Man is the measure of all things, or so says Protagoras circa 450 BC. A philosopher whom Plato accused of being the first professional sophist. The statement by the so-called sophist was taken to be an early form of relativism. However it may be interpreted, this misses the point. Man, not the individual, but man, as in, mankind, is indeed the measure of all things, not only as a simple instrument of measurement but also as the midwife of nature’s self-awareness. There is nothing more beautiful or more pleasing than symmetry, than forms that are in agreement with each other, whose content fits neatly and tightly within their greater part. Therefore, a person is beautiful and pleasing as long as they belong, as a part within a group, whose role aligns with its greater purpose. Marx once wrote that singleness of purpose was his chief characteristic. He knew what had to be done in order to unleash humankind’s potential; accordingly, our latent, maximum potential is the productive forces of society, the results of which consist of countless years of accumulated learning and of unlearning.

The uniqueness of a person is, and can only be, a function within a group. Historical materialism asserts that everything is connected, forming a more or less coherent whole, and that the world is matter in motion. What is man if not organic matter? Motion and matter are inseparable, and we are nothing if not the universe’s most sophisticated form of matter. Consciousness is thus the highest form of organic matter.

Let’s return to our question about how many yards of Lenin it takes to make one revolution. The belief that a predestined future awaits all individuals is a popular superstition. It’s not rare to hear the claim that if a certain person had been born in a specific historical context they would be similar to what they are today, a claim often used as a sort of insult. Some might say, “Kyle would be a fascist had he been born in Nazi Germany.” For further context, let’s add that this man is presently a conservative. However, since it’s our social experiences that primarily create who we are, this Kyle, even though a conservative today, would have been an unrecognizable person if he had been born in Nazi Germany. Another common claim makes the same mistake. Now, let’s say, “I wish I had been born a girl. Then, my life would be so much better.” But this cannot be. It’s merely wishful suicide, and in this scenario I would have no relation whatsoever to who I am today. Yet, these scenarios, as silly as they sound, are quite often discussed seriously among people. It shows how prevalent this idea of a predestined future is in our social consciousness. We cling to the idea of predestiny as though God himself guides our lives; in reality, we are partly a product of society, partly the sum of our experiences, and genetics only plays a minor role in the finality of personhood. Comrades, be careful! Some people claiming to be materialists are in fact racists neo-atheists, for it is social existence, and certainly not genetics, that determines who we are.

Vladimir Lenin’s height was about 165 cm, which is about 1.80 yards. This means that it took 1.80 yards of Lenin to make one revolution. But that’s without mentioning the millions of yards of other people who played an integral part in the Soviet revolution!