Transl. from the Russian by Sergey Chulaki. — Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1987. — 312 p. — (ABC of Social and Political Knowledge)The day is not far off when mankind will enter the twenty-first century. New broad horizons of socioeconomic and national progress are opening up before the peoples of the world. Our century will go down in history as a period of momentous revolutionary change. The Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia ushered in socialism on our planet. The Soviet Union now builds a developed socialist society in which the working man is to become, for the first time in history, the true master of his country, the builder of his life. Today, many other countries and peoples are building a new just society side by side with the USSR. The ignoble colonial system of imperialism has fallen apart, with the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America embarking upon the path of independent socio-economic and political development. The international working class has made considerable headway in the struggle against monopoly capital domination. All these historic changes have proved the validity of the greatest socio-political doctrine of our time: Marxism-Leninism. Its inexhaustible strength lies in its ability to constantly develop and enrich itself. Each new generation finds in this doctrine answers to all important problems of contemporary life.ContentsTo the ReaderIntroductionThe Emergence of Marxism, and Stages in Its DevelopmentUtopian SocialismThe Founders of MarxismLeninism — a New Phase in the Development of Marxism Philosophical Principles of Marxism-LeninismDialectical MaterialismMatter, Its Properties and Its Forms of Existence Materialist Dialectics Theory of KnowledgeHistorical MaterialismMode of Production of Material Wealth —the Principal Factor in the Development of SocietyClasses, Class Struggle and the State Social Consciousness and Ideology The Role of the Popular Masses and of the Individual in HistoryThe Significance of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy The Economic Foundations of Marxism-LeninismRealms Political Economy Studies The Economic Doctrine of Karl Marx Imperialism — the Highest and Final Stage of Capitalism.Political Economy of Socialism The Theory of Scientific CommunismEmergence and Substance of Scientific Communism The World-Historic Mission of the Working ClassTheory of Socialist Revolution General Laws Governing the Transition of Different Countries to Socialism, and Different Forms of This Transition Marxism-Leninism — The Powerful Force for the Revolutionary Renovation of the WorldGreat October and Real Socialism The World System of Socialism — the Decisive Force of the Revolutionary Transformation of the WorldInternational Communist and Working-Class MovementNational Liberation MovementMarxism-Leninism on the Problems of War and PeaceGlossary