Otto Bauer: Studies on social and political philosophy

The subject matter of this book is a portrayal of Otto Bauer as the leading figure of Austromarxism and SDAP, as well as a critical-analytical interpretation of his philosophical, historiosophical, economic, sociological and social- political theories, which are shown in the context of the contemporary discussions during the second and the third Internationale, the political events in SDAP, the international labour movement and the social-historical-political processes in Austria and Europe. The main focus of the book is on the analysis of Bauer`s philosophical- methodological, ethical and historiosophical discussions, the theory of imperialism, the theory of the nation, the solution to the nationalities question, the visions of the ways to socialism, the question of war and peace, fascist theories as well as Bauer`s political involvement. The book is designed in such a way as to present Bauer`s theoretical opinions and Austromarxism in the connection with the political practice of SDAP and with the political history of Austria and Europe. The book poses various questions, a.o.: about the theoretical and practical value of the solutions to the social-political and economic questions in the democratic system of government, offered by Bauer and Austromarxism, about the characteristic feature of the philosophical, social and political concepts by Bauer and Austromarxism in comparison with the solutions offered by the classical writers of Marxism, the orthodox Marxism and especially by Leninism and its practical embodiment of Bolshevism, about the factors which influenced Bauer`s thought (both his personality and the social and historical situation in which he worked) and resulting inconsistency in his ideological and political assessment and decisions, and last but not least, a question which is like a clear thread running through the book, about the extent to which the political defeat of Bauer and of the Austrian Social Democracy in the year 1934 can be lead back to the wrong political decisions and judgments, and to what extent it resulted from an uncritical adoption of theoretical-philosophical foundations of Marxism falsified by the history. The book critically presents the fields of Bauer`s thought which have not been elaborated in the world literature so far: his philosophical, historiosophical and ethical views, his theories of imperialism and the crisis of the capitalist economy as well as an approach of Bauer to war issues. The author argues and indicates interesting theories of Bauer: the theory of the nation, the theory of democracy, the theory of the state, the theory of fascism, which to date have an academic value. What is particularly valuable is Bauer`s dynamic model of democracy which is achieved on the basis of political and functional democracy. A great attention is devoted to the programme suggested by Bauer: the programme of national-cultural autonomy, the programme of socialization, and the agricultural programme, because all those programmes convey up-to-date meaning. In the closing remarks a question of the general evaluation of Bauer`s political activities and the scale of Austromarxism is posed and answered.