Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

238V. I. LENINently clear the way for capitalism, will most resolutelyeradicate serfdom. The outline which I have drawn aboveindicates precisely the maximum to be achieved in theabolition of serfdom and the maximum of “equalisation”to be attained thereby. The Narodnik imagines that this“equalisation” eliminates the bourgeois element, whereas,in reality, it expresses the aspirations of the mostradical bourgeoisie. And whatever else there is in “equalisation”over and above that is nothing but ideologicalsmoke, a petty-bourgeois illusion.The short-sighted and unhistorical judgement of someRussian Marxists on the significance of Narodnik theoriesin the Russian bourgeois revolution is to be explained bythe fact that they have not reflected on the significance ofthe “confiscation” of the landlord estates which the Narodniksadvocate. One has only to visualise clearly the economicbasis of this revolution under the present conditionsof landownership in our country in order to grasp not onlythe illusory nature of the Narodnik theories, but also thetruth of the struggle, restricted to a definite historical task,the truth of the struggle against serfdom, which representsthe real content of those illusory theories.5. TWO TYPES OF BOURGEOIS AGRARIAN EVOLUTIONTo proceed. We have shown that the Narodnik theories,while absurd and reactionary from the standpoint of thestruggle for socialism against the bourgeoisie, turn out tobe “rational” (in the sense of being a specific historic task)and progressive in the bourgeois struggle against serfdom.The question now arises: when we say that serfdom mustinevitably die out in Russian landownership and in thewhole social system in Russia, when we say that a bourgeois-democraticagrarian revolution is inevitable, doesthat mean that this can take place only in one definite form?Or is it possible in various forms?That question is of cardinal importance for arrivingat correct views on our revolution and on the Social-Democraticagrarian programme. And solve this question we must,starting out from the data given above concerning the economicbasis of the revolution.