Objectivism

Objectivitism, in Marxist-Leninist philosophy, refers to the material existence and lawful development of reality independent of human consciousness, while simultaneously acknowledging that all knowledge of the objective world is historically conditioned by material social relations.

Philosophical objectivism is not to be confused by Ayn Rand's system of thought.

Dialectical materialist foundation

Lenin, developing Engels' formulation, defined objectivity as existing "independently of man and mankind" (Materialism and Empirio criticism) . This position fundamentally opposes both subjective idealism (which reduces reality to consciousness) and mechanical materialism (which fails to account for the dialectical relationship between subject and object). Matter is primary; consciousness is secondary, a reflection of material conditions.

Crucially, recognizing objective reality does not mean claiming "view from nowhere" epistemology. All knowledge is produced by historically situated subjects embedded in class relations. Bourgeois claims to "neutral objectivity" serve ideological functions, naturalizing capitalist relations as eternal laws rather than historically specific arrangements. The proletariat's epistemological position, arising from its relationship to production and its revolutionary interests, enables a more comprehensive grasp of social totality precisely because it has no interest in mystifying exploitation.

Objective laws and it's relation to subjective agency

Marxist-Leninist philosophy maintains that social development follows objective laws (the dialectics of productive forces and relations), while human praxis transforms material conditions. Voluntarism denies objective constraints; mechanical materialism denies revolutionary agency. As Marx asserted, the correct position realizes, objective tendencies while emphasizing that "men make their own history", though not in circumstances of their choosing.

Objectivity is verified through social practice, not contemplation. Theory tested in revolutionary struggle, in transforming material conditions, demonstrates its correspondence to objective reality. This criterion distinguishes Marxism-Leninism from both dogmatism and relativism.