DeepSummary
The episode discusses Mao's philosophical text 'On Contradiction' and its relevance for organizing and revolutionary strategy today. The hosts summarize the key concepts from the text such as the universality and particularity of contradictions, the principal contradiction, antagonistic vs. non-antagonistic contradictions, and the need to study concrete conditions rather than apply rigid formulas.
The discussion delves into how Mao's dialectical thinking provides a framework to analyze contradictions within movements and organizations, and avoid one-sidedness, dogmatism and empiricism. The hosts emphasize the importance of this type of analysis for navigating the divided left in the US and building a principled revolutionary movement.
Finally, the hosts highlight how Mao's approach and writing style serves as a model for effectively communicating complex theoretical ideas to the masses. They stress the need for theory oriented towards educating and moving the working class, rather than being confined to academic and intellectual circles.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Mao's philosophical text 'On Contradiction' provides a dialectical framework for analyzing contradictions at all levels - universal, particular, principal, and non-principal.
- Understanding the difference between antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions is crucial for revolutionary strategy and intra-movement struggle.
- Dogmatism, empiricism and subjectivism must be combated through concrete analysis of concrete conditions rather than rigid formulas.
- The mass line exemplifies putting Mao's dialectical thinking into revolutionary praxis by tying communists to the proletarian masses.
- Mao's straightforward communication of complex ideas serves as a model for producing theory oriented towards educating the working class.
- Perseverance in struggle, studying concrete conditions, and upholding collective liberation over individualism are key lessons from Mao's dialectical worldview.
- Applying Mao's dialectical lens can provide insights into the contradictions within the US socialist movement and path forward for principled organizing.
- Marxists must internalize dialectics to avoid dogmatism and laziness that plagues both Marxist and non-Marxist tendencies.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “You know, Mao has taught me so much precisely because he takes that approach. He's so easy to understand, and I absolutely adore that about him and totally agree that we should replicate that.“ by Breht
- “The problem with empiricism is that it's undialectical and it's subjective, and it doesn't grasp all the many complicated moves that are involved in creating knowledge for humans.“ by Allison
- “Struggle against opportunists should be engaged in so that more can be brought in line with the class interests of the masses and not petty bourgeois socialist intellectuals. To declare the contradiction antagonistic would be premature, but also to ignore the contradiction at all would be opportunism.“ by Allison
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Episode Information
Revolutionary Left Radio
Revolutionary Left Radio
6/11/23
ORIGINALLY RELEASED Jul 25, 2019
On this episode of Red Menace Alyson and Breht discuss
On Contradiction by Mao
Full text here:
https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_17.htm
Video version of this episode here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNnqmbRhcBQ
Check out Bad Mouse’s complementary video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k46uaDvnoYE
Outro Music by K. Flay - The President Has A Sex Tape
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