Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 20:03:29 PST
Subject: Re: M-I: Evil Germans?
From: farmelantj-AT-juno.com (James Farmelant)



The discussion of Nietzsche up to now has ignored his impact on Russian
Marxist 
thought.  Following the failed revolution of 1905 there emerged within
the Bolshevik Party a dissident "god-building" faction led by Alexander
Bogdanov-founder of the Proletkult- and Anatoli Lunacharsky.  They
attempted to reconstruct Marxism to on the
one hand make it compatible with modern science as they understood it
while on the other hand they sought to increase its emotional appeal to
workers and peasants. Therefore, they drew both upon the
empirio-criticism of Ernst Mach and Richard Avenarius and upon
Nietzsche's "amoralism.".  Lunacharsky drew upon Nietzsche's
critique of conventional morality especially Nietzsche's critique of the
categories of 
duty and obligation instead emphasizing free creative activity and
individual autonomy.

Also "god-builders" like Lunacharsky thought that Marxism had become to
cerebral to
have much appeal to ordinary workers.  Therefore they proposed that
socialism itself
be made into a new secular religion in which much of the language and
emotions of
traditional religion would be infused into Marxism.

I have not read Chris S's book on Ayn Rand but I understand that he
provides an extensive account of Nietzsche's influence on Russian
cultural and intellectual life
during Russia's Silver Age.  Does anyone know if he discusses Nietzsche's
influence
on Russian Marxism?

                                                   James F.  


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