A Reconsideration of the Contemporary Value of Rosa Luxemburg’s Thought on Political Party Organizational Construction

The proletarian revolutionary Lenin once praised Rosa Luxemburg (hereinafter “Luxemburg”) as “always an eagle.” Although Luxemburg’s life was brief, she left behind a precious intellectual legacy. In the course of her long engagement in party practice, Luxemburg developed an understanding of the organizational construction of the proletarian party.

无产阶级革命家列宁曾称赞罗莎·卢森堡（以下简称“卢森堡”）“始终是一只鹰”。卢森堡的一生虽然短暂，但却留下了宝贵的思想财富。在长期从事政党实践的过程中，卢森堡形成了关于无产阶级政党组织建设的认识。

A Path of Dual Exploration in Theory and Practice

理论与实践的双重探索之路

The activities of the proletarian parties in Russia and Germany profoundly influenced Luxemburg’s cognition of party building. At the Second Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party held in 1903, a major divergence emerged within the party over the principles of party organizational construction, leading to the formal split of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. In *One Step Forward, Two Steps Back*, Lenin proposed that Russia should implement new principles of party organization. Luxemburg, who was constantly attentive to the development of the Russian proletarian party, wrote the article “The Organizational Question of Russian Social Democracy” to expound her views on the principles of party organizational construction after seeing the organizational principles Lenin had proposed. Luxemburg criticized the organizational principles put forward by Lenin and pointed out that “self-centralism” was the correct principle of party organizational construction. At the same time, major divergences also emerged within her own party, the German Social Democratic Party, mainly manifested in the impact of Bernstein and others on the guiding Marxist ideology within the German Social Democratic Party, leading to the prevalence of opportunist ideas within the party. Thus, Luxemburg’s firsthand experience of party activities strengthened her conviction to continuously reflect on the thought of party organizational construction.

俄国与德国的无产阶级政党活动深刻影响了卢森堡对政党建设的认知。在1903年俄国社会民主工党召开的第二次代表大会上，党内部关于建党组织原则问题发生巨大分歧，俄国社会民主工党正式分裂。列宁在《进一步，退两步》中提出，俄国要实行新的政党组织原则。时刻关注俄国无产阶级政党发展的卢森堡在看到列宁所提出的建党组织原则后，撰写了《俄国社会民主党的组织问题》一文来论述关于建党组织原则的看法。卢森堡对列宁所提出的组织原则进行了批评，并指出了“自我集中制”才是正确的建党组织原则。与此同时，她所在的德国社会民主党内部也出现了重大的分歧，主要表现在德国社会民主党内部的马克思主义指导思想受到了伯恩施坦等人的冲击，党内机会主义思想盛行。由此，卢森堡亲历的政党活动坚定了她不断思考政党组织建设思想的信念。

Luxemburg’s judgments on the thought of party organizational construction were not confined to the theoretical level; they were also formed through her accumulated experience in party practice. Starting from middle school, Luxemburg actively participated in socialist group activities and engaged in party propaganda work. In particular, after the founding of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, Luxemburg became one of the party’s main leaders. As the party’s theoretical leader, she served as editor-in-chief and key contributor to the party’s organ, *Sprawa Robotnicza* (The Workers’ Cause). After graduating from university, Luxemburg joined the German Social Democratic Party. At the moment when revisionist currents emerged within the party, she stood at the forefront of criticizing Bernsteinism. After the outbreak of World War I, the German Social Democratic Party betrayed socialism and proletarian internationalism. Luxemburg decided to establish a left-wing organization. In December 1918, Luxemburg participated in the founding congress of the Communist Party of Germany as one of its founders and leaders. Her rich experience in party activities laid the practical foundation for the formation of Luxemburg’s thought on party organizational construction.

卢森堡关于政党组织建设思想的论断并非单纯停留在理论层面，同样形成于日积月累的政党实践经历之中。从中学开始，卢森堡便积极参加社会主义小组活动，参与党内宣传工作。特别是在波兰王国社会民主党成立后，卢森堡成为党内的主要领导人之一。作为党的理论领袖，担任党的机关报《工人事业》报的主编和重要撰稿人。在大学毕业后，卢森堡加入了德国社会民主党。在党内修正主义思潮涌现的时刻，她站在了批判伯恩施坦主义思潮的最前沿。一战爆发后，德国社会民主党背叛了社会主义和无产阶级国际主义。卢森堡决定筹建左派组织。1918年12月卢森堡作为德国共产党的创建人和领袖之一参与了党的成立大会。丰富的政党活动经历为卢森堡政党组织建设思想的形成奠定了实践基础。

Emphasis on the Formulation of Organizational Principles

重视组织原则的制定

In 1904, in response to Lenin’s proposed principle of centralism within the party, Luxemburg specifically wrote an article titled “The Organizational Question of Russian Social Democracy.” In this article, Luxemburg emphasized that the proletarian party must attach importance to organizational construction, especially the formulation of organizational principles.

1904年卢森堡针对列宁提出的党内集中主义组织原则，专门撰写了一篇题为《俄国社会民主党的组织问题》的文章。在这篇文章中，卢森堡强调无产阶级政党需要重视组织建设，特别是组织原则的制定。

In her debate with Lenin over the principles of party organizational construction, Luxemburg formed the organizational principle of “self-centralism.” Fundamentally, there was no fundamental disagreement between Luxemburg and Lenin on the principles of party organizational construction. Their main divergence centered on the degree and content of centralism. Luxemburg advocated for the implementation of centralism within the party while simultaneously realizing the democracy of the majority, that is, concentrating the opinions of the majority in the party’s decision-making process. At the same time, Luxemburg placed greater emphasis on the close connection between the party and the masses. The activities of the proletarian party need to unite the masses to carry out revolutionary struggle and must fully mobilize the organic link between the party and the masses. Democracy creates various political forms (autonomy, suffrage, etc.), which can serve as a springboard and support point for the proletariat when it transforms capitalist society. In democracy, in the struggle for democracy, and in the exercise of democratic rights, the proletariat becomes aware of its class interests and its historical mission. At the same time, only by implementing extensive democracy within the party can bureaucratism and corruption within the party be effectively prevented.

卢森堡在与列宁关于建党组织原则的争论中，形成了“自我集中制”的组织原则。从根本上来讲，卢森堡与列宁在建党组织原则上并没有根本的分歧。两人主要的分歧集中在关于集中的程度和内容方面。卢森堡主张在党内实行集中制的同时要实现大多数人的民主，即要在党进行决策的过程中集中多数人的意见。同时，卢森堡更加注重党同人民群众的密切联系。无产阶级政党活动需要联合人民群众开展革命斗争，要充分调动政党与人民群众的有机联系。民主制创立了各种政治形式（自治、选举权等），在无产阶级改造资本主义社会时，可以给它充当跳板和支撑点。无产阶级在民主制中，在为民主制而斗争中，在运用民主权利中，意识到自己的阶级利益和自己的历史使命。同时，只有在党内实行广泛的民主，才能够有效地防治党内出现的官僚主义和腐败现象。

Correctly handling the relationship between the center and the grassroots is another important element of Luxemburg’s organizational construction. In the article “The Organizational Question of Russian Social Democracy,” Luxemburg deeply analyzed the principles of party organizational construction proposed by Lenin. Luxemburg believed that Lenin’s direction of strengthening centralism within the party was correct, but his understanding of the relationship between the center and grassroots organizations was somewhat biased. Luxemburg argued that in the process of building the proletarian party, the center should grant grassroots organizations relatively flexible operational powers to ensure the smooth unfolding of the proletarian revolution. “If the tactics of Social Democracy are formulated not by the Central Committee, but by the entire party, or more precisely, by the entire movement, then the party organizations at all levels obviously need freedom of action to independently promote the use of all means provided by the current situation to strengthen the struggle and unleash revolutionary initiative.” Luxemburg believed that granting local party organizations corresponding freedom of action did not mean abandoning centralism, nor did it mean moving toward complete decentralization. In Luxemburg’s view, the freedom of action of grassroots organizations could enhance the vitality of proletarian revolutionary activities, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the proletarian revolution.

正确处理中央与基层的关系，是卢森堡组织建设的另一项重要内容。在《俄国社会民主党的组织问题》一文中，卢森堡深刻分析了列宁提出的建党组织原则。卢森堡认为，列宁所提出的增强党内集中主义的方向是对的，但是在认识中央与基层组织的关系问题上有失偏颇。卢森堡认为，无产阶级政党建设过程中，中央应赋予基层组织相对灵活的行动权力，以保证无产阶级革命的顺利展开。“如果社会民主党的策略不是由中央委员会，而是由全党，更确切些说，是由整个运动制定的，那么党的各级组织显然就需要有行动自由，以便单独促使充分利用当时的形势所提供的一切手段来加强斗争和发挥革命的首创精神。”卢森堡认为给予地方党组织相应的行动自由并不是放弃集中主义，也并没有说使其完全走向分散主义。在卢森堡看来，基层组织的行动自由能够增强无产阶级革命活动的活力，从而提高无产阶级革命的有效性。

Luxemburg also recognized the importance of the parliamentary caucus for party building. Since its founding, the German Social Democratic Party had actively participated in Germany’s parliamentary activities, and the German Social Democratic Party established an independent parliamentary caucus in the Reichstag. When discussing the issue of organizational construction, Luxemburg also had clear views on the question of the parliamentary caucus.

卢森堡同样认识到国会党团对于政党建设的重要性。德国社会民主党自成立以来便积极参与德国的议会活动，德国社会民主党在帝国议会中成立了独立的国会党团。卢森堡在探讨组织建设的问题时，对国会党团问题也有明确的主张。

On the one hand, as the political representative of the proletarian party, the public actions and statements of the parliamentary caucus represent the party’s political stance and interests. At the same time, the words and deeds of the parliamentary caucus in parliamentary activities will, in turn, further influence the party’s policies and guidelines. Luxemburg believed that “the parliamentary caucus engaged in parliamentary activities determines the fate and tasks of the party ideologically and tactically.” “When it comes to questions of party principle or important tactical issues, the Social Democratic caucus has neither the necessity nor the reason to treat the results of its discussions as a private matter.” Because the discussions of the parliamentary caucus are not only a task of parliamentary activity itself but also represent the developmental aspirations of the entire proletarian party.

一方面，作为无产阶级政党的政治代表，国会党团公开的行动和言论都代表着党的政治立场和利益诉求。同时，国会党团在议会活动中的言行反过来也会进一步影响党的政策方针。卢森堡认为，“从事议会活动的国会党团在思想上和策略上决定党的命运和任务”。在“涉及到党的原则问题或者重要的策略问题，社会民主党的党团既无必要，也无理由把它们讨论的结果看作是私人的事情”。因为，国会党团的谈论不仅是议会活动本身的任务，更代表着整个无产阶级政党的发展诉求。

On the other hand, the parliamentary caucus is also the spokesperson for the interests of the masses. Luxemburg recognized the characteristic of the German Social Democratic Party’s parliamentary caucus as being of the people. Therefore, she strongly emphasized that the parliamentary caucus should maintain close ties with the masses, a measure precisely aimed at preventing the emergence of opportunist currents within the caucus. Luxemburg believed that only by fully exploiting the superiority of the parliamentary caucus could it be transformed into “the spokesperson and megaphone of nationwide mass agitation.” From Luxemburg’s positioning of the parliamentary caucus, it is evident that waging the proletarian struggle in Germany also required the support and coordination of the parliamentary caucus.

另一方面，国会党团也是群众利益的代言人。卢森堡认识到了德国社会民主党国会党团人民性的特点。因此，她十分强调国会党团同人民群众应该保持密切联系，此举更是为了防止党团内部出现机会主义思潮。卢森堡认为，只有充分发挥国会党团的优越性，才能将国会党团变为“全国性群众鼓动的代言人和传声筒”。透过卢森堡对国会党团的定位足以看出，在德国进行无产阶级斗争同样需要国会党团的支持与配合。

Ensuring the Correctness of Organizational Principles

确保组织原则的正确性

On the issue of party organizational construction, Luxemburg placed greater emphasis on the guidance of the organizational spirit. In the process of building the proletarian party, no form of organization can be established without flaws; the prerequisite is to ensure the correctness of the organizational principles.

在党的组织建设问题上，卢森堡更加注重的是组织精神的引领。在无产阶级政党建设过程中，任何组织形式的建立都不可能毫无瑕疵，前提是要确保组织原则的正确性。

First, “self-centralism” enriches democratic centralism. Luxemburg’s thought of “self-centralism” not only advocates strengthening centralism within the party but also pays attention to the significance of majority democracy. Luxemburg’s ability to foresee the importance of correctly handling the relationship between democracy and centralism in the process of understanding the relationship between democracy and centralism is inseparable from her long-term life in the Western European social environment. The outstanding contribution of the thought of “self-centralism” lies in the fact that she recognized the importance of correctly handling the relationship between democracy and centralism earlier than Lenin.

其一，“自我集中制”对民主集中制的丰富。卢森堡提出的“自我集中制”思想不仅主张加强党内集中主义，同时也关注到多数人民主的重要意义。卢森堡在认识民主与集中的关系过程中能够未雨绸缪，与她长期生活在西欧社会环境之下密不可分。“自我集中制”思想的突出贡献在于，她早于列宁认识到了正确处理好民主与集中关系的重要性。

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has adhered to the organizational principle of democratic centralism. The relationship between democracy and centralism should be one of mutual complementarity and mutual promotion: centralism on the basis of democracy, and democracy under the guidance of centralism. Practicing democratic centralism can both guarantee intra-Party democracy, strengthen intra-Party oversight, and enhance the Party’s capacity for self-purification, while simultaneously unifying intra-Party thought and concentrating forces to accomplish major tasks, thereby manifesting the superiority of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the process of Party building, the CPC has continuously explored scientific methods for implementing democratic centralism. To regulate the implementation of democratic centralism at the institutional level, the formulation and promulgation of the *Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Requesting Instructions and Reporting on Major Matters* [1]1 The *Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Requesting Instructions and Reporting on Major Matters* is an intra-Party regulation issued by the CPC Central Committee in 2019, designed to standardize the procedures by which lower-level Party organizations report major issues to higher-level organizations, thereby strengthening democratic centralism and the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. is an important measure for implementing democratic centralism. The Party’s regulation of this matter in the form of regulations is not only necessary for strictly enforcing intra-Party political discipline, organizational discipline, and work discipline, but is also an important measure for ensuring the smooth flow of policies and decrees and for safeguarding the authority of the Party Central Committee.

中国共产党自成立以来，坚持实行民主集中制的组织原则。民主与集中二者的关系应该是相辅相成、相互促进的，在民主基础上的集中，在集中指导下的民主。实行民主集中制既能够保障党内民主，增强党内监督，提高党自我净化的能力，同时又能够统一党内思想，集中力量办大事，彰显中国特色社会主义的优越性。中国共产党在进行政党建设的过程中，不断探索贯彻民主集中制的科学方法。从制度层面来规范民主集中制的贯彻落实，《中国共产党重大事项请示报告条例》的制定出台便是贯彻民主集中制的重要举措。党内以条例形式对此问题进行规定，不仅是严肃党内政治纪律、组织纪律和工作纪律的需要，同时也是保证政令畅通，维护党中央权威的重要举措。

Second, the guiding principle of intra-Party organizational building is people-centered. The mass conception of history is one of the core ideas of Marxist theory. Marx and Engels highly evaluated the role of the masses, pointing out that “history is the activity of the masses, and as historical activity deepens, the ranks of the masses will inevitably expand.” [2]2 This quotation is from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *The Holy Family* (1845), where they critique Bruno Bauer’s idealist view of history and affirm the role of the masses as the true agents of historical change. Deeply influenced by Marxist theory, Luxemburg fully valued the power of the masses. In discussing the issue of a party’s organizational principles, Luxemburg consistently emphasized the importance of the masses.

其二，党内组织建设的方针是以人民为中心。群众史观是马克思主义理论的核心思想之一。马克思恩格斯曾高度评价群众的作用，指出“历史活动是群众的活动，随着历史活动的深入，必将是群众队伍的扩大”。深受马克思主义理论的影响，卢森堡充分重视人民群众的力量。在讨论政党的组织原则问题上，卢森堡始终强调群众的重要性。

The masses, as the social force upon which the CPC has long relied, have participated in and made indelible contributions at every stage of China’s revolution, construction, and reform. For example, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, when Mao Zedong considered leadership methods, he took the combination of leadership with the masses as one of the important leadership methods. “In all the practical work of our Party, all correct leadership must be ‘from the masses, to the masses.’” [3]3 This quotation is from Mao Zedong’s 1943 directive “Some Questions Concerning Methods of Leadership,” which formulates the mass line as a fundamental working method of the CPC, emphasizing that correct leadership must gather the scattered opinions of the masses and then return them to the masses for implementation.

人民群众作为中国共产党长期依赖的社会力量，在我国革命、建设和改革的各个阶段，都参与其中并作出了不可磨灭的贡献。例如，抗日战争时期，毛泽东在思考领导方法时，便将领导与群众相结合作为重要的领导方法之一。“在我党的一切实际工作中，凡属正确的领导，必须是从群众中来，到群众中去。”

Third, intra-Party organizational building must establish the ideal and conviction of Marxism. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, new changes in the world economy and politics prompted Marxists to begin rethinking the applicability of Marxist theory to reality. During her university years, Luxemburg was deeply influenced by Marxism. By studying the theories of philosophy and political economy, she continuously reflected on the new changes in capitalism and the question of the applicability of Marxist theory, insisting on taking Marxist thought as the guiding ideology of the proletarian party.

其三，党内组织建设要确立马克思主义理想信念。19世纪末20世纪初，世界经济政治出现的新变化，促使马克思主义者开始重新反思马克思主义理论对现实的适用性。在大学期间卢森堡便深受马克思主义的熏陶，通过学习哲学与政治经济学理论，不断思考资本主义出现的新变化同马克思主义理论的适用性问题，坚持将马克思主义思想作为无产阶级政党的指导思想。

Examining Luxemburg’s thought on organizational building from a developmental perspective, one must not only see the theoretical foresight but also recognize the limitations of her thought from the social and historical background. In terms of organizational building thought, the limitations Luxemburg displayed mainly lie in her neglect of the differences in national conditions between Russia and Western Europe, her neglect of the historical limitations of the masses’ situation, and the operability of party practice. It can be said that Luxemburg spent her entire life rushing along the path to realizing communism and sacrificed her precious life for it. She used her personal actions to practice her lofty faith in Marxism.

从发展的角度审视卢森堡的组织建设思想，不仅要看到理论的预见性，同样也应从社会历史背景出发认清思想的局限性。在组织建设思想方面，卢森堡所表现的局限性主要在于忽略了俄国与西欧在国情上的差异性、忽略了群众所处历史的局限性和政党实践的可操作性。可以说，卢森堡一生都奔波在实现共产主义的道路上，并且献出了宝贵的生命，她用个人行动践行了对马克思主义的崇高信仰。

For a party today, if it wants to maintain lasting vitality and vigor, the most important thing is to constantly pay attention to its own organizational building, and to always treat the party’s own organizational building as a long-term task to be persistently pursued without slackening. A party, a party with ideals and convictions, must proceed from its own nature and convictions, improve its various constructions in step with the times, in order to maintain vitality and strong combat effectiveness, and to achieve victory in practical struggles.

而对于今天的政党而言，要想始终保持生机与活力，最为重要的就是要时刻关注自身组织建设，要始终把政党自身的组织建设作为长期的工作任务常抓不懈。一个政党，一个有理想、有信念的政党，必须从自身性质和信念出发，与时俱进地完善政党的各项建设，才能保持活力和强大战斗力，才能在现实斗争中取得胜利。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗