something that can be planned or controlled; it is a spontaneous process that arises out of the class struggle.