CHAPTER: 02

DYNAMICS OF REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL CHANGE_________________________________________

Looking at history one finds the two features of change in society & state ----- one is slow and unconscious evolutionary development. The change, primarily quantitative, leads gradually, to the qualitative change. The major role behind the change is played by the forces of production & changes in production processes. Thus the social change makes an impact on the divisions of classes which is reflected in the economic systems, state structure and in the changes in ideologies and cultures.

The evolutionary quantitative change leads to the changes in the classes for the society and gradually prepares the society for the qualitative change. The process of change which was unconscious initially, results in conscious form. The element of revolutionary change is embedded in the conscious process of change. The revolutionary changes with its success and failures give birth to a new historical situation. It causes the replacement of the ruling class in the state and the society. A new class appears in the wake of the revolution. The new ruling class creates a new state and legitimatizes its acceptability by the constitutional process.The whole process is not, in the Marxian sense, unilateral but spiral and zigzag.History proceeds through revolution and counter revolution towards the goal of communism through the stage of socialism. Indeed the way of liberation of men from exploitation by men lies only in the communist society. Instead of splitting, communism helps in the enfoldment of human beings in totality. The new human beings free from the shackles of economic bondage and deprivation will enjoy the ecstasy of creation being identified with nature and society.

On the question of revolution two issues need discussion -------- (a) Bourgeois revolution and (b) Proletarian revolution.

Bourgeois revolution: In the changes in steps of history (class-ridden society) aristocracy, monarchy, slave and feudal systems appeared more or less in different states. The various manifestations also were found in various ways. The process of change did not occur in one or two centuries. It continued for centuries together ---sometimes through evolutionary and sometimes in revolutionary paths. The development of bourgeois class began from the early stage of the civilization when human beings started home and foreign trade. Merchant capitalists and mercantile capitalists were present in aristocracy, slave system, monarchy and other forms of state systems. These classes, misappropriating surplus value of the working class, enriched themselves in the light of indigenous and alien experiences from the early times still they could not appear as the ruling class due to the historical and social limitations.From the last phase of the medieval period, the fourteenth century, the colossal change in the knowledge sciences, arts, literature, and geographical discovery resulted in the European Renaissance. It opened the opportunities to make different states not only of Europe but also of Africa & Asia to come close.This situation led to the increasing demand of commodities in the expanded market. The bourgeois class was developing in the womb of monarchy from its embryonic shape.Although the bourgeois developed in monarchial system, it was never in the straight linear way. It proceeds sometimes through the conflict and sometimes through the cooperation stages. This conflict resolutionconflict gradually formed the total stature into the role of the ruling class.Admittedly, two most important historical events in Europe ---- the Industrial revolution in England and the French revolution, occurred in the 18th century. The bourgeois class established its dominance through these two revolutions, not only in Europe but also across the world.While the ruling class, the feudal lords receded back with the emergence of the superior forces of production, there appeared the hegemony of the new ruling class---the bourgeois. Other classes of the society also welcomed the libertarian role of the bourgeois throughout the world the bourgeois class established its authority over the former exploiting ruling class and the exploited working class.The hegemony of the bourgeois class did not appear in a particular decade. A long battle of the economic, political, ideological and cultural character was waged under the leadership of this class. It developed gradually, its own philosophy, ideology, culture, literature which was more progressive than those of the old feudal system.At the same time it is a fact that the bourgeois economy was nurtured in the feudal economy. With the decadence of the feudal economy the feudal state became dependent, ultimately on the bourgeois economy. The bourgeois tactfully utilized on the plea of the pseudo-progressive slogan, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity , where the exploitation and repression of the feudal lords made the common people discontent.

The bourgeois demonstrated that democratic rights could exist only in the capitalistic system . The political scenario changed in England after the Industrial revolution in peaceful way. On the other hand, the French revolution happened through a long term blood-stained way. Since then the bourgeois dominance has been expanding in different parts of Europe and across the world.

Having emerged the ruling class, the bourgeois created the world market for tightening their grip at the global level and exposed their imperialistic character by accumulating surplus value by the naked exploitation of industrial worker. In this way, they deviated from the progressive role which endeared them to the people.

Historical materialism rightly holds the emergence of the working class against the antagonistic bourgeois. The two opposite classes give birth to the socialist consciousness leading towards the communist society. The socialist state brings out the philosophy , ideology, economy, culture and new types of state. The discussion so far is assumed to be broadly speaking, non-controversial. But the debate arises on another issue dwelt on the next chapter.

Before we discuss on those points let us place some topics in a nutshell to be elaborated in next chapters.

1.The bourgeois revolution occurred after the establishment of the hegemony of the bourgeois.

2.The bourgeois economy owed its origin to the feudal system and attained maturity before the revolution.

3.Owing to the proximity of its existence to the state structure, the bourgeois acquired primary experiences in the conduct of the state in the post-revolution stage.

4.The bourgeois provided civil and political rights, freedom of thought ,expression and the press pluralistic consciousness.

5.It is evident that the above mentioned freedoms were manifested in politicalpluralism and in the application of universal adult franchise with the foundationof the elaborate electoral arrangements.

6 The bourgeois planned to safeguard the capitalist system by providing variousinstitutions, for example, educational, judicial, press etc and other provisionslike human rights, rights of the working class and the peasants to from unions,etc.Such formal changes aimed to make the bourgeois rule legitimate to thepeople along with the public recognition of a new form of exploitation.

7. It does not need any philosophical discussion that the capitalist state is based on

exploitation. Hence experience makes it amply clear that the bourgeoisdemocracy as well as political rights mean protection and amassing of privaterights.

Few would disagree that the right to private property being guaranteed under the constitution, no grand cause of human liberation, democracy, and rights can attain the zenith as everything is chained in the institution of private property.

The limitations of the bourgeois economy and its exploitation drove the direction of history to the alternative system. Great Marx, Engel and Lenin led the prolonged political-ideological battle to realize this process of alternative path. This resulted in the founding of the proletarian revolution under the proletariats under the bold leadership of Lenin in 1917.This historic event proclaimed the emergence of a new horseman who inspired the whole of the world. Humanity began to recognize the new leader and anew in the hope of the liberation. Since the October revolution of 1917, new philosophy, (materialistic philosophy) ideology, new literature, culture started to emerge. Reaching the goal of the communist society is not of course simple and easy. Marx holds that history proceeds in a spiral and zigzag course.

The boundless hope generated by the appearance of the great leader was rocked within a century.

Many factors may be held responsible for this debacle: the leadership, contradiction in the international front, the fascist form of bourgeois state ---- central matter is historical limitations.

This historical limitation is due to the failure for establishing the hegemony of proletarian class among the toiling masses. This failure is not only due to the leader of the working class, that is , the communist parties of different countries and communist international, but also for uneven development of capitalism and inner contradiction of imperialism. The imperialist and capitalist forces have been able to maintain their hegemony in most of the countries of the world by different tactics utilizing this unequal development of the capitalism and difference of people of many nations and countries. At the same time , the weakness of the proletarian class and their leadership who are unable to evaluate the changing situation of the world of the capitalist strategies , so they are continuing their class exploitation and class rule by maintaining capitalist class system.

In the next chapters, attempt will be to search out the various limitations in the process of the onward march of socialism.