Book Description

Introduction: The importance of an understanding of Leninism (which denotes the thought not only of Lenin himself but also of his associates) for a grasp of contemporary world affairs needs no elaboration, although the mark it will make in the development of social thought in the very long run is probably being under-estimated. At the same time, even among those who consider it important to become acquainted with Leninism, there is by no means agreement about the reasons why we should study it. It is undisputable that the ideas and behavior traditions of V.I. Lenin, the leader of the Russian revolution, have caught the imagination of millions in our day and represent the official Holy Writ for the subjects of cast empires comprising over a third of the earth's population. But the task of making a broad survey of Leninism is made difficult by a number of factors. Based on a philosophy that is uncongenial to thinkers in our culture, Leninism comprised a set of uncomforatable and highly controversial ideas, the very preoccupation with which can serve, today, to compromise a writer. Since Leninism is at the same time deceptively crude and simple, at least in the way in which its advocates are wont to propound it, many students of political thought tend to consider it unworthy of serious attention. Hence, instead of inquiring what Leninism is, our social scientists have more often asked themselves why anyone might be prompted to turn to these ideas and follow the. The relevancy of any study of Leninism has been questioned. Its appeal has indeed been noted, and its official acceptance as virtual dogma in the entire communist world is acknowledged, but there is a good deal of dispute over the effectiveness of Leninist ideas even in this communist world. The extreme flexibility of Leninism makes it possible for communist leaders to justify almost any policy by pulling a set of suitable quotations from the grab bag of Lenin's pronouncements. Hence the conviction is widespread that Leninism has turned into a dead letter, in no way determining the actions of communist leaders, whether they are in command of a revolutionary party or manage an established regime.