DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND ITS EFFECT ON THE SOVIET CITIZEN

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• Collection: General CIA Records
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• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
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• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: July 23, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL g
CENTPAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Dialectical Materialism and Its Effect on the
Soviet Citizen
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRE
DATE OF I
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEA4.11G OF TITLE IS, SECTIONS 79S
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. oTS TRAaSMISSION OR REV,
LOTION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECE,PT aY AN 000uT000ILE0 PERSON IS
PROHISITED IT LAW. THE REPRODUCTION el, THIS FU -A 14 PRONIIIITIO.
MIIIIINIMINSIm...M1111?141?111111M1111
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CD NO.
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DATE DISTR..a3 Jul 1954
NO. OF PAGES 7
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REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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lo "Comrade Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov", a hypothetical loyal citizen of the
USSR, differs greatly from his US contemporary, Mr John Doe. Ivan has
been drilled from childhood in the concepts of dialectical materialism.
His mind is molded so that he will react to many situatiou 1:0. P. t7ay
which can be predicted only on a basis of a sound understanLing
Comiunist psychology.
2. Lenin, in Volume XI, (Page 64) of his book entitled ."Selected ,
defines dialectical materialism as "the living soul of Marxism" 43 "its
fundamental theoretical root". He and his heirs adopted it os.nd
promoted it to the status of the sole official state philosophy, :s.aowledge
of which is mandatory for all Soviet citizens. Basically, it eau
summarized by saying that all things and events are inter-related OL.(1
serve simultaneously as both causes and results and that qualitative .211anges
occur as a result of accumulated quantitative changes.
3. In the Soviet Union planned distribution embraces not only rerv materials,
implements of production, manufactured goods and foodstuffs, A;1 anything
else that may be centralized and standardized, including education and
ideological indOctrinatio677The Soviet people are continuously exposed
to the powerful Communist propaganda machine. This propaganda, based on
dialectical materialism, dominates all phases of Soviet liCe and is found
everywhere, even invading the individual home. Sir Walter Citizine, a
UK sociologist, after visiting the USSR, wrote in his book,-7E7E7irch of
Truth in Russia": "propaganda is everywhere, there is no escape from it
and no challenge to it. There is never any other source from which the
worker can learn the other side.. He only _hears one side. Thatas the
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dreadful thing about it:
4. The, principals of dialectical materialism contained in the propaganda
interpret the historical past, the present and the future for"Comrade
Ivanov". The unity and inter-relationship of all things Es..s interpreted
to imply complete negation of Divine Will. Under the principles of
dialectical materialiSm it is the dialectical movement or the iverge
that forms the historical process. The economic system of a society,
which Marx defined as the sub-structure, always provides the real basis
of the society and religion, ethics, laws and conventions are a super-
structure built upon and determined by it, according to Marx' book,
"Selected Works" (Volume I). It means further that all things are of a
temporary and relative value and they may be evaluated and judged only
in relation to other things. Permanent values and objective standards
of human behavior do not exist. For example, the Soviets reason that
in relation,to a feudal past,capitalism was beneficial, but in relation
to a socialist future, capitalism is evil and must be destroyed. It can
be seen that concepts of truth, morality and ethics are always relative
and one sided.
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5. While addreF.cing the Third Congress of the Soviet Young Communists League
(Xomaompl), Lenin said: "Is there such a thing as Communist ethics?
Is there such a thing as Communist morality? Of course there is. It is
often made to appear that we have no ethics of our ovn; and very often
the ,bonrgeoisielvhe derivedethics from the commandments of God,
derived them from ideitilist_or semi-idealist phrases, which always 4wouuted
to spmething very similar to God's cpmmandments. We repudiate all morality
derived from non-human and non-class concepts. We say that is is a decep-
tion, a fraud in the interests of the landlords and capitalists. We say
that our morality is entirely sUbordinated to the interests of the class
struggle of the proletariat. . . The class struggle is still continuing.
We subordinate our Communist morality to this task. We Say: morality
ia t serves to destroy, the old exploiting society and to unite all he tellers
around the proletariat, which is creating a new Gommunist
society we do not believe in an eternal morality".
6. This explains why Communists are ready to use unlimited opportunism with
respect to means as long as they serve the ultimate goal of Communist
world domination. "Comrade Ivanov" therefore learns early in lift that
the end justifies the means used for its adhievement. He can understand
why, without any sense of contradictioA or hypocrisy local wars
or peace campaigns,treaties'yith Fascist or democratic states, inter-
national trade or, boycott, hard diplomacy or soft diplomacy, can all be
justified if they improve the position of the Communist Party in its world
struggle. However, no problem may be cited in terms of general priciples
alone without taking into consideration the actual circumstances. There
are times, for example, when it is right for working people to go out
on Strike and there are times when it is not. "Comrade Ivanov" is con-
stantly reminded that things must be considered not in isolation but in
their inseparable interconnection. It means that all sectional and
temporary interestsjeost always be saeTifieed,for,and sOordinated to the
long-term interests of the Par-:npmrade Ivallov," is told again and
again that the Communist Party is the best and most.effective instrument
fc,- achieving the ultimate goal of Communist world society. Consequently,
he IS made .to. believe that good is that which is beneficial to the Party
and-that the.:so-called Party line is always to be :regarded as the absolute
truth; that only the Party has a legitimate right, justified by the goal,
to possess,and to exercise power. ,
7. No deviation from the Party line can be tolerated. , "Comrade Ivanov"
knows very well-that it is not possible to oppose the Party. Slogans,
whishappear under numerous portraits of Lenin, state categorically
that "Who, is. aotvith us is.. enemy." J Mbnnerot, a well-known
student.of.Soviet sociology, came to the. following conclusion in regard
to this peculiar PrinciPle of Communist philesophy and, wrote the following
in his book entitled, "Sociology of Communism": s(s,;
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? "And suppose a nai really is in the right against the Party, is not
this the essence of criminality? If, being in the right, he is
mentally opposa. to the Party's actions, he has at least that much
in common with the enemy, and this is the first link in the chain
which connects the secret opposition with the enemy's world". '
This, gradually, it becomes clear to "Comrade Ivanov" that at -very point
the fundamental question, where a decision must be made as to right .and
wrong, is -:how will it effect the Communist cause? Motivated by fear
and the instincts of self-preservation, "Comrade Ivanov" builds his ,
whole psychology around this concept. He knows that even the Soviet
Constitution stipulates the relative nature of civil rights. For instance,
Article 125 of the 1936 Constitution, reads in part as follows:
."In conforming with the intereats,o-i the working people, and in
order to strengthen the socialist system, the citizens of the USSR
are guaranteed bylaw, freedom of speech, freedom of the press,
? freedom of assembly, including the holding of mass meetings, and.
freedom of F.- et processions and demonstrations."
Thus, civil freeuems may be exercised only so that they will conform
with "the interests of the working people: which means the interests of
the Communist Party, and will serve to 'strengthen the? socialist system",
which means the Communist cause.
8. RayMond A Bauer, a-Student of the Soviet Union, wrote as, fellatit ih his
book, entitled: "The New Man in Soviet Psychology":
"Another Bolshevik premise, of importance here is that of unity ofL
truth. The ideology of Soviet society, it is maintained, is, .
.'scientific' and self-consistent. Therefore, there Can be only,
one correct theory in any area. In fact, there can only be one
cUrrentgeneral theory-Marxist ideology-and all particular theories
insistent with it"
To maintain the assertion that the Party line always represents absolute
truth and wisdom is possible only by means of a contrast. An absolute
good requires an absolute evil. Dialectical materialism excluded any
possibility tf a compromise between, or a combination of, bad and good.
Therefore, "Coturade Ivanov" is conditioned to be able to see and dis-
tinguish only two basic colors: black and white. He is taught that
outside the Seyiet Union everything is bad and everybody is unhappy. It
is, therefore, quite obvious that everything in the Soviet Union should
be good and all Soviet citizens should be happy. In reality, however,
things are not that simple. For example, how can "Comrade Ivanov" be
made to believe that a railroad accident, which occurred in the Soviet
Union, ? is a happy event; or that the pair of shoes which "Comrade Ivanov"
managed to buy, is good, despite the fact that both shoes are for the
left foot? To avoid confusion and to deliver "Comrade Ivanov" from
temptation, dialectical materialism provided an effective and safe
remedy,. It is called rational discussion or criticism and self-criticism.
One of the leading Communist theorists,. Andrey,Zhdanov, made the
following statement about the net1W.e an significance of this dialec-
ticaa. method in, his speech at the Philosophical Workers Conference
411 1947 'ClaolshevileVolume VII, 1947, Page 12): ?
"In our Soviet society, where antagonistic classes have been
eliminated, the struggle between the old and the new, and con-
sequently the development from the lower to the higher, proceeds
? not? in the fOrm of struggle between antagonistic and cataclysmic
classes as in the case under ?capitalism, but in the form of
criticism and self-criiciam, which is the real motive force
of our development, a Powerful instrument in the hands of the
Party. This is incontestably a new form of Movement, a new
type'of development, anew dialectical law".
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. -
Statementssuch as this, calling for criticism and selftritiCiam,
have beer a,common feature,of Soviet life from the time of the intro- 50X1
duction of the first FiVe'Year'Plan (1928-1929) down to the'-present
Stalin himaelf Wrote in his "Hittory of the COmtuniat'Pettle
, ,
Soviet Union" is-folloWs1
'"A,party.is invincible, if it doet not fear criticism and Self-
? criticism, if it does not gloss over the mistakes and defects
in its work, if it teaches and,661cates its cadres by drawing' '
? the lessons from the mistakes in Party work,, and if it'knows
how to correct its mistakes in time.
Likewise, MalenkOV stated in hit speech to the 19th Congress-Of the
Communist Party as follows:
"Criticism and-telf,-CriticisM ii theParty's tried and tested
Wysion in the battle against the shortcomings, Mid-takes., ahd
unhealthy phenomena which undermineits sound organism.'
Criticist ar self-criticism does not-weaken, but strengthens
the Soviet 1state, the Soviet social system and, this is a sign of
'
its vigor and vitality".i
Pradtizally every periodical published in the Soviet Dnioh dedicates
a sPecial,page.or 'section to criticism and self-criticism and it
serves as an important .controlling device and an outlet for "Qomrade,
tvano6v4s4' grievances and complaints, which otherwise could develop
intO dangerous dissatisfactions within the regime as a whole.
10. Actuallylftbm-the point Of?view'of a bourgeoisie observer "Soviet --
tteitiaitm Mid hothihg but i tams a deliWate Cid
oarefully plenned.hypocrisy. Nothing and nobody is being criticiied
without-eapproptiate blessing from Soviet authorities, 'Even 'self-
criticism is only a.panned "confession" supplementing the official
Soviet propaganda. Yet, for "Comrade Ivanov", who conceives freedom
Of speech as the ability to buy Soviet 'newspapers, criticism and
aelp-criticiad represent -a genuine democratic achievement.'
11. Since, according to another principle of dialectical materialism,
the whole historical process is the result of a continuous synthesis
every period of revolutionary enthusiasm is bound to be followed by
a period of spiritual depression. To find an antidote fox' such
spiritual depression and to keep "Comrade Ivanov" in a state of perma-
tent-agitaticm, necesaary artificial stimuli have to be periodically
introduced. This "making of history" is done at carefully chosen
historical moments and under strict supervision of the Communist
Party. To such artificial Antithesis, which influence "Comrade
Ivanov's" life, belong notorious dhow-trials, public purges, peace
atfeasives and various "shock" campaigns. While still attending
high school, "Comrade Ivanov" learns the meaning of one more basic
idea of dialectical materialism, namely, the law of transportation
of qUantitative into qualitative changed. He is patiently taught that
afl change has a quantitative aiiect,j-thatis,an aSpect of mere increase
01' decrease Which does not alter the nature ofthat which changes. But
,
antitative change, increase or decrease, cannot go on indefinitely.
e-qualitative change suddenly occurs at a certain critical point.
This, "Comrade Ivanov" is told, is the most important difference between
mere growth and development. He is shown several laboratory experiments
illustrating this theory. For' instance, transformation of water into
steam, a weight attached to a cord -where the weight can be increased
until a certain point is reached ahd the cord is broken, etc. During
these lectures, his professor 'never fails to point out that, unlike
all bourgeoisie philosophies, dialectical materialism is a real science
which can be suPPorted by labotatory experiments. By this time "Comrade
Ivanov" is .ready 'to move one step further along the road of dialectical
materialism. He learns from his professor that the principles
involved in the development of society, are not opposed to but are in
essence the sane as thoseinvolV4ir-Ilte the development 9f nature. There-
fore, society cannot be chan,ed by evolutionary reforms (quantitative
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change), but only by revolutionary means (qualitative change).
formulated this law in the following way:
Stalin
The dialectical Method therefore holds that the process of
.deVelopment.from the lower to the higher takes place not as har-
monious unfolding of phenomena, but as a disclosure of the contra-
dictions inherent in things and phenomena, as a 'struggle' of
opposite tendencies whichoperate on the basis of these contra-
dictions"..
This he set forth it his" book entitled, "Diilectical and Historical.'
Materialism". 'Thus, "Comrade Ivanov" learns to perceive life as the
.struggle of opposing contradictions for survival! He knows that in
this struggle bet4een Communism' and Capitalism a permanent comPromise
is a reconciliation of the differences and is unthinkable and that the
socialist transformation of society is possible only on the basis of the
transformation of quantitative into qualitative' changes (revolkitions, and
wars for 'liberation') and of unity and struggle of opposites (CIait
struggle).. ge also knows that in this struggle the ultilhate Victory
cannot,beeasily wor Stalin himself gave "Comrade Ivanov" a warning-in
this regard, when eaid:
"Something in life is always dying. But that which is dying refuses
to die 'quietly; it fights for its existence, defends its cause ...
The strugele between the old and the new, between the dying and the
such is the foundation of development."
This was set forth in Stalin's repOrt-to the 15th Congress of-the Commun-
ist Party of the Soviet Union.
12. Aa to the selections of the means and methods of struggle, "Comrade qlanov"
knows his dialectical materialism well enough to understand that they
must be -determined entirely by the concrete objective conditions In his
artile.entite.4::"GUerilia,Warfare", written in 1906, Lenin observed as
follows:
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"Marxism insists that the question of the methods of struggle shall
be investigated 2rom an absolutely historical standpoint. Those who
wouli treat' this question apart from the concrete historical air-
cumstr.nces simply fail to unclArstand the very elements of dialectical
mater:.alism. In the various periods of economic evolution and
depending on the ,Tarying. political, national and cultural, social and
other condid.ohs, various methods of 'struggle assume prominence and
become t''.,4e chief methods of struggle, and accordingly the secondary
and supplementary methods of struggle also change in their turn-. To
-attempt to express'a definite opinion, yes, or no, regarding any
particular ct struggle, without subjecting the concrete cir-
cUmstances of the given moment and the given stage of its develop-
ment to careful analysis,timply means abandoning the standpoint of
Marxism completely."
Thus for "(71omrade Ivanov" the choice between one or the other of the
weapons in the Communist arsenal, *EiCh'range'from a top political speech
on the possibility of peaceful existence to a super hydrogen bomb, is
merely a matter of expediency. He knows that tht Party leadership is
governed only by logic of dialectical materialism.
13. Finally, there is one very important principle of dialectical materialism,
which "Comrade Ivanov" is required to study. This principle implies that
negation is the condition for pobitive progress, in which the old is abolished
only after it has already produced the condition for the transition to the new.
This is the so-called law of the "negation of negation". "Cnmrade Ivanov"
is told that through the negation of negation the old stage in many
processes of nature, 'history and thought is repeated on a higher level.
Engels wrote in his book entitled "Anti-Duhring"; that:
?Negation in dialectics does not mean simply no
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Thus when a Communist says that he is against something, he actually means
that hs s for something different. The negation is a positive advance.
The old is not simply abnlished; it is abolished only after it has itself
given rise to Ulf- conditions for the new stage of progress. "Comrade
Ivanov" learns that a revolutionary period, a negation of the old society,
is actually twofold: it implies not only destruction of the old system,
but also creation of a new one. He is to conceive of revolution rt as
an end to the old order, as a destruction of the old civilization, but
rather as their substitution with the new ones. This, "Comrade Ivanov" is
told, is the fundamental difference between the Marxian revolutionary theory
on the one hand, and nihilism on the other.
14. Engels defined negation of negation as follows:
"What, therefore, is the negation of the negation? An extremely
general - and for this reason extremely comprehensive and important -
law of development of nature, history and thought . . . It is obvious
that in describing any evolutionary process as the negation of the
negation I do nn- say anything concerning the particular process of
development . When I say that all these processes are the negation
of the negation, I bring them all together under this one law of
motion, and for this very reason I leave out of account the peculiari-
ties of each separate process. Dialectics is nothing more than the
Sdience of the general laws of motion and development of nature, human
society and thought."
15. 'Lenin has pointed out that there is "a development that seemingly repeats
the stagcs already passed, but repeats them in a new way, on a higher basis
. . . a development, so to speak, in spirals, not in a straight line." This
was set forth in Lenin's book entitled "Selected Works' Volume VII .
"Conrade Ivanov" is given examples of such development in history of
economic institutions, philosophy, art and literature. He is told, for
instance, that primitive communism was negated and replaced by capitalism,
and that Modern c-,munism arises as the negation of that capitalism. Here
again his professol points out that the negation of negation is a real
scientific law y _Ica operates also in nature. The higher development of life
takes place throu6_ its negation and is possible only at the cost of death.
This law -Is also found in ule series of chemical elements in which properties
of elements of lo-or -tomic weight disappear and then reappear in the
elements of higher nic weight. Other examples are found in geology
and mathematics ac --:ding to Engels. "Comrade Ivanov" is warned that only
by using this formuJ.a. of negation of negation, will? he be able to find
correct inteipretation of complex and often confusing situations. Here is,
for instance, in his book, "Dialectical and Historical Materialism", what
Stalin had to say about one of such highly confusing problems: .
"We are for the withering away of the state. And yet we also believe
in the proletarian dictatorship which represents the strongest and
mightiest form of state power that has existed up to now. To keep
on developing state power in order to prepare the conditions foy the
withering awa: of state power - that is the Marxist formula. Is it
contradictory'? Yes, 'contradictory'. But the contradiction is
vital, and wholly reflects the Marxist dialectics . Whoever has
not understood this feature of the contradictions belonging to one
traditional time, Whoever has not understood this dialectic of
historical processes, that person is dead tc Marxism".
From his daily experience, "Comrade Ivanov" knows Very well that "dead to
Marxism" may easily mean also physically dead. Therefore, he will make
a superhuman:effort tO-master his dialectics,
16. This method of the negation of negation is supposed to provide "Comrade
Ivanotr" with Satisfactory explanations for all seeming paradoxes and incon-
sistencies which he may discover in the theory and practice of Communism.
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By using thisMethad Of thinking,"Comrade Ivanov can,. for instance,
understand-Why it is perfectly all :right for the Communists to profess
tre040111While practicing dictatorship. He knows and secepts the fact
that the CoMMuniet leaders are guided by this kind of "new'logid", lie
knoWe:that no matter what the Cost in present sacrifices theref,must be,
bUilt,ut a new order in which human beings would find a complete iibera
It is this ideal-end'which gives the Communist Party abeoluve
power over the lives of millions of"Comrade Ivanove% '
17. It is important to know this Communist:philosophy and attitude if It is
to be attacked psycholOgidallY. It is necessary to know what areas of
"Comrade,Ivanovis":mind remain open for such an attack. It is necessary
tOlinOw whatworde Wbuld'reach the heart of "Comrade Ivanov" and which
propaganda appeals would strike home. To assume that "Comrade Ivanov"
and his fellow citizens are merely Victilecf.the red tyrannyand'that ,
they act in accordance With the COmmUniattheory only because of tnA14'
fear of'nuniehment id wishful thinking arid a dangerous e1tplificatiOnc4
the prOble4., Dialectical materialism, as it is applied in the USSR, -
teaches "Comrade 'Ter ," not,only what to think, bUt;how to think,. His
mind is rendered reiponsive drily to certain stimuli .aria there he can think
only in terms of dialectical materialist. To reach deep inside of him,
all offers of freedom from the red dictatorship, and asyluM Under our free
system must be expressed in similar terms The CommunistAdeology Oenlm
most effectively challenged only by another ideology Or ideologies'whi6h-
start from the same principles. "Comrade Ivanov's" mind cannot_be put into
reverse at once and only a slaw and gradual process can turn it away,fr9121
, ?
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