Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's 'What Is To Be Done?'

In this analysis I will be identifying key points in Vladimir Ilyich Lenin’s political pamphlet “What is to be Done?” in such a way as to identify the historical context, relation to political and ideological elements with current times, and showing how this document has enhanced my understanding of worldly events.

Lenin first talks about the possible economist types in the russian social democracy. These people followed the ideals of Eduard Bernstein. Lenin told the people how Bernstein's ideals were mostly opportunist and was expressed by socialist Alexandre Millerand, which meant he was “taking a post in bourgeois government.” Lenin, against the demand for “Freedom of criticism” went forward with the position that orthodox marxists had similar rights to condemn in return. He made evident that in the fight against bourgeoisie, The revolutionary Social Democrats have to pay especially detailed focus to “theoretical” questions, talking about friedrich engels’ stance saying that there were in fact three forms of social democratic struggle: Political, economic, and theoretical.

Instead, these marxists will need to construct a political party to spread the marxists ideals and allow workers to become marxists on there own. Lenin continues to discuss the understanding of politics stating that “Class political consciousness can be brought to the workers only from without; that is, only from outside the economic struggle, from outside the sphere of relations between workers and employers” in order to become a Marxist and to become political, workers must understand all sides of society not just their