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Historical Materialism
An explanation of the Marxist materialist conception of history by the Dutch left communist and poet Herman Gorter with a preface by Karl Kautsky.
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First published January 1, 1908
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About the author
Herman Gorter
38 books19 followersHerman Gorter (November 26, 1864, Wormerveer - September 15, 1927, Brussels) was a Dutch poet and socialist. He was a leading member of the Tachtigers, a highly influential group of Dutch writers who worked together in Amsterdam in the 1880s, centered around De Nieuwe Gids (The New Guide).
Gorter's first book, a 4,000 verse epic poem called "Mei" ("May"), sealed his reputation as a great writer upon its publication in 1889, and is regarded as the pinnacle of Dutch Impressionist literature. Gorter rapidly followed this up with a book of short lyric poetry simply called "Verzen" ("Verses") in 1890, which, after the initial bad reviews, was equally hailed as a masterpiece.
Gorter shared in common with the Tachtigers an interest in leftist politics, and became the most politically involved of the group, becoming an active writer on socialist theory. He joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij or SDAP) in 1897. In 1909 he participated in a schism from the SDAP to form the Social-Democratic Party (Sociaal-Democratische Partij) of the Netherlands. He wrote a massive new epic poem called Pan in 1912, describing the First World War being followed by a global Socialist revolution. In 1917, he hailed the Russian revolution as the beginning of that global revolution, although he soon afterward came to oppose Lenin.
In 1918 the Social-Democratic Party changed its name to the Communist Party of Holland (Communistische Partij Holland), and in 1919 Gorter left the party. In 1921 he was a founding member of the Communist Workers Party of Germany, joining its Essen Faction and becoming a leading supporter of the Communist Workers International. Gorter died in Brussels in 1927.
Gorter was involved with the Significs group.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_G...)
Gorter's first book, a 4,000 verse epic poem called "Mei" ("May"), sealed his reputation as a great writer upon its publication in 1889, and is regarded as the pinnacle of Dutch Impressionist literature. Gorter rapidly followed this up with a book of short lyric poetry simply called "Verzen" ("Verses") in 1890, which, after the initial bad reviews, was equally hailed as a masterpiece.
Gorter shared in common with the Tachtigers an interest in leftist politics, and became the most politically involved of the group, becoming an active writer on socialist theory. He joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij or SDAP) in 1897. In 1909 he participated in a schism from the SDAP to form the Social-Democratic Party (Sociaal-Democratische Partij) of the Netherlands. He wrote a massive new epic poem called Pan in 1912, describing the First World War being followed by a global Socialist revolution. In 1917, he hailed the Russian revolution as the beginning of that global revolution, although he soon afterward came to oppose Lenin.
In 1918 the Social-Democratic Party changed its name to the Communist Party of Holland (Communistische Partij Holland), and in 1919 Gorter left the party. In 1921 he was a founding member of the Communist Workers Party of Germany, joining its Essen Faction and becoming a leading supporter of the Communist Workers International. Gorter died in Brussels in 1927.
Gorter was involved with the Significs group.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_G...)
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October 25, 2021
Definitely a work characteristic of the Second International's conception of historical materialism, complete with a preface by Kautsky.
Gorter demands that the Marxist separate historical materialism from "general philosophical materialism." While this is, of course, correct from the standpoint of differentiating Marxist philosophy from those like the French materialists, one has to ignore all of Marx's early work Engels like The Holy Family to say that Marxism does not have a "general philosophical" materialist element. This is why it was correct for Plekhanov and Stalin to formulate dialectical materialism as separate from historical materialism, dialectical materialism encompassing both historical materialism, natural materialism with the dialectical method, and "general philosophical" elements within Marxist philosophy.
Like Kautsky does in his Ethics, Gorter also formulates the very odd idea that animals themselves have inherent moral "nature" that develops based upon the effect of the class struggle upon them. Instead of the correct Marxist view that different systems of morality develop upon the development of society based upon the class struggle, Gorter formulates a strange universal morality that is held back from being put into practice until the proletariat comes into power and socialism is established.
Gorter demands that the Marxist separate historical materialism from "general philosophical materialism." While this is, of course, correct from the standpoint of differentiating Marxist philosophy from those like the French materialists, one has to ignore all of Marx's early work Engels like The Holy Family to say that Marxism does not have a "general philosophical" materialist element. This is why it was correct for Plekhanov and Stalin to formulate dialectical materialism as separate from historical materialism, dialectical materialism encompassing both historical materialism, natural materialism with the dialectical method, and "general philosophical" elements within Marxist philosophy.
Like Kautsky does in his Ethics, Gorter also formulates the very odd idea that animals themselves have inherent moral "nature" that develops based upon the effect of the class struggle upon them. Instead of the correct Marxist view that different systems of morality develop upon the development of society based upon the class struggle, Gorter formulates a strange universal morality that is held back from being put into practice until the proletariat comes into power and socialism is established.
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