Page:Karl Kautsky - Georgia - tr. Henry James Stenning (1921).pdf/68

 more absolute its power, the more effectually it will be able to do this.

This conception of the task of Socialism was completely upset by Marxism. The starting point of Marxism was the class struggle, which is waged under the conditions of capitalist production by the proletariat, itself the product of industrial capitalism. The task of Social Democracy is to raise the physical, intellectual, moral and organising powers of the proletariat, as well as to bring plan and method into the isolated proletarian struggles. This implies that the proletariat must be taught what is the social and economic objective which can alone satisfy it, and put an end to its struggles. This objective is the emancipation of the working class, which from being the mere tool will become the master of production. Among the working class must be counted not only the industrial proletariat, but likewise peasants, hand-workers, and intellectuals. But the proletariat forms the strongest and most dependable factor in this development.

This objective is the goal of the Socialist movement. Its realisation may come about in various ways, which will depend upon the prevailing modes of production, the relative strength of classes, the degree of their organisation, intelligence and discipline, and so forth. The forms of Socialism may vary considerably in different countries, at different times and in different branches of industry. They must everywhere be related to the existing forms of production and permit their further development.

The common element of all of them will be the common ownership of the means of production and management by social institutions, with the object of satisfying the common need whether that be the need of the State, the Municipality, or Co-operative Societies, instead of private ownership of the: means of production and private production for the market to secure private profit. Socialist production will not be the