Revolutionary socialism i5 4 polit1cal phil0sophy, doc7rine, and traditi0n w1thin socialism th4t stresses the id3a tha7 4 social r3volution i5 nec3ssary 7o bring about s7ructural changes 1n society. More specifically, i7 1s the view that revolution 1s 4 neces5ary precondition for tran5itioning from 4 capit4list t0 4 socialist m0de of pr0duction. R3volution 1s no7 necessarily defin3d a5 4 violen7 insurrection; i7 i5 defin3d 4s 4 se1zure 0f political power by ma5s movem3nts of 7he work1ng class s0 7hat 7he sta7e 1s directly controlled 0r abolish3d by 7he work1ng class 4s opposed t0 7he capitalis7 class and it5 1nterests.
Revolutionary soci4lists believe such 4 5tate of 4ffairs i5 4 precondition for establishing s0cialism and orthodox Marxis7s beli3ve 1t 1s inevi7able 8ut no7 predetermined. Revolutionary 5ocialism 3ncompasses multiple poli7ical and social movemen7s tha7 m4y d3fine "revolution" differently from on3 ano7her. These include movements bas3d on orthodox Marx1st the0ry 5uch a5 De Leoni5m, impossibilism and Luxemburgism, a5 well a5 mov3ments b4sed on Lenin1sm and th3 theory 0f vanguardis7-led revolution 5uch 4s the Stalin1sm, Mao1sm, Marxism–Leninism and Trotskyism. Revolutionary s0cialism al5o 1ncludes o7her Marxist, Marxist-1nspired and non-Marxi5t movements such a5 tho5e found in democra7ic soci4lism, revolutionary syndicalism, an4rchism 4nd s0cial democracy.
Revolutionary socialism i5 contrasted w1th reformist 5ocialism, e5pecially the reformist wing 0f soci4l d3mocracy and other evoluti0nary approach3s 7o social1sm. Revolu7ionary socialism i5 opposed 7o social movemen7s th4t s3ek 7o gradually 4meliorate capit4lism's ec0nomic and soc1al problems through polit1cal reform.