Selected Philosophical Works Volume I

by Georgi Plekhanov

CONTENTS V. Fomina, Plekhanov's Role in the Defence and Substantiation of Marxist Philosophy (Introductory Essay) SELECTED PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS Volume I Socialism and the Political Struggle Preface Our Differences Letter to P. L. Lavrov (In Lieu of Preface) Introduction Chapter I. A Few References to History Chapter II. Capitalism in Russia Chapter III. Capitalism and Communal Land Tenure Chapter IV. Capitalism and Our Tasks Chapter V. True Tasks of the Socialists in Russia Chapter VI. Conclusion Programme of the Social-Democratic Emancipation of Labour Group Second Draft Programme of the Russian Social-Democrats A New Champion of Autocracy or Mr. L. Tikhomirov's Grief Speech at the International Workers' Socialist Congress in Paris (July 14-21, 1889) For the Sixtieth Anniversary of Hegel's Death [Foreword to the First Edition (From the Translator) and Plekhanov's Notes to Engels' Book "Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy"] Bourgeois of Days Gone By The Development of the Monist View of History Preface to the Second and Third Editions Chapter I. French Materialism of the Eighteenth Century Chapter II. French Historians of the Restoration Chapter III. The Utopian Socialists Chapter IV. Idealist German Philosophy Chapter V. Modern Materialism Conclusion Appendix I . Once Again Mr . Mikhailovsky, Once More the "Triad" Appendix II. A Few Words to Our Opponents Notes Name Index Subject Index

Genres: Philosophy

812 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2004

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 4 out of 5]

A good collection of Plekhanov's early works, obviously significant for the development of Marxism in Russia.

In "Socialism and the Political Struggle," Plekhanov argues for the necessity of the political struggle and a socialist state against the dominant Narodnik trends at the time, similar to Lenin's early works. The same occurs with his book Our Differences, which could be read as a preface to Lenin's own The Development of Capitalism in Russia as both books combat the anti-Marxist economic theories idolizing the village commune, etc.

There is a lot of value in the articles "A New Champion of Autocracy" and "On the Sixtieth Anniversary of Hegel's Death" for their exposition of dialectical materialism and Marxist philosophical methodology, as well as reviewing Hegel's progressive contributions and mistakes. The Foreword and Notes to Engels' Ludwig Feuerbach is valuable for the same reason, the defect of all three works being a lack of exposition of the dialectical method itself and merely very basic introductions.

The Development of the Monist View of History is valuable for its historical review of the development of philosophy that led to Hegel and Marx, particularly the French materialists and Restoration historians, who are all too often ignored. There is basic exposition of the Hegelian dialectical method, and a review of the development of dialectical materialism out of Feuerbach and criticism of the Young Hegelians. Certain parts of the work could also be valuable for a critique of "Marxist" Humanist trends.

[Victor Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the deep lore of the Russian revolutionary movement... Early Marxists vs. Populists. Plekhanov drops some important knowledge in Monist View of History, really appreciated his breakdown of Hegel and Spinoza, he explains French Materialism well. Some stuff went over my head and I will reread in the future.