 It is important to note, given the political context in which Lange was writing, that he did not seem to think that some revolutionary act would bring us suddenly closer to such improved conditions of existence. He saw the process of such development as a slow one. Simply changing the legal property relations or the official structure of the state will not be sufficient, he argues. What is required in addition to changes in the structure of the state and the legal system are fundamental changes in the way people think, which will always take time. The reform of the state and laws provides the preconditions for this change in consciousness, but does not bring about this change immediately. Lange is careful not to deny that the kind of revolution some socialists and communists supported could bring us closer to the goal. But any such revolution would be merely one step in a long process that will involve both progress and regress (Lange 1894a, 249–251).