File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-04-23.140, message 45


Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 06:55:52 GMT
From: Chris Burford <cburford-AT-gn.apc.org>
Subject: M-I: Pannekoek: Lenin as Philosopher


I have just been lent this text by a friend/comrade
in our small London-based Marxism, Science and Philosophy 
study circle.

The edition is by Merlin Press, London, 1975 and contains
a 2 1/2 page introduction plus a 12 page biography of 
Pannekoek by Paul Mattick.

Subject to Louis Godena's views I was considering
typing up all or part of it for a discussion on 
Marxism-and-Sciences, as I would like to get
to grips with the issues, in an open but critical
atmosphere.

The work was mentioned to me in the context of my friend
saying that when Lenin criticised Mach in Materialism
and Empirio-Criticism in 1908 Lenin was really a mechanical
materialist. Only between 1914-1916 when he was reading
Hegel did he become a dialectical materialist.

Pannekoek who was an astronomer, and active in the Council
Communist movement, seems to me arguably to offer an
instructively different perspective to the Leninism
of the 3rd International which also linked theory and 
practice, even if it was vulnerable to Lenin's criticisms
of ultra-leftism. 

The work overall is only 110 pages with separate chapters on Mach
and Dietzgen. The section specifically on Lenin covers 25 sides.
 
Judging from the advantages for the Bhaskar list of having
a text for slow reading, I wonder if anyone else thinks it might
be worth trying this on marxism-and-sciences, which has been 
rather quiet for a long gap. Hopefully Louis G will see this
and give his opinion.



Chris Burford



[other bibliographical information:
First published in German as "Lenin als Philosoph"
in Amsterdam in 1938.
First English edition published by New Essays of New York 1948]


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