- Title Pages
- Preface
- Introduction: Revolution, Modernization, Socialism—Baselines of Modern Russian History
-
Chapter 1 Marx and the Movement of History -
Chapter 2 Fate and Will in the Marxian Vision -
Chapter 3 Lenin as a Russian Revolutionary -
Chapter 4 The Bolsheviks and the Intelligentsia -
Chapter 5 Lenin's Vision -
Chapter 6 Russia and Revolution -
Chapter 7 Revolution from the Inside -
Chapter 8 The Bolshevik Gamble -
Chapter 9 Left Communism in the Revolutionary Era -
Chapter 10 Russian Revolutionary Extremism -
Chapter 11 The Militarization of Socialism in Russia -
Chapter 12 Bureaucratic Advance and Social Lag in the Revolution -
Chapter 13 Socialist Alternatives in the Crisis of 1921 -
Chapter 14 The Left Opposition and the Evolution of the Communist Regime -
Chapter 15 Trotsky on Democracy and Bureaucracy -
Chapter 16 The Left Opposition as an Alternative to Stalinism -
Chapter 17 Foundations of Stalinism -
Chapter 18 Stalinism as Postrevolutionary Dictatorship -
Chapter 19 From Distributive Socialism to Production Socialism -
Chapter 20 Stalin's Cultural Counterrevolution -
Chapter 21 Stalinism and Russian Political Culture -
Chapter 22 Stalinist Ideology as False Consciousness -
Chapter 23 Was Stalin Really a Communist? -
Chapter 24 Khrushchev and the Party Apparatus -
Chapter 25 Khrushchev and the Intelligentsia -
Chapter 26 The Fall of Khrushchev and the Advent of Participatory Bureaucracy -
Chapter 27 The Central Committee as a Bureaucratic Elite -
Chapter 28 The Generational Revolution -
Chapter 29 Reform and the Intelligentsia -
Chapter 30 Gorbachev's Opportunity -
Chapter 31 Gorbachev and the Reversal of History -
Chapter 32 Soviet Federalism and the Breakup of the USSR -
Chapter 33 The Revolutionary Process and the Moderate Revolutionary Revival -
Chapter 34 The Communist Oppositions and Post-Stalinist Reform -
Chapter 35 Past and Present -
Chapter 36 The Grand Surprise and Soviet Studies - Index
Fate and Will in the Marxian Vision
Fate and Will in the Marxian Vision
- Chapter:
- (p.34) Chapter 2 Fate and Will in the Marxian Vision
- Source:
- The Rise and Fall of Communism in Russia
- Author(s):
Robert Daniels
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
Both exponents and critics of Marxism claim that it is a “monistic” philosophy, but in reality it is dualistic. This is due to the contradiction between theory and practice, between scientific (or pseudo-scientific) analysis and revolutionary action. The obvious inconsistency between a determinist philosophy of history and the spirited conduct of political action may be explained in terms of the “predestination paradox,” which has also been used to describe Christian theology. According to the Marxian approach, individuals who are sympathetic to revolution view Marxian determinism as an appealing rationalization for their own impulses, which continue to compel them to action. People are Marxists because they are revolutionary, not the other way around. This chapter explores Marxist dualism in the objective interpretation of the historical process by focusing on Russia. In particular, it considers whether human events are a matter of collective fate or individual will. It also examines whether history makes the person or whether personalities make history and concludes by discussing Friedrich Engels's notion of the revolution as a “leap to freedom”.
Keywords: Marxism, predestination paradox, revolution, determinism, Russia, collective fate, individual will, Friedrich Engels, freedom
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- Title Pages
- Preface
- Introduction: Revolution, Modernization, Socialism—Baselines of Modern Russian History
-
Chapter 1 Marx and the Movement of History -
Chapter 2 Fate and Will in the Marxian Vision -
Chapter 3 Lenin as a Russian Revolutionary -
Chapter 4 The Bolsheviks and the Intelligentsia -
Chapter 5 Lenin's Vision -
Chapter 6 Russia and Revolution -
Chapter 7 Revolution from the Inside -
Chapter 8 The Bolshevik Gamble -
Chapter 9 Left Communism in the Revolutionary Era -
Chapter 10 Russian Revolutionary Extremism -
Chapter 11 The Militarization of Socialism in Russia -
Chapter 12 Bureaucratic Advance and Social Lag in the Revolution -
Chapter 13 Socialist Alternatives in the Crisis of 1921 -
Chapter 14 The Left Opposition and the Evolution of the Communist Regime -
Chapter 15 Trotsky on Democracy and Bureaucracy -
Chapter 16 The Left Opposition as an Alternative to Stalinism -
Chapter 17 Foundations of Stalinism -
Chapter 18 Stalinism as Postrevolutionary Dictatorship -
Chapter 19 From Distributive Socialism to Production Socialism -
Chapter 20 Stalin's Cultural Counterrevolution -
Chapter 21 Stalinism and Russian Political Culture -
Chapter 22 Stalinist Ideology as False Consciousness -
Chapter 23 Was Stalin Really a Communist? -
Chapter 24 Khrushchev and the Party Apparatus -
Chapter 25 Khrushchev and the Intelligentsia -
Chapter 26 The Fall of Khrushchev and the Advent of Participatory Bureaucracy -
Chapter 27 The Central Committee as a Bureaucratic Elite -
Chapter 28 The Generational Revolution -
Chapter 29 Reform and the Intelligentsia -
Chapter 30 Gorbachev's Opportunity -
Chapter 31 Gorbachev and the Reversal of History -
Chapter 32 Soviet Federalism and the Breakup of the USSR -
Chapter 33 The Revolutionary Process and the Moderate Revolutionary Revival -
Chapter 34 The Communist Oppositions and Post-Stalinist Reform -
Chapter 35 Past and Present -
Chapter 36 The Grand Surprise and Soviet Studies - Index
