Profile Major Works Resources

Karl Kautsky, 1854-1938.

Portrait of K. Kautsky

Karl Kautsky has been rightly considered the successor of Engels in the intellectual leadership of the Marxian School.

Born in Prague, of a Czech father and German mother, Karl Kautsky got involved with the socialist movement while a student at the University of Vienna, and went on to become a close disciple and collaborator of Friedrich Engels.

Karl Kautksy was the founder (with Engels) of the Marxist journal Die Neue Zeit in 1883, and served as its editor until 1917.  A political leader of the Social Democrats in Germany (legalized 1890), Karl Kautsky (with the assistance of Eduard Bernstein)  drafted the party's Marxist-oriented "Erfurt Program" of 1891. In his 1892 explanation, Kautsky outlined an underconsumptionist theory of crises, explaining how increasing lower wage shares stultified demand and would lead to chronic overproduction, crippling the future of capitalism. 

After Engels's death in 1895, Karl Kautsky took up the orthodox Marxian mantle in responding to challenges both within and without the  Marxian school.   As such, Kautsky was the principal opponent of Eduard Bernstein during the "revisionist" debate over the theory of crises (1899). Kautsky was also a protagonist during the Socialist Calculation debate (1907), as well as an arbitrator during the intra-Marxian debate on imperialism.

Kautsky's main individual contribution was the extension of Marx's theory to agriculture (1899) - which provoked a sharp response by Otto Bauer.   In his 1901-02 review of Tugan-Baranovsky, Kautsky extended his crisis theory to explain how lack of domestic demand led to the search for foreign markets, an idea later elaborated in Luxemburg's theory of imperialism.  He remained critical of the revisionists in his 1910-11 review of Hilferding, but began to cede ground in his 1914 article on imperialism and by 1927, effectively accepted that crisis was not inevitable.

Kautsky was the compiler and editor of Karl Marx's Theories of Surplus Value (1905-10). Kautsky denounced both Germany's aggression in World War I as well as the conduct of Russian Bolshevists after the 1917 Revolution.

 

  

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Major works of Karl Kautsky

  • Der Einfluss der Volksvermehrung auf den Fortschritt der Gesellschaft, 1880 [bk]
  • "Tongking", 1884, Neue Zeit. p.156
  • "Das 'Kapital' von Rodbertus", 1884, Die Neue Zeit, v.2, Pt. 1 (p.337), Pt. 2  (p.385)
  • "Eine Replik" (to C.A. Schramm), 1884, Die Neue Zeit, v.2, p.494
  • "Schlusswort" (to C.A. Schramm), 1885, Die Neue Zeit, v.3,  p.224
  • "'Das Elend der Philosophie' und 'Das Kapital'", 1886, Die Neue Zeit, v.4, p.7, p.49, p.117, p.157
  • "Aus dem Nachslass von Rodbertus", 1886,  Die Neue Zeit, v.4, p.258
  • Karl Marx's oekonomische Lehren, 1887 [bk] [1893 ed, 1903 rev ed, 1912 ed. av] [English trans: Economic Doctrines of Karl Marx] [mia]
  • "Friedrich Engels, sein Leben, sein Wirken seine Schriften", by Karl Kautsky, 1887, Oesterreich Arbeitskalender, [1888 bk] [1908 2nd ed; av] [English trans: "Frederick Engels: His Life, His Work and His Writings", mia]
  • Thomas More und seine Utopie, 1888 [bk], [English trans. "Thomas More and His Utopia", mia]
  • "Die Klassengegensätze von 1789 zum hundert-jährigen Gedenktag der grossen Revolution", 1889, Die Neue Zeit, (v.7), p.1, p.49, p.97, p.145 [offprint]
  • Das Erfurter Programm in seinem grundsätzlichen Theil, 1892 [bk] [1899 ed; 1908 ed] [English trans. Class Struggle (the Erfurt Program), av, mia]
  • Der Parlamentarismus, die Volksgesetzgebung: und die Socialdemokratie, 1893 [bk] [French trans]
  • "Darwinismus und Marxismus" 1894-95, Die Neue Zeit (v.13.1), p.709
  • "Die Intelligenz und die Sozialdemokratie", 1894-95 Die Neue Zeit  (v.13.2), Pt. 1 (p.10), Pt. 2 (p.43), Pt. 3  p.74)
  • "Unsere amerikanischen Berichte von F. A. Sorge", 1894-95 Die Neue Zeit (v.13.2), p.183 [English trans." Our American Reports by F.A. Sorge", mia]
  • "Unser neustes Programm", 1894-95 Die Neue Zeit  (v.13.2), p.557
  • "Finis Poloniae?", 1895-96, Die Neue Zeit (14.2), p.484, p.513
  • Die Vorläufer des neueren Sozialismus, 1895, v.1.1 (Von Plato bis zu den Wiedertäufern), v.1.2  (von Thomas More bis zum Vorabend der französischen Revolution)
  • Exchange on Historical Materialism: Debate with Ernest Belfort Bax" (1896-97, Die Neue Zeit)  [English trans. Social Democrat, mia]
    • Belfort-Bax: "Die materialistische Geschichtsauffassung", Die Zeit (July 11, 1896) [mia]
    • Belfort-Bax: "Synthetische contra neu-marxistische Geschichtsauffassung", 1896-97, Die Neue Zeit, (v.15.1), p.171 [English trans: "The Synthetic or Neo-Marxist interpretation of History", mia]
    • Kautsky: "Was will und kann die materialistische Geschichtsauffassung leisten" 1896-97, Die Neue Zeit, (v.15.1), Pt.1 (p.213, mia), Pt. 2 (p.228, mia), Pt. 3 (p.260, mia) [English trans: "The Aims and Limitations of the Materialist Conception of History", mia]
    • Belfort-Bax:  "Die Grenzen der materialistische Geschichtsauffassung", (v.15.1) p.676
  • Communism in Central Europe in the time of the Reformation, 1897 [av; mia] [English trans. of extract from 1895]
  • "Friedrich Engels und der Milizsystem", 1898/99, Neue Zeit, (v.17.1) p.335
  • Die Agrarfrage, 1899 [av] [English trans. The Agrarian Question].
  • "Zwei kritiker meiner Agrarfrage", 1899-00, Die Neue Zeit, (v.18.1)  p.292, p.338, p.363, p.428
  • "Zum Parteitag von Hannover", 1899-00, Die Neue Zeit, (v.18.1) Pt. 1 ( p.11), Pt. 2 (p.100),  [English trans. The Hanover Congress, mia]
  • "Bernstein und die Bebelsche Resolution", 1899-00, Die Neue Zeit, (v.18.1), p.682
  • Bernstein und das sozialdemokratische Programm: eine Antikritik, 1899 [bk] [2012 ed, av] [English trans: "Bernstein and the Social Democratic Program"  ]
  • "Autobiographical Sketch" wr. 1899/1900 [English trans. pub. Social Democrat, 1902 [mia]
  • "Deutschland, England und die Weltpolitik", 1900 Vorwärts (May 8th & 10th) [English trans. "Germany, England and World Policy", mia]
  • "Die Aussichten des Arbeiterschutzes", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit, (v.19.1), p.8
  • "Klassenkampf und Ethik", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit, (v.19.1), p.233 [English trans. "Class War and Ethics", mia]
  • "Nochmals Klassenkampf und Ethik", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit, (v.19.1), p.468
  • "Trade Unions and Socialism", 1901, Intl Socialist Review [mia]
  • "Tolstoi und Brentano", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit (v.19.2), p.20
  • "Akademiker und Proletarier", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit,  (v.19.2), p.89
  • "Machiavelli die Jüngerer", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit (v.19.2), p.243
  • "Bernsteins alte Artikel und neue Schmerzen", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit (v.19.2), p.274 [English trans. "Bernstein’s old articles and new afflictions" mia]
  • "Problematischer. gegen. wissenschaftlichen. Sozialismus", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit (v.19.2),  p.355
  • "Die Seeschlange", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit (v.19.2), p.468,
  • "Bürgermeister und Minister", 1900-01, Die Neue Zeit (v.19.2),   p.794
  • "Die Revision des Programmes der Sozialdemokratie in Oesterreich", 1901-02, Die Neue Zeit. (v.20.1) , p.68
  • "Krisentheorie", 1901-02, Die Neue Zeit. (v.20.2)   Pt. 1 (p.37 Pt.2 (p.110), Pt. 3 (p.133)
  • "Bauernagitation in Amerika", 1901-02, Die Neue Zeit (v.20.2), p.453 [English trans. "Socialist Agitation Among Farmers in America", mia]
  • "Der Münchener Parteitag", 1901-02, Die Neue Zeit (v.20.2) p.804
  • "The Two Tendencies", 1902, Intl Socialist Review [mia]
  • Die soziale Revolution, 1902, v.1, v.2  [av] [English trans. The Social Revolution, mia; or The Social Revolution and On the Morrow of the Social Revolution, 1903. [av]]
  • "A.R.J. Turgot, Betrachtungen über die Bildung und Verteilung der Reichtümer", 1903-04,  Die Neue Zeit (v.22.1)  p.380
  • "Schmoller über den fortschritt der Arbeiterklasse"  , 1903-04,  Die Neue Zeit (v.22.2), p.228
  • "Franz Mehring", 1903-04,  Die Neue Zeit (v.22.1), p.97  [Partial English trans: "The Intellectuals and the Workers", mia]
  • "Clericalism and the Socialist Attitude Thereto: A Symposium", 1903/04, Social Democrat [mia]
  • "On the Problems of the Jewish Proletariat in England", 1904, New Times [mia]
  • "Wie weit ist das Kommunistische Manifest veraltet?" 1904, Leipziger Volkszeitung, 1904, [English trans. "To What Extent is the Communist Manifesto Obsolete?", 1905, Social Democrat, mia]
  • "Letter: Wardour Street Economics",  1904, Justice [mia]
  • "Brentanos Preisrätsel für Marxisten", 1904-5, Neue Zeit, (v.23.1), p.714
  • "Die Differenzen unter den russischen Sozialisten" 1904-5, Neue Zeit, (v.23.2), p.68 [English trans. "Differences among Russian Socialists", mia]
  • Ethik und materialistische Geschichtsauffassung, 1906 [1910 ed av] [English trans. Ethics and the Materialist Conception of History, av, mia]
  • "Revolutions, Past and Present", 1906, Intl Socialist Review [mia]
  • "On socialism and trade unionism", 1906, Socialist Standard  [mia]
  • "Triebkräfte und Aussichten der russischen Revolution", 1906-07, Die Neue Zeit (v.25.1), p.284, p.324
  • "Anglo-German relations", 1907, Social Democrat [mia]
  • Patriotismus und Sozialdemokratie, 1907 [bk]
  • Sozialismus und Kolonialpolitik: eine Auseinandersetzung, 1907 [bk, av] [1967 ed at mia: pdf] [English trans. Socialism and Colonial Policy, mia]
  • Die historische Leistung von Karl Marx: zum 25. Todestage des Meisters, 1908 [mia] [1919 2nd ed, av]
  • Der Ursprung des Christentums: eine historische Untersuchung, 1908 [bk] [English trans. Foundations of Christianity, mia]
  • Die Klassengegensätze im Zeitalter der französischen Revolution, [1908 ed]
  •  "Practical Work in Parliament", 1908, Int Ssocialist Rev [mia]
  • "Must the Proletariat Degenerate?", 1909, Int Socialist Rev [mia]
  • Der Weg zur Macht: Politische Betrachtungen über das Hineinwachsen in die Revolution, 1909 [mia]. [English trans: The Road to Power, bk, mia]
  • "Finanzkapital und Krisen", 1910-11, Die Neue Zeit, (v.29.1) p.764, p.797, p.838, p.874 [mia: pdf][English trans. "Finance Capital and Crises", mia]
  • "Die Aktion der Masse", 1911-12,  Die Neue Zeit, (v.30.1), p.43, p.77, p.106
  • "Der Imperialismus", 1914, Die Neue Zeit, (v.32.2), p.908 [mia: pdf]
  • Rasse and Judentum, 1914 [English trans. Are the Jews a Race?, mia]
  • Sozialdemokratische Bemerkungen zur Uebergangswirtschaft, 1918 [av]
  • Demokratie oder Diktatur, 1918 [av]
  • The Dictatorship of the Proletariat, 1918.  [av]
  • Terrorism and Communism, 1919.
  • Die Sozialisierung der Landwirtschaft, 1921  [av]
  • Die proletarische Revolution und ihr Programm, 1922 [av]
  • "Epitaph of Lenin", 1924, Izvestia
  • Die Materialistische Geschichtsanffassung, 1927.
  • "Hitlerism and Social-Democracy", 1934, in Shaplen and Shub, editors, Socialism, Fascism, Communism 
  • "Marxism and Bolshevism -- Democracy and Dictatorship", 1934, in Shaplen and Shub, editors, Socialism, Fascism, Communism
HET

 
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Resources on Karl Kautsky

 

 
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