Party and Class

http://www.marxists.org/archive/bord...arty-class.htm

This is a shorter text. It basically outlines Bordiga's conception of the proletarian class, the Party, and the relationship between them. The first time I read this was maybe a year ago now at which point I was an anarchist. I disagreed with it strongly then. Now I tend to agree with it. What do you think?

I think I generally agree with this point.

A party lives when there is the existence of a doctrine and a method of action. A party is a school of political thought and consequently an organisation of struggle. The first characteristic is a fact of consciousness, the second is a fact of will, or more precisely of a striving towards a final end. Without those two characteristics, we do not yet have the definition of a class.

I think this part here is good to. I see it as a continuation of the thought of Marx and Engels on the role of the vanguard and what makes up the vanguard in the class struggle.

The class forms itself as certain conditions and relationships brought about by the consolidation of new systems of production are developed – for instance the establishment of big factories hiring and training a large labour force; in the same way, the interests of such a collectivity gradually begin to materialise into a more precise consciousness, which begins to take shape in small groups of this collectivity. When the mass is thrust into action, only these first groups can foresee a final end, and it is they who support and lead the rest.

I agree with Bordiga on this next point, but it should also be noted that as the situation changes and the class changes, the tactics should change. Contrary to popular belief, the Bolshevik revolution in October was not run by an "elitist" vanguard. At this time, the Bolshevik party was made up of many workers apart of the most radical and revolutionary organs. I agree that this should be the conception of the party when class consciousness is lacking among the proletariat (as Lenin recognized in 1905 in WITBD?

However if it is only remembered that the individuals in that great remaining mass have neither class consciousness nor class will yet and live for their own selfish ends, or for their trade, their village, their nation, then it will be realised that in order to secure the action of the class as a whole in the historical movement, it is necessary to have an organ which inspires, unites and heads it – in short which officers it; it will then be realised that the party actually is the nucleus without which there would be no reason to consider the whole remaining mass as a mobilisation of forces.

I think Bordiga is correct on his idea that the vanguard should proceed the class and that the party should not be obligated to the working class as a whole.

The last paragraph were he takes on syndicalism is awesome!