V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v46;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

TO A. N. POTRESOV

September 2, 1898

I received your letter of August 11 yesterday, together with the list of books and the parcel containing *Archiv* No. 15.

The article by the “outstanding political economist” is extremely interesting and excellently written. The author obviously had at his disposal the richest material, which fortunately fell into his hands. In general, in the field of journalism he proves to be perhaps an even better writer than in the purely economic sphere. *Archiv* is, on the whole, an interesting journal, and I shall certainly subscribe to it next year. I should also like to subscribe to some English periodical, a journal or newspaper (weekly); could you advise me what to choose? I am quite unfamiliar with what is most interesting in English journalism and accessible in Russia.

As regards Struve’s article, on the evaluation of which we differ, it must, of course, be said that one cannot judge the author’s views precisely from this article alone. It seemed to me, for instance, and still seems, that he was precisely setting himself “general classificatory tasks” (the very title indicates this), whereas you find that he “by no means set himself” such tasks... That “we must win our handicraft industry away from so-called domestic production” I, of course, fully and unconditionally agree with, and it seems to me that this task still confronts our “disciples” 16 unsolved. In Struve’s article I saw a plan for solving this task.

Have you noticed in *Russkoye Bogatstvo* the articles by N. G. (in the last two issues) against “materialism and dialectical logic”? They are very interesting indeed—from the negative side. I must confess that I am incompetent in the questions raised by the author, and I am extremely surprised why the author of *Beiträge zur Geschichte des Materialismus* 17 has not expressed himself in Russian literature and does not express himself decisively against neo-Kantianism, leaving it to Struve and Bulgakov to polemise on particular questions of this philosophy, as if it had already become part of the views of the Russian disciples. Surely there would be room for philosophical articles in more than one of our journals, and a book could pass freely.

His polemic with Bernstein and Conrad Schmidt interests me extremely, and I greatly regret that I cannot get hold of *Vremya* 18 in any way. I should be very grateful if you could help me in this. Of course, it would be quite enough to get this newspaper even for a short time. Have you that issue of *Novoye Vremya* in which (several years ago) there was an article by the same author on Hegel (the 30th anniversary of his death—something of that sort)? 19 I do not receive *Novoye Vremya*, nor does any of the comrades here, although they promised to send it from Petersburg! To hell with all these people who promise and undertake things at random!

Also interesting is the little article by Ratner on *Capital* in *Russkoye Bogatstvo* (July issue). What I find most revolting are such lovers of the golden mean, who do not dare to come out openly against doctrines they dislike, but hedge, introduce “corrections”, avoid the main points (like the theory of class struggle), and beat about the bush with details.

The articles by another author in *Novoye Vremya* on social trends in Russia also seem extremely interesting 20: you have quite whetted my appetite by mentioning them. “The eye sees, but...” If I understood you correctly, this author expresses ideas he has already set forth elsewhere (on the danger of *einer politischen Isolierung des russischen Proletariats*). It seems to me that “estrangement from society” by no means necessarily implies this “isolation”**, for there is society and society: by fighting against Narodism and all its offshoots, the disciples thereby draw closer to those of the *gauche*** who are inclined to break decisively with Narodism and consistently adhere to their own views. It is hardly likely that the disciples would absolutely shun such people.

Rather the contrary. A “conciliatory” (or, better, alliance-seeking) attitude towards such

* — political isolation of the Russian proletariat. *Ed.*
** And that this “isolation” must by no means be permitted, in this, in my opinion, the author is fully and a thousand times right, especially against the narrow adherents of “economism”.
*** — left. *Ed.*

people is, in my opinion, quite compatible with war against Narodism and all its manifestations.

Write. I press your hand. V. Ulyanov

Well, well, you are already fighting, so that even an outsider is frightened: with sticks and so forth! Fortunately, Eastern Siberia seems to have lagged somewhat behind Vyatka Gubernia in belligerence. 21