The Juche Idea (Series 6)

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE AND ESSENTIAL

CHARACTER OF THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT

Series 6 deals with the fundamental principle and the essential character of the social movement clarified by the Juche idea.

The Juche idea raised it as its important philosophical task to elucidate the law of the social movement and gave a scientific answer to it. The fundamental principle and the essential character of the social movement clarified by the Juche idea take important position here.

Now we study the fundamental principle and the essential character of the social movement clarified by the Juche idea.

1. The Popular Masses are the Subject of History

The Juche idea set the fundamental principle of the social movement by clarifying that the popular masses are the subject of history.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"As the leader instructed, the working masses are the subject of history and the motive force of social progress."

The principle that the working masses are the subject of history embodies the philosophical principle that man is master of everything and decides everything, in the field of social history.

In order to have a profound understanding of the principle that the popular masses are the subject of history, it is important to understand first the concept of the subject of history.

The question of the subject of history is basic in the outlook on social history.

History changes and develops continuously. A stream of history is not a mere repetition. It is the process that the old and backward is vanished and the new and progressive is continuously created and developed.

The question of the subject of history should be explained first in understanding the progress of history in Juche-oriented way.

The question of the subject of history is directly related to the question of agent that develops the socio-historical movement purposefully and actively.

The subject of history is precisely the agent that develops the socio-historical movement not blindly but purposefully, not passively but actively.

Then, why the question of the subject of history is basic in the outlook on social history?

It is because the question of the subject of history is decisive to solve the problems in understanding the social history out of the Juche-oriented viewpoint and attitude. It is as same as that good bedding guarantees a good building.

The Juche idea elucidated that there is no subject in natural movement but there is in the socio-historical movement, that is man, thus showing the way to view the socio-historical movement as a movement of the subject and to clarify the principles and the laws peculiar to it.

There is one thing that must be made clear that man is subject of socio-historical movement.

It is the popular masses that the Juche idea regards as the subject of the socio-historical movement. As there has been told from olden times that handsome is that handsome does, not every person becomes the subject of history.

After society was divided into hostile classes, the reactionary ruling class lost their independence, life and soul of human being, and became the reactionary of history and the target of revolution checking the progress of history. Therefore, only the popular can become the agent or the subject that pushes ahead with the socio-historical movement purposefully and actively.

How can the popular masses become the subject of history?

When people talk about great historical events or epochal changes, they usually find their factor mainly in the wisdom or intelligence, the gift or ability of outstanding peoples. But the popular masses are ignored or neglected.

Such a view is wrong. Basic factor of all historical events is always the ordinary working masses and their wisdom and strength.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"The subject of the social movement consists in the masses of the people. Without the masses there would be no social movement itself, nor would it be conceivable to talk about historical progress."

The subject of history is neither an outstanding individual nor a certain small group. The reactionary ruling and exploiting class who disturb the historical development can never be the subject of history.

The subject of history consists in only the masses of the people who cause and develop the socio-historical movement purposefully and actively.

Let us consider this point in some aspects.

When we examine the social movement, we could know that the social movement is caused by the demand of the popular masses.

The popular masses have desire of living independently free from all sorts of oppression and subjugation. The more the oppression and subjugation against the popular masses become intensified, the stronger the demand for independence, their essential demand would be.

Because the popular masses have such demand, they actively conduct the social movement to transform nature, society and man to meet the demand. So the social movement takes place.

The social movement is caused and developed by the masses of the people. This means that the masses of the people are the cause and motive force of the social movement.

The masses of the people have inexhaustible creative ability to propel any social movement.

People in olden times depended on an omnipotent being that knows and supervises everything, believing that it would save them from all misfortunes and miseries. However, their long-cherished desire was a mere daydream. They knew this clearly through practice.

Instead, it was proved that the almighty being, if there is, is none other than the exploited and oppressed working masses who have been regarded as the object of history. The masses of the people are the most intelligent and powerful beings in the world that know and can do everything. Indeed, the masses of the people are the teacher and transformer of everything.

All forms of social movement are developed and history is made by the inexhaustible creative ability of the poplar masses.

Detailed explanation of it is necessary.

Productive forces are developed and material wealth is created and increased by the people's creative labour to transform nature.

Of course, capitalists also have interests in developing productive forces and increasing material wealth not for the progress of society and history but for their own pleasure and comfort. They do nothing to transform nature but exploit and oppress the working masses. The capitalist class is the parasite of society that idles over sumptuous meal, although they regard themselves as "producer" or "business manager". There is parasite not only in nature but also in human society. That is the capitalist class. Creator of material wealth in society is only the masses of the people who transform nature with their creative wisdom and labour. All the means of living needed for eating, clothing and housing and all technical means to transform nature and conquer the space are the products of creative labour of the popular masses.

The popular masses are not only the creator of material wealth but the creator of ideological and cultural wealth.

Who set forth the advanced ideologies, developed the scientific knowledge and created the works of art and literature that have been used and accumulated by mankind?

Some people say that they are developed or created by the pioneers of mankind and talented scientists and artistes in each historical period. And some other people say that they are developed the ruling class that seized ideological and cultural means of society. Such point of views are one-sided or wrong.

Anyone who views the reality correctly would recognize that all ideological and cultural wealth of mankind are created on the basis of the people's life and practical experiences and that all geniuses are not from any privileged class or special strata but from the masses of the people. Reactionary exploiting class or privileged people fabricate and spread bad ideologies and morality, corrupted literature and art that make people ideologically degenerated and ignorant, justifying the old contradicting exploiting system. They have never created any ideological and cultural wealth, but rather disturbed and oppressed the masses' mental activities for creation in every possible way. Humanity never forget the fact that the brutal religious court of the Middle age put in jail and sentenced to stake the people who insisted on advanced ideologies and scientific truth. Today, freedom of ideology is obstructed and oppressed in so-called developed capitalist countries.

Same is the case of the development of the social movement to transform society.

Reactionary ruling class has interest only in maintaining and consolidating the old exploiting system. The bourgeois rulers and their lackeys always clamour about "reform", with a view to escape from and veil over the crisis of their rule and contradictions of capitalism.

Transformation of society and change of the old system are made only by revolutionary activities of the awakened and united masses of the people. Any social transformation is inconceivable without revolutionary struggle of the popular masses.

Miracles that have been regarded as mystery and admiration for a long time are all made by the masses of the people.

The respected General Kim Jong Il said that miracle is not an accident given by Heaven but a necessity brought by the masses of the people. His aphorism is a scientific truth reflecting the reality as it is.

History witnessed that the masses of the people can create miracles and innovations that surprise the world, if they display to the full their revolutionary enthusiasm and creative capability in the social movement to transform nature and society. This tells eloquently that the masses of the people are the subject of the social movement and history.

That the masses of the people are the subject of history never negates the role played by an individual in the development of history.

Individuals also contribute to the development of history in this or that way according to their qualifications and capabilities.

However, individual's role can never be replaced with and superior to the popular masses'. However distinguished the individual's qualifications and capabilities are, they cannot be compared with inexhaustible strength and wisdom of the popular masses.

If an individual's talent and role is to be contributed to the development of history, he should be a member of the popular masses and depend on them. Individual's capabilities can be developed and displayed to the full only among the masses of the people and be powerful and valuable only by depending on the masses. Divorced from the popular masses, any individual can never display his talents, eventually becoming reactionary.

A small group, as in the case of individual, can be a member of the subject of history and contribute to the development of history only when it joins the popular masses.

It is, next, necessary to have a Juche-oriented understanding of the popular masses. That is because the socio-historical principle that the masses of the people are the subject of history is established on the basis of the Juche-oriented elucidation of the popular masses. It is as same as the truth that the philosophical principle that man is the master of everything and decides everything is established based on the Juche-oriented elucidation of man.

What kind of social group are the popular masses?

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"The masses of the people means a united social community which centres on working people, due to their common demand for independence and creative activity."

The masses of the people form a social community that is united due to their common demand for independence and creative activity.

The demand for independence means the social demand of man who is desirous of living as master of the world and his own destiny free from all sorts of subordination and subjugation. Creative activity means the social activity of man who transforms nature, society and himself to meet his demand for independence.

People of various classes and strata live in society, and they act differently with different demands. Among them, those who make creative activity with demand for independence are called the popular masses.

The popular masses mainly consist of the working masses, i.e. workers, peasants and working intellectuals.

The workers, peasants and working intellectuals make creative activities with demand for independence. In other words, they struggle for a free and dignified life against all kinds of social exploitation and oppression and fetters of nature, create material and spiritual wealth necessary for man's existence and development and improve social system more rational by transforming nature and society with their efforts and revolutionary activity.

The popular masses consist in a community of the most just, talented and progressive people with independence, creativity and consciousness, the intrinsic nature of social man. The popular masses include neither the reactionary ruling class that oppresses and infringes upon the masses' independence nor the reactionary exploiting class that does not create but only dissipates material wealth created by others.

Since social life is complicated, it is difficult to judge correctly who is included in the concept of the popular masses. Some people devote themselves to the revolutionary struggle to change the old social system, though they own factories and enterprises. On the contrary, some people are not aware of their demand for independence to liberate themselves but serve the reactionary dominating class, flattering and yielding to it, even though they are cruelly exploited and oppressed.

Therefore, if we are to correctly define whether he is a member of the popular masses or not, we should have a correct criterion for it. Only then, can we regard the people as the subject of history and strengthen the revolutionary forces without the rightist and leftist bias.

Social and class origin can be one of the criteria in judging whether he is a member of the popular masses or not. That is to say, member of the popular masses is decided according to people's origin. Member of the popular masses includes workers and peasants who are exploited and oppressed, but excludes landlords and capitalists who exploit and oppress others.

Social and class origin should be considered but not be made absolute in deciding member of the popular masses. Experience of the revolutionary struggle shows that those who have bad social and class origin could become brave and dauntless revolutionaries and ardent patriots, whereas those who have good social and class origin could betray the people and become traitors.

The basic criterion to decide member of the popular masses lies in what kind of ideology he has. Man's ideological consciousness decides his behaviour. People with the revolutionary idea struggle for the masses of the people, transcending their social and class origin, but those with the reactionary idea infringe upon the interests of the popular masses irrespective of their origin. Therefore, anyone with the revolutionary idea should be regarded as a member of the popular masses, but everyone with the reactionary idea as a reactionary. This is the truth proved by the history of arduous revolutionary struggle.

In a nutshell, the popular masses can be said to be the community of people who are united with commonness in ideological consciousness of independence.

Then, what kind of idea one must have to become a member of the popular masses?

The socialist and communist idea is the most superior idea that unites people of various strata into the popular masses. It is the idea of the highest stage in the development of independent ideological consciousness, since it reflects scientifically the demand for independence and aspiration of the popular masses. Only with this idea, can people take part voluntarily in the struggle for independence of the popular masses and accordingly become their member.

In addition, the ideas of loving the country, nation and people also make them included in the concept of the popular masses. That is because the masses of the people wage the struggle to realize their independence with the country and nation as a unit. Apart from the country and nation, the demand for independence and aspiration of the popular masses can never be realized. In this respect, we can say that the destiny of the country and nation is combined with that of the popular masses and, accordingly, the idea of loving the country and nation becomes the idea that makes people included in the concept of the popular masses.

Like this, the popular masses are the subject of social movement and history, as they consist in a united social community which centres on the working people due to their common demand for independence and creative activity.

The subject of history develops into the independent subject of history.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"The popular masses are the subject of history, but they are not always an independent subject, able to shape their destiny independently and creatively."

History develops owing to the subject, and the subject also develops. Man himself develops in the process of transforming nature and society. Therefore, the popular masses as the subject of history develop into the independent subject of history in the developing process of society.

What is the independent subject of history?

The independent subject of history means the popular masses who shape the destiny of history and themselves independently and creatively. In other words, it means the popular masses who take hold of the destiny of history and themselves and hew it out according to their will and demand, that is, the popular masses who are masters of the destiny of history and themselves.

The popular masses are the subject of history, but they are not the independent subject of history in all ages and in all societies. The popular masses as the subject of history have made history and developed society from the first period of human society. However, after society was divided into hostile classes and there emerged the exploiter society in which the exploiting class lorded it over, the popular masses were put in a miserable position of being exploited and oppressed. As a result, the popular masses could not occupy due position as the subject of history nor play proper role as the maker of history.

In the exploiter society the popular masses, in many cases, could not but shoulder heavy burdens of making history according to the will of the reactionary ruling class.

The people created all social wealth with toilsome labour, but they could not enjoy them, suffering from poverty. All edifices including wonderful palaces and temples in the Middle age, to say nothing of the Pyramids of Egypt and 7 wonders of the Ancient time, are the creations of the popular masses. But they served not for the people but for the dominating and exploiting class.

The popular masses shed much blood in the struggle to change the old society, but they were deprived of their achievements by the exploiting class. Historically, the popular masses have conducted bloody struggle against exploitation and oppression -- the Spartacus Revolt in the Ancient time and the Stepan Rajin Peasant Uprising in the Middle age are good examples -- which resulted in another form of slavery chains for them. In the exploiter society, they were still regarded as the object of history not as its master. We cannot yet call them the independent subject of history that who takes the destiny of history and itself in its hands and hews it out independently and creatively.

Such status of the popular masses continued for thousands of years along with the exploiter society.

A question arises here.

Why could not the popular masses become the independent subject of history for such a long time?

In a nutshell, it is because the popular masses were not aware of their class position and strength and failed to unite themselves into one political force.

The strength of the popular masses is inexhaustible. However, they can not give it full play, eventually being divided into pieces, if they are not aware of their class position and strength.

When and under what condition the popular masses become the independent subject of history?

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"It was not until an advanced industrial working class emerged and the working masses were awakened and organized under the influence of its revolutionary ideas of independence that the independent subject of history was able to make its full appearance on the stage of history."

Emergence of the working class provided the social and class condition for the popular masses to be the independent subject of history.

The working class has emerged on the historical arena with the collapse of the feudal society and the birth of the capitalist society.

The working class is the most advanced and revolutionary class of all the exploited and oppressed classes that have existed up to now.

The working class embodies independence, creativity and consciousness of man on the highest level. That is because only the working class can raise and realize the demand to liberate themselves from all sorts of exploitation and oppression once and for all.

The working class is the leading class of revolution that leads all other classes and strata to the struggle for their independence. That is because the working class is the class with the highest sense of organization, discipline and unity and the highest level of cultural sentiments due to their living status and working conditions.

After its emergence, the working class became the hard core of the popular masses and led them to revolutionary struggle. Accordingly the popular masses become the independent subject of history.

The leader of the working class is the decisive factor for the popular masses to become the independent subject of history.

In order to become the independent subject of history, the popular masses should arm themselves with revolutionary ideas of the working class and rallied behind revolutionary organizations. This is only possible by the outstanding leader of the working class.

The leader of the working class is the teacher of the masses of the people. The leader provides the masses with revolutionary ideas. The revolutionary ideas of the working class scientifically illustrate that they can overthrow the capitalist society and build a new society free from exploitation and oppression and lead a happy life if they turn out to the struggle. Thanks to the revolutionary ideas of the leader, the popular masses came to know correctly the way to shape their destiny and wage the struggle for a new world of independence and equality against the old one of domination and subjugation.

The leader of the working class is the leader of the people. The leader founds the working class party and other revolutionary political organizations and unites the masses into one political force. Thanks to him, the masses of the people could put an end to the miserable history in which failures and setbacks had been repeated due to division and disintegration and greeted a new era of victory and glory.

Having the leader of the working class in high esteem is the fundamental guarantee for the popular masses to become the independent subject of history. As it is inconceivable of the organic body of nature without the sun, it is impossible to think of social and political integrity of the people without the leader.

Only under the leadership of the outstanding leader of the working class, the popular masses could have became the independent subject of history, won victory in the socialist revolution and built a long-cherished socialist society devoid of exploitation and oppression.

In the socialist society, the popular masses accelerate their development as being the independent subject of history with the state power and the means of production in their hands.

The Juche idea clarified for the first time in history the socio-historical principle that the popular masses are the subject of history and that they become the independent subject of history in a certain stage of social development. By so doing, it laid the ideological and theoretical foundations for the comprehensive elucidation of the law of the socio-historical movement.

2. Social Movement is the Independent, Creative and Conscious

Movement of the Popular Masses

The Juche idea elucidated the essential character of the social movement by clarifying that it is the independent, creative and conscious movement of the popular masses.

Since the popular masses are the subject of the social movement, the social movement is conducted necessarily as independent, creative and conscious movement commensurating to independence, creativity and consciousness, the intrinsic nature of the popular masses. That is because the social movement is the development of the intrinsic nature of the popular masses, its subject.

Natural movement is made spontaneously by the reaction of materials existing objectively, whereas the social movement is done independently, creatively and consciously by the action of the intrinsic nature of the popular masses, its subject.

Social movement is the independent movement of the popular masses.

Primary essential character of the social movement is that it is the independent movement of the popular masses.

Why the independent character of the social movement should be discussed first in considering its essential characters?

That is because the fundamental purpose of the social movement is implied in it.

People begin their daily routine with setting up purpose. Without purpose even an easy work can never be done properly.

Same is the case of the social movement. The popular masses, the subject of the social movement, set up the purpose first and then conduct the social movement. There is no social movement without its purpose. The principle that the social movement is the independent movement of the popular masses is related with the fundamental purpose of the social movement. This is the reason why we argue first the independent character of the social movement.

Let us study in detail the principle that the social movement is the independent movement of the popular masses.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said that the social movement is the movement to realize the independence of the popular masses and that the development of society is the development of the masses' struggle for independence.

That the social movement is the independent movement of the popular masses has two meanings. One is that the social movement is made not for any privileged people but for the masses to realize their demand for independence. The other is that it is done not by the command of other people but by the popular masses themselves. All social movements are independent ones of the popular masses.

The independent character is peculiar only to the social movement.

There is no independent element in natural movement. Animals' hunting is not designed to live independently free from subordination of nature but instinctive action to maintain only their existence under the given conditions. There is no need to deal with the movement of inorganic substances.

Therefore, we say that the independent movement is the essential character of the social movement the subject of which are the popular masses.

Then, what is the reason why the social movement is the independent movement of the popular masses?

It is because the popular masses consist in a social community with independence as its intrinsic nature.

The popular masses consist in a community which centres on the people with intrinsic nature of living and developing independently against all sorts of subordination and subjugation.

The popular masses regard independence as life and soul that can never be bartered for anything. They consider it as their absolute demand and inalienable right to defend it.

As they have independence as their intrinsic nature as well as life and soul, the popular masses never allow independence to be infringed upon and subjugated but struggle actively to be free from all sorts of subjugation and subordination. As a result, the social movement is conducted and developed.

As the popular masses are independent beings with independence as their intrinsic nature, all the social movements conducted by them assume the independent character.

What is the expression of the fact that the social movement is the independent movement of the masses of the people?

The transformations of nature, society and man are the main spheres of the social movement, all of which assume independent character of the social movement.

Let us first consider the transformation of society.

People live and act in social relations. However, the exploiter system tramples and infringes upon independence of the popular masses. The exploiting class that seizes the state power and the means of production deprives the people of their right to politics and existence.

The popular masses with independence as their life and soul do not absorb exploitation and oppression in tacit. In order to defend and realize their independence, the popular masses turn out to the social transformation whose purpose is to change the contradictory and irrational exploiting system. This means that the social transformation, a form of the social movement, is the struggle of the popular masses for their independence.

Same is the transformation of nature.

Nature has lots of material resources necessary for man's existence, but they are not turned into necessities for people's life of their own accord. Sometimes, nature rather causes unfavourable environment and even misfortunes to restrain the peoples' independence. The popular masses whose intrinsic nature is independence wage a dynamic struggle to transform nature by their efforts in order to realize their independence free from natural fetters. The transformation of nature is the struggle of the popular masses to realize their independence in relation with nature.

The transformation of man is the struggle of the popular masses to create the revolutionary and advanced ideology and culture necessary for their independent life free from fetters of the old ideology and culture.

After all, all the social movements to transform nature, society and man are the independent movement of the popular masses.

All the social movements have been the struggle to defend and realize the independence of the popular masses, though they were different at the level of their development and were conducted in different spheres and forms.

Human history is, indeed, the history of struggle for the peoples' independence, which is the historical proof of the truth that the social movement is the independent movement of the masses of the people.

If the popular masses are to realize their independence completely, they should get rid of all sorts of exploitation and oppression once and for all and sweep away their remnants which trample upon their independence.

There are primitive society, slave-hold society, feudal society, capitalist society and socialist society in human history.

Exploitation and oppression still existed in all societies in different forms, except in socialist society.

It is a mere change in the form of exploitation and oppression that the chains of slavery was changed by feudal chains and the latter by the yoke of capital.

However, the establishment of the socialist system through the socialist revolution rooted out oppression and exploitation.

As a result, for the first time in history, the popular masses could become masters of the state power and the means of production and liberate themselves from exploitation and oppression of man by man, that of nation by nation and domination of state by state.

But it is the first step for the popular masses to complete their independence. That is because remains of the old exploiter societies exist in all fields of social life--politics, the economy and culture-- to put the masses' independence under restraint.

Therefore, the popular masses should advance continuously the revolution even after the establishment of the socialist system to win ultimate victory of socialism and to build communism.

In the communist society all people will lead an independent and creative life as masters of the world and their own destiny free from all fetters and subjugation. The communist society is, indeed, a paradise of independence.

Social movement is the creative movement of the popular masses.

Another essential character of the social movement is that it is the creative movement of the popular masses.

Since independence and creativity, the intrinsic nature of man, are interrelated with each other, the social movement has not only the independent character but also the creative character.

Without the creative activity of the masses of the people, their aspiration to defend and realize their independence, fundamental purpose of the social movement can not be realized, only remaining as an ideal. Creativity is the guarantee for independence. Only with creativity, can independence bear fruit.

Today, huge social wealth are created on the globe, which are the product of inexhaustible creative wisdom and strength of the masses of the people.

Social wealth and all other things in society have been achieved by the creative activities of the popular masses. In this sense, the social movement is the creative movement of the popular masses that assumes the creative character.

Let us have a detailed consideration of its content.

The social movement is the creative movement of the people. What does this mean?

This means that it is the movement of the masses of the people to actively transform nature and society with their creative wisdom and strength.

The social movement is the process in which the old in this world is obliterated and the new is created by the masses' creative struggle.

The creative character is peculiar only to the social movement.

If we observe changes in nature, we can find out that there takes place some replacement of the old by the new. However, the changes are made not purposefully and actively but spontaneously. In other words, they are simply changes but not creation. It is the change of nature itself that flowers blossom in spring after winter and rich fruits are born in autumn and that the existing stars are vanishing and the new ones appear in the space. There is nothing creative in nature.

There is no creation in the changes of nature because nature has no subject to lead its motion actively.

Different from natural movement, the social movement has the popular masses, its subject, that continuously discard the old and create the new.

The social movement is the creative movement unlike natural movement. Why?

That is because the popular masses, the subject of the social movement, are the creative beings with creativity as their intrinsic nature.

The popular masses demand to discard the old and create the new and have the creative ability to realize it. Therefore, the masses' activities are always creative and accordingly the social movement waged by them can not but be the creative movement.

Human history proves that the activity of the popular masses assumes the creative character.

Humankind has traversed a long historical path. The popular masses recorded many traces of creation in every page of history. As we can know to which direction a person has gone from his footprints, so can we know well that human history is the history of creation from the traces of creation left by the popular masses in history.

In the primitive society, forerunners of mankind had created their basic living condition only with stones and sticks as they were. And then they had made sharp stones and stone axes which were more effective. People began to create. Stone tools, the first means of life made by people’s creative activity, were later replaced by iron tools.

From then on, the popular masses have transformed nature with their powerful creative activities, continuously creating material wealth of society.

If man is to live and develop, there should be various things needed for getting food, clothing and housing, and to this end, labour activities should be made continuously to transform nature. So, the popular masses have ceaselessly waged creative labour activities to conquer nature and make material wealth from the first day of society's appearance. In this process, they have created material wealth necessary for life and various working tools for production. They have also changed their surrounding natural phenomena and conditions in favour of their independent life.

The popular masses have also created wonderful cultural wealth with their creative activities.

Let us study the development of science and technology, a form of culture.

People usually think that science and technology are developed by special people who are distinguished from the masses of the people. This is a wrong viewpoint. Science and technology is developed only by creative labour of the popular masses. Scientific and technological knowledge and experience, technical means and conditions are inconceivable without the masses' creative labour.

The great scientists and masters of inventions are produced among the masses of the people.

James Watt who invented a steam engine, the beginning of the industrial revolution, and Marie Curie who contributed to the era of nuclear power with radium were all ordinary people born in poor families and suffered from miserable life. Many examples can be taken. All wonderful and precious cultural wealth of mankind are the fruits made by the creative activities of the popular masses.

That the popular masses' activities have the creative character can be found not only in transforming nature to create material and cultural wealth but also in transforming the social system.

With their creative weapon, the popular masses not only ploughed the vast land of nature but turned upside down the old foundation of society where they live and act.

Man lives in a certain social system, which is an important living circumstance for people. If a social system is progressive, it will provide a favourable living circumstance, otherwise, it will not.

Man is born with the right to freedom. However, it is trampled down in the exploiter society. In the exploiter society, the popular masses do toilsome labour, being maltreated like beasts. That is why the popular masses wage the creative struggle to overthrow the exploiting system and build a happy society where their desire for independence is realized.

With their arduous and bloody struggle, the popular masses have cut off the chains of the slavery that trampled down man's independence, destroyed the bulwark of the feudal despotic system of the Middle age and broke the chains of modern bourgeois society.

All historical facts prove eloquently that the people's activity always assume the creative character and that all the social movement are the creative movement of the popular masses.

How the masses' creative activity is conducted?

Many difficulties and trials are in store before the creative activity of the people to clear away the old and create the new by transforming nature and society.

With its ferocity nature challenges the popular masses in their labour activities, and the old forces of society resist the people's revolutionary activities.

Therefore, the people's creative activity is accompanied by struggle. Creation is, so to speak, the struggle. Without struggle creation of the new and development of society are inconceivable.

The people's struggle against the exploiter society is stained with blood.

In the year 532, about 35 thousand rioters were killed in Nyka rote that took place against the slave holders in Constantinople, Byzantine Empire. In French bourgeois democratic revolution (1848) against the feudal system, about 19 thousand people were killed and about 25 thousand arrested, half of who were sentenced to death.

It is well known that the Paris Commune, the first government of the working class, paid dear. The blood shed by the people in the struggle to create a new society was not invalid. It was a storm that brought about the revolution; it was the banner of struggle that advanced history.

The popular masses have waged struggle to transform themselves, while transforming nature and society. In other words, they have made themselves more powerful by getting rid of their ignorance and obtaining new ideologies and knowledge.

The popular masses' struggle to transform and develop nature and society was the process in which their creative ability has been increased.

There was nobody who taught people how to build houses, to make tools and to cultivate lands just after their appearance on the globe. They could not but depend on themselves in the severe condition of nature. The forerunners of mankind had personally learnt one by one in the process of building houses at the foot of mountains and hunting animals.

They have accumulated experiences in practice; peasants in the process of ploughing and seeding, workers while operating machines and making goods and revolutionaries in the struggle against exploiting class.

The creative ability of the popular masses continuously develops and strengthens as the social movement develops and history advances.

Development of the productive forces of society is the history of the popular masses to strengthen their creative ability to conquer nature.

The productive forces of society have developed through the Stone Age, Iron and Machine ages to the present age of atomic power and electronic engineering. Present age of science and technology requires the ability that is far beyond the skill possessed by people to handle machines. A machine operator in the 18th and 19th century can never use computer, the crystal of modern science. This eloquently proves that man's creative ability has been developed considerably.

The history of social revolution is the history of the popular masses to strengthen their revolutionary ability in transforming society.

That revolutionary ability is strengthened means that the popular masses raise their political awareness, consolidate their sense of organization and strengthen unity.

The Spartacus Revolt, one of the ancient slave uprising, had no clear target. It aimed at simply sending slaves back to their home. They had no ways and means to change the slave-hold system itself. The sense of organization and unity of the rioters were so poor that they were scattered and run away.

Serfs and peasants in the Middle age put up higher demand and were more self-conscious than slaves, and their uprising progressed in the method of struggle and organization.

The revolutionary struggle of the working class against capital is to put an end to the exploiting society once and for all, and in this struggle the people's revolutionary ability develops to a very high level.

What is the highest form of creative movement in human history?

It is neither bourgeois democratic revolution, nor anti-feudal struggle of peasants nor slave uprising. It is the communist movement by the working class, the most progressive class.

Why it so?

Firstly, it is that the communist movement is the movement to build communist society, the highest form of ideal society of mankind where the people's independence is completely realized. To build such society is the highest target and program of the social movement.

Secondly, it is that the creativity of the people is given the fullest play in communist movement.

The higher the stage of social movement is, the more creative ability of the popular masses is displayed.

In all historical periods of exploiting society, the creative ability of the people has seriously been restrained by reactionary ruling class. However, in socialist society, such factors are fundamentally obliterated and all social conditions and circumstances are provided for the people to develop their creative ability and display it to the full.

Let us take the term “labour” and “hero” as an example to have a correct understanding of this problem.

The two terms have been used since long time ago. However, they could have not been combined with each other to have one meaning in the exploiter society. That is because "hero" means a great man who is respected by people for his achievements, whereas "labour" is a pronoun of most humble and backbreaking work. These two terms were combined with each other in socialist society, producing a new term "labour hero". In socialist society where the working masses are masters of the state power and the means of production, labour is considered not as humble one but as honorable and precious one. In this society the working people register heroic feats and miracles by displaying their creativity to the full and, accordingly, enjoy social respect and admiration.

Now we came to know that the socialist society is a superior and progressive society where the people's creative ability is considered precious and displayed to the fullest extent.

How far history will develop when inexhaustible creative ability of the popular masses is displayed to the full, as they are the subject of history that causes and develops the social movement. As people in primitive and ancient societies could have not imagined modern civilization, so we cannot imagine the development of people’s creative ability and the progress of social movement of the future.

Social movement is conscious movement of the popular masses.

Let us now study the conscious character of social movement.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"All revolutionary movements are conscious movements."

Creative activity of the popular masses to realize their independence is conscious movement. One of the essential features of the social movement which is different from natural movement is that it is conscious movement.

What is the meaning of the fact that the social movement is conscious movement of the popular masses.

It has two meanings.

One of them is that the social movement is the movement the popular masses conduct purposefully.

Purpose in social movement is a goal to attain and an anticipation of the result to be made through the transformation of nature and society.

The popular masses set as the purpose of social movement what is urgent in hewing out their destiny.

The people have made the social movement with some purposes since olden times up to now. All forms of social movement have been conducted with some purposes although there have been differences in their accuracy and clearness.

Riots of slaves in the ancient slave-hold society were the eruption of their resentment against inhumane maltreatment and exploitation of slaveholders. Although the aim was vague, their riots were the reflection of their strong desire and demand to liberate themselves from slavery. The people's social movements after the ancient time have been, of course, purposeful and conscious.

The other of the two meanings is that the social movement is propelled by the consciousness of the people.

The masses of the people cause the social movement consciously and develop it with their own wisdom and will.

The social movement never develops of its own accord. It is always confronted with difficulties and trials. Severe nature puts an obstacle before labour activities of the people and reactionaries check the masses' revolutionary activities.

The popular masses can advance the social movement to victory only when they overcome adversities and trials. If they are scared by and yield to difficulties and trials, the social movement will meet half end and setback.

What makes the masses develop the social movement, overcoming difficulties and trials? It is their strong will and creative wisdom. It is the truth proved by history that the popular masses can overcome any kind of difficulties and hit any targets when they display their revolutionary enthusiasm and creative initiative with firm determination.

We say that the social movement is conscious movement because its purpose and driving force are conscious.

It is one of the peculiar features of social movement that it is conscious. Natural movement, however various in its form, is spontaneous.

In the past, religious people said that all curious phenomena in nature were created consciously by the "God". But it is proved by science to be ridiculous.

However, some people still insist that there is something conscious in animals' activities.

Of course, some animals' activities appear to be quite the same as people's conscious activity. For example, swallows go to the south in autumn and come back in spring, bees collect honey in summer for winter and monkeys pick fruits with sticks and so on. But their action are not conscious, however seasoned and miraculous. Theirs are instinctive. In other words, the instinct is inherited and repeated by offspring. This is proved by the fact that animals' habitation, hunting and storage of food have remained unchanged so long as natural phenomena do not change.

After all, there is no embryonic form of consciousness in natural movement. Only the social movement is conscious. Why?

In a word, it is because that the popular masses, the subject of social movement form a social group with consciousness as their intrinsic nature.

Man is conscious being with consciousness. Consciousness is man's highest quality, and his superiority and powerfulness is connected with his consciousness.

The masses of the people have the highest sense of consciousness among the classes and strata in society. The reactionary ruling class insists that the masses are ignorant "group" that cannot discern the truth from the false and has no reason and self-control. This is a sophism to obliterate consciousness of the popular masses.

The people's consciousness is displayed and embodied in their activities. As a result, the social movement becomes conscious movement of the masses of the people.

The Juche idea clarifies the truth that the popular masses' ideological consciousness of independence plays a decisive role in the social movement on the basis of the elucidation that the social movement is the people's conscious movement.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"The people's consciousness of independence plays the decisive role in revolutionary struggle."

Ideological consciousness of independence is the awareness that one is the master of his own destiny and the will to hew out his destiny.

With this awareness, the popular masses understand that masters of their own destiny are themselves. With the will to hew out their destiny, they have firm determination and indomitable spirit to hew out their destiny by themselves.

Why does the masses' ideological consciousness of independence play the decisive role in the social movement?

Ideological consciousness of independence activates the masses of the people to participate in the social movement.

Ideological consciousness of independence is the consciousness that reflects one’s demand for independence and interests. It is urgent for man with independence as his life and soul to realize his demand for independence and interests. This is the reason why ideological consciousness activates the people to participate in the social movement to realize their demand for independence.

Ideological consciousness of independence gives the people self-consciousness that they are masters of their own destiny. Therefore, it enables them to participate in the social movement for shaping their destiny as befitting masters and to struggle actively. If the masses have no awareness that they are masters of their own destiny, they depend on mysterious being or others, with the result that they are unable to conduct the social movement.

Ideological consciousness of independence also gives the people the will to hew out their destiny by themselves. So, the masses of the people display revolutionary spirit to develop the social movement, overcoming difficulties and trials by themselves. But for the will to hew out their own destiny by themselves, they have to depend on others, failing to propel the social movement.

Ideological consciousness of independence enables the people to actively create and use other factors that operate in the social movement.

The social movement has not only ideological factor but also objective material and economic factors and technical factors.

These factors are created and used by the masses of the people who arm themselves with ideological consciousness of independence. Therefore, if they arm themselves with ideological consciousness of independence, the masses of the people develop the social movement successfully, while changing the unfavourable into the favourable. Otherwise, they cannot make a good use of favourable condition, making the social movement frustrated.

The ideological consciousness of independence is, indeed, the decisive factor in the social movement.

In this connection, one point should be made clear.

The role of ideological consciousness becomes higher as the revolutionary movement develops.

Let us take an example of the development of labour movement and the progress of ideological consciousness of the working class.

Steam engine played an important role in making an epoch in industrial revolution. With this engine, capitalists developed industries and blended workers white. Workers could not but suffer from over 15 hour-long hard labour a day. They produced much but were paid. Dissatisfied workers waged campaign to break machines, crying that "new machines kill us". Their campaign was called “Chartist Movement”.

Meanwhile, capitalists, masters of machine, instigated their government to make the law, "anyone who breaks machine will be executed" and oppressed them mercilessly. Workers came to know that machine-breaking could not improve their life and that they were exploited and oppressed not by machines but by capitalists and turned out to the struggle against capitalists and capitalist system.

This shows that consciousness of the working class becomes more improved and ideological consciousness plays bigger role as the revolutionary movement develops.

What is it so?

This is because the development of revolutionary movement puts up the task of higher stage.

The revolutionary movement develops in the process of putting up the task of higher stage and of implementing them.

The higher goals the social movement sets, the higher ideological consciousness the masses of the people should possess. Otherwise, the revolutionary movement can never advance for the masses cannot understand their tasks and accordingly fail to display strong will to fulfil the tasks.

That is also because the broad masses of the people participate in the revolutionary movement as it develops.

Participation of the broad masses of the people in the revolutionary movement requires higher sense of self-consciousness of the people.

As everything is successful only with the participation of the people who are self-conscious, so is the revolutionary movement.

Imagine what would happen if the broad masses of the people participating in the revolutionary movement have low level of ideological consciousness, insist one’s own belief and act respectively without the sense of self-consciousness. They will never win victory but suffer from setback in the revolutionary movement.

In order to advance the revolutionary movement to victory, it is important for everybody to know the common goal and interests and ensure consensus in their action.

This is the reason why the ideological consciousness plays bigger role as the revolutionary movement develops.

When will the role of ideological consciousness be displayed to the full?

It is in the stage of building socialist and communist society.

Building of socialism and communism is a revolution to put an end to everything old in all fields of social life and to transform nature, society man fundamentally. Therefore, such societies can be built only by highly conscious and creative struggle of the millions of the people who are armed with revolutionary idea. Those who have low revolutionary consciousness and are indulged in egoism or ideal away, can never build socialism and communism.

Considerable enhancement of the role of ideological consciousness in building socialism and communism finds its expression in the management and development of socialist system after its establishment.

Capitalism lives on the discipline of starvation and stick.

In capitalist society the majority of people work in order not to die of hunger. It is the true appearance of capitalist society that it is maintained by appeasement and deception, menace and blackmail. How can the masses of the people work hard and voluntarily when social structure is made not for the masses but for capitalists.

But, in socialist society, it is different.

In socialist society where there is no exploitation and oppression, the popular masses are masters of everything in society. In this society, the people exercise political right to their hearts content and receive as much as they work because they take hold of the state power and the means of production.

That is why the people in socialist society work voluntarily for the society and collective and display creative enthusiasm to the full.

The fact that ideological consciousness plays the decisive role in the revolutionary struggle for socialism and communism is related with the characteristics of revolutionary ideas of the working class.

In general, the role of ideological consciousness in the development of society depends on the class character and its contents.

The reactionary idea that reflects the demand and interests of the exploiting class disturbs the development of society, but, on the contrary, the idea of progressive class advances it. Progressive ideas play different role according to how they reflect the aspiration and demand of the people and show the ways and mean of the struggle.

The working class is the most independent class whose mission is to clear away exploitation and oppression once and for all. Therefore, its aspiration and demand is in conformity with the fundamental aspiration of the masses of the people to live and develop independently and creatively as master of the world and its own destiny, and accordingly the working-class idea becomes the most revolutionary one.

This is the reason why the revolutionary idea of the working class plays the greatest revolutionary role far beyond the ideas of emancipating slaves and serfs and the idea of bourgeois enlightment that played a certain role in social development in the past.

The revolutionary idea of working class is the most powerful weapon to transform old society and pioneer the future.

All reactionary ideas are sure to fail before the revolutionary idea of the working class, as they disturb the development of history and speak for the old exploiting society.

The perfect revolutionary idea of the working class is the great man-centred Juche idea.

Because it reflects the law of social development and aspiration and demand of the masses correctly, the Juche idea is the scientific guiding idea and ever-victorious banner that leads the revolutionary movement of our time to victory.

Like this, the Juche idea opened up a bright vista for the solution of the law of social movement by scientifically elucidating that the masses of the people are the subject of history and that social movement is independent, creative and conscious movement of the popular masses.