p Historical materialism, proclaiming the primacy of social being in relation to social consciousness, the ideas and views, social feelings and moods of people, at the same time also admits the active role of ideas in the development of society. In any sphere of society’s life people always act consciously and purposively and therefore their ideas, views and theories infuse all aspects of social life and greatly influence them. The activity of social consciousness is displayed in that they serve people as a guide to action, unite them and concentrate their efforts on the accomplishment of certain tasks.

p People’s consciousness, their ideas can play a dual role by either promo ting the development of society or retarding it. The role ideas play depends on the class that advocates them, whether it is progressive or reactionary, or how correctly they reflect the requirements of society’s material life and on the extent to which the ideas Conform to the interests of the people.

p Only ideas which express the interests of the advanced classes of society, of the people, which correspond to the requirements of developing material production and help to abolish the old and establish the new social system, can play a progressive role in society’s development.

p However new and progressive ideas might be, they are unable, by themselves, to abolish the old social system and create a new one. In order to become a material force, they must grip the minds of the people. Only the people which have assimilated progressive ideas create the social force capable of solving urgent social problems.

p Of all the ideas known to the world the most progressive and viable is the Marxist idea of scientific communism, of a new social system, that without exploitation and slavery, the most just social system on the Earth. It is omnipotent because it is founded on the objective laws governing social development and meets the vital requirements of society’s material life and the interests of the millions and millions of working people. That is why the idea of scientific communism has turned into a material force which is transforming the world.

p This idea inspired the Russian working class which, in alliance with the poor peasants and under the leadership of the Communist Party, carried out the October Socialist Revolution. It served the Soviet people in their heroic struggle for socialism and is now illuminating their path to the communist morrow. This idea is winning the minds of more and more ordinary people the world over. It is helping the working people in the capitalist countries to fight the reactionary imperialist forces and, where capitalism has been abolished, to build socialism.

p As regards backward ideas which distort reality and serve the interests of the reactionary classes, they retard social development. Such, for example, are the ideas of the contemporary bourgeoisie with which it seeks to save the obsolete capitalist system from its inevitable doom.

p Dwelling on the active role of consciousness, we should have in mind not only ideas, or ideology, but also social psychology, particularly the psychology of the classes, or large social groups. Social psychology is mass, collective consciousness, so that in many respects the success or failure of one or another historical action depends on the psychological attitude of the people.

p Lenin attached very great importance to the psychological factor in history. He studied social feelings and moods of the masses and took them into account in the revolutionary struggle and socialist construction. Following Lenin’s behests, the CPSU is concerned with creating a favourable psychological climate in the society as a whole and in all its components which will facilitate the attainment of the tasks facing society.

It follows from all this that people’s social consciousness, their ideas are very important in the life of mankind. 360 In practical activity, therefore, it is important to act not only on the principle of the determining role of social being but also to take into account the active role of ideas in society’s development.