ABSTRACT
The process of social changes is closely connected with changes in the condition of the productive forces. This movement of the productive forces, and the movement and regrouping of all social elements, involved in it, is nothing more nor less than a process of constant disturbance of social equilibrium, followed by reestablishments of equilibrium. Indeed, a progressive movement of the productive forces implies above all that a contradiction has arisen between the social technique and the social economy: the system loses its equilibrium. The productive forces have increased to a certain extent; a certain regrouping of persons must be undertaken, for otherwise there is no equilibrium, i.e., the system cannot permanently endure in its present form. This contradiction is eliminated by means of the following regrouping of men: economy “adapts itself” to the condition of the productive forces, to the social technology. But the regrouping of persons in the economic apparatus also implies a necessary regrouping of persons in the social-political structure of society (a different combination of parties, a different alignment of the forces of the parties, etc.). Furthermore, the same condition necessarily demands a change in legal, moral, and all other standards. For the contradiction can be solved only in this way, or, what amounts to the same thing, the equilibrium between the system of persons and the system of standards cannot be reestablished in any other way. The same is true also of the entire psychology of society, as well as of its ideology. G. V. Plekhanov has brilliantly stated this: “The origin, change, and destruction of the association of ideas, under the influence of the origin, change and destruction of certain combinations of social forces, to a predominant extent explain the history of ideology.” 1 The new “combination”, i.e., the new relation between persons, comes in conflict with the old combination (the old associations of ideas). This means a destruction of the internal equilibrium, which is reestablished on a new basis, a new “combination” of ideas originates, i.e., where there is an adaptation on the part of the social psychology and the social ideology, which equilibrium is again disturbed, etc., etc.
