Lenin: Matter is Primary

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Lenin's Critique of "Things-in-Themselves" & "World Objects"

Lenin's critique appears in Materialism and Empirio-Criticism (1909), targeting neo-Kantian and positivist influences among Marxists. His analysis centers on two key concepts:

1. Kant's "Thing-in-Itself" (Ding an sich)

Kant's Concept:

The "thing-in-itself" represents ultimate reality independent of human perception. Humans can only know phenomena (reality filtered through mental categories like space/time), never the true essence of things.

Lenin's Critique:

• Agnostic & Idealist:
  • Creates artificial barrier between consciousness and reality
  • Leads to idealism by denying knowability of matter
• Unnecessary & Harmful:
  • Dialectical materialism rejects unknowable cores
  • Practice (experiment, industry) transforms "things-in-themselves" into "things-for-us"
• Concession to Fideism:
  • Opens door for religion to fill "unknowable" gaps
  • Undermines scientific materialism

2. Mach/Avenarius's "World Objects"

Empirio-Critical Concept:

Reality consists of "elements" (neutral sensations - colors, sounds, etc.). "World objects" are merely stable complexes of these sensations, eliminating mind-matter dualism.

Lenin's Critique:

• Subjective Idealism:
  • Repackaged Berkeleyanism ("to be is to be perceived")
  • Leads to solipsism without objective basis
• Denial of Objective Reality:
  • Reverses materialist primacy of matter over consciousness
  • Sensations are properties of matter (brain), not foundations
• "Neutral Elements" Smokescreen:
  • Ultimately reduces to sensations, exposing idealism
• Anti-Scientific "Economy of Thought":
  • Rejects discovery of real structures (e.g., atoms)
  • Reduces science to cataloging sensations

Lenin's Core Materialist Position

• Materialist Monism: Matter exists eternally, independent of mind
• Reflection Theory: Consciousness reflects objective reality
• Practice as Criterion: Social practice (experiment, revolution) verifies knowledge
• Anti-Agnosticism: Relative knowledge progressively approximates absolute truth

In Summary

Lenin attacked Kant's "thing-in-itself" as an idealist barrier to knowing objective reality, and Mach's "world objects" as subjective idealism denying matter's primacy. He defended dialectical materialism: objective reality exists independently of consciousness; knowledge reflects this reality through practice; science progressively reveals material truth without Kantian limits.

``` This HTML document features: 1. Responsive design with clean typography 2. Color-coded sections with semantic hierarchy 3. Stylized critique blocks with left borders 4. Differentiated sections for Kantian and Machian concepts 5. Clearly formatted core principles section 6. Summary box with key takeaways 7. Subtle color scheme reflecting philosophical context 8. Mobile-friendly padding and spacing 9. Box shadows and borders for visual separation 10. Hover effects for interactive elements The layout maintains Lenin's original philosophical distinctions while enhancing readability through visual organization. Key critiques are presented with nested lists for clarity, and core principles are highlighted in a dedicated container.