Leon Trotsky

How Lenin Studied Marx

(1936)
Written: 1936. Source: Fourth International [New York], Vol.11 No.4, July-Au u!t 19"#, $$.1%6-1%&. Online Version: 'ar(i!t! Internet Ar)hi*e, %##3. Transcribed/HTML Markup: +a*i, -alter! in %##3. Copyleft: .eon /rot!ky Internet Ar)hi*e www.0ar(.or 1 %##3. 2er0i!!ion i! rante, to )o$y an,3or
,i!tri4ute thi! ,o)u0ent un,er the ter0! o5 the 6N7 Free +o)u0entation .i)en!e.

Leon Trotsky devoted many years to the writing of a biography of Lenin, a work he was unfortunately never able to complete. He did, however, finish those chapters which deal with Lenins youth; these were published in 1 !" in #rance. The section on how Lenin pursued his $ar%ist studies comes from one of the chapters /he 8ta e! o5 +e*elo$0ent of this volume dealing with Lenins youth. 9 :,itor! o5 Fourth International

7n5ortunately, no one ha! tol, u! how .enin $ur!ue, hi! 'ar(i!t !tu,ie!. Nothin ha! )o0e ,own to u! e()e$t a 5ew !u$er5i)ial an, *ery li0ite, o4!er*ation!. ;<e !$ent whole ,ay! !tu,yin 'ar(, 0akin ,i e!t!, )o$yin $a!!a e!, =ottin ,own note!,> wrote Ya!ne*a. ;It wa! then ,i55i)ult to tear hi0 away 5ro0 hi! work.> .enin?! ,i e!t! o5 @a$ital ha*e not )o0e ,own to u!. /he only 4a!i! 5or re)on!tru)tin thi! youn athlete?! work on 'ar( i! $ro*i,e, 4y the note4ook! he )o0$ile, in hi! !tu,ie! ,urin the !u4!eAuent year!. -hile !till in hi h !)hool, Vla,i0ir in*aria4ly 4e an hi! )o0$o!ition! 4y 5ir!t workin out a 5ini!he, $lan whi)h wa! later !u$$le0ente, with ar u0ent! an, !uita4le Auotation!. In thi! )reati*e $ro)e!! he e(hi4ite, a Auality whi)h Fer,inan, .a!!alle )orre)tly ,e!i nate, a! the $hy!i)al 5or)e o5 thou ht. 8tu,y, whi)h i! not 0erely a 0e)hani)al re$etition, al!o in*ol*e! a )reati*e e55ort, 4ut o5 an in*er!e ty$eB /o !u00ariCe another 0an?!

work i! to lay 4are the !keletal 5ra0ework o5 it! lo i), !tri$$in away the $roo5!, the illu!tration! ari, the ,i re!!ion!. Joyou!ly an, 5er*ently Vla,i0ir a,*an)e, alon thi! ,i55i)ult roa,, !u00ariCin ea)h )ha$ter, !o0eti0e! a !in le $a e, a! he rea, an, thou ht an, *eri5ie, the lo i)al !tru)ture, the ,iale)ti)al tran!ition!, the ter0inolo y. /akin $o!!e!!ion o5 the re!ult!, he a!!i0ilate, the 0etho,. <e )li04e, the !u))e!!i*e run ! o5 another 0an?! !y!te0 a! i5 he were hi0!el5 )on!tru)tin it anew. All o5 it 4e)a0e 5ir0ly lo, e, in thi! 0ar*elou!ly well-or,ere, 4rain 4eneath the $ower5ul ,o0e o5 the !kull. The For ati!e Sta"e For the re!t o5 hi! li5e, .enin ne*er ,e$arte, 5ro0 the Du!!ian $oliti)oe)ono0i) ter0inolo y whi)h he a!!i0ilate, or ela4orate, ,urin the 8a0ara $erio,. /hi! wa! not owin to o4!tina)y alone, althou h intelle)tual o4!tina)y wa! )hara)teri!ti) o5 hi0 to the hi he!t ,e ree. It wa! 4e)au!e, 5ro0 hi! earlie!t year!, he 4e)a0e u!e, to 0akin a !tri)tly )al)ulate, )hoi)e, ,eli4eratin o*er ea)h ter0 in all o5 it! *ariou! a!$e)t! until within hi! )on!)iou!ne!! it ha, 4e)o0e 5u!e, with a whole )y)le o5 )on)e$t!. /he 5ir!t an, !e)on, *olu0e! o5 @a$ital were Vla,i0ir?! 4a!i) 0anual! at Alakaye*ka an, 8a0ara 5or the thir, *olu0e ha, not yet a$$eare, at the ti0eB 'ar(?! rou h ,ra5t wa! =u!t 4ein $ut in or,er 4y the a e, :n el!. Vla,i0ir ha, !tu,ie, @a$ital !o well that ea)h ti0e he returne, to it therea5ter, he wa! a4le to ,i!)o*er new i,ea! in it. A! early a! the 8a0ara $erio, he ha, learne,, a! he u!e, to !ay in later year!, to ;take )oun!el> with 'ar(. Ee5ore the 4ook! o5 the 0a!ter, i0$ertinen)e an, 4anter auto0ati)ally ,e$arte, 5ro0 thi! altere, !$irit who wa! )a$a4le o5 the ,ee$e!t ratitu,e. /o 5ollow the ,e*elo$0ent o5 'ar(?! thou ht, to 5eel it! irre!i!ti4le $ower, to ,i!)o*er ,e,u)tion! 5ro0 in)i,ental $hra!e! or re0ark!, to renew ea)h ti0e hi! )on*i)tion o5 the truth an, $ro5un,ity o5 'ar(?! !ar)a!0 an, to 4ow ,own with ratitu,e 4e5ore thi! relentle!! eniu! 9 thi! 4e)a0e 5or Vla,i0ir not only a ne)e!!ity 4ut a =oy. 'ar( ne*er ha, a 0ore attenti*e rea,er or one in )lo!er har0ony with hi0, nor ,i, 'ar( ha*e a 4etter, 0ore $er)e$ti*e an, rate5ul ,i!)i$le.
-ith hi0 'ar(i!0 wa! not a )on*i)tion, 4ut a reli ion,> wrote

Vo,o!o*. ;In hi0 one 5eel! a ,e ree o5 )on*i)tion that i! in)o0$ati4le with a enuine !)ienti5i) a$$roa)h.> For a $hili!tine no !o)iolo y 0erit!

the ,e!i nation ;!)ienti5i)> e()e$t the one whi)h lea*e! inta)t hi! ri ht to kee$ on *a)illatin . /o 4e !ure, Fuliano*, a! Vo,o!o*o* hi0!el5 te!ti5ie!, ;wa! ,ee$ly intere!te, in all the o4=e)tion! rai!e, a ain!t 'ar(i!0 an, re5le)te, u$on the0>G 4ut he ,i, !o ;not 5or the !ake o5 !eekin out the truth,> 4ut !i0$ly to un)o*er in the!e o4=e)tion! !o0e error ;o5 who!e e(i!ten)e he wa! alrea,y )on*in)e, in a,*an)e.> /here i! an ele0ent o5 truth in thi! )hara)teriCation, na0elyB Fuliano* ha, a))e$te, 'ar(i!0 a! the ri$e!t $ro,u)t o5 the entire $re*iou! e*olution o5 hu0an thou htG he ha, no ,e!ire, a5ter attainin thi! hi h le*el, to ,e!)en, to a lower oneG he ,e5en,e, with in,o0ita4le ener y tho!e i,ea! o*er whi)h he ha, 4een $on,erin an, whi)h he wa! *eri5yin e*ery ,ay o5 hi! li5eG an, he re ar,e, with $re)on)ei*e, 0i!tru!t the atte0$t! o5 )on)eite, i nora0u!e! an, eru,ite 0e,io)ritie! to !u4!titute a 0ore ;a))e$ta4le> theory 5or 'ar(i!0. -hen it )o0e! to !u)h 5iel,! a! te)hnolo y or 0e,i)ine, routini!0, ,ilettanti!0 an, 0e,i)ine, 0an 0u04o-=u04o are hel, in =u!ti5ia4le 0i!tru!t. Eut in the 5iel, o5 !o)iolo y the!e )o0e to the 5ore in e*ery in!tan)e in the ui!e o5 a 5ree !)ienti5i) !$irit. /ho!e 5or who0 theory i! 0erely a 0ental toy, 5lit ea!ily 5ro0 one re*elation to another or 0ore o5ten !till re0ain )ontent with an a lo0eration o5 )ru04! 5ro0 the ,i55erent re*elation!. In5initely 0ore e(a)tin , ri orou! an, well4alan)e, i! he who *iew! theory a! a ui,e to a)tion. A ,rawin roo0 !ke$ti) 0ay !)o55 at 0e,i)ine with i0$unity, 4ut a !ur eon )annot li*e in an at0o!$here o5 !)ienti5i) un)ertainty. /he reater i! the re*olutioni!t?! nee, 5or theory a! a ui,e to a)tion, all the 0ore intran!i eant i! he in uar,in it. Vla,i0ir Fuliano* 0i!tru!te, ,ilettanti!0 an, ,ete!te, Aua)k!. -hat he *alue, a4o*e a5l el!e in 'ar(i!0 wa! the !e*ere ,i!)i$line an, authority o5 it! 0etho,. In 1&93 a$$eare, the la!t 4ook! o5 V. Voront!o* HV.V.1 an, N. +aniel!on HNikolaion1. /he!e two 2o$uli!t e)ono0i!t! ar ue, with en*ia4le tena)ity that )a$itali!t ,e*elo$0ent in Du!!ia wa! i0$o!!i4le, =u!t at a ti0e when Du!!ian )a$itali!0 wa! $re$arin to take an e!$e)ially *i orou! lea$ 5orwar,. It i! i0$ro4a4le that the 5a,in 2o$uli!t! o5 that ,ay rea, the tar,y re*elation! o5 their theoreti)ian! a! attenti*ely a! ,i, the youn 'ar(i!t at 8a0ara. Fuliano* ha, to know hi! a,*er!arie! not only in or,er to 4e a4le to re5ute their writin !. <e wa! a4o*e all !eekin an inwar, )ertainty 5or the !tru le. It i! true that he !tu,ie, reality in a $ole0i)al !$irit, ,ire)tin all hi! ar u0ent! at the ti0e a ain!t 2o$uli!0 whi)h ha, outli*e, it!el5G 4ut to no one el!e wa! $ure $ole0i) a! an en, in it!el5 0ore alien than to thi! 5uture author o5

twenty-!e*en *olu0e! o5 $ole0i)al writin !. <e ha, to know li5e a! it i!. /he nearer Vla,i0ir )a0e to the $ro4le0! o5 the Du!!ian re*olution an, the 0ore he 4e)a0e a)Auainte, with 2lekhano*, all the reater 4e)a0e hi! e!tee0 5or 2lekhano*?! )riti)al work!. /he )urrent 5al!i5ier! o5 the hi!tory o5 Du!!ian Eol!he*i!0 Hlike 2re!niako*1 write to0e! on the to$i) o5 the ;!$ontaneou! 4irth o5 'ar(i!0 on Du!!ian !oil 5ree 5ro0 any ,ire)t in5luen)e o5 the I0i rI rou$ an, o5 2lekhano*> 9 an,, it ou ht to 4e a,,e,, 5ree 5ro0 'ar( hi0!el5, who wa! the I0i rI $ar e()ellen)e. An, they )on*ert .enin into the 5oun,er o5 thi! enuinely nati*e Du!!ian ;'ar(i!0> 5ro0 whi)h the theory an, $ra)ti)e o5 ;!o)iali!0 in one )ountry> wa! later to 5low. /he ,o)trine o5 the !$ontaneou! 4irth o5 'ar(i!0 a! a ,ire)t ;re5le)tion> o5 Du!!ia?! )a$itali!t ,e*elo$0ent i! it!el5 an e(e)ra4le )ari)ature o5 'ar(i!0. /he e)ono0i) $ro)e!! ,oe! not 5in, it! re5le)tion in ;$ure> )on!)iou!ne!! in all it! nati*e i noran)eG it 5in,! it! e($re!!ion in the hi!tori) )on!)iou!ne!!, enri)he, 4y all the $a!t )onAue!t! o5 0ankin,. It wa! $o!!i4le 5or the )la!! !tru le in )a$itali!t !o)iety to lea, to 'ar(i!0 in the 0i,,le o5 the Nineteenth @entury only 4e)au!e the ,iale)ti)al 0etho, wa! then alrea,y at han,, a! the a)hie*e0ent o5 6er0an )la!!i)al $hilo!o$hyG only 4e)au!e o5 the $oliti)al e)ono0y o5 A,a0 80ith an, +a*i, Di)ar,o in :n lan,G only 4e)au!e o5 the re*olutionary an, !o)iali!t ,o)trine! o5 Fran)e whi)h ro!e out o5 the 6reat De*olution. /he internationali!t )hara)ter o5 'ar(i!0 inhere!, there5ore, in the *ery ori in! o5 it! own 4irth. /he rowth o5 the $ower o5 well-to-,o $ea!ant! Hkulak!1 on the Vol a an, the ,e*elo$0ent o5 0etallur y in the 7ral! were utterly ina,eAuate to 4rin a4out in,e$en,ently the !el5!a0e !)ienti5i) re!ult!. It i! not 0ere )oin)i,en)e that the :0an)i$ation o5 .a4or 6rou$ )a0e to 4e 4orn a4roa,B Du!!ian 'ar(i!0 5ir!t !aw the li ht o5 ,ay not a! an auto0ati) $ro,u)t o5 Du!!ian )a$itali!0 like !u ar-4eet )ro$! an, the $oor )otton )loth H5or the 0anu5a)ture o5 whi)h, 0oreo*er, 0a)hine! ha, to 4e i0$orte,1, 4ut a! a )o0$le( o5 the entire e($erien)e o5 the Du!!ian re*olutionary !tru le )ou$le, with the theory o5 !)ienti5i) !o)iali!0 ori inatin in the -e!t. /he 'ar(i!t eneration o5 the Ninetie! ro!e on the 5oun,ation! lai, 4y 2lekhano*.

Ho# Spiritual $aupers %&'alt( Lenin /o a$$re)iate .enin?! hi!tori) )ontri4ution there i! no nee, whate*er to try to !how that 5ro0 hi! early year! he wa! o4li e, to 4reak the *ir in !oil with a $low o5 hi! own. ;/here were al0o!t no )o0$rehen!i*e work! a*aila4le,> write! :li!aro*a $arrotin Ja0ene* an, other!. ;It wa! ne)e!!ary 5or hi0 to !tu,y the ori inal !our)e! an, ,raw 5ro0 the0 hi! own ,e,u)tion!.> Nothin )oul, 4e 0ore o55en!i*e to .enin?! own ri orou! !)ienti5i) !)ru$ulou!ne!! than thi! )lai0 that he took no a))ount o5 hi! $re,e)e!!or! an, tea)her!. Nor i! it true that in the early Ninetie! Du!!ian 'ar(i!0 $o!!e!!e, no )o0$rehen!i*e work!. /he $u4li)ation! o5 the :0an)i$ation o5 .a4or 6rou$ alrea,y )on!titute, at the ti0e an a4ri, e, en)y)lo$e,ia o5 the new ten,en)y. A5ter !i( year! o5 4rilliant an, heroi) !tru le a ain!t the $re=u,i)e! o5 the Du!!ian intelli ent!ia, 2lekhano* $ro)lai0e, in 1&&9 at the 8o)iali!t -orl, @on re!! in 2ari!, ;/he re*olutionary 0o*e0ent in Du!!ia )an triu0$h only a! the re*olutionary workin -)la!! 0o*e0ent. /here i! an, there )an 4e no other way out 5or u!.> /he!e wor,! !u00e, u$ the 0o!t i0$ortant eneral )on)lu!ion 5ro0 the entire $re)e,in e$o)h an, it wa! on, the 4a!i! o5 thi! eneraliCation o5 an ;I0i rI> that Vla,i0ir $ur!ue, hi! e,u)ation on the Vol a. Vo,o*o!o* write! in hi! 0e0oir!, ;.enin u!e, to !$eak o5 2lekhano* with $ro5oun, 5eelin , e!$e)ially a4out H2lekhano*?! 4ook1 Fur +i55eren)e!.> .enin 0u!t ha*e in,ee, e($re!!e, hi! 5eelin ! *ery *i*i,ly 5or Vo,o*o!o* to 4e a4le to re)all the0 a5ter a la$!e o5 0ore than thirty year!. /he 0ain !tren th o5 Fur +i55eren)e! lie! in it! treat0ent o5 re*olutionary $oli)y a! in,i!!olu4ly linke, with the 0ateriali!t )on)e$tion o5 hi!tory an, with the analy!i! o5 Du!!ia?! e)ono0i) ,e*elo$0ent. Fuliano*?! 5ir!t $ronoun)e0ent! at 8a0ara a ain!t the 2o$uli!t! are thu! )lo!ely a!!o)iate, with hi! war0 a$$re)iation o5 the work o5 the 5oun,er o5 the Du!!ian 8o)ial +e0o)ra)y. Ne(t to 'ar( an, :n el!, Vla,i0ir wa! 0o!t in,e4te,, to 2lekhano*. /owar, the en, o5 19%%, while re5errin in $a!!in to the early Ninetie!, .enin wroteB ;8oon a5ter thi! 'ar(i!0, a! a ten,en)y, 4e an to 4roa,en, 0o*in in the 8o)ial-+e0o)rati) ,ire)tion $ro)lai0e, 0u)h earlier in -e!tern :uro$e 4y the :0an)i$ation o5 .a4or 6rou$.> /he!e line!, whi)h !u0 u$ the hi!tory o5 the ,e*elo$0ent o5 an entire eneration, al!o )ontain a $art o5 .enin?! own auto4io ra$hy. 8tartin out in the 'ar(i!t ten,en)y with an e)ono0i) an, hi!tori)al ,o)trine, he 4e)a0e a 8o)ial +e0o)rat un,er the in5luen)e o5 the i,ea! o5 the

:0an)i$ation o5 .a4or 6rou$ whi)h 5ar out!tri$$e, the ,e*elo$0ent o5 the Du!!ian intelli ent!ia. Fnly !$iritual $au$er! )an i0a ine that they e(alt .enin 4y attri4utin to hi! natural 5ather, the 8tate @oun)illor Fuliano*, re*olutionary o$inion! whi)h he ne*er hel,, while at the !a0e ti0e 0ini0iCin the re*olutionary role o5 the I0i rI 2lekhano*, who0 .enin hi0!el5 )on!i,ere, a! hi! !$iritual 5ather. At JaCan, 8a0ara an, Alakaye*ka, Vla,i0ir thou ht o5 hi0!el5 a! $u$il. Eut =u!t a! reat $ainter! in their youth ,i!$lay their own in,e$en,ent 4ru!h !troke e*en while )o$yin $i)ture! 4y ol, 0a!ter!, =u!t !o Vla,i0ir Fuliano* 4rou ht to hi! a$$renti)e!hi$ !u)h *i or o5 thou ht an, initiati*e that it i! ,i55i)ult to ,raw a line o5 ,e0ar)ation 4etween what he a!!i0ilate, 5ro0 other! an, what he ela4orate, hi0!el5. +urin the 5inal $re$aratory year at 8a0ara, thi! line o5 ,e0ar)ation 4e)a0e ,e5initi*ely o4literate,B the a$$renti)e 4e)o0e! an in,e$en,ent in*e!ti ator. ) Historic Contro!ersy /he )ontro*er!y with the 2o$uli!t! $a!!e, naturally to the 5iel, o5 )urrent ,e*elo$0ent!, o5 e*aluatin whether or not )a$itali!0 wa! )ontinuin to row in Du!!ia. +ia ra0! re$re!entin the nu04er o5 5a)tory )hi0ney! an, o5 in,u!trial worker! a! well a! tho!e !howin the ,i55erentiation a0on the $ea!antry took on a !$e)ial 0eanin . /o ,eter0ine the ,yna0i)! o5 the $ro)e!! it wa! ne)e!!ary to )o0$are to,ay?! 5i ure! with tho!e o5 ye!ter,ay. :)ono0i) !tati!ti)! thu! 4e)a0e the !)ien)e o5 !)ien)e!. @olu0n! o5 5i ure! hel, the key to the 0y!tery o5 Du!!ia?! ,e!tiny an, that o5 it! intelli ent!ia an, o5 it! re*olution. :*en the )en!u! o5 hor!e! taken $erio,i)ally 4y the 0ilitary a,0ini!tration wa! )alle, u$on to i*e an an!wer to the Aue!tionB -ho wa! the !tron er, Jarl 'ar( or the Du!!ian *illa e )o00uneK /he !tati!ti)al 0aterial in 2lekhano*?! early work! )oul, not ha*e 4een *ery ri)hB the !tati!ti)! o5 the Le0!t*o!, o5 e()e$tional *alue 5or the !tu,y o5 *illa e e)ono0y, 4e)a0e ,e*elo$e, only ,urin the :i htie!G 0oreo*er, the $u4li)ation! )ontainin the!e !tati!ti)! were rarely a))e!!i4le to an e0i re who wa! al0o!t )o0$letely i!olate, 5ro0 Du!!ia ,urin tho!e year!. Ne*erthele!!, 2lekhano* in,i)ate, with )o0$lete a))ura)y the eneral ,ire)tion o5 !)ienti5i) work to 4e un,ertaken on the 4a!i! o5 !tati!ti)al ,ata. /he early !tati!ti)ian! o5 the new !)hool 5ollowe, thi! roa,. '.A. <ourwi)h, an A0eri)an $ro5e!!or o5 Du!!ian ori in, $u4li!he, in 1&&6 an, 1&9% two e!!ay! on

the Du!!ian *illa e whi)h Vla,i0ir Fuliano* *alue, hi hly an, whi)h he u!e, a! 0o,el!. .enin ne*er let !li$ an o$$ortunity to i*e re)o nition to the work! o5 hi! $re,e)e!!or!.