Duncan Hart
The debate about how socialism can be brought about, whether through revolutionary means or reforms, remains one of the most contested issues for leftists. At stake in this debate is not just a matter of different roads to the same goal, but of a fundamental divergence between revolutionaries and reformists about what socialism even means. This session will defend the revolutionary standpoint on questions such as: Can the existing state be reformed, or must it be smashed in a revolution? Can the emancipation of the working class come about via parliamentary reforms or through workers' control from below? Can socialism be brought about without violent struggle from the ruling class?