p In order to get a better idea of the correlation of content and form, it is important to explain its contradictory nature. We have already said that form is more stable than content. That is why it lags behind content’s development, becomes obsolete and comes into contradiction with it. The 131 contradiction between the old form and the new content usually culminates in rejection of the old form and its replacement by a new one, as a result of which content acquires scope for further development.

p Thus, as conditions change, an organism is compelled to assimilate new nutritive substances. In connection with this, the content of the organism, i. e., its intrinsic metabolism and all its vital activity, changes more or less rapidly. As for the form, the structure of the organism, it does not keep pace with the development of the content and comes into contradiction with it. This contradiction is resolved by a change in the structure of the organism that brings it into conformity with the changed content. As a result, existing organs are transformed or new ones arise. For example, when organisms pass from an aquatic environment to conditions of amphibian life, they gradually develop lungs instead of gills, limbs instead of fins, etc.

p In social life, too, there is contradiction between content and form, as is clearly demonstrated by the above example relating to the development of social production.

p In the course .of development the new content (productive forces) comes into contradiction with the old form (relations of production). This contradiction is resolved through the replacement of the obsolete relations of production by new ones which ensure the further unhindered development of the productive forces. Under capitalism the contradiction between the content and form of production is antagonistic. Hence the need for a socialist revolution whose mission is to replace the old, capitalist form of production with the new, socialist form. -

p Under socialism, too, for example in the USSR, there is a contradiction between the form and the content of social production. But this contradiction is not of an antagonistic character and is successfully eliminated by the Soviet people led by the Communist Party.

p By overcoming these and other contradictions and difficulties, Soviet people dispense with the old, obsolete forms hindering communist construction. At the same time the process of improving all forms of economic, political and cultural life of Soviet society steadily continues.

Now that we have examined what the content and form of an object are, let us see whether all its elements and 132 aspects are equally important, whether all of them play an equal part in the existence and development of the given object. To answer this question we must examine the categories of essence and phenomenon.