Essay: On Contradiction

Background

Mao Tse-Tung sets out a systematic account of dialectical materialism that aims to guide revolutionary practice and philosophical method. The essay reframes classical Marxist concepts to address the concrete historical struggles China faced in the 1930s while also offering general rules for analyzing change in nature, thought, and society.

Core thesis

Contradiction is the fundamental law of development: everything contains internal opposites whose interaction drives change. Rather than treating contradictions as merely logical oppositions, Mao insists they are real, dynamic, and determinative of how processes unfold.

Contradiction and change

Development arises from the unity and struggle of opposites. Identity and opposition coexist: opposites rely on one another and at the same time are in conflict. This tension produces transformation through processes such as the qualitative leap that follows quantitative accumulation and the negation of the negation.

Principal contradiction

At any given time multiple contradictions may exist, but one will be primary, shaping the general character and direction of a situation. Identifying the principal contradiction and its principal aspect is essential for correct strategy; misidentifying it leads to ineffective or counterproductive action.

Types of contradiction

Contradictions vary by their nature and outcome. Antagonistic contradictions tend toward irreconcilable conflict and may require forceful resolution, while nonantagonistic contradictions allow for peaceful resolution and compromise. Contradictions also differ in universality and particularity: the universal character of contradiction is present in all things, while each concrete contradiction has unique features and conditions.

Method and practice

Concrete analysis of the specific conditions and relations of a contradiction is paramount. Abstract formulas or doctrinaire application of principles without investigation lead to error. Practice, understood as social activity and verification, is the criterion by which truth is tested and theory corrected.

Political implications

The framework guides policy and alliance-building: identifying whether a contradiction is between the people and enemies or among the people determines whether confrontation or unity should be pursued. The approach emphasizes flexible tactics that adapt to shifting principal contradictions and the historical stage of struggle.

Legacy

The essay influenced Marxist theory and communist practice by stressing method over dogma and by providing a ready conceptual toolkit for prioritizing problems. Its insistence on concrete analysis, the primacy of practice, and the centrality of contradictions made it a cornerstone of Maoist thought and a reference point for debates about how theory should inform action.