What Is to Be Done? - Classic Text | Alexandria
What Is to Be Done? (1902) is Vladimir Lenin's polemical pamphlet that crystallized his vision for a disciplined, centralized vanguard party to lead the Russian proletariat. More than a mere tactical manual, it outlined a philosophy of revolutionary action, forever shaping the course of 20th-century communism. Its title, seemingly straightforward, belies the complex theoretical arguments that spurred both fervent devotion and bitter ideological clashes, the echoes of which still reverberate today.
Lenin's arguments were forged in the fires of late 19th and early 20th-century Russian social democracy. Specifically, What Is to Be Done? was a response to the "Economist" trend within the Russian socialist movement. This trend, gaining traction around 1897-1900, advocated for focusing primarily on economic struggles and allowing political consciousness to emerge spontaneously from the workers. Lenin contested this head-on, arguing that the working class, left to its own devices, would only develop "trade union consciousness," striving for better wages and working conditions within the capitalist system, rather than revolutionary consciousness aimed at overthrowing it.
The work’s impact was immediate and profound. It solidified Lenin's stature as a leading theorist and strategist within the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, contributing to the 1903 split between Bolsheviks (led by Lenin) and Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks, adhering to Lenin's vanguard party model, were able to seize power in 1917. However, the legacy of What Is to Be Done? is a subject of ongoing debate. Critics argue that its emphasis on centralized control and a hierarchical party structure paved the way for authoritarianism and suppressed dissent. Others maintain that it was a necessary adaptation to the repressive conditions of Tsarist Russia. The very term "vanguard party," once a beacon of revolutionary hope, has since been associated with both liberation movements and totalitarian regimes.
The ideas put forth remain provocative, challenging us to consider the relationship between theory and practice, leadership and agency, and the delicate balance between revolutionary zeal and democratic participation. As the world continues to grapple with questions of social justice and political transformation, What Is to Be Done? still serves as a powerful, if controversial, touchstone for debate.