---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very…"
description: "\"“His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract passion. It embraced humanity in general but he seems to have had little love for, or even interest i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/paul-johnson-4585_abstract_his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-a_2842034.png"
---

#  His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract passion…

![“His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract passion. It embraced humanity in general but he seems to have had little love for, or even interest in, humanity in particular. He saw the people with whom he dealt, his comrades, not as individuals but as receptacles for his ideas. On that basis…” quote by Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/paul-johnson-4585_abstract_his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-a_2842034.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/paul-johnson-4585_abstract_his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-a_2842034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/paul-johnson-4585_abstract_his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-a_2842034.png)

> ““His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract passion. It embraced humanity in general but he seems to have had little love for, or even interest in, humanity in particular. He saw the people with whom he dealt, his comrades, not as individuals but as receptacles for his ideas. On that basis, and no other, they were judged. He judged man not by their moral qualities but by their views, or rather the degree to which they accepted his.””

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote critiques Lenin’s abstract humanitarianism, noting he valued people only as carriers of ideology, not as individuals with intrinsic worth.

**In simple terms:** Lenin valued ideas over individual humanity.

Key Takeaway

Recognize people’s intrinsic worth beyond ideology.

Themes

politics human rights ideology leadership individuality

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy analysis
- human rights advocacy
- leadership training
- community organizing

Key Concepts

Political theory ethics psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you ensure policies honor individual dignity?
- What risks arise when ideas outweigh people?

A Different Perspective

Ideological rigidity can dehumanize and alienate.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Accepted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepted/) [Bases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bases/) [Comrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comrade/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Embraced Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embraced-humanity-3731556/) [Humanitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanitarianism/) [Humanitarianism Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanitarianism-abstract-3731552/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humanity Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-particular-3731554/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Judged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judged/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Lenin Humanitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lenin-humanitarianism-3731550/) [Little love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-love/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Manipulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulation/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Saws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saws/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/)

## Related quotes

> [You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/you-cannot-hope-to-build-a-better-world-without-improving-the-2/)

[Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/)

> [“Random Acts of Kindness," he said. "You need some in your life. Everybody does." "No, I don't have much of a rak, but hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/random-acts-of-kindness-he-said-you-need-some-in-your-life-everybody/)

[Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/)

> [It hurt the economic historians, the Marxists and the fabians, to admit that the Ten Hour Bill, the basic piece of 19th century legislation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/it-hurt-the-economic-historians-the-marxists-and-the-fabians-to-admit/)

[Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/)

> [“I am no God. I am no Messiah. I am no divine incarnation. I am but a human in the service of humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-am-no-god-i-am-no-messiah-i-am-no-divine-incarnation-i-am-but-a/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Keep struggling, o brave soldier - keep struggling till politicians become an extinct species and politics an extinct profession. The mission is, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/keep-struggling-o-brave-soldier-keep-struggling-till-politicians/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“This is what my Christmas looks like, And my Hanukkah, Ramadan, Diwali 'n Onam. I don't get to celebrate any of the festivals, So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/this-is-what-my-christmas-looks-like-and-my-hanukkah-ramadan-diwali-n/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [High-toned humanitarians constantly overestimate the sufferings of those they sympathize with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/high-toned-humanitarians-constantly-overestimate-the-sufferings-of/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [A large part of altruism, even when it is perfectly honest, is grounded upon the fact that it is uncomfortable to have unhappy people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-large-part-of-altruism-even-when-it-is-perfectly-honest-is-grounded/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [“O my brave Almighty Human, with the ever-effulgent flow of courage, conscience and compassion, turn yourself into a vivacious humanizer, and start walking with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/o-my-brave-almighty-human-with-the-ever-effulgent-flow-of-courage/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [Science is the search for the truth--it is not a game in which one tries to beat his opponent, to do harm to others.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-pauling/science-is-the-search-for-the-truth-it-is-not-a-game-in-which-one/)

[Linus Pauling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-pauling/)

> [Isn't it better to have men being ungrateful than to miss a chance to do good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/isn-t-it-better-to-have-men-being-ungrateful-than-to-miss-a-chance-to/)

[Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/)

> [“Being Jewish did not compromise the humanitarian and universalist ideals of my close relatives who, having experienced persecution close hand, were more concerned with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-waterman/being-jewish-did-not-compromise-the-humanitarian-and-universalist/)

[Daniel Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-waterman/)

> [It's really important to me to show the interconnectedness of things. I always try to illustrate how environmentalism, humanitarianism, animal rights - all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hannah/it-s-really-important-to-me-to-show-the-interconnectedness-of-things/)

[Daryl Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hannah/)

> [ “\[T\]hose who are in a position of strength have a responsibility to protect the weak.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cushman/t-hose-who-are-in-a-position-of-strength-have-a-responsibility-to/)

[Thomas Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-cushman/)

> [“There is no time for patience - there is no time for diplomacy - there is no time for policies, legislations and meaningless paperwork.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-is-no-time-for-patience-there-is-no-time-for-diplomacy-there-is/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

## More by Paul Johnson

> [“Partly by accident, partly by instinct, partly by deliberate contrivance, he was the first intellectual systematically to exploit the guilt of the privileged. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/partly-by-accident-partly-by-instinct-partly-by-deliberate/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [ “The Salem \[witch\] trials…can be seen as an example of the propensity of the American people to be convulsed by spasms of self-righteous rage… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an-example-of-the-propensity-of/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [“Much of Sartre’s time in the 1960s was spent travelling in China and the Third World, a term invented by the geographer Alfred Sauvy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/much-of-sartre-s-time-in-the-1960s-was-spent-travelling-in-china-and/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [ “He \[Augustine\] admitted: 'I am the sort of man who writes because he has made progress, and who makes progress by writing.' ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/he-augustine-admitted-i-am-the-sort-of-man-who-writes-because-he-has/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [The most intimidating world leader was Lyndon Johnson, who became U.S. President when John Kennedy was assassinated. He exulted in this power and liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-most-intimidating-world-leader-was-lyndon-johnson-who-became-u-s/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [Democracy has many enemies, and the terrorist is only one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/democracy-has-many-enemies-and-the-terrorist-is-only-one-of-them/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [“Marx wrote about finance and industry all his life but he only knew two people connected with financial and industrial processes. One was his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/marx-wrote-about-finance-and-industry-all-his-life-but-he-only-knew/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [“When we are dealing with concepts like freedom and equality, it is essential to use words accurately and in good faith. So the eighth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/when-we-are-dealing-with-concepts-like-freedom-and-equality-it-is/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [Margaret Thatcher had more impact on the world than any woman ruler since Catherine the Great of Russia. Not only did she turn around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/margaret-thatcher-had-more-impact-on-the-world-than-any-woman-ruler/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [Wisdom lies not in possessing knowledge - which quickly becomes outdated - but in perpetually seeking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/wisdom-lies-not-in-possessing-knowledge-which-quickly-becomes/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [The planet Earth, though not threatened with destruction by man-made global warming, is by no means indestructible. There are many unpredictable events within our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-planet-earth-though-not-threatened-with-destruction-by-man-made/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [“As Khrushchev put it, “He prodded the capitalist world with the tip of his bayonet.” He himself put it, “If I see a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/as-khrushchev-put-it-he-prodded-the-capitalist-world-with-the-tip-of/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [“We must never forget that the settlement of what is now the United States was only part of a larger enterprise. And this was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/we-must-never-forget-that-the-settlement-of-what-is-now-the-united/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [Where the quest for knowledge is relatively, and now almost absolutely, unrestrained, the public benefit will be great, especially where the certainty of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/where-the-quest-for-knowledge-is-relatively-and-now-almost-absolutely/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

> [If anti-Semitism is a variety of racism, it is a most peculiar variety, with many unique characteristics. In my view as a historian, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/if-anti-semitism-is-a-variety-of-racism-it-is-a-most-peculiar-variety/)

[Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

[Explore all 109 Paul Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/)

## More Abstract quotes

> [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/)

[Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/)

> [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/)

[Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/)

> [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/)

[Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/)

> [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/)

[Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/)

> [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/)

[Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/)

> [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/)

[Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/)

> [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/)

[Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/)

> [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/)

[Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/)

> [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/)

[Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/)

> [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/)

[Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/)

> [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/)

[Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/)

> [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/)

[Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/)

> [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/)

[Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/)

[Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract passion. It embraced humanity in general but he seems to have had little love for, or even interest in, humanity in particular. He saw the people with whom he dealt, his comrades, not as individuals but as receptacles for his ideas. On that basis, and no other, they were judged. He judged man not by their moral qualities but by their views, or rather the degree to which they accepted his.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Johnson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-abstract-passion-it-embraced/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abstract"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-abstract-passion-it-embraced/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/paul-johnson-4585_abstract_his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-a_2842034.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/paul-johnson-4585_abstract_his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-a_2842034.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95c/paul-johnson-4585_abstract_his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-a_2842034.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract passion. It embraced humanity in general but he seems to…” — Paul Johnson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul Johnson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-abstract-passion-it-embraced/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/his-lenin-s-humanitarianism-was-a-very-abstract-passion-it-embraced/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
