V. I. LENIN


WHAT IS
 TO BE DONE? 


Burning Questions
of
Our Movement


FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS
PEKING 1973

First Edition 1973



Prepared © for the Internet by David J. Romagnolo, djr@cruzio.com (May 1997)

The present English translation of V. I. Lenin's What Is To Be Done? is taken from the text given in the 1952 edition of the pamphlet by the same name, published in Moscow, with changes according to other English translations of the pamphlet. The notes at the end of the book are based on those given in the Moscow edition and in the Chinese edition published by the People's Publishing House, Peking, March 1965.



C O N T E N T S


PREFACE

2

I. DOGMATISM AND "FREEDOM OF CRITICISM"

6

  A.
B.
C.
D.

What Is "Freedom of Criticism"?
The New Advocates of "Freedom of Criticism"
Criticism in Russia
Engels on the Importance of the Theoretical Struggle

6
11
17
26

II. THE SPONTANEITY OF THE MASSES AND THE
   CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE SOCIAL-DEMOCRATS


34

A.
B.
C.
 

The Beginning of the Spontaneous Upsurge
Bowing to Spontaneity. The Rabochaya Mysl
The Self-Emancipation Group and the Rabocheye
Dyelo

35
41

53

III. TRADE-UNIONIST POLITICS AND SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC
    POLITICS


66

A.
 
B.
 
C.
 
D.
 
E.
F.

Political Agitation and Its Restriction by the
Economists
A Tale of How Martynov Rendered Plekhanov More
Profound
Political Exposures and "Training in Revolutionary
Activity"
What Is There in Common Between Economism and
Terrorism?
The Working Class as Vanguard Fighter for Democracy
Again "Slanderers," Again "Mystifiers"


67

80

85

92
96
116

IV. THE AMATEURISHNESS OF THE ECONOMISTS AND AN
    ORGANIZATION OF REVOLUTIONARIES


122

A.
B.
C.
 
D.
E.
F.

What Is Amateurishness?
Amateurishness and Economism
Organization of Workers and Organization of Revolu-
tionaries
The Scope of Organizational Work
"Conspiratorial" Organization and "Democracy"
Local and All-Russian Work

123
128

137
156
165
176

V. THE "PLAN" FOR AN ALL-RUSSIAN POLITICAL NEWSPAPER

189

A.
B.
C.

Who Was Offended by the Article "Where To Begin?"
Can a Newspaper Be a Collective Organizer?
What Type of Organization Do We Require?

190
197
212

CONCLUSION

221

Appendix:

  THE ATTEMPT TO UNITE THE "ISKRA " WITH THE
    "RABOCHEYE DYELO "


226

CORRECTION TO "WHAT IS TO BE DONE?"

235

NOTES

237



WHAT IS TO BE DONE?


  Burning Questions of Our Movement [
1]

" . . . Party   struggles   lend   a   party  strength
and vitality; the greatest proof of the weakness
of a party  is  diffuseness   and the blurring of
clearly   defined   boundries;   a  party   becomes
strong by purging itself. . . ."

(From a letter of  Lasalle  
to Marx, of June 24, 1852
)  




Written between the autumn of 1901      
and February 1902      
First published as a separate work      
in march 1902      


      Published according to the text
      of the book checked with that
      in the collection Twelve Years,
      by VI. Ilyin, 1907

      Original in Russian





From Marx
to Mao

Lenin
Collection

Reading
Guide

Notes on
the Text
Below




From Marx to Mao

Lenin Collection

Reading Guide