Page:Karl Kautsky - The Social Revolution and On the Morrow of the Social Revolution - tr. John Bertram Askew (1903).djvu/65



Before I enter on the subject proper of the present inquiry, I must, first of all, clear myself of the suspicion under which I may fall in the eyes of some people as to the title of this work. "On the Morrow of the Revolution!" Does that not prove that we "orthodox" Marxists are in reality only disguised Blanquists, who expect, by means of a coup de main, to snatch, one fine day, the social dictatorship? And is it hot a relapse into the Utopian mode of thinking, if I inquire now into the measures which are to be taken after an event of which we do not know in the least when and under what conditions it will come about?

Certainly, if the title of the present pamphlet implied that, one would have had every reason to approach it with the greatest mistrust. I hasten, therefore, to remark that I hold the revolution to be an historical process, which may extend over a longer or shorter period—which can even drag on with hard fighting for many and many years. On the other hand, I am quite convinced that it cannot be our duty to manufacture recipes for the cookery of the future. How little I believe in that, an example will show.

When, more than ten years ago, the German Social-Democracy were discussing their new programme, it was proposed by some to include in it those measures which would facilitate the transition from the capitalist to the Socialist mode of production. At that time, I was among those who rose against that kind of proposal, because I considered it a mistake to lay down in advance a definite route for the party, in the anticipation of an event which we could not at all picture to ourselves, of which we could but have the vaguest idea, and which will yet bring us many surprises.

At the same time, however, I consider it to be a good mental exercise, and a means of promoting political clearness and consistency of thought to attempt to draw the logical consequences of our endeavours, and to inquire into the problems which may arise for us out of the conquest of political power. This is also valuable from a propagandist point of view, since on one hand it is