The Machist philosopher-economist of Gosplan who proposed a genetic-teleological planning synthesis
Under OGPU interrogation (1930), he denied guilt, declaring that "theoretical discussion of all questions of politics and economics cannot be forbidden to any Soviet citizen, whatever their political biography."
Philosopher, economist, translator. Co-produced the first complete Russian translation of Marx's Capital (1907–1909) and as a leading Machist openly rebutted Lenin's Materialism and Empirio-Criticism. From 1921 at Gosplan he and Groman developed a genetic-teleological planning methodology grounded in Bogdanov's tektology, and he first proposed a 15-year General Plan. Arrested 1930, sentenced to five years; returned to Moscow 1935 to translate, died of pneumonia 1939. Rehabilitated 1990.
Career Timeline
- 1896–1904Joined RSDLP; studied at Moscow University (expelled) and Berlin University philosophy; arrested and exiled twice
- 1904–1907Bolshevik; delegate to 4th RSDLP Congress; editorial board of central organ Party News
- 1907–1909First complete Russian Capital (3 vols), co-translated with Skvortsov-Stepanov
- 1908–1911Leading Machist voice; published essays on realist worldview; publicly rebutted Lenin's critique
- 1917Editor of Novaya Zhizn; co-founder and ideologist of RSDLP (Internationalists); left RSDLP in summer
- 1921–1927Gosplan: deputy chair of economic-statistical section (1924), chair of labor-culture section and presidium member (1927)
- 1926–1929With Groman, genetic-teleological planning synthesis; differential equation for industrial growth; first 15-year General Plan proposal
- 1930–1935Stalin's public condemnation, then arrested in 'Union Bureau of Mensheviks' case; 5 years; released early 1932, exiled
- 1935–1939Returned to Moscow; translated Eckermann and Montaigne; died of pneumonia 1939, rehabilitated 1990
Related historical events
The Genetic-Teleological Planning Synthesis
In the Soviet planning debates of the 1920s, Bazarov with Vladimir Groman advanced a synthesis of 'genetic' and 'teleological' approaches. The genetic method extrapolates from objective economic tendencies; the teleological method starts from politically set goals. Grounding the synthesis in Bogdanov's tektology, Bazarov saw the plan as a self-regulating organism and argued for the primacy of the genetic approach: party goals must answer to economic reality. In 1926 he formulated a differential equation of industrial growth producing an S-curve of decelerating expansion, and proposed the USSR's first fifteen-year General Plan. He warned against an administrative-command system and argued for integrating markets and khozraschet into socialist planning. This stance collided with Stalin's crash industrialization, and after Stalin's public condemnation in December 1929 it became the grounds for his arrest.