This study deals with Lenin's theory of party organization which was used as the instrument of revolution in Russian Revolution. First, Lenin's concept of Party can be defined as revolutionary organization which guide the class as a vanguard of Prolet...
This study deals with Lenin's theory of party organization which was used as the instrument of revolution in Russian Revolution. First, Lenin's concept of Party can be defined as revolutionary organization which guide the class as a vanguard of Proletariat.
In historical, theoretical Perspective, Lenin's theory of Party organization was traditionally influenced by Marx's theory and Russian Intelligentsia's thought.
Marx was concerned with the role of proletariat more than that of Party in the revolution and emphasized on the spontaneity of movement of social democracy.
In contrast, Russian Intelligentsia considered the Party as the organization of Professional Revolutionaries and stressed the importance of Party in the Social Revolution.
In this point, Lenin's theory of Party organization was affected by the traditional thought of Russia more than Marx as Berdyaev put it.
In its early stages, Lenin's theory of organization was characterized by secret organization and especially the politi-cal newspaper played an important role as a base of party organization.
To put it concrete, the party was composed entirely of Pro-fessional Revolutionaries and was operated by central principle (Centralism).
But, Central principle of organization was considerably changed after 1905 Revolution. In other word, Lenin converted his organizational principle from Centralism to Democratic Centralism in Fourth Party Congress (1906).
Lenin understand that concept of Democratic Centralism simultaneously contain democratic principle and central principle in party organization.
Most of all, Democratic principles implies that whole partizan has a right to participate in process of party policy and in this process, Party grants partizan to have freedom to criticise it. Central principle signifies that the conclusions of central committe have much a control over whole partizan. If there was a agreement about party policy, party can request partizan to conform to unity of action. After all, the concept of Democratic Centralism is dialectically unified by 'Freedom to criticise' (Democratic factor) and 'the Unity of Action' (central factor). But the most important thing is that two factors of Democratic Centralism is not fixed, but repectively variable with the priority of them according to historical situation (for example, political freedom, relation with other countries etc.)
In the long run, Historical variability is the kernel of a question in Lenin's theory of party organization. After Lenin's death, two factors of Democratic centralism is changing with relative importance of them according to historical environment.