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p The recognition that the popular masses play the decisive role in history follows directly from the materialist view of history. One of the most important conclusions of Marxism is that the popular masses are the main productive force in society. All pre-Marxian ideologists, like the contemporary theoreticians and politicians in the 222 capitalist countries, reject the role of the popular masses as the main driving force of social development. Bourgeois ideologists have invented lots of scornful names for the masses, like "faceless mass”, “mob”, "unruly despot of history”, " destroyer of civilisation”, etc. The idea of a so-called elite (i. e. select group) -political, technocratic, scientific, etc., has been put into circulation, and the old reactionary theory that history is made by supermen is being peddled in a new wrapping.

p These and similar unscientific ideas pertaining to the role of the popular masses cannot, however, disprove historical realities. The contemporary world revolutionary process the basic content of our age is run neither by an “elite” nor by “supermen”, but by the broad popular masses, for it is the latter’s interests that reflect the objective requirements of the laws of history.

p The popular masses is a definite concept in historical materialism, neither merging with nor opposed to the concept of class. The popular masses are a totality of classes and social, including national, groups and strata interested by virtue of their objective status in society in carrying out historical development.

p Lenin’s definition of the masses helps understand their class structure: "It is common knowledge that the masses are divided into classes, that the masses can be contrasted with classes only by contrasting the vast majority in general, regard- 223 less of division according to status in the social system of production, with categories holding a definite status in the social system of production...”   [223•1 

p The popular masses are first and foremost the workers for they are associated with the basic sphere of the life of society, that of material production. At certain stages of historical development, the workers are joined by the non-working sections of the population. To wit, broad strata of the national bourgeoisie and intellectuals take part in the national liberation movement together with the workers. They all form the popular masses, a single front, which fights for national liberation and progress.

p The decisive role of the popular masses in historical development may be seen in all the basic spheres of the life of society. As the main productive force, the masses are creators of all material values and of technological progress. Every day and every hour, millions of workers change and improve labour operations and substitute new for old instruments of labour. By this they lay the ground for major technological innovations introduced by outstanding inventors and scientists. The source of discoveries and inventions is to be found in what is being done every day by ordi- 224 nary workers and in the experience they amass over years and centuries.

p Creating material values, the workers provide for the creation of material preconditions for the development of intellectual culture, for in the absence of means of subsistence society could not advance science, art, philosophy, etc., or in other words, could not engage in intellectual production.

p The activity of the popular masses in the sphere of intellectual culture is not confined to the creation of the material conditions for the life of society. The popular masses take direct part in intellectual life. Efforts by innumerable generations created language as the instrument of thought. The intellectual experience of mankind is also embodied in the laws of logic. The popular masses have created the treasures of folk art, which has always been and will remain an inexhaustible source of ideas for outstanding figures in the arts.

p Neither the existence of social relations nor changes in them are possible without the activity of the popular masses. The persistent struggle of the oppressed led to the abolition of slavery and serfdom; national liberation struggle brought about the collapse of colonial systems; and capitalism, for all its power, is being undermined by the communist movement. The new, socialist, system is the result of the conscious 225 effort of the masses directed by Communist parties.

p As for the limits and possibilities, the scope and depth of the mass effort, it is different under different historical conditions. The extent to which the masses exercise their role of the driving force depends on a number of conditions: (a) the character of the economic and socio-political system and the social status of the workers conditioned by the former; (b) the character of changes taking place in society; (c) the level of social awareness and organisation of the masses.

p Undoubtedly, contemporary capitalist society cannot completely halt the activity of the popular masses; that is why capitalist ruling circles seek to give it a direction favourable to their own goals. Monopolies encourage workers’ labour activity in order to gain more profit; bourgeois politicians seek to divert workers from political struggle and restrict their activity to strictly personal gain. These efforts of the ruling classes have caused a considerable part of the working class, including workers in industrialised capitalist countries, to remain politically passive.

p Existing socialism abolished exploitation and thereby rooted out all class reasons for restricting the activity of the workers. Socialism’s achievement in developing the historical activity of the masses is well known throughout the world. The permanent growth in the rate and scope of the

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226 workers’ activity is directly related to consolidation and improvement of the economic as well as socio-political and ideological base of the new social system.

p Marx and Engels formulated the law of the growing role in history of the popular masses as follows: "Together with the thoroughness of the historical action, the size of the mass whose action it is will therefore increase.”   [226•1  And Lenin wrote: "The greater the scope and extent of historical events, the greater is the number of people participating in them, and, contrariwise, the more profound the change we wish to bring about, the more must we rouse an interest and an intelligent attitude towards it, and convince more millions and tens of millions of people that it is necessary.”   [226•2 

Our age offers convincing proof of the general sociological law of the growing activeness of the popular masses in social development. The world revolutionary process and socialist and communist construction are indeed the result of the revolutionary activity of the workers guided by 227 Communist and Workers’ parties. Consequently, the rate and scope of revolutionary change in society are largely determined by the activeness of the masses and their degree of commitment to the cause of progress.