Peter
Lavrov was
born in Russia in 1823. After a career as
a army officer Lavrov taught at St. Petersburg University. Lavrov
developed radical views and his outspoken views on the need to bring
an end to serfdom and autocratic rule
resulted in him being arrested and sent into internal exile.
Banished
to Vologda, Lavrov explained his political views in Historical
Letters (1870). In danger of further arrest, Lavrov left
Russia and in exile edited the newspaper, Vpered!
(Forwards!).
Lavrov
initially argued that progress came about from the deliberate action
of "critically thinking individuals". The role of intellectuals
was to imbue the people with the knowledge that would help them to
attain "the moral ideal of socialism". Later he was converted
to Marxism and allocated a greater role to
economic forces in obtaining political change. Peter
Lavrov
died in 1900.
(1)
Peter Lavrov, Our Programme
(1873)
The reconstruction of Russian society must be achieved
not only for the sake of the people, but also through the people.
But the masses are not yet ready for such reconstruction. Therefore
the triumph of our ideas cannot be achieved at once, but requires
preparation and clear understanding of what is possible at the given
moment.
(2)
Peter Lavrov, To the Russian Revolutionary
Youth (1874)
History
has shown us, and psychology proves, that the possession of great
power corrupts the best people, and that even the ablest leaders,
who meant to benefit the people by decree, failed. Every dictatorship
must surround itself by compulsory means of defence which must serve
as obedient tools in its hands. Every dictatorship is called upon
to suppress not only its reactionary opponents but also those who
disagree with its methods and actions. Whenever a dictatorship succeeded
in establishing itself it had to spend more time and effort in retaining
its power and defending it against its rivals than upon the realization
of its programme, with the aid of that power. The abolition of dictatorship
assumed by a party can only be dreamed about before the usurpation
takes place. In the struggle of parties for power, in the class of
open or concealed ambitions, every moment furnishes an added reason
and necessity for maintaining the dictatorship, creates a new excuse
for not relinquishing it. A dictatorship can be wrested from the dictators
only by a new revolution.
(3)
Peter Lavrov, Vpered! (1875)
Falsehood
can never be the means for spreading truth. Exploitation or the authoritarian
rule of the individual can never be the means for the realization
of justice. Triumph over idle pleasure cannot be attained by the forcible
seizure of unearned wealth, or the transfer of the opportunity for
enjoyment from one individual to another. People who assert that the
end justifies the means should keep in mind the limitation of their
rule by the rather simple truism; except those means which undermine
the goal itself.
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