This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.
Bourgeoisie | Desire | Freedom | Will |
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
To accept anything on trust, to preclude critical application and development, is a grievous sin; and in order to apply and develop, "simple interpretation" is obviously not enough.
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
When nine-tenths of Africa had been seized (by 1900), when the whole world had been divided up, there was inevitably ushered in the era of monopoly possession of colonies and, consequently, of particularly intense struggle for the division and the re-division of the world.
Freedom | Oppression | Society | System | Society |
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
But by no means limit ourselves to address the problem of religion in the abstract-to-idealistically, as a matter of reasoning completely detached from the class struggle (as they often radical bourgeois democrats). It would be absurd to imagine that, in a society based on the endless oppression and degradation of the toiling masses, we may remove religious prejudices with a mere preaching. It would give evidence of a bourgeois narrow-mindedness, lose sight of the fact that religious oppression of humanity is only the fruit or reflection aspect of economic oppression in society. Neither the books nor preaching can enlighten the proletariat positively if it is not enlightened by its own struggle against the dark forces of capitalism. The union in this genuinely revolutionary struggle of the oppressed class to make the earth a heaven, is more important to us than unity of proletarian criteria about imaginary paradise of heaven. 's why we do not represent or declare in our program that we are atheists , which is why we do not ban or prohibit proletarians who still cling to the vestiges of the old prejudices that come into closer contact with our party. Always preach a scientific philosophy, we must combat the absurdities of Christians, but this does not mean that the religious question should be placed in the foreground where it does not belong. We must not allow the forces oriented in a genuinely revolutionary struggle, economic and political, where infringements on behalf of opinions and conceptions of much less importance, they quickly lose any political significance and are gradually relegated to the pile by the normal course of economic development. The reactionary bourgeoisie, here as elsewhere, always strives stoke religious antagonisms in order to divert attention from the masses of those really important and fundamental issues, both economic and political, that the Russian proletariat is in the process of deciding through the practice of the revolutionary struggle. This reactionary tactic of dividing the proletarian forces, which today is mainly manifested in the pogroms of the Black Hundreds, tomorrow can be expressed in more subtle forms. Anyway, we know oppose this our propaganda firm sustained and patient towards proletarian solidarity and scientific philosophy that will prevent differences arising secondary.
Democracy | Freedom | Inferiority |
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
When we are reproached with having established a dictatorship of one party and, as you have heard, a united socialist front is proposed, we say, "Yes, it is a dictatorship of one party! This is what we stand for and we shall not shift from that position because it is the party that has won, in the course of decades, the position of vanguard of the entire factory and industrial proletariat. This party had won that position even before the revolution of 1905. It is the party that was at the head of the workers in 1905 and which since then — even at the time of the reaction after 1905 when the working-class movement was rehabilitated with such difficulty under the Stolypin Duma — merged with the working class and it alone could lead that class to a profound, fundamental change in the old society.
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
From the correct Marxist premise concerning the deep economic roots of the class struggle in general and of the political struggle in particular, the Economists have drawn the singular conclusion that we must turn our backs on the political struggle and retard its development, narrow its scope, and reduce its aims. The political wing, on the contrary, has drawn a different conclusion from these same premises, namely, that the deeper the roots of our present struggle, the more widely, the more boldly, the more resolutely, and with greater initiative must we wage this struggle.
Association | Freedom | Speech | Association |
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
During the lifetime of great revolutionaries, the oppressing classes constantly hounded them, received their theories with the most savage malice, the most furious hatred and the most unscrupulous campaigns of lies and slander. After their death, attempts are made to convert them into harmless icons, to canonize them, so to say, and to hallow their names to a certain extent for the consolation of the oppressed classes and with the object of duping the latter, while at the same time robbing the revolutionary theory of its substance, blunting its revolutionary edge and vulgarizing it.
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
For the state to wither away completely, complete communism is necessary.
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
This struggle must be organized, according to “all the rules of the art”, by people who are professionally engaged in revolutionary activity. The fact that the masses are spontaneously being drawn into the movement does not make the organization of this struggle less necessary. On the contrary, it makes it more necessary.
Criticism | Fear | Freedom | Majority | Resentment | Theoretical |
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
The entire trend of development is towards abolition of coercive domination of one part of society over another.
Democracy | Freedom | Organization | Proletariat | Purpose | Purpose | Time |
Vladimir Lenin, fully Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
The chief distinguishing feature of Russia in regard to the point we are examining is that the very beginning of the spontaneous working-class movement, on the one hand, and of the turn of progressive public opinion towards Marxism, on the other, was marked by the combination of manifestly heterogeneous elements under a common flag to fight the common enemy (the obsolete social and political world outlook).
The observation of the breathing rhythm is suggested as a support to those who cannot arrive at the spontaneous stillness of total mind without some support. But to depend upon the support for a long period is undesirable and unwarranted. One has to discover for oneself whether one is learning self-reliance through the support or not. Simple observation of the breathing rhythm culminates into silence or total awareness within a few weeks. Secondly the hour of silence should enable one to live in awareness throughout the day.
Discovery | Existence | Freedom | Journey | Meaning | Religion | Revolution | Truth | Discovery |
There have been superficial blendings, as spiritual groups take up social service work and social activists join religious organizations, but a real integration of social action and spirituality at a deep, innovative level has not yet happened to any significant degree. The history of human development has been fragmentary, and the majority of people have been content with the fragmentation. It has the sanction of society. Each fragment of society has its own set of values. Among many social activists, anger, hatred, violence, bitterness, and cynicism are accepted norms, even though the effectiveness of these motivations for peaceful living has been seriously put in doubt. And indifference to the needs of the poor has had shocking acceptance among generations of spiritual people who considered higher states of consciousness much more significant than the misery of the starving millions.
It is not sufficient that a few in society penetrate to the depths of living and offer fascinating accounts about the oneness of all beings. What is necessary in these critical times is that all sensitive and caring people make a personal discovery of the fact of oneness and allow compassion to flow in their lives. When compassion and realization of oneness becomes the dynamic of human relationship, then humankind will evolve.
Attention | Care | Children | Freedom | Greed | Harmony | Joy | Life | Life | Love | Mind | Mistrust | Need | Peace | Responsibility | Study | Thought | Will | Thought |
If there is a willingness to face these unpleasant facts, and be with these facts, then we can proceed. If we enter into self-pity and depression, then negativity may lead to cynicism and bitterness against others and bitterness against the system. And releasing such negative energy does not help solve the problems. We have to stick with the facts as they are. Whether we like it or not, we are responsible participants in what is happening in the world.
Virginia Woolf, nee Stephen, fully Adeline Virginia Woolf
My mind turned by anxiety, or other cause, from its scrutiny of blank paper, is like a lost child–wandering the house, sitting on the bottom step to cry.
Belief | Body | Courage | Freedom | Habit | Life | Life | Little | Men | Opportunity | Past | Reality | Talking | Will | World |