Marxism and Problems of Linguistics - From Marx to Mao

ANSWER. N. Y. Marr and his “disciples” accuse of “formalism”all linguists who do not accept the “new doctrine” ofN. Y. Marr. This of course is not serious or clever.N. Y. Marr considered that grammar is an empty “formality,”and that people who regard the grammatical system asthe foundation of language are formalists. This is altogetherfoolish.I think that “formalism” was invented by the authors ofthe “new doctrine” to facilitate their struggle against theiropponents in linguistics.The cause of the stagnation in Soviet linguistics is not the“formalism” invented by N. Y. Marr and his “disciples,” butthe Arakcheyev regime and the theoretical gaps in linguistics.The Arakcheyev regime was set up by the “disciples” of N. Y.Marr. Theoretical confusion was brought into linguistics byN. Y. Marr and his closest colleagues. To put an end tostagnation, both the one and the other must be eliminated.The removal of these plague spots will put Soviet linguisticson a sound basis, will lead it out on to the broad highwayand enable Soviet linguistics to occupy first place in worldlinguistics.June 29, 1950Pravda, July 4, 195040