Lenin’s Democracy Theories by Joe Pateman: A Decent Doctoral Thesis
A Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Politics Department of Politics and International Relations within the University of Nottingham in June 2021
Abstract
This thesis explores the meaning and significance of ‘democracy’ in the political thought of Lenin, the founder of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the leader of the world’s first socialist state. Lenin’s views on democracy have significantly influenced communist politics and Marxist democratic theory. As such, it is important to establish precisely what he said on the subject. This thesis contributes to the literature by offering a more focused, systematic and complete analysis of Lenin’s pronouncements on democracy. It provides a fresh reading of the voluminous source material, whilst engaging with what the secondary literature has said as well. This thesis argues that Lenin should be recognised as a democratic theorist. Besides being committed to Marxism and the emancipation of the working class, Lenin is also concerned with the nature and value of democracy, including the theoretical and practical debates surrounding these issues. Lenin’s views on democracy have been routinely misunderstood and caricatured. Lenin offers a more coherent, sophisticated, complex, and original perspective than is typically thought. To begin with, Lenin provides an insightful interpretation of the concept of democracy itself. Lenin highlights its class essence. Democracy for him expresses the rule of a definite class. From this proposition Lenin derives several theses. First, democracy is a political means of class struggle, and it cannot resolve that struggle. Democracy, as a part of the political superstructure, is reflective of and determined by the economic base of society. Second, democracy for one class means dictatorship for another. These phenomena are in dialectical unity, not opposition. Third, democracy precludes freedom. It cannot ‘free’ everyone, precisely because it is a form of class rule. These claims express Lenin’s view that democracy is a paradoxical concept, one containing inherent contradictions. Lenin’s class-based perspective provides a unique lens through which to conceptualise democracy more critically. Lenin also offers a provocative critique of liberal democracy, or what he calls ‘bourgeois’ democracy. Lenin’s critique amounts to three core claims. First, liberal democracy leaves the economic sphere, a crucial zone of political power, in the hands of the unaccountable bourgeoisie. Second, democratic rights are restricted by private property ownership and are therefore used to cement bourgeois domination. Third, the liberal state privileges the power of a wealthy propertied oligarchic elite, whilst effectively barring the working class from politics. Lenin’s critique builds upon the ideas of Marx and Engels, though it is not a simple rehash. He provides an original examination of democracy under imperialism; and avoids some of the more controversial aspects of Marx and Engels’ critique, specifically their principled rejection of individual rights. Last but not least, Lenin offers a bold vision of socialist democracy, or what he calls ‘proletarian’ democracy. The distinctive feature of his conception is the leading role of the Communist Party, the chief organ of the working class. Socialist democracy provides a range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural freedoms. The masses participate in the daily administration of the state. Political organs operate in accordance with democratic centralism. Democracy extends into the economy, as the workers manage their enterprises in accordance with a state economic plan. Lenin’s vision features a tension between top-down control and bottom-up spontaneity. Lenin inadequately addresses issues relevant to democratisation, such as the power and role of the Party, the protection of democratic rights, the balance between economic planning and workers’ management, the autonomy of social and state organisations, and the contradiction between centralism and democracy. Nevertheless, Lenin’s conception is flexible. It encourages a range of interpretations and applications.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my two supervisors, Tony Burns and Ben Holland, for all their help in reading over countless drafts of the manuscript and offering brilliant guidance during the four years in took to complete the project. I would also like to thank my mum and dad for giving me the crucial financial and moral support that enabled me to do the PhD in the first place. Finally, I would like to thank my partner Louise, for helping me to enjoy the good times and fight through the bad.
Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Why Study Lenin’s Views on Democracy Today?………………………………………………………………. 1
Argument……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Chapter Structure………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
A Note on Sources and Methodology…………………………………………………………………………….. 22
Chapter 1: Lenin’s Interpretation of Democracy……………………… 25
- The Concept of Democracy………………………………………………………………. 25
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
- Democracy as a Political Form of Struggle…………………………………………. 48
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 56
- Democracy and Dictatorship……………………………………………………………. 62
The Characteristic Features of Dictatorship……………………………………………………………………. 67
Reflections…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 80
- Democracy and Freedom…………………………………………………………………. 86
The Difference Between Democracy and Freedom………………………………………………………….. 86
The Contradiction Between Democracy and Freedom……………………………………………………… 91
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 97
Concluding Remarks…………………………………………………………………………….. 99
Chapter 2. Lenin’s Critique of Liberal Democracy………………….. 101
- The State and Economy………………………………………………………………….. 105
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 109
- The ‘Rights of Man’………………………………………………………………………… 119
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 124
- The State……………………………………………………………………………………… 130
The Reductionist Model………………………………………………………………………………………………. 131
The Relative Autonomy Model…………………………………………………………………………………….. 143
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 150
Concluding Remarks……………………………………………………………………………. 163
Chapter 3. On Socialist Democracy……………………………………… 166
- The Leading Role of the Communist Party…………………………………………. 175
The Party and the Masses……………………………………………………………………………………………. 178
Party Democracy……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 183
Reflections…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 191
- The Working-Class Character of Socialist Democracy………………………… 202
The Working-Class Composition of the State……………………………………………………………….. 205
The Workers’ Policy of the Socialist State……………………………………………………………………… 211
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 216
- Socialist Democratic Rights……………………………………………………………. 219
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 225
- Mass Democracy…………………………………………………………………………… 229
The State System……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 233
Mass Organisations……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 247
The Limitations of Mass Democracy……………………………………………………………………………..253
Opposing Bureaucracy…………………………………………………………………………………………………255
Reflections…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………260
- Democratic Centralism……………………………………………………………………272
Reflections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….279
- Economic Democracy……………………………………………………………………..281
Workers’ Management………………………………………………………………………………………………..283
Democratic Planning…………………………………………………………………………………………………..293
Reflections…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………298
Concluding remarks……………………………………………………………………………..302
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………….305
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………….319
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………….323
Introduction
Why Study Lenin’s Views on Democracy Today? What is the meaning and significance of ‘democracy’ in the political thought of V. I. Lenin, the founder of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the leader of the world’s first socialist state?
That is the central research question of this thesis.
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