Fundamental Problems of Marxism

by Georgi Plekhanov

An exposition of Marxism as an integral world outlook, against those who would vulgarize and/or distort it. Appendix includes "The Materialist Conception of History," and "The Role of the Individual in History."

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Politics, Russia, Theory

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1908

About the author

Georgi Valentinovich Plekhanov (Russian: Георгий Валентинович Плеханов) was a Russian revolutionary and a Marxist theoretician. He was a founder of the Social-Democratic movement in Russia and was one of the first Russians to identify himself as "Marxist." Facing political persecution, Plekhanov emigrated to Switzerland in 1880, where he continued in his political activity attempting to overthrow the Tsarist regime in Russia. During World War I Plekhanov rallied to the cause of the Entente powers against Germany and he returned home to Russia following the 1917 February Revolution. Plekhanov was hostile to the Bolshevik party headed by Vladimir Lenin, however, and was an opponent of the Soviet regime which came to power in the autumn of 1917. He died the following year. Despite his vigorous and outspoken opposition to Lenin's political party in 1917, Plekhanov was held in high esteem by the Russian Communist Party following his death as a founding father of Russian Marxism and a philosophical thinker.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprise favourite. Although this is not apparent at first, as the book lacks a proper introduction and the title would suggest the opposite, Fundamental Problems of Marxism is a thick pamphlet devoted to defending the validity of Marx's dialectical method in all realms of science. Going from the study of pre-capitalist civilization to Spinoza's proto-materialist role and various ruminations on Greek philosophy, Plekhanov subtly disproves accusations of Marx's "one-sidedness", all the while articulating the nature of "dialectics" in a manner that is clearer and more comprehensive than any I've read thus far.

As Plekhanov expounds it, dialectics is a constant dialogue between necessity and contingency, which shape the edges and barriers of the path of history. On a second axis, there is the interplay between gradual quantitative developments and the qualitative leaps that transform a given situation. Plekhanov criticizes vulgar materialists who seek the universal validity of marxism in a direct, indissoluble link between individual aspects and the economic base — after all, just as in Darwinian evolution, every given stage of history (necessity) contains a near infinite abundance of variations on a theme (contingency). On the other hand, he likewise rejects "marxists" who stress the absolute break between Marxian dialectics and classical logic. In a quietly brilliant and productive example, he describes the three classical laws of logic (the law of identity, the law of contradiction and the law of the excluded middle) and their inability to properly deal with motion and change, most famously demonstrated in Zeno's paradox. Does he decree to reject this logic and substitute dialectical "yes-is-no" for everything? No, they are intertwined and each have their respective situations of application. Once you've caught on to the fact that historical and dialectical materialism don't reject but rather absorb, transmute and purify preceding science, this pattern becomes apparent in marxist thought generally. Lenin's emphasis that phases of relative peace among imperialists do not negate the general fact of their endless war hinges on the same axis, as does the mature vision of Togliatti (taken to exaggerated extremes by Eurocommunists) that the general task of revolution develops through stages of gradual evolution too.

Wonderful read that feels like the spiritual sequel to Engels's Socialism: Utopian & Scientific.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Georgi Plekhanov takes up three main themes: What historical materialism is, what competing theories of history say, and two specific relationships: being and thinking, and freedom and necessity. He shows how Marx's dialectical reasoning applies to them all.

The author defends the scientific basis of social research which, if done correctly, can explain man's social aims as a necessary consequence of a social process ultimately determined by economic development. Feuerbach had taken the study of mankind decisively out of the realm of metaphysics in his critique of Hegel's idealistic conception of history, but it took Marx to ground the study of man in reality -- that is, within its actual spatiotemporal context.

This is the origin of historical materialism. Though no science can rid a subject of every problem, historical materialism makes it much easier to deal with the difficulties inherent in the study of social relations. Marxists ask not just what, but how things happen. Asking how societies developed historically requires the dialectical method. The task of historical materialism, as Plekhanov sees it, is to explain in what manner "circumstances can be changed by those who are created by them."

The author considers various other theories of history, such as the that of "factors," and the idea of the hard determination of historical events. In respect to the view of history as a series of relatively independent or co-equal factors, he demonstrates how it is that Marx regards the economic factor as the ultimately decisive one.

With regard to the criticism that Marxism as "deterministic," that is, lacking any free agency, he shows how Marxism avoids that by considering subject and object as a unity, not an identity. Plekhanov notes that although such mind/body dualism had long ago been demolished, this discredited basis of determinism is reproduced constantly by vulgar thinkers using the same old arguments against Marxism. As he puts it, "the rat will never stop thinking that the cat is far stronger than the lion."

In discussing these issues Plekhanov reiterates that being is the source of thinking and upholds the scientific view, extending it as needed to show, for example that social being is the source of social thinking. A more important and related issue is that of freedom and necessity. The author's major task is to show how freedom of human action arises in a world of necessity, and he takes the subject up in detail. He explains the barrier dualism erects to an understanding of the two terms, and the role of conditional necessity in social action.

Plekanov was known for the effectiveness of his exposition of Marxism. Besides the main part of the book an appendix contains an 1897 lecture, about 35 pages, involving a broad discussion of what is and is not historical materialism. After that comes a shorter 1898 lecture on the role of the individual in history. It’s interesting to see what a Marxist living in the early 1900's thought was most necessary to explain to the public.

This is a well done discussion of some basic concepts in Marxism. I didn't give it five stars because some of the material is dated and some of the issues, like thinking and being, are old. On the other hand, Plekhanov argues strongly for "leaps" in dialectical development well in advance of modern science, as in Gould's theory of punctuated equilibrium. His refutation of the "factors" theory of historical development directly contradicts the prevailing notions of identity politics in modern bourgeois consciousness. Students of Marxism are free to read whatever they like, but this book is a necessity.

[Connor B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful as an introduction, but particularly near the end you get a glimpse of Plekhanov's intellectual understanding of society and history divorcing itself from the real struggles of the day. His debates circle around ideas put forward by academics and never necessisarily root themselves in the objective needs and struggles of the moment.

[Roberto Yoed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marxism 101

[Dominick Cortese · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is some valuable analysis, though it is very deterministic in character. Still, it is well worth reading if you are familiar with his story and want insight into the currents of Marxism within Russia.

[Venmathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not Dogmatic and flexible approach.

[Jairo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the read.
Loved his elaboration on Engels' explanation of Hegel's statement:

"Necessity is blind only in so far as it is not understood"

Engels' stated that freedom consists in exercising "control over ourselves and over external nature, a control founded on knowledge of natural necessity."

This is something misunderstood by idealists, anarchists and especially pseudo-materialists. They are not able to see the dialectal relationship between submission to necessity and freedom. Since this submission is a condition of becoming free. We have to submit to nature in order to increase our power over nature, that is, increase our freedom.

[Marc Lichtman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenin loved Plekhanov's writings, long after Plekhanov had totally broken with Marxism. This is a good collection. No serious Marxist should ignore Kautsky's early work either because of the way he wound up--most importantly 'Foundations of Christianity: A Study in Christian Origins.

George Novack in Understanding History: Marxist Essays takes up again the role of the individual in history, in the case of Fidel Castro. And Trotsky had previously taken it up in relation to Lenin in History of the Russian Revolution. And I also recommend Labor, Nature, and the Evolution of Humanity: The Long View of History.