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Home , Mass line, On Contradiction

Antagonistic and Non-Antagonistic Contradictions

by Ai Siqi

This is a selection from Ai Siqi's book Lecture Outline on , Beijing, 1957. This book was translated into a number of languages. The selection describes the concept of non‐antagonistic contradiction as expounded in several works by . This translation is based Chinese text published in Ai Siqi's Complete Works [艾思奇全书], Beijing: People's publishing House, 2006, vol. 6, pp. 832‐836.

[832] 5. Antagonistic and non-antagonistic forms of struggle

The struggle of opposites is encountered in our work. It cannot use one absolute, but this principle does not at all fixed kind of form and tie itself to one rigid exclude diversity of struggle forms and method, and in this way, it is possible to methods of resolution. On the contrary, grasp in a comparatively forms of struggle and methods of resolving successful way, and lead towards victory. contradictions must have various For example, in order to eliminate manifestations, depending on the quality of , our Chinese method is not to the contradiction and all kinds of different use a form of great force to expropriate the circumstances. One of the characteristics of , but mainly to adopt formalism 1 is to grasp some one kind of the form of peaceful remolding to redeem struggle form and method of resolving them. contradictions in a one-sided way, and In the various sorts and varieties of regard it as a thing which is absolutely struggle forms, two different forms of impossible to change, thus committing struggle should be especially studied, subjectivist errors. antagonistic and non-antagonistic forms. The forms of struggle and methods The antagonistic form of struggle is of resolving contradictions in the oppositions manifested in the form of external conflict of inside natural things differ from the forms of material forces. "Everything that has existed struggle and the methods of resolving in the natural world must ultimately adopt contradictions in opposite social the form of external conflict to go beyond phenomena. In the contradictions of social resolution of past contradictions and phenomena, there are also many kinds of produce new appearances of things" ("On diversity, and the methods of resolving Contradiction"), and all are expressions of these opposites and the forms of struggle antagonistic contradictions. also depend on locality, time, and differing As for non-antagonistic forms, none conditions, and there are many diverse of them express external forms of struggle. kinds change. In real revolutionary struggle, Therefore, antagonism is one form of the -Leninism must be adept at judging struggle of contradictions, and is not the different situations, adopting different forms only [833] form. To regard all struggle as of struggle and different methods for antagonistic is the childish viewpoint of "left" resolving contradictions which are adventurism. Antagonism and non- antagonism are two different forms of 1 Formalism is a kind of thinking that emphasizes struggle, and the quality of the contradiction form in a one‐sided way, regardless of real content, is antagonistic or non-antagonistic, or emphasizes the appearance of something without depending on specific conditions which analyzing its essential nature.‐‐ed. provide these two different qualities and processes of the development of antagonistic, but because the contradictions. has adopted suitable policies and methods "Antagonistic contradiction" indicates of struggle, and also because under the the kind of contradiction in which it is regime of people's democratic dictatorship possible for the character of an external of the working class, capitalist elements clash to burst out between the two opposite opposed to the socialist transformation sides, and consequently the resolution of ordinarily do not resist firmly, this this type of contradiction must be mainly antagonistic contradiction can transform into through the form of external conflict. The a non-antagonistic contradiction. On the relation between the opposite sides of a basis of different qualities of contradictions, non-antagonistic contradiction, therefore, as well as different developmental does not contain the factor of needing to conditions of contradictions and adopting erupt into external conflict. Therefore the different forms of struggle to resolve resolution of such a contradiction does not contradictions, a prerequisite for the correct have to pass through the form of external direction of practical action is guaranteed. conflict. Antagonistic contradictions, for [834] To study antagonistic and non- example, the class contradictions of antagonistic forms of struggle, it is exploiter and exploited inside class society, necessary to pay attention to the relation have an antagonistic character because of and mutual transformation of both sides. In the terrible conflict in the relation of the their resolution process antagonistic economic position of the two sides. contradictions cannot avoid the need to take As Comrade Mao Zedong has said: on some kind of antagonistic struggle form "The contradictions of capitalist society (the antagonistic form also has various sorts show violent antagonism and conflict, show and varieties, like the antagonistic form of a violent class struggle, and that kind of bomb burst, military antagonism, political contradiction cannot possibly be resolved conflict, etc.), but under certain through the capitalist system itself, but only development conditions, patterns of non- socialist revolution can also resolve antagonistic struggle forms can also arise them."("On the question of the correct (like the of a capitalist country, handling of contradictions among the which, under certain conditions takes part in people") In international relations, the parliamentary struggle and some legal open contradiction between imperialism and the struggle. Naturally, even this kind of people of the whole world and oppressed struggle can often include the form of nations also has an antagonistic nature. external conflict), the contradiction of New In non-antagonistic contradictions, China's and proletariat is a for example, the contradiction between the contradiction among the people which working class and the peasantry, the contains a class contradiction. economic position of both sides is not one The CPC made great efforts to use of terrible basic conflict. On the contrary, the method of criticism to resolve this their basic interests are identical, so this contradiction. But this contradiction kind of contradiction does not have an originally had an antagonistic character, and antagonistic character. It is ordinarily said therefore, in order to resolve it, the pattern that contradictions between the enemy and of the struggle form it took on still us have an antagonistic character, and unavoidable needed to contain an contradictions among the people, among antagonistic aspect. The "54" struggle2 was the working people, do not have an once an important period of struggle, even if antagonistic character. In addition to antagonism, the 2 "The 54 struggle" means the May 4th Movement, contradiction between bourgeoisie and the an important anti‐imperialist political and cultural working class has a non-antagonistic movement that began in China on May 4th, 1919, as aspect. This contradiction is originally a protest against the Treaty of Versailles.‐‐ed. the socialist transformation of capitalist end permeated by many paths of struggle. industry had not previously been basically Therefore, it is called the peaceful road only completed. In the present struggle, begun because the struggle of the contradiction is by the bourgeoisie, which has made a not manifested in violent antagonism. furious political and economic assault Moreover, in all struggles every effort is against proletarian leadership, if the working made to strengthen the revolutionary united class reaches out to the broad masses in front of the broad masses of the people, and order to beat off this attack, antagonism can to avoid the rupture of the . Here also arise. This present struggle, with the theory of the peaceful road is definitely regard to its focal point, will be said to move not equivalent to a struggle form theory, but toward having an antagonistic form. Still, is merely one non-antagonistic form. In the because the vast majority of China's course of peaceful development, there are national bourgeoisie is a petty bourgeoisie both antagonistic forms and non- with extremely weak economic power, antagonistic forms, and in decisive struggle, because they also have anti-imperialist antagonistic forms still rise to the focal point patriotic demands, because they join the of action under the most important working class in a long-term alliance, and conditions. Here it is necessary to pay because in New China they are led by the attention to antagonistic contradictions working class, therefore, even in the which transform into non-antagonistic struggle of the "three-anti" and "five-anti" contradictions. campaigns, 3 the working class also was As Comrade Mao Zedong said in able to focus the struggle (as a struggle "On the correct handling of contradictions against grossly illegal accounts) and among the people": "Between the working exclude the adoption of an antagonistic class and the national bourgeoisie there is a form. It also generously came to use a non- contradiction of exploiter and exploited, antagonistic form of struggle of combining which originally was an antagonistic persuasion and education. That is to say, contradiction. But in our country's concrete this also had a non-antagonistic aspect. conditions, these two classes' antagonistic After the "three antis" and "five contradiction, if it is handled appropriately, antis," in the high tide of the socialization of can be transformed into a non-antagonistic industry and commerce, the struggle of the contradiction, and this contradiction can be working class against the bourgeoisie resolved by peaceful methods. If we handle mainly undertook to adopt the non- it improperly, and do not adopt the policy antagonistic form of struggle of persuasion toward the national bourgeoisie of unity, and education. Under proletarian criticism and education, the then national dictatorship, China aims at the socialist bourgeoisie may not accept this policy of transformation of the national bourgeoisie, ours, and then contradiction between the and realizes the peaceful road. But this kind working class and the national bourgeoisie of peaceful [835] road is certainly not a path can turn into a contradiction between without struggle, but is from beginning to ourselves and the enemy. "Our party's policy is to handle the contradiction of the bourgeoisie and the working class as a 3 The "three anti" and "five anti" campaigns were contradiction among the people, and this is initiated by the Communist Party of China in the just to say to adopt the policy unity, early 1950s. The three antis opposed corruption, criticism, education about them. Because of waste, and bureaucracy. The five‐anti campaign the correctness of our policy about the opposed bribery, theft of state property, tax evasion, correct handling of contradictions, the cheating on government contracts, and stealing manifestation of antagonism of the state economic information. —ed. contradiction is eventually a small, and in many cases, it is non-antagonistic.

In non-antagonistic contradictions, contribution to Marxist-Leninist philosophy, using an antagonistic form of resolution can and from now on it will guide China's and should be avoided, but in some socialist construction in a comparatively circumstances, (for instance, at times smooth way, rapidly moving towards mistaken handling and unjustifiable triumph. subjective errors in resolving contradictions Comrade Mao Zedong said: "We among the people, perhaps a loss of should study the universality and the timing vigilance, lowering one's guard carelessly, of the struggle character of contradictions, etc., the effects of hostile classes, and so and must pay attention to the distinctive on), also can often develop an antagonistic forms of struggle of different kinds of form, so much that the quality of the contradiction." (""). That is contradiction is made to change from non- to say that in practical work, which is the antagonism into antagonism. But this occasion of the question of the resolution of certainly cannot become the main situation. contradictions, we must pay attention to Therefore, the quality of a contradiction in their differing character and specific certain conditions can be transformed, an developmental conditions, and become antagonistic contradiction can transform into good at adopting different forms of struggle. a non-antagonistic contradiction, and the On one side, the methods for converse can happen as well. Basic resolving contradictions among the people changes of condition can happen in cannot be used to resolve contradiction antagonistic [836] or non-antagonistic between ourselves and the enemy, and on contradictions, and antagonistic and non- the other side, it is also necessary to avoid antagonistic forms of struggle patterns mistakenly adopting antagonistic forms of naturally require mutual transformation. struggle. At the moment of resolution of an Comrade Mao Zedong, in "On antagonistic contradiction, besides needing Contradiction" already pointed out that to adopt certain antagonistic forms of according to this principle, the interior which struggle, it is still necessary to be good at was referred to, the party's internal struggle, using non-antagonistic forms of struggle turns into a situation of struggle outside the under some possible circumstances. In party, which is precisely an example of a order to study the question of struggle non-antagonistic contradiction transforming character of opposites at different times, we into an antagonistic contradiction. Because must pay attention to a single fundamental of the change of people's circumstances principle. when capitalist society changes into socialist society, the contradiction of city and countryside is another example of an antagonistic contradiction being transformed into a non-antagonistic contradiction. In "On the question of the correct handling of contradictions among the people," Comrade Mao Zedong went further and summarized many decades of experience of domestic and international working class revolutionary struggle, especially the experience of the struggle of contradictions among the people and contradictions between ourselves and the enemy since the founding of New China, grasping the above-mentioned principle in an even more objective and developed way. The development of this is a major