The current relevance of Rosa Luxemburg's thought

Authors

  • Estrella Trincado Complutense University of Madrid

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18740/S4Z88B

Keywords:

Rosa Luxemburg, openness, alienation, classical economists, current crisis

Abstract

This article insists upon the current relevance of Rosa Luxemburg's thought. Luxemburg had a sensibility ahead of her time and, faithful to her dreams of revolutionary change, she searched for an open society. This leftist revolutionary did not believe in the contingency of individual freedom. Instead, she argued for movement and development over time as a perpetual objective of the globalized masses. Luxemburg sought a new type of socialism and even a new way of thinking. The basic idea of her political conception was the opening of the revolutionary horizon, a willingness to learn new things. Thus, she learned from classical economics and, at the same time, she was able to criticize them. Luxemburg anticipated many current economic theories that enable us to understand the contemporary crisis. Finally, some conclusions are drawn, taking stock of Luxemburg's theories and life. Cet article reconnait la pertinence et l’actualité de la pensée de Rosa Luxemburg. Luxemburg avait une sensibilité en avance sur son temps et, fidèle à ses rêves de transformation révolutionnaire, elle cherchait une société ouverte. Cette révolutionnaire de gauche n’a pas cru à la contingence de la liberté individuelle et a suggéré que le mouvement et le développement dans le temps étaient un objectif permanent des masses mondialisées. Luxemburg cherchait un nouveau socialisme et même une nouvelle manière de penser. L’idée de base de sa conception politique était l’ouverture de l’horizon révolutionnaire et une volonté d’apprendre de nouvelles choses. Ainsi, elle a appris de l’économie classique tout en montrant en même temps sa capacité à les critiquer. Luxemburg a anticipé plusieurs théories économiques d’aujourd’hui qui nous permettent de comprendre la crise actuelle. En fin, quelques conclusions sont tirées, faisant le point des théories et de la vie de Luxemburg.

Author Biography

Estrella Trincado, Complutense University of Madrid

Estrella Trincado is Lecturer in History of Economic Thought in the Complutense University of Madrid. She is a specialist in Rosa Luxemburg's thought and in the doctrine of classical economists. She has attended conferences (Madrid, Santiago, Dublin, Porto, Wuhan) and published academic articles establishing a link between Luxemburg's life and thought and tracing the classical economic origin of Luxemburg's thought (see Research in Political Economy 2004, Información Comercial Española 2009, Mujeres Economistas 2007, Ecobook). She can be reached at: estrinaz@ccee.ucm.es.

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Published

2011-02-06

Issue

Section

Special Section