Marxian conception of democracy includes three aspects – firstly, a critique of the bourgeois democracy, secondly, theory of dictatorship of proletariat, and thirdly, social democracy leading to classless society.
Marxian concept of democracy treats it as a class concept. Democracy related to the concept of people, changes its meaning as the meaning of ‘people’ changes. In liberal – capitalist society, majority principle is applied to take decisions and make legislation or policy formulation. The fact that economically dominant class in a capitalist system is the ruling class, majority principle is used for class rule. This is all the more relevant when economically underprivileged class is not able to participate meaningfully in the political process.
Marxian conception of democracy starts with critiques of liberal democracy. Lenin reminded us that ‘A democratic republic is the best possible political shell for capitalism’ and invoked Engels to suggest ‘universal suffrage (as) an instrument of bourgeois rule.’39 Lenin was critical of those who expected that universal suffrage could be a solution for the working class. He called them ‘petty-bourgeois democrats. He says ‘in capitalist society we have a democracy that is curtailed, wretched, false and, a democracy only for the rich, for the minority.’40 There is no freedom, no equality and hence no democracy. It is only class-democracy dominated by bourgeoisie and use of force of one class against another It appears that Lenin is not opposed to ‘democracy’ as such but only bourgeois democracy. Democracy provides a meaningful means for equality. Lenin considers democracy as a significant step for achieving ‘formal equality, i.e., ‘equality of labour and wages’ and equality in ownership of means of production. This is the stage of dictatorship of proletariat, where democracy is realised not as a class concept but as people’s democracy.
People’s democracy provides only the basis for moving further and achieving ‘actual equality, i.e., from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. This is a classless, stateless society where democracy has also withered away. Once communism is reached, even democracy is achieved in complete form. As a result, state withers away and does democracy. He says ‘Communism alone is capable of providing really complete democracy, and the more complete it is, the sooner it will become unnecessary and withers away of its own accord.’41
John Plamenatz in his Democracy and Illusion – An Examination of Certain Aspects of Modern Democratic Theory (1978) has examined the Marxian position of calling democracy in liberal capitalist society a ‘bourgeois democracy’ and as shame. Plamenatz cites at least four reasons for this: (i) in the context of inequality of wealth and resources, power and influence will be possessed by those who acquire capacity to possess them through education and other such entry, (ii) in the context of large organisation, power and influence belongs to the leaders than to rank and file, (iii) in the context of social inequalities, leaders soon acquire ambition, privileged position and lose touch with their followers, and (iv) power and influence is exercised by those who have information and wealthy are better placed to get information and control its distribution. According to Plamenatz, due to these reasons, democracy is not real in liberal capitalist society.
Marxian view holds that democracy in capitalist society is not real and cannot be used for getting the control of the working class. Ideally, one may argue that since liberal democracy gives majority a chance, why cannot the proletariat, being in majority, become the ruling class through parliamentary process? One reason is that there is not yet a unified working class and their political consciousness is fragmented. Secondly, there is no meaningful participation as there is lack of information and socio-economic inequality that restrict full political expression. Thirdly, as Marxian concept upholds, democracy is only a means to legitimise capitalist system, manufacture opinion and perpetuate ruling class domination. Democracy in capitalist system is bourgeois democracy because it is used as an instrument of ruling class and it is not an instrument of people. However, it is useful to strengthen party of the working class for intensifying class struggle.
It appears that the Marxian concept of democracy is not related to form of government which is mainly linked to procedure of how leaders are elected. It manifests in the form of social democracy during the first stage after revolution; socialist stage, where dictatorship of the proletariat is established. It is a theory of social democracy that finally leads itself to withering away and giving way to communism.
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