The Vanguard

[DiggerII]

In the State and Revolution Lenin says that Marx wrote about the necessity of a vanguard party. Where does Marx talk about the vanguard if he does at all?

[bloody_capitalist_sham]

In the Communist Manifesto, DiggerII.

Marx talks about the most advanced sections of the working class, under the organizations of 'mens working clubs' (or communist party for lenin) pulling the rest of the Workers along in a path that will help victory of a revolution.

A vanguard is just a useful tool.

Don't let all the anti Lenin people dissuade you from reading Lenin's main material, i did and it set me back for a time i feel.

[Bilan]

Originally posted by [email protected] 17, 2007 06:08 pm
In the Communist Manifesto, DiggerII.

Marx talks about the most advanced sections of the working class, under the organizations of 'mens working clubs' (or communist party for lenin) pulling the rest of the Workers along in a path that will help victory of a revolution.

A vanguard is just a useful tool.

Don't let all the anti Lenin people dissuade you from reading Lenin's main material, i did and it set me back for a time i feel.
Does he actually specify the necessity of a vanguard, or does he just say the most "advanced" of the working class should pull the rest of the class along?

Would you be able to specifically quote it for me, as well?

(this is not hostile, if it comes off that way)

[bloody_capitalist_sham]

Here you are comrade (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch02.htm)

The first few paragraphs explain it.



The Communists are distinguished from the other working-class parties by this only: 1. In the national struggles of the proletarians of the different countries, they point out and bring to the front the common interests of the entire proletariat, independently of all nationality. 2. In the various stages of development which the struggle of the working class against the bourgeoisie has to pass through, they always and everywhere represent the interests of the movement as a whole.

The Communists, therefore, are on the one hand, practically, the most advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties of every country, that section which pushes forward all others; on the other hand, theoretically, they have over the great mass of the proletariat the advantage of clearly understanding the lines of march, the conditions, and the ultimate general results of the proletarian movement.

[Bilan]

Cheers, comrade.

[Djehuti]

The Vanguard a.k.a. the revolutionary party, is not a formal party nor a ruling elite but the most advanced (concious) of the proletarians, they lead by initiative.

I am of the opinion that the Vanguard must be the spearhead of the proletarians, not some arrow flying far beyond the masses. If we walk to far ahead of the working class in general, most of the proles will just be alienated from us.

[Janus]

As bcs mentioned, Marx did mention some type of vanguard in the Communist Manifesto in which he implied that communists would be the vanguard of the proletarian movement. However, his idea of a vanguard was very different structurally from that of Lenin's in that Marx did not argue for an actual solidifed vanguard party to "lead the way".

[Rawthentic]

Lenin was the main person that gave Marxism a practical character, the Bolshevik Party was structured specifically to the repressive climate of Tsarist Russia.