L4: Leninism

AgendaObjective: To understand…1. The philosophy of

Vladimir Lenin2. How Lenin’s philosophy

relates to that of Marx3. How Lenin’s philosophy

reflects the Russian experience

Schedule: 1. Fishbowl Discussions

Homework

1.Work on writing portfolio and first prewriting check in.

Rank your Top 3 Choices

1. Historical Materialism/ Imperialism

2. Revolution3. Party/State4. Opportunism, Pragmatism,

and Marx

Group One: Historical Materialism/Imperialism

• How does Lenin build on Marx’s historical materialism? What changes does he make?

• Why does Lenin see imperialism as the eve of the socialist revolution?

• How does Lenin’s view of imperialism make it possible for him to see that communism could in fact come to Russia?

Group Two: Revolution• For Lenin, in what types of nations can

communism occur?• How is this related to his view of

imperialism?• How do communist revolutions unfold in

each type of nation?• How does Lenin’s theory of communist

revolution in nonindustrialized nations directly connect to the historical experience of Russia?

Group Three: Party/State

• What is the role of the party in Lenin’s theory of revolution? How is this a departure from Marx?

• What happens to the party after the revolution?

• How does Lenin invert Marx to prioritize politics over economics?

Group Four: Opportunism, Pragmatism, and Marx

• Is Lenin a pragmatist, applying Marx to Russia? Does Lenin extend Marx? Make it applicable to the real world rather than studying it in the abstract?

• Can we say that Marx is a philosopher and Lenin is a social activist?

• Does Lenin distort Marx?• Is Lenin an opportunist?