p In order to advance the development of social thought and to effect a fundamental change in its direction, Marx and Engels had to concentrate on materialism and dialectics, to produce the materialist doctrine of social development, and this called for a thorough study of production, the key sphere of human activity. In order to develop social thought in the new epoch—the eve of the socialist revolution—Lenin also had to concentrate on all three component parts of the Marxist doctrine: philosophy, political economy and scientific communism.
p Within capitalism itself there were new trends indicating that production was becoming ever more social even in the presence of private appropriation. Bourgeois theorists held forth loudly about the 150 overcoming of “the shadier aspects of industrialism”, the advent of an “epoch of organised capitalism”, about the solution of social problems, the fading away of the class struggle, etc. Actually, these were signs that capitalism was dying and that the socialist revolution was on its way. Of course, progressive mankind, the working class and the other working people were equipped to find an explanation and obtain an understanding of the new epoch and of the ways of historical development and revolutionary activity by the oppressed classes. Their instrument was the doctrine of Marx and Engels. But in view of the tasks of the epoch it was necessary to develop Marxism, including its political economy. This historical task was fulfilled by Lenin, who as a social thinker ranks with Marx and Engels.
p Lenin continued the work of the founders of Marxism in studying capitalist development and showed the need for the working-class struggle to change capitalist society in the direction in which it was itself developing. By analysing the new stage in the development of capitalism—imperialism—Lenin showed that the era of socialist revolutions was at hand and that the hour had struck for resolute revolutionary action by the working class in the van of all the working people. This revolutionary action is based on the objective laws of the historical process and runs in the direction in which capitalism has itself been developing.
p Characterising imperialism, Lenin wrote: “The result is immense progress in the socialisation of production. In particular, the process of technical invention and improvement becomes socialised." [150•2
p The merger of bank and industrial capital, the formation of finance capital, promotes the socialisation of production and the development of economic ties between separate enterprises and branches of production. The Marxist analysis of capitalist production contained revolutionary conclusions. Lenin carried this analysis to its logical end, by studying the final stage in the development of capitalist society.
p He wrote: “Production becomes social, but appropriation remains private. The social means of production remain the private property of a few. The general framework of formally recognised free competition remains, and the yoke of a few monopolists on the rest of the population becomes a hundred times heavier, more burdensome and intolerable." [150•3 The world communist movement starts from this conclusion of Lenin’s, advancing the anti-monopoly struggle, uniting the majority of the population in the capitalist countries in a single tide, and tackling the key problems of our day.
p Lenin showed that the bourgeoisie was losing its place in the process 151 of social development, that it was becoming ever more parasitic, that it was no longer necessary for the development of production, and that, in fact, its very existence was harmful for social progress.
p Some theorists of the Second International did not notice the changes in capitalism and the concentration of capital, and continued to say that capitalism had undergone no changes since the 1860s. Others claimed that a totally new stage in the history of bourgeois society had been ushered in, with capitalism having changed its character, becoming “organised” and “almost socialism”. Lenin had to put in a great effort in clearing the way for social thought to show the historical place of imperialism as the last stage of capitalism, and the eve of socialist revolution. Lenin’s writings have helped the working-class parties to find their bearings in the new historical situation and to realise that the socialist revolution had matured.
p Furthermore, it was necessary to analyse the changes that had taken place not only in the economy, but also in the superstructure of the capitalist society. In that period, some Social Democrats took the harmful view that in the 20th century the bourgeois state allegedly opened up opportunities for fundamental social change, and suggested that the dictatorship of the proletariat slogan should, therefore, be shelved. On the other hand, there was a revival of anarchist tendencies in assessing the state: some said that the bourgeois state machine had to be broken up in the course of the socialist revolution, but they forgot to say that a new state, the dictatorship of the proletariat, had to be set up in its place. Lenin analysed the political superstructure of imperialism and indicated the growing danger of militarism, the drive against the working people’s democratic rights and growing reaction all along the line. He reasserted Marx’s doctrine of the state and further developed it, providing a deep substantiation of the need for the proletarian dictatorship in bringing about fundamental social change and promoting mankind’s progress.
p There were also considerable changes in other areas of the superstructure, the ideology of imperialism in particular, and some socialist theorists were inclined to regard these as being progressive and as allegedly promoting the advance of social thought. Some rejected the new trends in bourgeois social thought out of hand, without trying to understand their objective sources. Lenin showed the idealistic views current in the period of imperialism to be profoundly reactionary and bared the direct connection between these views and fideism, mysticism and religion. At the same time, Lenin pointed out the difficulties in the objective development of science on which many bourgeois scientists had stumbled under the impact of idealistic views, subsequently sliding into the bog of fideism, where the class interests of the bourgeoisie encouraged them to stay.
p Lenin put forward the idea that dialectical materialism, the Marxist 152 outlook alone made it possible for science to emerge from the crisis and further to develop. Lenin’s genius enriched Marxist philosophy, further developed materialist dialectics in an epoch when working mankind was most in need of this “algebra of revolution”.
p Thus, Lenin laid a scientific foundation for the strategy and tactics of the working-class party in the new conditions, and determined the main lines for the economico-political and ideological struggle of the working class.
p Lenin’s greatness lies in the fact that he and his followers within the ranks of the working-class movement took a correct view of the need to set up Marxist parties capable of leading the proletariat and all the other working people in the offensive against capitalism, because the hour of socialist revolution and destruction of the exploitative system had struck. The doctrine of the party was an important achievement in social thought and the theory of social development, substantiating revolutionary action by the masses. At that turning point in history, special importance attached to the consciousness, will and organisation of the working class and of all the masses, whose role in the historical process greatly increased. Establishment of the new type of party accorded with the objective requirements of history.
p The formulation of the organisational principles of Bolshevism and the elaboration of the ideas of how the party was to be structured signified a further development of revolutionary theory and the creation of a key prerequisite for its most effective application in practice. A key principle of party activity from the outset was the principle of the unity of its educational and organisational work, the unity of high ideological awareness and maximum efficiency, ruling out any substitution of revolutionary talk for revolutionary action. The party’s ideological work opens up new opportunities for massive historical action which must be used to the utmost effect in the interests of the revolutionary cause. The party’s organisational effort is designed to translate these possibilities into reality. There is no other way to fulfil the tasks which history has put before the working class, without organising its vanguard, rallying together its advanced forces working in the midst of the masses, that is, without setting up a new type of party, the Marxist-Leninist Party of the working class.
The scientific answer to the question of shaping the vanguard of the proletariat, of its party, capable of organising the whole class and giving a lead to the other sections of the working people helped to solve an important problem in the progressive development of society in this epoch and its fundamental reconstruction. The task that Marxism proclaimed—that of uniting socialism and the working-class movement—was fulfilled in the establishment of the new type of party, which, summing up the experience in the struggle of the masses, becomes the theoretical, revolutionary headquarters developing and 153 enriching revolutionary theory. At the same time, the new type of party is the most efficient organisational form for stimulating the initiative of the masses, helping them to master advanced experience, accumulating, spreading and multiplying the power of example in the revolutionary struggle of the working people and in their construction of new society. It was Lenin and his followers who substantiated the idea and translated it into reality. Since then, the solution of key social problems and the development of social thought has been bound up with the theoretical and practical activity of the Marxist-Leninist parties.