bourgeoisie

bureaucracy

fascism

guillotine

inspiration

insurrection

Japan

Josef Stalin

Joseph Stalin

learning

materialism

New York City

old age

political party

religion

revolution

sacredness of human life

strategy

terror

nationality

Russian

Soviet

occupation / innovator as

Marxist revolutionary

Soviet politician

theorist

cause of death

assassination

Member of the Russian Constituent Assembly

Mexican

diplomat

philosopher

politician

autobiographer

Minister of Defence

journalist

historian

atheism

military personnel

homicide

revolutionary

scientific organization

Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Russian Revolution

Russian Civil War

Polish–Soviet War

October Revolution

intellectual movement

Trotskyism

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of USSR

Left Opposition

is vitally interested in imposing its moral philosophy upon the exploited masses with concrete norms concealed under moral abstraction.

The bourgeoisie, which far surpasses the proletariat in the completeness and irreconcilibility of its class consciousness, is vitally interested in imposing its moral philosophy upon the exploited masses. It is exactly for this purpose that the concrete norms of the bourgeois catechism are concealed under moral abstractions. . . The appeal to abstract norms is not a disinterested philosophic mistake but a necessary element in the mechanics of class deception. Leon Trotsky

is inversely proportional with social harmony.

Bureaucracy and social harmony are inversely proportional to each other. Leon Trotsky

Fascism is nothing but capitalist reaction. Leon Trotsky

is the last resource of the bourgeoisie which replaces social and historical criteria with biological and zoological standards so as thus to free itself from any and all restrictions in the struggle for capitalist property.

The last resource of the bourgeoisie is fascism, which replaces social and historical criteria with biological and zoological standards so as thus to free itself from any and all restrictions in the struggle for capitalist property.

is what comes only when the working class shows complete incapacity to take into its own hands the fate of society.

In all the countries where fascism became victorious, we had, before the growth of fascism and its victory, a wave of radicalism of the masses — of the workers and the poorer peasants and farmers, and of the petty bourgeois class. In Italy, after the war and before 1922, we had a revolutionary wave of tremendous dimensions; the state was paralyzed, the police did not exist, the trade unions could do anything they wanted — but there was not party capable of taking the power. As a reaction came fascism. In Germany, the same. We had a revolutionary situation in 1918; the bourgeois class did not even ask to participate in the power. The social democrats paralyzed the revolution. Then the workers tried again in 1922-23-24. This was the time of the bankruptcy of the Communist Party — all of which we have gone into before. Then in 1929-30-31, the German workers began again a new revolutionary wave. There was a tremendous power in the Communists and in the trade unions, but then came the famous policy (on the part of the Stalinist movement) of social fascism, a policy invented to paralyze the working class. Only after these three tremendous waves did fascism become a big movement. There are no exceptions to this rule — fascism comes only when the working class shows complete incapacity to take into its own hands the fate of society.

is that remarkable invention of the French Revolution which makes man shorter by a head.

In not more than a month’s time terror will assume very violent forms, after the example of the great French Revolution; the guillotine... will be ready for our enemies... that remarkable invention of the French Revolution which makes man shorter by a head.

is the creative union of the conscious with the unconscious.

The creative union of the conscious with the unconscious is what one usually calls 'inspiration.' Leon Trotsky

is an art, and like all arts has its own laws.

Insurrection is an art, and like all arts has its own laws. Leon Trotsky

is dangerous because one necessarily has to learn from one's enemies.

Learning carries within itself certain dangers because out of necessity one has to learn from one's enemies. Leon Trotsky

is lazy, and it is because of this that all human progress is founded. There would have been no technical development or social culture. If man did not seek to receive the largest possible quantity of products in return for a small quantity of energy.

As a general rule, man strives to avoid labor. Love for work is not at all an inborn characteristic: it is created by economic pressure and social education. One may even say that man is a fairly lazy animal. It is on this quality, in reality, that is founded to a considerable extent all human progress... because if man did not strive to expend his energy economically, did not seek to receive the largest possible quantity of products in return for a small quantity of energy, there would have been no technical development or social culture. Leon Trotsky

 does not ignore the feeling, thinking, and acting man, who accomplishes revolution, as they are always accomplished through people. It does not ignore them, explains him.

Let us not forget that revolutions are accomplished through people, although they be nameless. Materialism does not ignore the feeling, thinking, and acting man, but explains him. Leon Trotsky

is the fullest expression of our modern age.

The fullest expression of our modern age. [of New York City]

is the most unexpected of things that can happen to a man.

Old age is the most unexpected of things that can happen to a man. — Trotsky

is the historical organ by means of which a class becomes class conscious.

is illogical primitive ignorance. There is nothing as ridiculous and tragic as a religious government.

Religions are illogical primitive ignorance. There is nothing as ridiculous and tragic as a religious government. Leon Trotsky

is a shameful lie (uttered with the object of keeping the oppressed slaves in their chains) as long as human labor power, and, consequently, life itself, remain articles of sale and purchase, of exploitation and robbery.

As long as human labor power, and, consequently, life itself, remain articles of sale and purchase, of exploitation and robbery, the principle of the 'sacredness of human life' remains a shameful lie, uttered with the object of keeping the oppressed slaves in their chains. Leon Trotsky

is one of those things where, even if you are not interested in it, it is interested in you.

You may not be interested in strategy, but strategy is interested in you. Leon Trotsky

is a historically justified strategy of the working class to demonstrate their will and strength. It enabled them to break the political will of the intelligentsia, pacify the professional man of various categories and work, and gradually subordinate them to its own aims within the field of their specialties.

Terror, as the demonstration of the will and strength of the working class, is historically justified, precisely because the proletariat was able thereby to break the political will of the intelligentsia, pacify the professional man of various categories and work, and gradually subordinate them to its own aims within the field of their specialties. Leon Trotsky

Leon TrotskyThinkers

Leon Trotsky