Lenin Resurfaces: Critical Reflections on His Influence in the 21st Century

2024-02-23

Lenin Resurfaces: Critical Reflections on His Influence in the 21st Century

If, after all this, the author has succeeded in providing some material for clarifying these problems, he may regard his efforts as not having been in vain.

Vladimir Lenin, The Development of Capitalism in Russia: The Mission of Capitalism (1899)

Deadline Date: June 30, 2024

Submissions: Yeiyá webpage: https://journals.tplondon.com/yeiya

A century after Vladimir Lenin's death, a monumental challenge persists: moving beyond historical remembrance to actively engage with the enduring question, "What is to be done?" in the 21st century. Born from his relentless pursuit of answers, Lenin's intellectual and political legacy continues to inspire, critique, and spark debate, reflection, and study in our contemporary world.

Far from expressing pessimism, Lenin's "What Is to Be Done?" aimed to inspire clandestine activists through heroic leadership. His vision did not cause the 1904 party split nor directly link to Stalinism. He advocated for a vanguard party similar to international social democracy, shunning Russian populism and hyper-centralism. Based on the German model, he believed workers, presented with the proper framework, could fulfill their historical mission. While some saw his ideas as romantic rather than pessimistic, "What Is to Be Done?" ultimately emphasizes trust in workers and their capacity for historical response.

Lenin's invaluable dialectical approach, integrating theory and practice, philosophy and revolution, economics and politics, offers a powerful tool for understanding and confronting 21st-century challenges. Climate crisis, economic inequality, social injustice, his insights on imperialism, his vision of progress, and human alienation all highlight a system demanding profound transformation.

As Löwy (2024) notes, Lenin's mastery of the dialectical method is evident. While Löwy sees the April Theses as a significant break from pre-war Bolshevism, he also acknowledges Lenin's long-standing advocacy for the revolutionary alliance of proletariat and peasantry. He recognizes the Philosophical Notebooks as a philosophical rupture with early Leninism while noting the depth of the dialectical method present in Lenin's pre-1914 political writings. Löwy clarifies that the April Theses did not directly stem from Hegel's work but emerged from concrete analysis of a specific context – World War I, the February Revolution, and other factors. He emphasizes that Hegel's critical reading empowered Lenin to break free from rigid theories hindering such analysis, leading him from studying The Science of Logic in 1914 to his challenging 1917 Petrograd speech. In summary, Löwy emphasizes that the April Theses are the result of Lenin's concrete analysis, enriched by critical engagement with previous orthodoxies.

The urgency of our times demands bold, strategic responses, not superficial solutions or adaptations. We need a global revolutionary vision capable of addressing the interconnected complexities of our time. Emancipation cannot be a distant possibility; it must become an inevitability we pursue with determination and courage.

Main Lines:

  • Analysis of Imperialism: Lenin's groundbreaking analysis of imperialism, despite dating back to 1917, remains relevant for understanding 21st-century power dynamics between nations. Revisiting and reinterpreting this powerful concept through a contemporary lens holds significant value.
  • Theory of the State: Lenin's critique of the state as an instrument of class domination retains its validity in a world grappling with inequality and oppression. His ideas invite critical examination of contemporary power structures and exploration of alternative conceptions.
  • Revolutionary Strategy: Lenin's ideas on party organization, seizing power, and constructing socialism continue to spark debate and analysis among social and political movements worldwide. Engaging with these ideas, while moving beyond or adapting them, is crucial for envisioning revolutionary societal transformation in the 21st century.
  • Historical Approach: Examining Lenin's evolution throughout his life offers valuable insights. This includes exploring his early writings, participation in the 1905 Revolution, leadership of the Bolsheviks, role in the 1917 Revolution, and writings and ideas from the 19th to 20th centuries through a 21st-century lens.

Yeiya calls upon all thinkers, activists, academics, and committed citizens to join this collective effort. Through dialogue, collaboration, and collective action, we can creatively and transformatively respond to the enduring enigma of "what is to be done?"

INFO:

Dr. Pascual García-Macías, pasgegar84@gmail.com

Dr. José Salvador Cueto-Calderon, jscuetocalderon@uas.edu.mx

Dr. Matheus Cardoso Da-Silva, stardus_mat@yahoo.br

Dr. Carlos González Zepeda, carlosgonzalezzepeda@gmail.com

Dr. Rodolfo García Zamora, rgarciaz54@gmail.com

 

Submissions: Yeiyá Web page:  https://journals.tplondon.com/yeiya

 

Bibliography

Arendt, H. (1963). On Revolution. New York: The Viking Press.

Callinicos, A. (2010). Theories and Narratives of Revolution. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Foster, J. B. (2000). Marx's Ecology: Materialism and Nature. New York: Monthly Review Press.

Harvey, D. (2003). The New Imperialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Löwy, M. (2024) De La Ciencia de la lógica de hegel a la estación finlandia en Petrogrado, Viento   Sur. Available at: https://vientosur.info/de-la-cienbcia-de-la-logica-de-hegel-a-la-estacion-de-finlandia-en-petrogrado/ (Accessed: 10 February 2024).