From Lenin, “Philosophical Notebooks”, 1915

Knowledge is represented in the form of a series of circles both by Hegel (see his Logik and by the modern “epistemologist” of natural science, the eclectic and foe of Hegelianism (which he did not understand!) [!? — WPT] Paul Volkmann (see his Erkenntnistheoretische Crundzüge der Naturwissenschaft).

”Circles” in philosophy : (is a chronology of persons essential ? No ! )

Ancient : from Democritus to Plato and the dialectics of Heraclitus.

Renaissance : Descartes versus Gassendi (Spinoza?).

Modern : Holbach — Hegel (via Berkeley, Hume, Kant).

Hegel — Feuerbach — Marx.

Dialectics as a living, many-sided knowledge (with the number of sides eternally increasing) . . .etc.

Comment   So far I (for one) could only foresee the eternally increasing verbiage, in such a ‘philosophy’. Mr. Lenin’s ‘dialectics’ starts with empty premises, his verbal constructions being taken for the realities of the material world which he yet glorifies so much by his (it seems a sort of monist) ‘materialism’.

The controversy such as might stem from any such ‘philosophy’ is idle from the very outset. This man hated clericalism, as the following passages (here omitted) indicated ; confounded idealism with the latter. Confounded the operations on the physical objects (bodies) with the operations with symbols (his ‘dialectics’) etc. etc.

All this can be mainly considered with the view of lessening the losses, already gigantic, lessening the future losses at the least — for it seems that the hydra of this 'philosophy' is still present n some quarters to-day ; and, as the Russian author Col. B. V. Nikitine had aptly noticed, this 'philosophy', due to its weakness, is often found as a sort of instrument used towards some criminal ends. — WPT

Volkmann, P. (Paul), b. 1856. Title Einführung in das Studium der theoretischen Physik, insbesondere in das der analytischen Mechanik, mit einer Einleitung in die Theorie der physikalischen erkenntniss, vorlesungen von P. Volkmann. Edition 2. mehrfach umgearb. aufl. Publisher Leipzig und Berlin, B. G. Teubner, 1913. Description xvi, 412 p. diagrs. 25cm. Note Includes bibliographies. Language German
[ University of California ; New York Public Library ]

Volkmann, P. (Paul), b. 1856. Title Erkenntnistheoretische Grundzüge der Naturwissenschaften und ihre Beziehungen zum Geistesleben der Gegenwart; allgemein wissenschaftliche Vortrage von P. Volkmann. ... Imprint Leipzig, B. G. Teubner, 1896. Division SIBL Descript 12, 181 p. 22 cm.
[ New York Public Library ]

Volkmann, P. (Paul), b. 1856. Title Franz Neumann. * 11. september 1798, + 23. mai 1895. Ein beitrag zur geschichte deutscher wissenschaft. Dem andenken an den altmeister der mathematischen physik gewidmete blätter, unter benutzung einer reihe von authentischen quellen, gesammelt und hrsg. von P. Volkmann. Mit einem bildniss Franz Neumann's. Imprint Leipzig, B. G. Teubner, 1896. Descript vi, 68 p. front. (port.) 25 cm. Note "Titelverzeichniss sämmtlicher veröffentlichungen von F. E. Neumann": p. [39]-43. Subject Neumann, F. E. (Franz Ernst), 1798-1895.
[ New York Public Library ]

Volkmann, P. (Paul), b. 1856. Title Beiträge zur Wertschätzung der Königsberger Erdthermometer-Station 1872-1892. Von Prof. Dr. P. Volkmann. Imprint [Königsberg, Gräfe & Unzer, 1893] Descript p. [54]-61. 4to. Note Caption-title. Excerpt: Königliche physikalische-ökonomische Gesellschaft zu Königsberg. Schriften. Jahrg. 34, 1893.
{ New York Public Library ]

Volkmann, Paul. Title Über die Produkte der Einwirkung von Phtalyldichlorür auf Natracetessigester und über einige Derivate des Phtalylacetessigesters / Paul Volkmann. Publisher 1888. Description 36 p. Note Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Leipzig, 1888. Language German Format Dissertation
[ University of California ]