For quite some time, we have been living in a world that is very difficult to accept for those who want the well- being of humanity. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been no successful revolution and humanity was unable to significantly debilitate the authority of the exploiting rulers anywhere in the world.
On the contrary, that exploitative domination has penetrated every aspect of life; with all its decay and cruelty, it has become more reckless with each passing day in its attack on all the values that give meaning to human existence, and on concrete, physical human lives.
However, since the Great October Revolution of 1917, the countries established through socialist revolutions have been the concrete proof that humanity has turned its face towards something better, something more beautiful, to a future in which it can live in equality and freedom. Therefore, for people who are not revolutionaries, even for those who thought revolutions were unnecessary and bloody adventures or attempts at social engineering, a bust of Lenin was usually an object that evoked positive rather than negative emotions, a reason for a hopeful smile.
Now, only a handful of countries are left, shining like candles in pitch darkness.
For quite some time, humanity has not been able to organize struggles that will yield meaningful results in the material realm. In our fight against exploitative domination, we have been pushed back and confined to the realm of meaning. We try to fight our battles with the weapons of thought, but here too we often waste our energy, engaging in arguments that miss the essence of the problem or even actively skirt it.
Moreover, humanity is in fact stronger in the realm of matter and weaker in the realm of meaning: the working people are much more numerous than the exploiters, but schools, universities, newspapers, television channels, films, TV series, computer games, the internet, social media platforms, all of these are essentially ideological apparatuses in the hands of the exploiters.
At the beginning of his intellectual journey, Marx says, “The weapon of criticism cannot replace criticism of the weapon, material force must be overthrown by material force,” but then he adds: “but theory also becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses.”
For quite some time, in Turkey and across the world, those who define themselves as leftists or revolutionaries have been acting as if this dialectic between matter and meaning, action and thought, does not exist.
This is because the great defeat has caused many to lose faith in the revolution. Many of those who call themselves “leftists” live as if there will never be a revolution. This is why they act like lackeys of social democratic parties. This is why they advocate for notions that no revolutionary would ever advocate, notions that benefit the ruling class and harm the people.
Kemal Okuyan’s latest book, Revolution with all its richness of content, challenges this “disbelief in humanity:”
I’ve always believed that those who want to play a role in the emancipation of humanity must, above all else, be honest with each other. I’m not just talking about not lying or distorting the truth. Revolutionaries must also be honest in the theoretical discussions among themselves.
Okuyan’s book deals with the concept of Revolution very honestly, both on an abstract level and with concrete examples.
Let me elaborate, because I think this is the most valuable aspect of the book.
We are going through a period of social decay and dissolution. In such periods, ideologies and psychologies that detach individuals from society, such as nihilism, hedonism, and narcissism, become prevalent among relatively enlightened segments of society, while the “messianic expectation” mentality spreads among the poor. Furthermore, these two interact, and the society becomes overcrowded with saviours, prophets, and their followers.
There is a substantial pitfall in this environment for revolutionaries; because in their political pursuits, deifying the revolution, the revolutionary organization, or even worse, themselves—in other words, exaggerating the role of the subject as objective conditions appear desperate—is a very inviting cul- de-sac. Thus, revolution ceases to be an act of the people rising up, emancipating themselves by sundering their own chains, and revolutionaries become saviours.
I am sure you realize that this also means giving up hope on humanity, on the historical, revolutionary role of the proletariat.
Still, since many people cannot see the concrete conditions clearly in the pitch darkness of such periods and are desperate to cling to even the slightest positive development; a skilled demagogue can easily convince others that small sparks are actually conflagrations and thus drag along clusters of people who want to be revolutionaries in their messianic journeys.
Okuyan confronts all this by emphasizing a fundamental truth: “Revolutions are not ‘made to happen.’ They develop, rise, and emerge.” This is one of the most important issues covered in the book: the principles on which revolutionaries should organize in reactionary times, in revolutionary episodes, and during actual revolutions; what is the dialectic that should exist between them and the masses; and what must be done by the revolutionary subject to ensure that this dialectic works as much to the benefit of the revolution as possible.
Without exaggerating the importance of the revolutionary vanguard party, but without underestimating the indispensable role it will play in the revolution.
Honestly…
Another crucial point in Okuyan’s book is that it emphatically reminds us of a crucial, repeatedly proven fact: We, as humanity, are on a historical journey, and because the vast majority of society is exploited by a small minority, we accumulate contradictions. Periods of upheaval that could culminate in revolutions are moments of eruption for these contradictions, and such periods never result in a return to the old status quo. In these periods, the oppressed masses either consummate their uprisings in revolution (or at least in gaining lasting political ground), thereby progressing humanity; or the system of exploitation is reestablished more severely than before.
In other words, revolution imposes itself as an imperative for the progress of humanity. For the working masses, revolution becomes the only solution to prevent further deterioration of the conditions they already do not want to live in, and therefore are revolting against.
Revolutions are not inevitable. However, the coming of such periods that are pregnant with revolution is.
And in such periods, revolutionaries are faced with both an opportunity and a responsibility to fulfil a number of tasks; from making the masses realize that revolution is the only solution to their grievances, to facilitating that they actually carry it out.
In each paragraph, Okuyan’s book invites and encourages the reader to display revolutionary audacity, to take on this responsibility, to stand on the right side of history and be ready to shoulder these tasks. Moreover, it does not do this by just inciting the reader or by presenting the facts rosy instead of as they are – by being dishonest. It does so by refuting the lies about revolution, by reminding us of humanity’s historical experiences, and by engaging in discussions with the readers without belittling their intellect.
A revolutionary person becomes recommitted to the revolutionary struggle every day. Some days erode your revolutionary spirit a bit, sapping away some of your dedication and hope; others strengthen that hope and reinforce your faith in humanity. During the two days in which I read Okuyan’s book, I recommitted myself to the revolutionary struggle far more strongly. Revolution will be published in English soon**. I invite you to read, and experience this yourself.
* Nevzat Evrim Onal is a member of TKP Party Council
* The Turkish version of the book is "Devrim". As of 13 October 2025, the book has been published in English
