In the 1920s a debate raged within Soviet Dialectical Materialism between the Mechanists and the Dialecticians of the Deborin School. Deborin was initially victorious, but he was criticized by Mitin for "Menshevizing idealism." Mitin led the Red Professors in ousting Deborin. Mitin insisted that Deborin lacked Party Spirit and did not recognize the unity of theory and praxis.
