p The rise and success of the world socialist system and the almost complete disintegration of the colonial system of imperialism have brought about a radical change in balance between the forces of progress and the forces of reaction in the world. This new international state of affairs compels imperialism to display particularly great activity and aggressiveness in the ideological field. But here again the historical initiative belongs to the scientific and consistently progressive Marxist-Leninist ideology. Its impetuous character is the result of the development of society itself, because the future belongs to Marxism-Leninism and to communism.

p The scientific and revolutionary essence of MarxismLeninism and its innovating nature are not manifested spontaneously, by themselves. Their effectiveness depends upon the successful operation of progressive subjective factors and above all of the Marxist-Leninist ideological organizations and institutions in the socialist countries, as well as of the entire communist movement, which does not underestimate the possibilities of the reactionary forces speculating on the ideological front.

p In the Programme of the Bulgarian Communist Party, adopted at the Tenth Congress, we read: ’The great principle of our Party remains immutable: no underestimation or playing down of the ideological struggle, no compromises in the ideological sphere, struggle 8 against bourgeois ideology until the complete triumpli of communist ideology’ - (70, c. 79-80)  [8•* .

p There is a wide spectrum of theories, conceptions, ideas and approaches used by the ideologists of imperialism today in their struggle against Marxism-Leninism, against the forces of peace, democracy and socialism, and in defence of capitalism. The ideological champions of the old world are particularly insistent in disseminating a few theories which, with certain modifications, can be popularized in the three kinds of countries— capitalist, socialist and developing.

p One of these is the theory of ‘convergence’. According to this theory, as a result of the scientific and technological revolution in the socialist and capitalist countries, a process of evening out the differences between the two opposite social systems is said to have already been set in motion. In this way, gradually, a complete unification and merging between socialism and capitalism is expected to be arrived at.

p Such is also the theory of ‘de-ideologization’, most often connected with the concept of ‘scientism’. Under the false slogan that each and every ideology should be rejected and replaced by a ‘scientific’ approach to social phenomena, its champions are in fact only fighting against Marxism-Leninism.

p Tho theory of pluralism also belongs in this category. It is used, on the one hand, as an argument to justify the ideological chaos in capitalist society, to prove the ‘eternal’ nature of capitalism and to embellish formal bourgeois democracy. On the other hand, it is an expression of the endeavour to graft pluralistic con ceptions on to Marxism-Leninism and the socialist society. The temporary enlivenment of revisionism after the Second World War, which made its appearance under the conditions of a far-flung dissemination of the ideas of scientific socialism over every continent, is 9 also taken advantage of to step up propaganda for the idea of the ‘pluralization’ of Marxism and of the socialist social system.

p In this work we shall try to reveal the anti-scientific and reactionary nature of pluralistic conceptions in all ideological fields and in political life.

p Against the background of the scientific, monistic and materialistic explanation which Marxism-Leninism gives of social development as a law-governed process, and relying on what has already been accomplished in this direction by other Marxists in the USSR, Bulgaria and other countries, we propose to show the anti- scientific, eclectic character of the pluralistic conceptions in bourgeois philosophical and sociological thought, and to prove the inconsistency of the attempts, by means of pluralistic theorizing, to justify the social conflicts and flaws of the capitalist system.

p Attempts to apply pluralistic conceptions to Marxism-Leninism and socialist society are profoundly reactionary in their class and political tendencies, and are hostile to the revolutionary and progressive forces in the world. ‘Pluralization’ of Marxism subjectivizes proletarian ideology, reducing it to various ’ interpretations’ of the works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. ’ Pluralized’ Marxism ceases to be the theoretical foundation of a science-based international strategy and tactical plan of the working class in the struggle for the overthrow of capitalist domination and the construction of socialism and communism. The unity of the international workers’ and communist movement is thus expected to be shattered, and the movement to be contaminated with the poison of bourgeois nationalism. With the ’ pluralization’ of the socialist system the aim is to bring socialist society back to a social structure in which antagonisms will exist between different social strata and in which there will be power conflicts between different political parties, i.e. to a restoration of capitalism.

p Contrary to the assertions of the pluralists, Marxism-Leninism develops creatively as a unified complex scientific theory, illuminating the path of mankind and leading to the overthrow of the exploiter 10 capitalist system and the construction of communism. In spite of the counteraction of bourgeois ideologists and revisionists, and in spite of their predictions of an ‘erosion’ and ‘pluralization’ of socialism, the socialist society in the individual countries and the world socialist system as a whole are with increasing success overcoming the centrifugal forces which drag them back.

The social, political and ideological unity of socialist society is becoming ever more firmly consolidated, and the solidarity of the international communist movement is growing. The attraction of Marxism-Leninism and of communism will irresistibly continue to grow, because they alone offer a correct solution to the complex problems posed by the objective needs of social development in our times.