Dialectical and Historical Materialism

Stalin's article "On Dialectical and Historical Materialism " is one of the most important elements of Soviet ideology.

  • 4.1 Basics of Marx and Engels
  • 4.2 Ideological Function in the Soviet system

Outline of Scripture

Stalin's pamphlet is divided into three parts and presented very systematized:

A: Principles of Marxist dialectical method, in contrast to metaphysics

B: Fundamentals of Marxist philosophical materialism as opposed to idealism

C: Historical Materialism

Unit of dialectical and historical materialism

Stalin stressed that it was important to the dialectical and historical materialism to see as a unit. Dialectical materialism formulate the philosophy with which historical materialism, the science of history, was binding explain. In this story, both the history of nature, as well as the history of man is understood. Both aspects are, for example, biology, natural law interpreted analogously. Stalin writes (p. 32): " Dialectical materialism is the world outlook of the Marxist- Leninist Party [ (!) ] ". At the same time this belief but the dialectical method of historical materialism is: " So, socialism transformed from a dream of a better future of mankind in a science " (p. 89). Here at Angel font from 1880, "The Development of Socialism from Utopia to Science ," is linked. The world is " objective reality, a reflection of being" for Stalin (p. 90). Here he builds on statements to reflect in Marx and Engels and developed it into a dogma, which, as a justification for action by the party claiming to be able to derive an objective reality directly from nature.

Historical development

Precursor: dialectics and materialism

The importance and need for interpretation of materialism as the basis of communist interpretation of the world was only a few decades earlier. Middle of the 19th century was on Feuerbach's materialism and Hegel's dialectic, the previously valid idea that the world was created by the creative act of God (Genesis), fundamentally shaken based by Marx and Engels. Supported by the 1859 published work of Charles Darwin ' on the ' Origin of Species ... ", with the creation was negated in the bourgeois world, the idea sat now by completely that the world is generally originated from itself ( from the motion of matter - today we say, from the Big Bang ), not by God or a universal spirit as in Hegel.

Historical Materialism in Marx

In order to maintain the interpretation of power in the scientific and political consequences discussion, has since appeared in both the civil and in the world proletarian intensive explanations of materialism. Since the Communists from their teaching, to the higher aspiring dialectic out, claimed the right to lead virtually with special legitimacy the proletariat to the highest state of the world to communism, this resulted in the claim to do so from the perspective of the highest truth. This highest form of existence of thought as the social just needed to be occupied philosophically and historically.

Dialectical materialism historical materialism as a law of nature

While Marx and Engels the historical development - had set out for the purposes of its Scientific Socialism as a conclusion that must be realized by conscious action of the proletariat in the class struggle - from the primitive society of the slave society, feudalism and capitalism to the bosom of the old mature socialism to come from the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie to the proletariat, is formed in Lenin and Stalin completely dogmatic in a quasi- natural law development.

This alleged law of nature can - in their reading - a " rational person " according to not contradict, without "leaders have " is defined by the highest ( and self-proclaimed ) truth from the party line, which from departing. According to the view expressed was also in the CPSU considers it in 1917 too early for a proletarian revolution, it must be supported the bourgeois revolution, already under Lenin a " criminal " deviation. A fortiori, was under Stalin in the 1930s, any deviation suppressed. This time of the " Great Terror " was then completed the recasting of the history of the Communist Party as the basis of Stalinism.

Ideological meaning

Foundations in Marx and Engels

At issue is the assessment of Lenin's and Stalin's theses on the dialectical and historical materialism, the influence of Marx and Engels. While Marx had only casually about "my dialectical method " spoken and designed together with Engels a materialist conception of history, Engels described this 1892 ( Introduction to Engl. Edition "Development of Socialism from Utopia to Science " ) for the first time as " historical materialism ". The late works Engels ( Dialectics of Nature, Anti- Dühring ) is assigned a mechanistic conception of dialectics by some authors on the Lenin and Stalin were able to build later.

Ideological function in the Soviet system

Stalin's text not only wants to set the highest wisdom of the party that determines, whether as to think to be a good Communist. He also changed the Marxian goal in favor of the proletariat reshape the productive forces so that the working individual to a well- developed personality can be formed. In Stalinist historical materialism, the development of productive forces under the leadership of the party is an end in itself. "So the party of the proletariat must, she wants to be a real party, especially the knowledge of the laws of development of production acquire ... " ( Stalin (p. 108) ). From the work as a means of development of humanity in the historical process will work and production to the state target, the proletarians are subjected as individuals. The inherited from Engels "withering away of the state" as an instrument of power can can be realized with Stalin only if the party takes over the role of government. From "Development of a totality of capacities in the individuals themselves " and of unalienated labor (Marx / Engels, The German Ideology, MEW, Vol 3) is no more talk.

Even Lenin put in production by the capitalist Taylorism to streamline and strongly opposed socialized forms of appropriation of the instruments of production in Russia in 1917 by the rudimentary existing proletariat from, as Marx and Engels saw this process. " The unquestioning subordination to a single will is for the success of the processes of work that is organized according to the type of large-scale machine industry, absolutely necessary, [ it was ] in the interests of socialism, the unconditional subordination of the masses under the unified will of the Head the work process. [ These conductors are ] dictators, whether they are elected or appointed by Soviet institutions, which are equipped with dictatorial powers "(p. 763ff, Lenin, Selected. Works, Berlin / GDR. )

Must be Granted the situation between the First and Second World War is impending, which was survived by the USSR only with the help of a tremendous effort in the development of the productive forces. Lenin formulated the need for the development of the Soviet Union from a small peasant country to an industrial nation in his famous phrase " communism - is Soviet power plus electrification of the whole country. " (Lenin, where all kinds of art, XXVI volume, pp. 58. )

Expenditure

  • Josef Stalin: About Dialectical and Historical Materialism, full text and critical commentary of Iring Fetscherplatz, Berlin 1961
  • About Dialectical and Historical Materialism on stalinwerke.de
  • Marxist literature
  • Marxist work
  • Stalinism
  • Socialism
  • Joseph Stalin
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific Ludwig Feuerbach Red Terror
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