The Development of the Monist View of History by Georgi Plekhanov (N. Beltov) is a landmark work in Marxist philosophy and one of the earliest systematic expositions of historical materialism in Russian thought. Written in 1895, this classic text firmly established Plekhanov as the founder of Russian Marxism, laying the theoretical foundations for understanding history, society, and human consciousness through a scientific, materialist worldview.

In this seminal study, Plekhanov (writing under the pseudonym N. Beltov) defends the monist conception of history, which asserts that social and historical processes are governed by material conditions—not divine will or abstract ideas. He analyzes the development of human society as a dialectical process, determined by the mode of production, the class struggle, and the interplay between economic base and ideological superstructure.

Responding to critics of Marxism, Plekhanov presents a masterful critique of idealism and voluntarism, demonstrating that only a scientific, materialist approach can explain the logic of historical development. He situates Marx’s method within the broader evolution of philosophy, showing its superiority over metaphysical and dualist interpretations of history.

The Development of the Monist View of History remains one of the most influential philosophical texts of the Marxist tradition, providing a lucid and rigorous account of historical materialism as a method of analysis. It is essential reading for students, historians, and philosophers seeking to understand the origins of Marxist thought in Russia and its continuing relevance to the study of social change and human progress.

PUBLISHER:PROGRESS PUBLISHERS MOSCOW

BINDING: HARD COVER

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PAGES: 334