Lenin, Vladímir I. (1870–1924)

Vladímir Iljítsch Uljánov was the leader of Russian Revolution (1917) und founder of the Soviet Union (1922). His works include contributions to political theory and philosophy (Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism; State and Revolution, both published in 1917). Lenin was the author of several theoretical works in philosophy such as Materialism and Empiriocriticism (published in 1909), which became fundamental in Marxist-Leninist philosophy, especially in their epistemology. In the text Lenin argued, among other issues, that human perceptions correctly and accurately can reflect the objective external world and that there is no independent, [Page 402]nonsubjective way to verify the existence of the external world.

In an earlier pamphlet titled What Is to Be Done? (published in 1902), Lenin argued that only a disciplined party of professional ...