Peter Genov. Feuerbachs Erkenntnistheorie
Und Metaphysik. Zürich, 1911
(Berner Dissertation) (S. 89)

Written December 29–30, 1914 · pages 326–327 · First published 1930 in Lenin Miscellany XII. Published according to the manuscript · Translated by Clemence Dutt

Lenin’s remarks on Peter Genov’s book “Feuerbachs Erkenntnistheorie und Metaphysik.” Zürich, 1911 (Berner Dissertation) (S. 89) [Peter Genov, Feuerbach’s Theory of Knowledge and Metaphysics, Zürich, 1911 (Bern Dissertation) (p. 89)] were written December 29-30, 1914, in Bern.
 
Note that this document has undergone special formating to ensure that Lenin’s sidenotes fit on the page, marking as best as possible where they were located in the original manuscript.

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PETER GENOV.
FEUERBACHS ERKENNTNISTHEORIE
UND METAPHYSIK

ZÜRICH, 1911 (BERNER DISSERTATION) (S. 89)

Landesbibliothek

This purely amateurish work consists almost ex- clusively of quotations from Feuerbach’s collected works |Jodi edition|. It can be useful only as a collection of quotations, and incomplete at that. the author has far from worked out his subject The author quotes mainly: Vol. II, especially “Thesen und Grundsätze,” and then “Wider den Dualismus.”[1] X, especially “Über Spiritualismus und Materialismus.” NB VIII, Vorlesungen über das Wesen der Religion (Feu-

		erbach himself wrote in 1 8 48 that this was a more mature work of his than The Essence of Christianity, published in 1 8 41) |VIII, SS. 26, 29; 102-109; 288; 329 and others|.
VII.		Das Wesen der Religion (1 8 45: Feuerbach regards it as important).
IV.		“Leibnitz” with the notes of 1847 (NB) |IV, SS. 261; 197; 190-191; 274|.
VII.		Addenda to Wesen des Christentums.
		The author quotes (in the spirit of Feuerbach): Ebbinghaus: Experimentelle Psychologie, SS. 110 und 45.      Fr. Jodl: Lehrbuch der Psychologie, S. 403. A Forel: Gehirn und Seele, X. Auflage, S. 14.

Lange[2] (II. Buch, S. 104) against Feuerbach, he says, is obviously wrong (S. 83 and 88), distorting (and denying) Feuerbach’s materialism. At the beginning the author gives a sketch of Feuer- bach’s philosophical evolution,—Todesgedanken (1830)— still a Hegelian; Der Schriftsteller und der Mensch[3] (1834)— beginning of the rupture; Kritik des Antihegel (1835)— against the enemies of Hegel, but not in favour of Hegel (cf. de Grün,[4] Bd. II, 409; I, 390 and 398).—The Critique of Hegelian Philosophy[5] (1839).—The Essence of Christian- ity (1 8 41)—the rupture—Theses and Principles of the Philosophy of the Future (1842 and 1843).—The Essence of Religion (1845).—Lectures on the Essence of Religion (1847).

 

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Notes

^[1] “Thesen und Grundsätze” (“Theses and Principles”) refers to two works by Feuerbach: Vorläufige Thesen zur Reform der Philosophie (Preliminary Theses on the Reform of Philosophy) and Grundsätze der Philosophie der Zukunft (Principles of the Philosophy of the Future) contained in Vol. II of Feuerbach’s works, published by Bolin and Jodl. This volume also contains the work Wider den Dualismus von Leib und Seele, Fleisch und Geist (Against Dualism of Body and Soul, Flesh and Spirit). The phrase “particularly über Spiritualismus und Materialismus” refers to Über Spiritualismus und Materialismus in besonderer Beziehung auf die Willensfreiheit (On Spiritualism and Materialism with Particular Reference to Free Will) contained in Vol. X.

^[2] The reference is to Fr. A. Lange’s book “Geschichte des Materialismus” (F. A. Lange, History of Materialism) in which the history of materialism is given in distorted form.

^[3] Here the author was “not a pantheist, but a polytheist” (S. 15); “more a Leibnitzian than a Hegelian” (S. 15).—Ed.

^[4] The reference is to K. Grün’s book “Ludwig Feuerbachs Briefwechsel und Nachlass” (K. Grün, Ludwig Feuerbach’s Correspondence and Literary Heritage).

^[5] The German titles of Feuerbach’s works are: Kritik der Hegelschen Philosophie; Wesen des Christentums; Vorläufige Thesen zur Reform der Philosophie; Grundsätze der Philosophie der Zukunft; Wesen der Religion; Vorlesungen über des Wesen der Religion.—Ed.