Rosa Luxemburg

• State

  Rejected Marxist-Leninist idea of revolution leading to a dictatorship of the proletariat

  Advocated for the immediate construction of a new democracy underpinned by common ownership, open debate and elections
• Human nature

  • inherently flexible and shaped by social conditions
  • individuals are motivated by a desire for freedom and collective wellbeing - capitalism often restricts through exploitation
• Human nature: Counterpoints

  1. classical liberalism: human nature is primarily self interested and capitalism allows individuals to pursue their goals freely
  2. new right: individualism and competition drive progress
• Society

  • society as fundamentally a site of class struggle
  • cooperation is essential for achieving social change
  • emphasises importance of grassroots movements and collective action in fostering solidarity and class consciousness
• State

  • critiques idea of transitional proletarian state supported by democratic socialists
  • state cannot be adequately reformed from within capitalism
  • advocates for direct democracy and self management by workers , emphasising that true liberation must come from the masses rising up to seize control of the state
• Economy

  • supports common ownership of the means of production
  • dictatorship of the proletariat
  • emphasises that economy should prioritise human needs over profit, criticising capitalism for its tendency toward imperialism and exploitation
• Revolution

  • importance of spontaneous mass movements leading up to revolution
  • revolution should rise organically from the working class rather than being direct by a vanguard party
  • can be achieved through utilising trade union and workers party membership to educate and allow for organisation
• Class

  • emphasises significance of class consciousness
  • class struggle is critical to achieving social justice
  • class remains a central factor in shaping social relations and political movements
• Examples

  • The Occupy Movement - reflects her ideas of grassroots activism and mass mobilisation against economic inequality
  • Labour Strikes: 2022 railway strikes, echo her advocacy for worker led direct action
  • the Anti-Austerity Movement- groups advocating against austerity measures in the UK have drawn inspiration from her