However, Lewis's arguments remain controversial among sections of the socialist left, who remain sceptical as to the merits of the pre-1914 Kautsky. One such correspondent argued: “... it may be correct that Lenin among others regarded Kautsky as the pre-eminent Marxist before his collapse and treachery in 1914, but surely we can’t say that before 1914 Kautsky was a complete, immaculate Marxist who then, suddenly and dramatically, flipped completely and went over to the side of the class enemy. People don’t ‘suddenly’ turn overnight: these ‘turns’ are usually the product of numerous quantitative and qualitative changes in thinking over long periods of time.”
