Dialectical materialism in education

I've been discovering dialectical materialism and if I'm not wrong, it was the official philosophy of the Soviet Union(?) I've no trouble wrapping my head around the points of the philosophy and I think I understand it quite clearly but is there anyone who can share first-hand experiences as to how these were taught to the people back in the Soviet times? And what the people thought of it? I'm really interested. Thanks for any input!

I can only describe the situation in the German Democratic Republic, but the USSR should be similar.

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I've been discovering dialectical materialism and if I'm not wrong, it was the official philosophy of the Soviet Union(?)

Yup.

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is there anyone who can share first-hand experiences as to how these were taught to the people back in the Soviet times?

At East German schools, there was a subject called Staatsbürgerkunde, which was something like social studies, in which historical and dialectical materialism as well as their application to the current political climate were taught.

Every university student also had to take courses in Marxism-Leninism, which consisted of Dialectical and Historical Materialism, Political Economy of Capitalism and Socialism and Scientific Communism.

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And what the people thought of it?

Boring stuff to learn by heart. When the people first got a chance to discuss politics outside of the party's control on a wide scale in the late 80's, the fact that almost none of them had any kind of basic Marxist consciousness, and those that did, were in the party. Non-party members were basically non-Marxists.

Hmm...so although it was taught in schools, none of it (outside the party) was really taken with much seriousness? Like it was "just another subject to pass"? Thanks for your input! Personal accounts and philosophy are the most interesting to me.

Mabool wrote:

At East German schools, there was a subject called Staatsbürgerkunde, which was something like social studies, in which historical and dialectical materialism as well as their application to the current political climate were taught.

Every university student also had to take courses in Marxism-Leninism, which consisted of Dialectical and Historical Materialism, Political Economy of Capitalism and Socialism and Scientific Communism.

Mommy studiet something like that at soviet university.
But it was nothing more than Cargo cult.

Hmmm...how so?

I think the failure of the sovier union to educate its subject led directly to its downfall. I mean my parent too claim they had to study marxism all the time and learn it all by heart but they can't even tell me what the two main classes are in capitalism ? Soviet union was held together by some kind of weird nationalism (common enemy mostly) rather than a basic understandement of marxism which is why it was very easy to play the nationalist card.

I agree. I feel that education is important both in and out of the working world. Lest people get ignorant.