V. I. Lenin and empiriocritics about matter. Is the discussion over?

Abstract

The problem of matter in philosophy has become relevant again. Nowadays, it does not resemble the crisis of the early XX century when a so-called “dissolution” of the matter in mathematical formulae was discussed. However, the emergence of term “dark matter” in physics, which is not clear how it differs from the well-known “light matter”, is obscure and raises the question of the “matter doubling”. This makes one remember that the current definition of matter in philosophy was developed as a result of a discussion concerning the ways of its existence between Vladimir Lenin and empiriocritics. Thus, all modern attempts to define matter cannot exist without a new view on the old discussion presented in the book “Materialism and Empirio-Criticism” by Lenin. The author of the article pays attention to the fact that during the discussion of “the main question of philosophy” a century ago, concerning the attitude of matter towards consciousness, it was considered by Lenin only in two aspects, specifically, ontological and gnoseological. At the same time, the principle of the identity of dialectics, logic and theory of knowledge proposed by him demands consideration of the arguments adduced in the discussion as well as the logical aspect. According to the author, the consecutive consideration of the main question of philosophy by means of logic, should result in a correction of Lenin’s definition of matter.