Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (22 April 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known by
the alias Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and
political theorist. Born to a moderately prosperous middle-class family in
Simbirsk, Lenin embraced revolutionary socialist politics following his
brother’s 1887 execution.
Lenin
was the first leader of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and the
government that took over Russia in 1917. He served as head of government of
Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924.
Lenin
founded the Russian Communist Party, led the Bolshevik Revolution and was the
architect of the Soviet state. He was the posthumous source of “Leninism”.
These ideas include Democratic Centralism, also known as the idea of the
vanguard party. Like other Communists, Lenin wanted to see a Socialist revolutionary
led by the working class.
It
is not surprising to know that there were several philosophers who disagreed
with the ideas of Lenin and as per studying said philosophies and ideas of
Lenin I, too have disagreements on some of his ideas.
According to Vladimir Lenin natural
scientists are dialectical materialists which mean that his philosophy
encompasses a variety of perspectives. It is not committed to a specific
political platform; hence his philosophies might be borrowed or patterned from
other philosophers. Lenin is indeed pre-eminently a practitioner not a theorist
of revolution. In general, Lenin mostly adapted Marx to the conditions of
Russian Empire or extended his theory. He just used the works of other Marxists
(like Kautsky) for his doctrine.
I
also disagree with his idea that science and philosophy are unrelated. Lenin
believes that a genuine philosophy should base its propositions not upon
metaphysical speculation, but upon the latest findings in the natural sciences.
However, he argues that even the natural sciences are fallible, and by then
stressing the dependency of dialectical materialism upon findings in the
natural sciences. He undermines the strategy of proclaiming absolute truths in
the sphere of philosophy by appealing to such truths in the natural sciences.
His emphasis upon the inseparability of natural science and philosophy
therefore reinforces his opposition to dogmatism.
I also criticize his belief on
monopolies of trade and industry as it eliminates the small industry replacing
large scale industry by still larger-scale industry. According to him monopoly
is the transition from capitalism to a higher system; however the result of it
was the decline of national economic competition. Monopoly is exactly the opposite
of free competition which is not a good economic idea or practice.
I also find the Leninist model in
achieving revolution as elitist, hierarchical and highly inefficient in
achieving a socialist society. This model plays a harmful role in class
struggle by alienating activists and militants with their organizational principles
and manipulative tactics within popular structures and groups. This can seize
power and create a new form of class society in which working class is
oppressed by new bosses.
I agree with Edmund Wilson that the
theoretical side of Lenin is, in a sense, not serious, it is in the instinct
for dealing with the reality of the definite political situation that attains
in him the point of genius. Lenin sees and adopts his tactics with no regard
for the theoretical positions of others or for his own theoretical position in
the past then he supports it with Marxists text.
As I further read his
works/philosophies I believe Lenin possesses an outstanding mind but it is a
mind of a single dimension. His sensibility enabled him to gamble and dispense
with the lives of others, to feel no compunction about reversing promises and
positions when expediency (the survival of the Bolshevik regime) demanded it.
References:
S.
Page, Lenin and World Revolution (New
York McGraw Hill Book Co., 1959)
E.
Wilson, To the Finland Station
(London 1960) (First Published 1940)
Lenin
(1917). The State and Revolution
External
links:
Anti-communism
Leninism
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