In Concerning Questions of Leninism, Stalin provides a concise overview of dialectical and historical materialism, grounded in Marxist philosophy and its application to the Leninist framework of revolutionary praxis. Dialectical materialism, according to Stalin, views the world as a dynamic, interconnected whole, characterized by constant motion, contradiction, and development. It emphasizes the material basis of reality, asserting that ideas and consciousness arise from material conditions rather than existing independently.

Historical materialism, an extension of this philosophy, applies these principles to human society. It posits that the economic base—comprised of the forces and relations of production—shapes the societal superstructure, including politics, culture, and ideology. Human history, therefore, is driven by class struggle, rooted in contradictions between the forces of production and the existing relations of production.

Stalin ties these concepts to Leninism by emphasizing their practical implications: the necessity of a revolutionary vanguard party to resolve contradictions, advance proletarian interests, and transition from capitalism to socialism. This approach, rooted in materialist analysis, underpins Stalin's interpretation of Leninist strategy as a scientific method for achieving socialist revolution.