Without a revolutionary party, without a party built on the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary theory and in the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary style, it is impossible to lead the working class and the broad masses of the people in defeating imperialism and its running dogs.
– Mao Tse Tung
Capitalist society shapes not only economic relations but also consciousness. The working class develops a ‘trade union’ consciousness seeking better wages and conditions within the system rather than its abolition. But trade unions and co-operatives alone cannot be enough because these organisations cannot go beyond the limits of capitalism. Marx and Engels saw the need of a working class party to educate and organise to overthrow capitalism and establish socialism. A party is always the political representative of a class and its interests. Without its own party, independent of all bourgeois parties, the working class certainly could not win victory over capitalism, could not lead the whole of society forward to the abolition of capitalism and the establishment of socialism.
A party is the vanguard of a class, and its duty is to lead the masses and not merely to reflect the average political level of the masses.
– V.I. Lenin
Lenin developed this idea of a ‘party of a new type’ to overthrow the capitalist ruling class and put the working class into power, and build socialism. Lenin argued that the working class cannot limit itself to only economic struggle, leaving aside the political struggle, and that they could not achieve emancipation from economic exploitation without a political struggle. He said that without socialist consciousness and revolutionary theory guiding the struggle, the working class would be groping in the dark. He showed that the party must act as the vanguard of the working class, the most conscious section of the working class.
Specific features of a revolutionary party :
- The party must be the advanced detachment of the working class: The party is not a broad, loose party of the entire class, but an ideologically united core that leads the broader working-class movement. The party must consist of the most class-conscious, disciplined, and ideologically developed workers. It educates, organizes, and leads the working class by providing revolutionary theory and strategic direction.
- The party must be the organized detachment of the working class: The Party is not a loose but an organized, centralized organization. The Party must function on the principle of ‘democratic centralism’. This ensures inner-Party democracy in discussion and debate, but centralism in action. The members of the party, while able to debate the party’s general line and determine it democratically, must carry out that line once it is decided. Criticism, self-criticism, and rectification must be practiced by all of the party cadres at all levels to overcome shortcomings. The Party as the highest form of class organisation of the proletariat: The party is one of the organizations of the working class, but not the only one. These other organizations include trade unions, mass organizations, civic and cultural groups, and other parts of the broad united front against capitalism. These are organizations with a broad base of unity organized around immediate demands, particular tasks, campaigns, and struggles. They require less discipline and less unity to participate in than the party itself, and can therefore include a much broader section of the masses. The party leads all other working-class organizations (trade unions, Soviets, co-operatives, etc.) guiding the revolution.
- The Party as an instrument of the dictatorship of the proletariat : Every state is a dictatorship of one class over others. Capitalist society is a democracy for the bourgeoisie, and dictatorship for the rest. Socialist society will be true democracy for the working and oppressed masses- the majority, but it will also exercise dictatorship against the defeated bourgeoisie and their agents who want to restore capitalism. The party must be an instrument both for overthrowing the bourgeoisie and for keeping them from organizing counter-revolution. The dictatorship of the proletariat cannot be exercised by a mass proletarian organization. It can be exercised only by a vanguard that has absorbed the revolutionary experience of the class.
- The Party as the embodiment of unity of will, unity incompatible with the existence of factions: The Party must function as a unified whole, with members bound by strict discipline. Internal factionalism, especially in periods of revolution, is counter-revolutionary. Once a decision is reached and democratically agreed upon, the cadres of the party must do their best to carry it out to the fullest.
- The Party becomes strong by purging itself of opportunist elements: Those who form factions, break the unity of the will of the party, break its discipline, or act as enemy agents, thereby hindering it from carrying on with its work, have to be removed from the ranks of the party membership.
- A revolutionary party must base itself on Marxist-Leninist theory but constantly adapt and refine its line through revolutionary practice. It must express the aspirations of the working class and be rooted in their struggles. It must stay deeply connected to the working class, learn from the masses, and lead them. The revolutionary party is not an optional component of proletarian revolution – it is its highest organizational expression. Capitalism cannot be reformed, it must be overthrown. But it won’t happen spontaneously. Without a revolutionary party, the working class cannot win and retain power. The history of successful socialist revolutions in Russia, China, and anti-imperial liberation struggles, demonstrates the irreplaceable role of such a party.
