Date: Thu, 30 Nov 95 23:45 CST
From: Scott Marshall <Scott-AT-rednet.org>
Subject: Re: The Legacy of Lenin?


At 11:31 AM 11/30/95 -0500, you wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Nov 1995, Scott Marshall wrote:
>>... He, like Marx, believed that class consciousness and socialist
>>consciousness did not arise spontaneously from the working class
>> *on its own.* 
>
>	Some questions:
>
>1) If class consciousness does not arise from the working class on
>    its own, then from what class does it?

It *does* come from the working class. The key word and key phrase here are:
1)spontaneously and 2) 'on its own'. Class consciousness is when the workers
as a class see themselves as a class and see themselves in opposition to the
capitalist class and and see their own distinct class interests etc. Marx
and Engels discribe this process in the Communist Manifesto. 

Class consciousness comes from the working class in the process of the class
struggle. Marx and Engels also describe the bourgeoises role in 'molding'
the proletariat etc.

>2) Where does Marx state this belief, and since I do not have acsess
>   to the complete works, could you please quote a couple of lines
>   for my consideration.
>

I'll look for more specific references but the Manifesto and their work
around the formation of the Communist League are indications of their
thinking about class and socialist consciousness and how and where it 'arrises'.



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