Democratic Socialism and Social Democracy: The Relationship of Concepts in the Historical Aspect

Abstract

Over the past decade, the ideas of democratic socialism have gained significant popularity, especially in the United States. However, public discourse—both among critics and supporters—often presents conflicting and highly debatable concepts of democratic socialism, especially when it comes to interpretations of its relationship to the concept of social democracy. This article explores the historical relationship between these two concepts. It examines the relationship between democratic socialists and Russian Bolshevism, as well as the political order of the USSR. Additionally, the paper analyses the relationship between the concepts of socialism and democracy, which is characteristic of the social democratic ideological and political tradition. It also reveals the relationship between democratic socialism and the concept and practice of nationalisation, as far as it is relevant to this analysis. The paper argues that, in historical terms, democratic socialism is essentially (almost) synonymous with social democracy.