p Relative independence of the development pf social consciousness consists in that it may lag behind the development of social being or run ahead of it; it is also manifested in the continuity of its development; it is not passive in relation to being, but actively influences it.

p Social consciousness lags behind social being because people’s being changes first and only then does their consciousness change. This delay is also conditioned by the great 357 viability of old ideas and views. This viability is not accidental: the ruling classes employ every means at their disposal to thoroughly spread their ideology among all members of society. All mass media (press, cinema, radio, TV, etc.) are utilised, for example, by the contemporary imperialist bourgeoisie to poison the minds of the working people and disarm them ideologically. That is why, after the victory of the new system, survivals of the old ideology persist for a long time in the minds of some people.

p The consciousness of people, however, can not only lag behind the development of social being, but under certain conditions can outstrip this development. By analysing the laws of society, revealing general tendencies of historical development, outstanding scholars can foresee the future, i.e., create theories which run far ahead of their time and indicate the road of development for many decades ahead. Thus, by studying capitalist reality and the contradictions of its development, Marx reached the conclusion that capitalism was bound to perish and give way to a new, communist society. The Marxist theory of scientific communism is a splendid example of forecasting social events.

p Continuity in the development of ideology is an important manifestation of the relative independence of social consciousness. Creating its own ideology, the new class does not renounce past achievements of human thought but assimilates them, places them at its service.

p Continuity in the development of ideas is of great importance in social life. If people were unable to use the achievements of the culture of the past, they would literally have to begin everything from scratch: to discover laws which had been discovered long ago, to explore ways of devising the machines they need, ways that had been found long ago, and so on. Thanks to continuity.in the development of ideas, this does not happen. Having at their disposal the fruits of the titanic work accomplished by preceding generations, people are able to continue the work of their predecessors, to develop and improve their achievements and raise them to a new, higher level.

p Different classes apprpach the old ideological heritage in a different way. Reactionary classes take from the past reactionary ideas and adapt them to the new historical conditions, to their own interests. The ideologists of imperialism, 358 for example, use medieval scholasticism and mysticism, various idealist and religious systems in order to enslave the working people spiritually.

Advanced, revolutionary classes take from the ideological heritage all that has not lost its positive significance and can promote mankind’s progress. The most consistent and devoted custodian of the cultural heritage of the past is the proletariat, whose ideology has assimilated and critically reappraised all the finest achievements of human thought in the course of the long centuries of its development.