History of Social Democracy -- What is it?

[Jacob Cliff]

Social Democracy today simply refers to nothing more than reformed capitalism with social welfare and such; i.e. not socialism. However, I've noticed that people like Lenin and even Engels referred to themselves and even their parties (e.g., the RSDLP until its split in 1903) as "Social Democratic."

Was there a time when this word changed? Can somebody give me a detailed history on this term throughout its use?


And this isn't related, but if anyone could answer that would be great:
Has philosophical materialism been disproven? If so, what is the basis in Historical Materialism?

[Tim Cornelis]

Degeneration of social-democracy: http://www.marxist.com/4th-august-1914-the-great-betrayal-and-collapse-of-the-second-international.htm

"Has philosophical materialism been disproven? If so, what is the basis in Historical Materialism?"

Do you think philosophical materialism and historical materialism are two different things? I don't really understand the question.

[Q]

The original meaning of social-democracy had to do with the "battle for democracy" that is at the center of Marxist politics. It was to give a social meaning to democracy. The original social-democratic party, the German SPD was founded as a Marxist party and, at the dawn of the twentieth century, was by far the largest Marxist organisation on the planet, with around a million members.

But that was then. 1914 changed everything as Tim already alluded to.

[RedWorker]

As far as I know the word has went through at least three meanings.


First era: Socialism
Second era: Socialism to be achieved through reformist methods
Third era: Capitalism with nice politics

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

Social Democracy today simply refers to nothing more than reformed capitalism with social welfare and such; i.e. not socialism. However, I've noticed that people like Lenin and even Engels referred to themselves and even their parties (e.g., the RSDLP until its split in 1903) as "Social Democratic."

Was there a time when this word changed? Can somebody give me a detailed history on this term throughout its use?

"Social-Democratic" was the term most socialist parties of the Second International used - although sections of the SI were sometimes called Socialist or Socialist Labour (or indeed Social-Democratic Labour) Parties. The term acquired its present connotation in the First World War, when most Social-Democratic Parties (with the exception of groups - such as the RSDRP (Central Committee), the Bolshevik group - who renamed themselves fairly soon) supported "their own" capitalist governments in their imperialist aims.


And this isn't related, but if anyone could answer that would be great:
Has philosophical materialism been disproven? If so, what is the basis in Historical Materialism?

No, materialism has not been disproven, what gave you that impression?

[Tim Cornelis]

As far as I know the word has went through at least three meanings.


First era: Socialism
Second era: Socialism to be achieved through reformist methods
Third era: Capitalism with nice politics


More or less. I'd just add a fourth phase. I just did a presentation about the development of social-democracy about Andrew Haywood's historic narrative in 'Political Ideologies'.

First phase (circa 1875-1910): revolutionary, Marxist, socialism, social property, absolute equality.

Second phase (circa 1910-1945): revisionism, reformist and evolutionary, social property and socialism, absolute equality.

Third phase (circa 1945-1970s): humanising of capitalism, taming of capitalism; reformist and parliamentary; planning and state control over the commanding heights; relative equality.

Fourth phase (circa 1970s-present): neo-revisionism; liberalising and privatising of the commanding heights; equality of opportunity; third way (Clinton and Blair).

[Chomskyan]

I think Social Democracy had the meaning that Democratic Socialism has today.

That is, a democratic reformist approach to transforming and ultimately abolishing the capitalist system.

[Gramthusser]

Social Democracy was the name that Marxists and socialists went by in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were victims of their success in making incremental gains while awaiting the revolution and in the end saw these gains as an end in themselves. WW I made the break between reformism and revolution a reality.


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