Marxism - and Linguistics

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra

A booklet of five letters by Joseph Stalin on language and linguistics, published in summer 1950 as answers to questions from students and participants in an ongoing public debate in and beyond the Soviet Union. It explains the relationship of language to social activity, social classes, and consciousness, critiques the theories associated with N.Y. Marr, and develops Stalin’s application of Marxism to issues of national languages and the socialist state. Appendices provide excerpts from earlier Stalin writings and include an editor-added background article summarizing the Soviet linguistics controversy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages68

Reading Time1 h 45 min

AccessFree to download

EDITOR'S NOTE

Contents

CONCERNING MARXISM IN LINGUISTICS

REPLY TO KRASHENINNIKOVA

REPLY TO SANZHEYEV

REPLY TO D. BELKIN AND S. FURER

REPLY TO A. KHOLOPOV

APPENDICES

THE FUTURE OF NATIONS AND OF NATIONAL LANGUAGES

NATIONAL LANGUAGES AND SOCIALISM

THE SOVIET LINGUISTICS CONTROVERSY

# Marxism Linguistics BY JOSEPH STALIN 鲜是 # MARXISM AND LINGUISTICS ## Marxism andLinguisticS JOSEPH STALIN 的是 N EW YORK INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT,I95I,BYINTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS Co.,INC. 209 PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. CONTENTS EDITOR'S NOTE 7 1.CONCERNING MARXISM IN LINGUISTICS9II.REPLY TO KRASHENINNIKOVA 3 III.REPLY TO SANZHEYEV 394042 IV.REPLY TO D.BELKIN AND S.FURER v.REPLY TO A.KHOLOPOV APPENDICES I.THE FUTURE OF NATIONS AND OF NATIONAL LANGUAGES48 II.NATIONAL LANGUAGES AND SOCIALISM55 I.THE SOVIET LINGUISTICS cONTROVERSY by Margaret Schlauch 57 ## EDITOR'S NOTE This booklet contains five letters by Joseph Stalin on the subjectof language.All five were published in the summer of I950 in replyto questions addressed specifically to Stalin by students in the fieldof linguistics.These letters were a part of a wide public discus-sion in the press and at conferences in the Soviet Union and else-where,which is still continuing. The first reply,"Concerning Marxism in Linguistics,"deals withthe relationship of language to the activities of people and to socialclasses,and defines the characteristic features of language.It alsocriticizes the theories of the disciples of the late N.Y.Marr,aSoviet scholar whose ideas had long dominated the field of linguis-tics in the U.S.S.R. The four other letters continue and develop Stalin's applicationof Marxism to the field of linguistics.In these,he takes up the rela-tionship of language to consciousness,further evaluates Marr'swork in linguistics,and discusses the question of national languagesand the socialist state. Appendices I and II contain excerpts from some of Stalin's earlierwritings on language.Appendix I is a discussion of language andthe national question which Stalin wrote in reply to a communi-cation in I929.It also quotes from a speech which he made atthe University of the Peoples of the East in I925.Appendix Iis a brief selection from Stalin's remarks in reply to the debate onhis report at the Sixteenth Congress of the Communist Party ofthe Soviet Union in I930. As background material for American readers on the Sovietlinguistics controversy,the editor has included as Appendix III arecent article on the subject by the noted philologist,ProfessorMargaret Schlauch,for many years on the faculty of New YorkUniversity and now at the Universiy of Warsaw.Professor Schlauchhas followed and taken part in the linguistics debate since the earlyI930's.Her article summarizes Marr's theories,gives the history ofthe controversy,and points out its international significance.

FAQs

What is the purpose of the five letters in this booklet?

The letters present Joseph Stalin’s responses on language and linguistics to questions addressed to him by students, as part of a broader public discussion in the Soviet Union and elsewhere.

Which linguistic theories does Stalin criticize?

Stalin criticizes the theories of the disciples of the late N.Y. Marr, a Soviet scholar whose ideas had long dominated linguistics in the U.S.S.R.

What topics are covered in the appendices?

The appendices include excerpts from Stalin’s earlier writings on language and the national question, plus an additional background article by Margaret Schlauch summarizing the Soviet linguistics controversy.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra