Materialism and Empirio-Criticism by Vladimir Lenin (Hardcover)

“Materialism and Empirio-Criticism” is a book written by Vladimir Lenin in 1908. The book is an analysis of philosophical trends that were prevalent at the time, particularly those associated with the ideas of Ernst Mach and Richard Avenarius.

Lenin’s book argues that these philosophical ideas, which he refers to as empirio-criticism, are fundamentally flawed and do not provide a coherent basis for understanding the world. Lenin critiques the notion that the world can only be known through sense experience and that there is no objective reality beyond individual perceptions.

Instead, Lenin argues for a materialist approach to understanding the world, which emphasizes the importance of objective reality and the role of social and economic factors in shaping human perception. He contends that philosophical ideas are not abstract and disconnected from the material world, but rather arise from and reflect material conditions.

The book also touches on the relationship between philosophy and politics, arguing that philosophical ideas cannot be divorced from their social and political context. Lenin sees the debate over empirio-criticism as being linked to broader struggles over the direction of Russian society, particularly in relation to the role of science and the state.

Overall, “Materialism and Empirio-Criticism” is an influential work in the history of Marxist philosophy, and its critiques of empirio-criticism continue to be debated by philosophers and scholars today.