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On Practice
Mao's classic 1937 essay on philosophy.
16 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1937
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About the author
Mao Zedong
712 books577 followersMao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung, and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, statesman and leader of the Chinese Revolution. He was the architect and founding father of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from its establishment in 1949, and held control over the nation until his death in 1976. His theoretical contribution to Marxism–Leninism, along with his military strategies and brand of policies, are collectively known as Maoism.
Mao rose to power by commanding the Long March, forming a Second United Front with Kuomintang (KMT) during the Second Sino-Japanese War to repel a Japanese invasion, and later led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's KMT in the Chinese Civil War. Mao established political and military control over most of the territory formerly contained within the Chinese Empire and launched a campaign to suppress counterrevolutionaries. He sent the Communist People's Liberation Army into Xinjiang and Tibet but was unable to oust the remnants of the Nationalist Party from Taiwan. He enacted sweeping land reform by using violence and terror to overthrow landlords before seizing their large estates and dividing the land into people's communes. The Communist Party's final victory came after decades of turmoil in China, which included the Great Depression, a brutal invasion by Japan and a protracted civil war. Mao's Communist Party ultimately achieved a measure of stability in China, though Mao's efforts to close China to trade and market commerce, and eradicate traditional Chinese culture, have been largely rejected by his successors.
Mao styled himself "The Great Helmsman" and supporters continue to contend that he was responsible for some positive changes which came to China during his three decade rule. These included doubling the school population, providing universal housing, abolishing unemployment and inflation, increasing health care access, and dramatically raising life expectancy. A cult of personality grew up around Mao, and community dissent was not permitted. His Communist Party still rules in mainland China, retains control of media and education there and officially celebrates his legacy. As a result, Mao is still officially held in high regard by many Chinese as a great political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary, and anti-revisionists continue to defend most of his policies.
Mao rose to power by commanding the Long March, forming a Second United Front with Kuomintang (KMT) during the Second Sino-Japanese War to repel a Japanese invasion, and later led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's KMT in the Chinese Civil War. Mao established political and military control over most of the territory formerly contained within the Chinese Empire and launched a campaign to suppress counterrevolutionaries. He sent the Communist People's Liberation Army into Xinjiang and Tibet but was unable to oust the remnants of the Nationalist Party from Taiwan. He enacted sweeping land reform by using violence and terror to overthrow landlords before seizing their large estates and dividing the land into people's communes. The Communist Party's final victory came after decades of turmoil in China, which included the Great Depression, a brutal invasion by Japan and a protracted civil war. Mao's Communist Party ultimately achieved a measure of stability in China, though Mao's efforts to close China to trade and market commerce, and eradicate traditional Chinese culture, have been largely rejected by his successors.
Mao styled himself "The Great Helmsman" and supporters continue to contend that he was responsible for some positive changes which came to China during his three decade rule. These included doubling the school population, providing universal housing, abolishing unemployment and inflation, increasing health care access, and dramatically raising life expectancy. A cult of personality grew up around Mao, and community dissent was not permitted. His Communist Party still rules in mainland China, retains control of media and education there and officially celebrates his legacy. As a result, Mao is still officially held in high regard by many Chinese as a great political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary, and anti-revisionists continue to defend most of his policies.
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March 28, 2023I feel like I'd just be an overall better human being if I had been forced to read this as a child instead of the Bible but idk maybe I just had to read the shittiest parts of the Bible over and over again. Anyways this shit is amazing I can't wait to introduce the author to my landlord.
Good quotes:
"First of all, a Marxist regards human productive activity as the most fundamental practice determining all other human activities. As a cognitive being, man depends mainly upon his activity in material production for a gradual understanding of nature’s phenomena, its characteristics, its laws, and its relation to himself;"
"Productive activity is not the only form of man’s social practice. There are various other forms—class struggle, political life, scientific and artistic activities. In short, man participates as a social being in every sphere of the actual life of society... Among these, class struggle in its various forms especially exerts a profound influence on the development of man’s knowledge. In a class society everyone lives with a certain class status, and all his thoughts are stamped with the seal of his class."
How to arrive at truth
"According to the Marxist, man’s social practice alone is the criterion of truth in his cognition of the external world, for in actuality human cognition is verified only when man arrives at the results predicted, through the process of social practice, namely, through the processes of material production, of class struggle, and of scientific experiments."
"If anyone wants to be successful in his work or to achieve the anticipated results, he must make his ideas correspond to the laws of the external world; otherwise he will fail in practice."
"It is from failure that one derives lessons and corrects one’s ideas so as to make them correspond to the laws of the external world."
"dialectical materialism raises practice to a position of primary importance. It regards human knowledge as being at no point separable from practice... Thus Lenin said, ‘Practice is more important than (theoretical) knowledge because it not only has the virtue of universality but also the virtue of direct reality.' "
"Marxist philosophy, dialectical materialism, has two most outstanding characteristics. One is its class nature: it openly declares itself to be in the service of the proletariat. The other is its practicality: it emphasizes the dependence of theory on practice... One’s theory or cognition is judged to be true or untrue not by how it is subjectively felt to be, but by what objectively is the result in social practice. The criterion of truth can only be social practice"
The process of cognition
"how does human knowledge arise from practice and serve practice in turn?"
1st stage of knowledge: "At first man sees in the process of practice only the phenomena of things, their individual aspects, and their external relations to each other."
"This is called the perceptual stage of knowledge, namely, the stage of sensation and imagery. It is also the first stage of knowledge"
"At this stage one cannot as yet form profound concepts or draw logical conclusions."
2nd stage of knowledge:"With the continuation of man’s social practice, the sensations and images of a thing are repeated innumerable times in his practice and then a sudden change in the cognitive process takes place in his brain, resulting in the formation of concepts. Concepts as such no longer represent the phenomena of things, their individual aspects, or their external relations. Through concepts man comes to grasp a thing in its entirety, its essence, and its internal relations"
"Proceeding from concepts, we can employ the method of judgment and inference and arrive at logical conclusions"
"In the complete process of knowing a thing, this stage of conception, judgment, and inference is more important than the first stage. It is the stage of rational knowledge."
"the reason why rational knowledge is different from perceptual knowledge is that perceptual knowledge is knowledge of a thing in its individual aspects, its appearance, and its external relations, whereas rational knowledge, marking a great step in advance, is knowledge of a thing in its entirety, its essence, and its internal relations"
Practice makes perfect
"If anybody wants to know something, he cannot do otherwise than to come into contact with that thing, that is, to live (practice) in its setting."
"In a feudal society one cannot know beforehand the laws of capitalist society, because, capitalist society not yet having appeared, there cannot be any practice appropriate to it. Marxism can only be the product of capitalist society. In the age of the capitalism of free competition, Marx could not know concretely beforehand some of the special laws of the age of imperialism, because this age, the last stage of capitalism, had not yet arrived and there was no practice appropriate to it. Only Lenin and Stalin could shoulder this task."
"Through practice these people obtain knowledge which, when put into the hands of the scholar through the communication of language and technical devices, enables him indirectly to know about “all that is happening in the world.” If one wants to know directly some things or some kinds of things, one can do so only through personal participation in the practical struggle to change existing conditions, to change those things or kinds of things"
"If one wants to have knowledge, one has to participate in the practice of changing existing conditions. If one wants to know the taste of a pear, one has to transform the pear by eating it oneself. If one wants to know the composition and properties of atoms, one has to perform physical and chemical experiments to change their original state. If one wants to know the theory and method of revolution, one has to participate in revolution."
"All knowledge originates from direct experience. But no one can directly experience everything. As a matter of fact, most of our knowledge of ancient times and foreign lands belongs to this category, but for the ancients and foreigners it is knowledge of things directly experienced...Hence one’s knowledge consists of two parts: knowledge of things directly experienced and knowledge of things indirectly experienced. And what is indirectly experienced by one is nevertheless directly experienced by others. Hence, taken as a whole, any kind of knowledge is inseparable from direct experience."
the knowledge of class consciousness
"The knowledge of capitalist society which the proletariat had in the first period of its practice, the period of machine smashing and spontaneous struggle, was only perceptual knowledge. It was only a knowledge of the individual aspects and the external relations of the various phenomena of capitalism. At that time the proletariat was what is called a class in itself."
"But when this class reached the second period of its practice, the period of conscious, organized economic and political struggle, there emerged the ideology of Marxism as a result of the practice of this class, its experience of constant and continuous struggle, and the scientific summary and integration of all these experiences by Marx and Engels. When this ideology was used to educate the proletariat and enabled it to understand the essence of capitalist society, the relation of exploitation between classes, and its own historic task, it transformed itself into a class for itself."
war and self-improvement
"If those who are to direct a war have no experience of it, they will not understand at first the deep under lying laws for conducting a particular war... In the beginning they merely go through the experience of much fighting and many defeats, but subsequently from such experience (of victories and especially of defeats) they are able to understand the inner thread that runs through the whole of the fighting, namely, the laws of that particular war. They thus understand strategy and tactics and are able to direct the fighting with confidence."
"Comrades who are not brave enough to accept an assignment are often heard to say: “I have no confidence.” Why have they no confidence? Because they have no systematic understand ing of the nature of the work or the conditions under which it will be undertaken. Probably they have had little or even no contact with this kind of work and hence cannot know its under lying laws. After a close analysis of the nature and conditions of the work, they feel more confident and are willing to undertake it. If these people have gained experiences in this work after a period of time, and if they are not given to approaching things subjectively, one-sidedly, or superficially, but endeavor to under stand them with an open mind, they are able to draw their own conclusions about how they should proceed, and their courage to undertake the task is greatly enhanced."
From theory to practice
"What Marxist philosophy considers most important is not understanding the laws of the external world and thereby explaining it, but actively changing the world by applying the knowledge of objective laws. Theory is important from the view point of Marxism; its importance is sufficiently shown in the statement Lenin made: “Without a revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement.”4 But when Marxism emphasizes theory, it does so precisely and only because it can guide our actions."
"Cognition starts with practice and through practice it reaches the theoretical plane, and then it has to go back to practice"
"After having grasped the laws of the world, we must redirect this knowledge to the practice of revolutionary class struggle and national struggle as well as of scientific experiments. This is the process of testing and developing theory, the continuation of the entire process of cognition."
"The history of human knowledge tells us that the truth of many theories is incomplete but that this incompleteness is remedied when put to the test of practice. Many theories are in correct but their mistakes are corrected when put to the test of practice. That is why practice is the criterion of truth and why the standpoint of practice is “first and fundamental in the theory of knowledge.”5 Stalin stated very well: “Theory becomes aim less if it is not connected with revolutionary practice, just as practice gropes in the dark if its path is not illumined by revolutionary theory.” "
Achieving communism
"The struggle of the proletariat and revolutionary people in changing the world consists of carrying out the following tasks: to reconstruct the external world; to reconstruct their own subjective world, that is, to remold their faculty of knowing; and to change the relations between the subjective and external worlds. Such a change has already been effected in one part of the globe, namely, the Soviet Union. The people there are still expediting this process of change. The people of China and the rest of the world are either passing, or will pass, through this kind of change."
"What is meant by the external world which is to be changed includes the persons who are opposed to that change. To be re molded they will have to go through a stage of compulsion be fore they enter into a stage of remolding of their own accord. When the whole of mankind of its own accord remolds itself and changes the world, that will be the age of world communism."
Good quotes:
"First of all, a Marxist regards human productive activity as the most fundamental practice determining all other human activities. As a cognitive being, man depends mainly upon his activity in material production for a gradual understanding of nature’s phenomena, its characteristics, its laws, and its relation to himself;"
"Productive activity is not the only form of man’s social practice. There are various other forms—class struggle, political life, scientific and artistic activities. In short, man participates as a social being in every sphere of the actual life of society... Among these, class struggle in its various forms especially exerts a profound influence on the development of man’s knowledge. In a class society everyone lives with a certain class status, and all his thoughts are stamped with the seal of his class."
How to arrive at truth
"According to the Marxist, man’s social practice alone is the criterion of truth in his cognition of the external world, for in actuality human cognition is verified only when man arrives at the results predicted, through the process of social practice, namely, through the processes of material production, of class struggle, and of scientific experiments."
"If anyone wants to be successful in his work or to achieve the anticipated results, he must make his ideas correspond to the laws of the external world; otherwise he will fail in practice."
"It is from failure that one derives lessons and corrects one’s ideas so as to make them correspond to the laws of the external world."
"dialectical materialism raises practice to a position of primary importance. It regards human knowledge as being at no point separable from practice... Thus Lenin said, ‘Practice is more important than (theoretical) knowledge because it not only has the virtue of universality but also the virtue of direct reality.' "
"Marxist philosophy, dialectical materialism, has two most outstanding characteristics. One is its class nature: it openly declares itself to be in the service of the proletariat. The other is its practicality: it emphasizes the dependence of theory on practice... One’s theory or cognition is judged to be true or untrue not by how it is subjectively felt to be, but by what objectively is the result in social practice. The criterion of truth can only be social practice"
The process of cognition
"how does human knowledge arise from practice and serve practice in turn?"
1st stage of knowledge: "At first man sees in the process of practice only the phenomena of things, their individual aspects, and their external relations to each other."
"This is called the perceptual stage of knowledge, namely, the stage of sensation and imagery. It is also the first stage of knowledge"
"At this stage one cannot as yet form profound concepts or draw logical conclusions."
2nd stage of knowledge:"With the continuation of man’s social practice, the sensations and images of a thing are repeated innumerable times in his practice and then a sudden change in the cognitive process takes place in his brain, resulting in the formation of concepts. Concepts as such no longer represent the phenomena of things, their individual aspects, or their external relations. Through concepts man comes to grasp a thing in its entirety, its essence, and its internal relations"
"Proceeding from concepts, we can employ the method of judgment and inference and arrive at logical conclusions"
"In the complete process of knowing a thing, this stage of conception, judgment, and inference is more important than the first stage. It is the stage of rational knowledge."
"the reason why rational knowledge is different from perceptual knowledge is that perceptual knowledge is knowledge of a thing in its individual aspects, its appearance, and its external relations, whereas rational knowledge, marking a great step in advance, is knowledge of a thing in its entirety, its essence, and its internal relations"
Practice makes perfect
"If anybody wants to know something, he cannot do otherwise than to come into contact with that thing, that is, to live (practice) in its setting."
"In a feudal society one cannot know beforehand the laws of capitalist society, because, capitalist society not yet having appeared, there cannot be any practice appropriate to it. Marxism can only be the product of capitalist society. In the age of the capitalism of free competition, Marx could not know concretely beforehand some of the special laws of the age of imperialism, because this age, the last stage of capitalism, had not yet arrived and there was no practice appropriate to it. Only Lenin and Stalin could shoulder this task."
"Through practice these people obtain knowledge which, when put into the hands of the scholar through the communication of language and technical devices, enables him indirectly to know about “all that is happening in the world.” If one wants to know directly some things or some kinds of things, one can do so only through personal participation in the practical struggle to change existing conditions, to change those things or kinds of things"
"If one wants to have knowledge, one has to participate in the practice of changing existing conditions. If one wants to know the taste of a pear, one has to transform the pear by eating it oneself. If one wants to know the composition and properties of atoms, one has to perform physical and chemical experiments to change their original state. If one wants to know the theory and method of revolution, one has to participate in revolution."
"All knowledge originates from direct experience. But no one can directly experience everything. As a matter of fact, most of our knowledge of ancient times and foreign lands belongs to this category, but for the ancients and foreigners it is knowledge of things directly experienced...Hence one’s knowledge consists of two parts: knowledge of things directly experienced and knowledge of things indirectly experienced. And what is indirectly experienced by one is nevertheless directly experienced by others. Hence, taken as a whole, any kind of knowledge is inseparable from direct experience."
the knowledge of class consciousness
"The knowledge of capitalist society which the proletariat had in the first period of its practice, the period of machine smashing and spontaneous struggle, was only perceptual knowledge. It was only a knowledge of the individual aspects and the external relations of the various phenomena of capitalism. At that time the proletariat was what is called a class in itself."
"But when this class reached the second period of its practice, the period of conscious, organized economic and political struggle, there emerged the ideology of Marxism as a result of the practice of this class, its experience of constant and continuous struggle, and the scientific summary and integration of all these experiences by Marx and Engels. When this ideology was used to educate the proletariat and enabled it to understand the essence of capitalist society, the relation of exploitation between classes, and its own historic task, it transformed itself into a class for itself."
war and self-improvement
"If those who are to direct a war have no experience of it, they will not understand at first the deep under lying laws for conducting a particular war... In the beginning they merely go through the experience of much fighting and many defeats, but subsequently from such experience (of victories and especially of defeats) they are able to understand the inner thread that runs through the whole of the fighting, namely, the laws of that particular war. They thus understand strategy and tactics and are able to direct the fighting with confidence."
"Comrades who are not brave enough to accept an assignment are often heard to say: “I have no confidence.” Why have they no confidence? Because they have no systematic understand ing of the nature of the work or the conditions under which it will be undertaken. Probably they have had little or even no contact with this kind of work and hence cannot know its under lying laws. After a close analysis of the nature and conditions of the work, they feel more confident and are willing to undertake it. If these people have gained experiences in this work after a period of time, and if they are not given to approaching things subjectively, one-sidedly, or superficially, but endeavor to under stand them with an open mind, they are able to draw their own conclusions about how they should proceed, and their courage to undertake the task is greatly enhanced."
From theory to practice
"What Marxist philosophy considers most important is not understanding the laws of the external world and thereby explaining it, but actively changing the world by applying the knowledge of objective laws. Theory is important from the view point of Marxism; its importance is sufficiently shown in the statement Lenin made: “Without a revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement.”4 But when Marxism emphasizes theory, it does so precisely and only because it can guide our actions."
"Cognition starts with practice and through practice it reaches the theoretical plane, and then it has to go back to practice"
"After having grasped the laws of the world, we must redirect this knowledge to the practice of revolutionary class struggle and national struggle as well as of scientific experiments. This is the process of testing and developing theory, the continuation of the entire process of cognition."
"The history of human knowledge tells us that the truth of many theories is incomplete but that this incompleteness is remedied when put to the test of practice. Many theories are in correct but their mistakes are corrected when put to the test of practice. That is why practice is the criterion of truth and why the standpoint of practice is “first and fundamental in the theory of knowledge.”5 Stalin stated very well: “Theory becomes aim less if it is not connected with revolutionary practice, just as practice gropes in the dark if its path is not illumined by revolutionary theory.” "
Achieving communism
"The struggle of the proletariat and revolutionary people in changing the world consists of carrying out the following tasks: to reconstruct the external world; to reconstruct their own subjective world, that is, to remold their faculty of knowing; and to change the relations between the subjective and external worlds. Such a change has already been effected in one part of the globe, namely, the Soviet Union. The people there are still expediting this process of change. The people of China and the rest of the world are either passing, or will pass, through this kind of change."
"What is meant by the external world which is to be changed includes the persons who are opposed to that change. To be re molded they will have to go through a stage of compulsion be fore they enter into a stage of remolding of their own accord. When the whole of mankind of its own accord remolds itself and changes the world, that will be the age of world communism."
July 25, 2023
Only someone who knows nothing about epistemology or the history of philosophy could make such brazenly incorrect statements about empiricism and rationalism.
No one who has even cursorily attempted to read even philosophy 101 epistemology could seriously believe that the "dialectical-materialist theory of the process of development of knowledge, basing itself on practice and proceeding from the shallower to the deeper, was never worked out by anybody before the rise of Marxism."
Mao contradicts himself in the space of two pages, constantly misunderstands philosophical terminology, provides his own (bad) ad-hoc definitions for technical concepts.
He describes himself well:
"The most ridiculous person in the world is the “knowall” who picks up a smattering of hearsay knowledge and proclaims himself “the world’s Number One authority”; this merely shows that he has not taken a proper measure of himself. Knowledge is a matter of science, and no dishonesty or conceit whatsoever is permissible. What is required is definitely the reverse — honesty and modesty."
Mao's conceit and immodesty on this topic is immense, and he dishes it out with the most infuriating didactic tone.
For anyone who thought this text was excellent, I beg of you, read the SEP article on Rationalism vs Empiricism, read Hume or Descartes, just read *someone* other than Mao on this. Mao has no idea what he's talking about, and this text is worse than useless.
No one who has even cursorily attempted to read even philosophy 101 epistemology could seriously believe that the "dialectical-materialist theory of the process of development of knowledge, basing itself on practice and proceeding from the shallower to the deeper, was never worked out by anybody before the rise of Marxism."
Mao contradicts himself in the space of two pages, constantly misunderstands philosophical terminology, provides his own (bad) ad-hoc definitions for technical concepts.
He describes himself well:
"The most ridiculous person in the world is the “knowall” who picks up a smattering of hearsay knowledge and proclaims himself “the world’s Number One authority”; this merely shows that he has not taken a proper measure of himself. Knowledge is a matter of science, and no dishonesty or conceit whatsoever is permissible. What is required is definitely the reverse — honesty and modesty."
Mao's conceit and immodesty on this topic is immense, and he dishes it out with the most infuriating didactic tone.
For anyone who thought this text was excellent, I beg of you, read the SEP article on Rationalism vs Empiricism, read Hume or Descartes, just read *someone* other than Mao on this. Mao has no idea what he's talking about, and this text is worse than useless.
April 17, 2024
clears your mind. i need to reread this far more often than i do !
March 15, 2020
A Maoist Theory of Knowledge
Mao Zedung's 'On Practice' basically functions as a clarification of Marx's 'Theses on Feuerbach' with reference to more contemporary historical sequences as illustrative examples. As in Marx's original, the implicit imperative is to 'get involved', as to do so both furthers knowledge and revolution. How so? What is the Maoist theory of knowledge? I would argue this essay is a blueprint for what might be termed 'activist realism'. The basic logic is that humans learn through practical activity in the world; that is, we learn by doing. Sense perception precedes rational contemplation of causes. So far, so simplistic: so what's new?
Following Lenin's slogan, 'revolutionary practice needs revolutionary theory', what charms us is the shared aim of knowledge and power. Yes, we've learned since the dawn of time through getting a grip on nature, and have then tried to decipher the underlying laws of cause and effect afterwards. Too much attention to mere sense perception then you condemn yourself to empiricist blindness, with no direction for study; too much theoretical bias before engagement with the material conditions, and you only confirm your own imagined superiority.
Arguably, what most succeeds in this essay is Mao's ability to simultaneously distinguish and unite the overlapping spheres of practice, the aspect of Marx's 'Theses on Feuerbach' which is most unclear. What is the difference between learning about the world (through, say, science and art) and learning to change the world (through, say, politics and work)? When Marx wrote of 'revolutionary praxis' was he speaking primarily of the work destined to further the revolution, or simply new industrialised work in general? Mao's answer: both. True, Mao acknowledges that political or scientific practice might seem at a further remove from direct empirical experience, but the process is more-or-less the same: you rely on information drawn from direct experience either way. Of course, the teleology is still lurking behind the scenes: the goal is to help the proletariat succeed in taking power and communism is the rational truth of social relations waiting to be actualised.
But Mao's Marxism transformed with the times; the historical circumstances of imperialism as 'late stage capitalism' require Lenin and Stalin's 'improvements' to the theory. We should recall here Mao's audience: soon to be active young military leaders of the Chinese Communist Party in 1937, long before China will part ways with the Soviet Union over territorial claims. This essay is designed to encourage them by admitting that their early commands will be marred by trial and error, as was Mao's own. Only with time and proper reflection, will successful knowledge emerge. How strange and winding the path of Chinese Communism has proved since then.
Mao Zedung's 'On Practice' basically functions as a clarification of Marx's 'Theses on Feuerbach' with reference to more contemporary historical sequences as illustrative examples. As in Marx's original, the implicit imperative is to 'get involved', as to do so both furthers knowledge and revolution. How so? What is the Maoist theory of knowledge? I would argue this essay is a blueprint for what might be termed 'activist realism'. The basic logic is that humans learn through practical activity in the world; that is, we learn by doing. Sense perception precedes rational contemplation of causes. So far, so simplistic: so what's new?
Following Lenin's slogan, 'revolutionary practice needs revolutionary theory', what charms us is the shared aim of knowledge and power. Yes, we've learned since the dawn of time through getting a grip on nature, and have then tried to decipher the underlying laws of cause and effect afterwards. Too much attention to mere sense perception then you condemn yourself to empiricist blindness, with no direction for study; too much theoretical bias before engagement with the material conditions, and you only confirm your own imagined superiority.
Arguably, what most succeeds in this essay is Mao's ability to simultaneously distinguish and unite the overlapping spheres of practice, the aspect of Marx's 'Theses on Feuerbach' which is most unclear. What is the difference between learning about the world (through, say, science and art) and learning to change the world (through, say, politics and work)? When Marx wrote of 'revolutionary praxis' was he speaking primarily of the work destined to further the revolution, or simply new industrialised work in general? Mao's answer: both. True, Mao acknowledges that political or scientific practice might seem at a further remove from direct empirical experience, but the process is more-or-less the same: you rely on information drawn from direct experience either way. Of course, the teleology is still lurking behind the scenes: the goal is to help the proletariat succeed in taking power and communism is the rational truth of social relations waiting to be actualised.
But Mao's Marxism transformed with the times; the historical circumstances of imperialism as 'late stage capitalism' require Lenin and Stalin's 'improvements' to the theory. We should recall here Mao's audience: soon to be active young military leaders of the Chinese Communist Party in 1937, long before China will part ways with the Soviet Union over territorial claims. This essay is designed to encourage them by admitting that their early commands will be marred by trial and error, as was Mao's own. Only with time and proper reflection, will successful knowledge emerge. How strange and winding the path of Chinese Communism has proved since then.
May 8, 2022
This is one of the greatest, most succinct philosophical works in Marxist theory. It's an indispensable speech/essay (first given and then edited by Mao himself) that emphasizes the importance of practice in revolutionary work, it's working in tandem with theory, and the necessity of and the negotiation between both practice and theory. Mao makes a truly ingenious theory of knowledge based on Marxism-Leninism and even places it in relation to the most famous theories of knowledge from the Descartes to Hegel periods (working through rationalism, empiricism, idealism, etc.). He gives incredibly great relevant philosophical critiques throughout to make his argument more robust. His description of revolution as a science experiment is one of the best ways I've ever been explained the practice of revolutionary work. Ultimately, he perfectly presents the dialectical materialist theory of knowledge here, but that it's not only a theory of knowledge but precisely a "theory of the unity of knowing and doing." This is a true continuation of the Marxist tradition in a carefully and thoughtfully non-dogmatic way.
September 13, 2019
One of the major works on Dialectical Materialism. It extends the works of Hegel, Marx, and Lenin to infinity.
April 21, 2022
Mao, you're insane. Top tier philosophy that, mind blown! #grindsetmindset #dotp #dialectics
May 19, 2023
Mao makes Marxism sound metaphysical even when it isn't.
May 1, 2024
Mao is so funny. He’s also accurate, this is all applicable today as well
July 28, 2025
4/5- Es ist schon nicht soo super einfach zu lesen. Die Grundthese des Werks ist jedoch sehr interessant und äußert wichtig für die revolutionäre Arbeit. Der dialektische Zusammenhang zwischen Praxis und Theorie ist essenziell und wird hier sehr gut aufgearbeitet.
Gleichzeitig wird jedoch auf viele weitere Denker bezogen wie Marx und Lenin und teils auch Hegel, da zumindest kurz der Vergleich zum dialektischen Idealismus gezogen wird.
Also nicht unbedingt Einsteiger*innen freundlich, allerdings sehr lesenswertes Aufbauwerk nach bereits benannten Autoren.
Auch wenn es nicht unbedingt einfach zu lesen ist, hat sich Mao trotzdem, ähnlich wie Lenin, grundsätzlich Mühe gegeben, die doch sehr komplexe Thematik einigermaßen barrierefrei zu formulieren, was ich ihm hoch anrechne und daher auch gerne vergesse, dass es teils etwas kurz geschrieben wurde.
Gleichzeitig wird jedoch auf viele weitere Denker bezogen wie Marx und Lenin und teils auch Hegel, da zumindest kurz der Vergleich zum dialektischen Idealismus gezogen wird.
Also nicht unbedingt Einsteiger*innen freundlich, allerdings sehr lesenswertes Aufbauwerk nach bereits benannten Autoren.
Auch wenn es nicht unbedingt einfach zu lesen ist, hat sich Mao trotzdem, ähnlich wie Lenin, grundsätzlich Mühe gegeben, die doch sehr komplexe Thematik einigermaßen barrierefrei zu formulieren, was ich ihm hoch anrechne und daher auch gerne vergesse, dass es teils etwas kurz geschrieben wurde.
June 24, 2021
Some great quotes from this one:
"If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the structure and properties of the atom, you must make physical and chemical experiments to change the state of the atom. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience."
I think of Communists in the imperial core. We're fragmented, dogmatic, and idealistic. We condemn every achievement made by the left. But, of course we do. We aren't tempered by genuine revolutionary action. The bourgeoisie of America, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere have kept their nations' proletarians sterile and ignorant of class struggle through riches extracted from the labor of the imperial periphery. So what know we of socialism in China, Vietnam, Cuba? Perhaps we have rational or theoretical knowledge, but not the perceptual knowledge to realize practical knowledge.
"Rational knowledge depends upon perceptual knowledge and perceptual knowledge remains to be developed into rational knowledge-- this is the dialectical-materialist theory of knowledge."
"We are also opposed to "Left" phrase-mongering. The thinking of "Leftists" outstrips a given stage of development of the objective process; some regard their fantasies as truth, while others strain to realize in the present an ideal which can only be realized in the future. They alienate themselves from the current practice of the majority of the people and from the realities of the day, and show themselves adventurist in their actions."
^^^
Read this one!!
"If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the structure and properties of the atom, you must make physical and chemical experiments to change the state of the atom. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience."
I think of Communists in the imperial core. We're fragmented, dogmatic, and idealistic. We condemn every achievement made by the left. But, of course we do. We aren't tempered by genuine revolutionary action. The bourgeoisie of America, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere have kept their nations' proletarians sterile and ignorant of class struggle through riches extracted from the labor of the imperial periphery. So what know we of socialism in China, Vietnam, Cuba? Perhaps we have rational or theoretical knowledge, but not the perceptual knowledge to realize practical knowledge.
"Rational knowledge depends upon perceptual knowledge and perceptual knowledge remains to be developed into rational knowledge-- this is the dialectical-materialist theory of knowledge."
"We are also opposed to "Left" phrase-mongering. The thinking of "Leftists" outstrips a given stage of development of the objective process; some regard their fantasies as truth, while others strain to realize in the present an ideal which can only be realized in the future. They alienate themselves from the current practice of the majority of the people and from the realities of the day, and show themselves adventurist in their actions."
^^^
Read this one!!
October 19, 2021
Books like this can blow your mind.
December 5, 2023
ok he cooked
January 25, 2024
need to reread and annotate to grasp it better
September 12, 2024
bangs (棒子)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 15, 2020A well written piece on understanding dialectics and political struggle.
April 16, 2022
yeah sure i'm with you more or less
August 8, 2022
this is exactly what i'd imagine it to be like if your college-educated stepdad fancied himself "a bit of an epistemologist"
October 29, 2022
Son diez páginas fantásticas. Lo bueno, si breve..
January 6, 2023
A short pamphlet on Marxism and how it relates to putting theory into practice. A must read for any hoping to join the fight against capitalism.
January 21, 2023
bars
(re-read)
(re-read)
December 10, 2021
أطروحة فكرية كتبها المفكر والثائر اليساري الشيوعي ومؤسس جمهورية الصين الشعبية، ماو تسي تونغ سنة ١٩٣٧ إبان اندلاع الحرب اليابانية الصينية الثانية (١٩٣٧ - ١٩٤٥) أثناء الحرب العالمية الثانية، بعنوان "في الممارسة العملية"، وقد ترجمه عن نسخته الانجليزية بعنوان "In Practice" المفكر اليساري الماركسي الفلسطيني الراحل سلامة كيلة، ترجمة ممتازة ودقيقة ساهمت في الحفاظ على المضمون وايصاله للقارئ العربي بأمانة.
يقدم ماو في أطروحته لمفهوم المعرفة الحقيقية من خلال اطار المادية الديالكتيكية، بما هي محصلة مبنية على مخرجات المعرفة الحسية (التجربية) التي تتم معالجتها في قالب معرفي عقلي من خلال تجميع المدركات وتحليلها واعادة صهرها في قالب المعرفة العقلية (قالب النظرية) ومن ثم تفعليها في عملية ممارسة التغير الثوري، ليتأتى لواضعيها التأكد من نجاعة النظرية وقابليتها لتحقيق الأهداف المنشودة.
غير أنه يشدد على أن هذا التطبيق الأخير لا يخلو من الأخطاء والقصور التي تبرزها وتفرضها تناقضات ا��واقع ومعطياته، الأمر الذي يعطي الفرصة لاعادة مراجعة وتطوير النظرية، ورغم أن ماو يطرح المفهوم التطبيقي هذا في اطار المعارف والعلوم العام (العلوم الطبيعية والاجتماعية) غير أنه معني بالدرجة الأولى في المعرفة التي تسهم في دعم البروليتاريا في ثورتها وصراعها الطبقي مع طبقة الرأسمالية الصينية والامبريالية العالمية المتجسدة وقتها في الغرب (أوروبا الغربية) والامبراطورية اليابانية.
ومن المفارقات أن نظرية ماو المتعلقة في توليد المعارف وتوكيدها من خلال الممارسة العملية ( وهي تختلف عن المدارس الغربية وقتها كالمدرسة التجريبية البحتة ومدرسة الفلسفة المثالية) هي ما تطبقه الرأسمالية النيوليبرالية الحديثة في انتاج، توظيف وتطوير معارفها حتى أنه على سبيل المثال لا الحصر في المعارف المستخدمة في ادارة المشاريع (التكنولوجية والتقنية في الغالب) تم استحداث منهجية ال "Agile" القائمة فعليا على الاستنتاج المعرفي التراكمي المتجسد من التطبيق واعادة التطبيق "Iterative" و "Incremental" (أو التكرار، التطبيق، المراجعة التحليلية وتوثيق استنتاجات التراكم المعرفي في شكل نظري)؛ بخلاف تطبيقات أخرى عديدة لا تتسع لها هذه المراجعة.
الأطروحة المضمنة في هذا الكتيب (الكراسة الماركسية - كراسات ماركسية مشروع سلسلة اصدارات لمنشورات المتوسط) مهمة بشكل عام لادراك أحد أهم مفاهيم المعرفة، المتجسد في العلاقة بين المعرفة والممارسة، ومفهوم المعرفة ودورها الثوري في دعم البروليتاريا في صراعها الطبقي مع الرأسمالية من منظور الايديولجية الشيوعية، أنصح به.
اقتباسات:
"ولا يمكنه الحصول على أي معرفة من هذه المعارف بمعزل عن النشاط في الإنتاج."
"وفي مرحلة طويلة من التاريخ، لم يكن من الممكن لمعرفة الناس بتاريخ المجتمع أن تتعدى حد المعرفة وحيدة الجانب، والسبب في ذلك يعود من جهة إلى تعصب الطبقات المستَغِلة كان على الدوام يشوه تاريخ المجتمع، ويعود من جهة أخرى إلى أن النطاق الضيق للإنتاج كان يحد من آفاق الناس."
"الواقع أن معرفة الإنسان لا تثبت صحتها إلا عندما يتوصل من خلال الممارسة العملية الاجتماعية (خلال الإنتاج المادي والصراع الطبقي والتجربة العملية) إلى إحراز النتائج المنشودة."
"إن مرحلة تكوين المفاهيم والحكم والاستدلال هي مرحلة أكثر أهمية في كل عملية المعرفة البشرية بشيء ما، وهي مرحلة المعرفة العقلية."
"إن المهمة الحقيقية للمعرفة تكمن في التقدم إلى التفكير عن طريق الإحساس، وإلى الإدراك التدريجي للتناقضات الكامنة في داخل الأشياء الموضعية ولقوانينها والروابط الداخلية التي تربط بين عملية وأخرى، أي التوصل إلى المعرفة المنطقية."
"إن الاحساس والعقل يختلفان من حيث الطبيعة ولكن لا ينفصل أحدهما عن الآخر، إنهما موحدان على أساس الممارسة العملية."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ مع التجربة وهذه هي المادية حول نظرية المعرفة."
"إن المعرفة العقلية تعتمد على المعرفة الحسية، والمعرفة الحسية في حاجة إلى التطور إلى معرفة عقلية، هذه هي النظرية المادية الديالكتيكية عن المعرفة."
"فالنظرية من وجهة نظر الماركسية هي مهمة، وتتجلى أهميتها في قول لينين: "لا حركة ثورية بدون نظرية ثورية"."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ من الممارسة العملية، والمعرفة النظرية التي يتم اكتسابها عن طريق الممارسة العملية، يجب أن تعاد إلى الممارسة العملية مرة أخرى."
"إن الوضع يتبدل سريعا في الفترات الثورية، فإذا لم تتبدل معرفة الثوريين بسرعة وفقا لذلك، فلن يكون في استطاعتهم قيادة الثورة إلى النصر."
"إن المثالية والمادية الميكانيكية والانتهازية والمغامرة، تتميز جميعها بفصل التفكير الذاتي عن الواقع الموضوعي، وفصل المعرفة عن الممارسة العملية."
"وعندما تبلغ البشرية جميعها مرحلة تغير فيها نفسها والعالم تغيرا واعيا، يكون العالم قد دخل عصر الشيوعية."
*ملاحظة: حيث أن المترجم قد ذكر بأنه قد قام بحذف بعض الكلمات (الزوائد التي لا تؤثر على مضمون الفكرة العام) فإني آثرت إرفاق نص ماو المترجم للإنجليزية بعنوان "In Practice" في الوصلة أدناه.
https://www.marxists.org/reference/ar...
يقدم ماو في أطروحته لمفهوم المعرفة الحقيقية من خلال اطار المادية الديالكتيكية، بما هي محصلة مبنية على مخرجات المعرفة الحسية (التجربية) التي تتم معالجتها في قالب معرفي عقلي من خلال تجميع المدركات وتحليلها واعادة صهرها في قالب المعرفة العقلية (قالب النظرية) ومن ثم تفعليها في عملية ممارسة التغير الثوري، ليتأتى لواضعيها التأكد من نجاعة النظرية وقابليتها لتحقيق الأهداف المنشودة.
غير أنه يشدد على أن هذا التطبيق الأخير لا يخلو من الأخطاء والقصور التي تبرزها وتفرضها تناقضات ا��واقع ومعطياته، الأمر الذي يعطي الفرصة لاعادة مراجعة وتطوير النظرية، ورغم أن ماو يطرح المفهوم التطبيقي هذا في اطار المعارف والعلوم العام (العلوم الطبيعية والاجتماعية) غير أنه معني بالدرجة الأولى في المعرفة التي تسهم في دعم البروليتاريا في ثورتها وصراعها الطبقي مع طبقة الرأسمالية الصينية والامبريالية العالمية المتجسدة وقتها في الغرب (أوروبا الغربية) والامبراطورية اليابانية.
ومن المفارقات أن نظرية ماو المتعلقة في توليد المعارف وتوكيدها من خلال الممارسة العملية ( وهي تختلف عن المدارس الغربية وقتها كالمدرسة التجريبية البحتة ومدرسة الفلسفة المثالية) هي ما تطبقه الرأسمالية النيوليبرالية الحديثة في انتاج، توظيف وتطوير معارفها حتى أنه على سبيل المثال لا الحصر في المعارف المستخدمة في ادارة المشاريع (التكنولوجية والتقنية في الغالب) تم استحداث منهجية ال "Agile" القائمة فعليا على الاستنتاج المعرفي التراكمي المتجسد من التطبيق واعادة التطبيق "Iterative" و "Incremental" (أو التكرار، التطبيق، المراجعة التحليلية وتوثيق استنتاجات التراكم المعرفي في شكل نظري)؛ بخلاف تطبيقات أخرى عديدة لا تتسع لها هذه المراجعة.
الأطروحة المضمنة في هذا الكتيب (الكراسة الماركسية - كراسات ماركسية مشروع سلسلة اصدارات لمنشورات المتوسط) مهمة بشكل عام لادراك أحد أهم مفاهيم المعرفة، المتجسد في العلاقة بين المعرفة والممارسة، ومفهوم المعرفة ودورها الثوري في دعم البروليتاريا في صراعها الطبقي مع الرأسمالية من منظور الايديولجية الشيوعية، أنصح به.
اقتباسات:
"ولا يمكنه الحصول على أي معرفة من هذه المعارف بمعزل عن النشاط في الإنتاج."
"وفي مرحلة طويلة من التاريخ، لم يكن من الممكن لمعرفة الناس بتاريخ المجتمع أن تتعدى حد المعرفة وحيدة الجانب، والسبب في ذلك يعود من جهة إلى تعصب الطبقات المستَغِلة كان على الدوام يشوه تاريخ المجتمع، ويعود من جهة أخرى إلى أن النطاق الضيق للإنتاج كان يحد من آفاق الناس."
"الواقع أن معرفة الإنسان لا تثبت صحتها إلا عندما يتوصل من خلال الممارسة العملية الاجتماعية (خلال الإنتاج المادي والصراع الطبقي والتجربة العملية) إلى إحراز النتائج المنشودة."
"إن مرحلة تكوين المفاهيم والحكم والاستدلال هي مرحلة أكثر أهمية في كل عملية المعرفة البشرية بشيء ما، وهي مرحلة المعرفة العقلية."
"إن المهمة الحقيقية للمعرفة تكمن في التقدم إلى التفكير عن طريق الإحساس، وإلى الإدراك التدريجي للتناقضات الكامنة في داخل الأشياء الموضعية ولقوانينها والروابط الداخلية التي تربط بين عملية وأخرى، أي التوصل إلى المعرفة المنطقية."
"إن الاحساس والعقل يختلفان من حيث الطبيعة ولكن لا ينفصل أحدهما عن الآخر، إنهما موحدان على أساس الممارسة العملية."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ مع التجربة وهذه هي المادية حول نظرية المعرفة."
"إن المعرفة العقلية تعتمد على المعرفة الحسية، والمعرفة الحسية في حاجة إلى التطور إلى معرفة عقلية، هذه هي النظرية المادية الديالكتيكية عن المعرفة."
"فالنظرية من وجهة نظر الماركسية هي مهمة، وتتجلى أهميتها في قول لينين: "لا حركة ثورية بدون نظرية ثورية"."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ من الممارسة العملية، والمعرفة النظرية التي يتم اكتسابها عن طريق الممارسة العملية، يجب أن تعاد إلى الممارسة العملية مرة أخرى."
"إن الوضع يتبدل سريعا في الفترات الثورية، فإذا لم تتبدل معرفة الثوريين بسرعة وفقا لذلك، فلن يكون في استطاعتهم قيادة الثورة إلى النصر."
"إن المثالية والمادية الميكانيكية والانتهازية والمغامرة، تتميز جميعها بفصل التفكير الذاتي عن الواقع الموضوعي، وفصل المعرفة عن الممارسة العملية."
"وعندما تبلغ البشرية جميعها مرحلة تغير فيها نفسها والعالم تغيرا واعيا، يكون العالم قد دخل عصر الشيوعية."
*ملاحظة: حيث أن المترجم قد ذكر بأنه قد قام بحذف بعض الكلمات (الزوائد التي لا تؤثر على مضمون الفكرة العام) فإني آثرت إرفاق نص ماو المترجم للإنجليزية بعنوان "In Practice" في الوصلة أدناه.
https://www.marxists.org/reference/ar...
December 10, 2021
أطروحة فكرية كتبها المفكر والثائر اليساري الشيوعي ومؤسس جمهورية الصين الشعبية، ماو تسي تونغ سنة ١٩٣٧ إبان اندلاع الحرب اليابانية الصينية الثانية (١٩٣٧ - ١٩٤٥) أثناء الحرب العالمية الثانية، بعنوان "في الممارسة العملية"، وقد ترجمه عن نسخته الانجليزية بعنوان "In Practice" المفكر اليساري الماركسي الفلسطيني الراحل سلامة كيلة، ترجمة ممتازة ودقيقة ساهمت في الحفاظ على المضمون وايصاله للقارئ العربي بأمانة.
يقدم ماو في أطروحته لمفهوم المعرفة الحقيقية من خلال اطار المادية الديالكتيكية، بما هي محصلة مبنية على مخرجات المعرفة الحسية (التجربية) التي تتم معالجتها في قالب معرفي عقلي من خلال تجميع المدركات وتحليلها واعادة صهرها في قالب المعرفة العقلية (قالب النظرية) ومن ثم تفعليها في عملية ممارسة التغير الثوري، ليتأتى لواضعيها التأكد من نجاعة النظرية وقابليتها لتحقيق الأهداف المنشودة.
غير أنه يشدد على أن هذا التطبيق الأخير لا يخلو من الأخطاء والقصور التي تبرزها وتفرضها تناقضات الواقع ومعطياته، الأمر الذي يعطي الفرصة لاعادة مراجعة وتطوير النظرية، ورغم أن ماو يطرح المفهوم التطبيقي هذا في اطار المعارف والعلوم العام (العلوم الطبيعية والاجتماعية) غير أنه معني بالدرجة الأولى في المعرفة التي تسهم في دعم البروليتاريا في ثورتها وصراعها الطبقي مع طبقة الرأسمالية الصينية والامبريالية العالمية المتجسدة وقتها في الغرب (أوروبا الغربية) والامبراطورية اليابانية.
ومن المفارقات أن نظرية ماو المتعلقة في توليد المعارف وتوكيدها من خلال الممارسة العملية ( وهي تختلف عن المدارس الغربية وقتها كالمدرسة التجريبية البحتة ومدرسة الفلسفة المثالية) هي ما تطبقه الرأسمالية النيوليبرالية الحديثة في انتاج، توظيف وتطوير معارفها حتى أنه على سبيل المثال لا الحصر في المعارف المستخدمة في ادارة المشاريع (التكنولوجية والتقنية في الغالب) تم استحداث منهجية ال "Agile" القائمة فعليا على الاستنتاج المعرفي التراكمي المتجسد من التطبيق واعادة التطبيق "Iterative" و "Incremental" (أو التكرار، التطبيق، المراجعة التحليلية وتوثيق استنتاجات التراكم المعرفي في شكل نظري)؛ بخلاف تطبيقات أخرى عديدة لا تتسع لها هذه المراجعة.
الأطروحة المضمنة في هذا الكتيب (الكراسة الماركسية - كراسات ماركسية مشروع سلسلة اصدارات لمنشورات المتوسط) مهمة بشكل عام لادراك أحد أهم مفاهيم المعرفة، المتجسد في العلاقة بين المعرفة والممارسة، ومفهوم المعرفة ودورها الثوري في دعم البروليتاريا في صراعها الطبقي مع الرأسمالية من منظور الايديولجية الشيوعية، أنصح به.
اقتباسات:
"ولا يمكنه الحصول على أي معرفة من هذه المعارف بمعزل عن النشاط في الإنتاج."
"وفي مرحلة طويلة من التاريخ، لم يكن من الممكن لمعرفة الناس بتاريخ المجتمع أن تتعدى حد المعرفة وحيدة الجانب، والسبب في ذلك يعود من جهة إلى تعصب الطبقات المستَغِلة كان على الدوام يشوه تاريخ المجتمع، ويعود من جهة أخرى إلى أن النطاق الضيق للإنتاج كان يحد من آفاق الناس."
"الواقع أن معرفة الإنسان لا تثبت صحتها إلا عندما يتوصل من خلال الممارسة العملية الاجتماعية (خلال الإنتاج المادي والصراع الطبقي والتجربة العملية) إلى إحراز النتائج المنشودة."
"إن مرحلة تكوين المفاهيم والحكم والاستدلال هي مرحلة أكثر أهمية في كل عملية المعرفة البشرية بشيء ما، وهي مرحلة المعرفة العقلية."
"إن المهمة الحقيقية للمعرفة تكمن في التقدم إلى التفكير عن طريق الإحساس، وإلى الإدراك التدريجي للتناقضات الكامنة في داخل الأشياء الموضعية ولقوانينها والروابط الداخلية التي تربط بين عملية وأخرى، أي التوصل إلى المعرفة المنطقية."
"إن الاحساس والعقل يختلفان من حيث الطبيعة ولكن لا ينفصل أحدهما عن الآخر، إنهما موحدان على أساس الممارسة العملية."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ مع التجربة وهذه هي المادية حول نظرية المعرفة."
"إن المعرفة العقلية تعتمد على المعرفة الحسية، والمعرفة الحسية في حاجة إلى التطور إلى معرفة عقلية، هذه هي النظرية المادية الديالكتيكية عن المعرفة."
"فالنظرية من وجهة نظر الماركسية هي مهمة، وتتجلى أهميتها في قول لينين: "لا حركة ثورية بدون نظرية ثورية"."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ من الممارسة العملية، والمعرفة النظرية التي يتم اكتسابها عن طريق الممارسة العملية، يجب أن تعاد إلى الممارسة العملية مرة أخرى."
"إن الوضع يتبدل سريعا في الفترات الثورية، فإذا لم تتبدل معرفة الثوريين بسرعة وفقا لذلك، فلن يكون في استطاعتهم قيادة الثورة إلى النصر."
"إن المثالية والمادية الميكانيكية والانتهازية والمغامرة، تتميز جميعها بفصل التفكير الذاتي عن الواقع الموضوعي، وفصل المعرفة عن الممارسة العملية."
"وعندما تبلغ البشرية جميعها مرحلة تغير فيها نفسها والعالم تغيرا واعيا، يكون العالم قد دخل عصر الشيوعية."
*ملاحظة: حيث أن المترجم قد ذكر بأنه قد قام بحذف بعض الكلمات (الزوائد التي لا تؤثر على مضمون الفكرة العام) فإني آثرت إرفاق نص ماو المترجم للإنجليزية بعنوان "In Practice" في الوصلة أدناه.
https://www.marxists.org/reference/ar...
يقدم ماو في أطروحته لمفهوم المعرفة الحقيقية من خلال اطار المادية الديالكتيكية، بما هي محصلة مبنية على مخرجات المعرفة الحسية (التجربية) التي تتم معالجتها في قالب معرفي عقلي من خلال تجميع المدركات وتحليلها واعادة صهرها في قالب المعرفة العقلية (قالب النظرية) ومن ثم تفعليها في عملية ممارسة التغير الثوري، ليتأتى لواضعيها التأكد من نجاعة النظرية وقابليتها لتحقيق الأهداف المنشودة.
غير أنه يشدد على أن هذا التطبيق الأخير لا يخلو من الأخطاء والقصور التي تبرزها وتفرضها تناقضات الواقع ومعطياته، الأمر الذي يعطي الفرصة لاعادة مراجعة وتطوير النظرية، ورغم أن ماو يطرح المفهوم التطبيقي هذا في اطار المعارف والعلوم العام (العلوم الطبيعية والاجتماعية) غير أنه معني بالدرجة الأولى في المعرفة التي تسهم في دعم البروليتاريا في ثورتها وصراعها الطبقي مع طبقة الرأسمالية الصينية والامبريالية العالمية المتجسدة وقتها في الغرب (أوروبا الغربية) والامبراطورية اليابانية.
ومن المفارقات أن نظرية ماو المتعلقة في توليد المعارف وتوكيدها من خلال الممارسة العملية ( وهي تختلف عن المدارس الغربية وقتها كالمدرسة التجريبية البحتة ومدرسة الفلسفة المثالية) هي ما تطبقه الرأسمالية النيوليبرالية الحديثة في انتاج، توظيف وتطوير معارفها حتى أنه على سبيل المثال لا الحصر في المعارف المستخدمة في ادارة المشاريع (التكنولوجية والتقنية في الغالب) تم استحداث منهجية ال "Agile" القائمة فعليا على الاستنتاج المعرفي التراكمي المتجسد من التطبيق واعادة التطبيق "Iterative" و "Incremental" (أو التكرار، التطبيق، المراجعة التحليلية وتوثيق استنتاجات التراكم المعرفي في شكل نظري)؛ بخلاف تطبيقات أخرى عديدة لا تتسع لها هذه المراجعة.
الأطروحة المضمنة في هذا الكتيب (الكراسة الماركسية - كراسات ماركسية مشروع سلسلة اصدارات لمنشورات المتوسط) مهمة بشكل عام لادراك أحد أهم مفاهيم المعرفة، المتجسد في العلاقة بين المعرفة والممارسة، ومفهوم المعرفة ودورها الثوري في دعم البروليتاريا في صراعها الطبقي مع الرأسمالية من منظور الايديولجية الشيوعية، أنصح به.
اقتباسات:
"ولا يمكنه الحصول على أي معرفة من هذه المعارف بمعزل عن النشاط في الإنتاج."
"وفي مرحلة طويلة من التاريخ، لم يكن من الممكن لمعرفة الناس بتاريخ المجتمع أن تتعدى حد المعرفة وحيدة الجانب، والسبب في ذلك يعود من جهة إلى تعصب الطبقات المستَغِلة كان على الدوام يشوه تاريخ المجتمع، ويعود من جهة أخرى إلى أن النطاق الضيق للإنتاج كان يحد من آفاق الناس."
"الواقع أن معرفة الإنسان لا تثبت صحتها إلا عندما يتوصل من خلال الممارسة العملية الاجتماعية (خلال الإنتاج المادي والصراع الطبقي والتجربة العملية) إلى إحراز النتائج المنشودة."
"إن مرحلة تكوين المفاهيم والحكم والاستدلال هي مرحلة أكثر أهمية في كل عملية المعرفة البشرية بشيء ما، وهي مرحلة المعرفة العقلية."
"إن المهمة الحقيقية للمعرفة تكمن في التقدم إلى التفكير عن طريق الإحساس، وإلى الإدراك التدريجي للتناقضات الكامنة في داخل الأشياء الموضعية ولقوانينها والروابط الداخلية التي تربط بين عملية وأخرى، أي التوصل إلى المعرفة المنطقية."
"إن الاحساس والعقل يختلفان من حيث الطبيعة ولكن لا ينفصل أحدهما عن الآخر، إنهما موحدان على أساس الممارسة العملية."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ مع التجربة وهذه هي المادية حول نظرية المعرفة."
"إن المعرفة العقلية تعتمد على المعرفة الحسية، والمعرفة الحسية في حاجة إلى التطور إلى معرفة عقلية، هذه هي النظرية المادية الديالكتيكية عن المعرفة."
"فالنظرية من وجهة نظر الماركسية هي مهمة، وتتجلى أهميتها في قول لينين: "لا حركة ثورية بدون نظرية ثورية"."
"إن المعرفة تبدأ من الممارسة العملية، والمعرفة النظرية التي يتم اكتسابها عن طريق الممارسة العملية، يجب أن تعاد إلى الممارسة العملية مرة أخرى."
"إن الوضع يتبدل سريعا في الفترات الثورية، فإذا لم تتبدل معرفة الثوريين بسرعة وفقا لذلك، فلن يكون في استطاعتهم قيادة الثورة إلى النصر."
"إن المثالية والمادية الميكانيكية والانتهازية والمغامرة، تتميز جميعها بفصل التفكير الذاتي عن الواقع الموضوعي، وفصل المعرفة عن الممارسة العملية."
"وعندما تبلغ البشرية جميعها مرحلة تغير فيها نفسها والعالم تغيرا واعيا، يكون العالم قد دخل عصر الشيوعية."
*ملاحظة: حيث أن المترجم قد ذكر بأنه قد قام بحذف بعض الكلمات (الزوائد التي لا تؤثر على مضمون الفكرة العام) فإني آثرت إرفاق نص ماو المترجم للإنجليزية بعنوان "In Practice" في الوصلة أدناه.
https://www.marxists.org/reference/ar...
October 30, 2025
Reading Mao is like stumbling into an oasis in a desert. On Practice is an excellent overview of the dialectical materialist theory of knowledge, and was originally written as a critique against dogmatists within CPC.
Essentially, Mao makes this case:
Knowledge can be split into the lower and the higher, e.g. the perceptual and the rational.
Perceptual knowledge is like seeing the topology of a map or simply having a series of impressions - it is whatever can be derived from the sense organs (e.g. eyes, ear, etc.) but not yet at a stage where it can be synthesized into true understanding. In other words, it is like watching the news and thinking, "wow, everything is so bad all the time" without anything further. Perceptual knowledge is pure empiricism.
Rational knowledge is the stage which proceeds from perceptual knowledge, the stage which perceptual knowledge transforms from discrete items into a coherent understanding of the "why" behind the "how". In other words, abstraction. To follow up on the previous example - it is like watching the news and thinking, "wow, everything is so bad all the time" and then after analysis of many different causes of social unrest, coming to the conclusion, "there is a certain social class which owns the means of production; to facilitate the interests of this class, a large number of workers must be exploited in order for them to continually generate surplus value."
Rational knowledge is acquired only through practice. Mao makes it clear that any theory posited by materialists must, like any scientific theory, be able to withstand being tested with an objective in mind, as well as replication. If a theory cannot withstand scrutiny, then it does not have any intellectual rigor. If it can't be replicated, then it can't be said to encompass a generality beyond its immediate particulars. An example of a theory which only worked in one specific circumstance is foco (sorry, Che). An example of a theory which has universal application is the superiority of central planning within socialist economies.
Mao further makes the case that any theory which exists "for the sake of theory" and not to change the material world is quite useless, particularly for Marxist-Leninists. He does not disavow them, for he says "however good they might be" (I thought of many mathematical theorems that simply existed to demonstrate the beauty of mathematics); this is not a value judgement on those theories, but materially, they are more or less irrelevant if nothing can lead to material application. As MLism is a social science, this is logically sound, since three of the conditions for any scientific theory is 1) it is observable, 2) it is quantifiable, and 3) it can be replicated.
Because of this, anyone who makes the claim that theory does not need demonstratable proof is not a materialist, but an idealist. He gives the example of Rationalists, who claim that reason is enough to validate a claim - the opposite of the dialectic (e.g. theory depends on praxis, they are essentially saying theory can exist as a discrete category, which is nonsensical).
The dialectic of perceptual knowledge and rational knowledge then is this: perceptual knowledge exists to be converted into/reveals rational knowledge, and rational knowledge manifests from perceptual knowledge. As we understand from dialectics, quantitative change leads to qualitative change via dialectical synthesis, and in this case, the quantitative change is practice itself. It should be important to note that this does not necessarily have to be derived from direct experience, as the majority of human knowledge is transmitted through indirect experience, but that means that someone had to undergo this entire process. Furthermore, with regards to a specific situation, you still need to be able to apply a theory to see if it'll work or not.
Tl;Dr: Mao is telling you to touch grass and organize, comrade.
Essentially, Mao makes this case:
Knowledge can be split into the lower and the higher, e.g. the perceptual and the rational.
Perceptual knowledge is like seeing the topology of a map or simply having a series of impressions - it is whatever can be derived from the sense organs (e.g. eyes, ear, etc.) but not yet at a stage where it can be synthesized into true understanding. In other words, it is like watching the news and thinking, "wow, everything is so bad all the time" without anything further. Perceptual knowledge is pure empiricism.
Rational knowledge is the stage which proceeds from perceptual knowledge, the stage which perceptual knowledge transforms from discrete items into a coherent understanding of the "why" behind the "how". In other words, abstraction. To follow up on the previous example - it is like watching the news and thinking, "wow, everything is so bad all the time" and then after analysis of many different causes of social unrest, coming to the conclusion, "there is a certain social class which owns the means of production; to facilitate the interests of this class, a large number of workers must be exploited in order for them to continually generate surplus value."
Rational knowledge is acquired only through practice. Mao makes it clear that any theory posited by materialists must, like any scientific theory, be able to withstand being tested with an objective in mind, as well as replication. If a theory cannot withstand scrutiny, then it does not have any intellectual rigor. If it can't be replicated, then it can't be said to encompass a generality beyond its immediate particulars. An example of a theory which only worked in one specific circumstance is foco (sorry, Che). An example of a theory which has universal application is the superiority of central planning within socialist economies.
Mao further makes the case that any theory which exists "for the sake of theory" and not to change the material world is quite useless, particularly for Marxist-Leninists. He does not disavow them, for he says "however good they might be" (I thought of many mathematical theorems that simply existed to demonstrate the beauty of mathematics); this is not a value judgement on those theories, but materially, they are more or less irrelevant if nothing can lead to material application. As MLism is a social science, this is logically sound, since three of the conditions for any scientific theory is 1) it is observable, 2) it is quantifiable, and 3) it can be replicated.
Because of this, anyone who makes the claim that theory does not need demonstratable proof is not a materialist, but an idealist. He gives the example of Rationalists, who claim that reason is enough to validate a claim - the opposite of the dialectic (e.g. theory depends on praxis, they are essentially saying theory can exist as a discrete category, which is nonsensical).
The dialectic of perceptual knowledge and rational knowledge then is this: perceptual knowledge exists to be converted into/reveals rational knowledge, and rational knowledge manifests from perceptual knowledge. As we understand from dialectics, quantitative change leads to qualitative change via dialectical synthesis, and in this case, the quantitative change is practice itself. It should be important to note that this does not necessarily have to be derived from direct experience, as the majority of human knowledge is transmitted through indirect experience, but that means that someone had to undergo this entire process. Furthermore, with regards to a specific situation, you still need to be able to apply a theory to see if it'll work or not.
Tl;Dr: Mao is telling you to touch grass and organize, comrade.
August 7, 2025
"If the dialectical-materialist movement of knowledge were to stop at rational knowledge, only half the problem would be dealt with. And as far as Marxist philosophy is concerned, only the less important half at that. Marxist philosophy holds that the most important problem does not lie in understanding the laws of the objective world and thus being able to explain it, but in applying the knowledge of these laws actively to change the world. From the Marxist viewpoint, theory is important, and its importance is fully expressed in Lenin's statement, "Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement." But Marxism emphasizes the importance of theory precisely and only because it can guide action. If we have a correct theory but merely prate about it, pigeonhole it and do not put it into practice, then that theory, however good, is of no significance. Knowledge begins with practice, and theoretical knowledge is acquired through practice and must then return to practice. The active function of knowledge manifests itself not only in the active leap from perceptual to rational knowledge, but--and this is more important--it must manifest itself in the leap from rational knowledge to revolutionary practice. The knowledge which grasps the laws of the world, must be redirected to the practice of changing the world, must be applied anew in the practice of production, in the practice of revolutionary class struggle and revolutionary national struggle and in the practice of scientific experiment. This is the process of testing and developing theory, the continuation of the whole process of cognition. The problem of whether theory corresponds to objective reality is not, and cannot be, completely solved in the movement of knowledge from the perceptual to the rational, mentioned above. The only way to solve this problem completely is to redirect rational knowledge to social practice, apply theory to practice and see whether it can achieve the objectives one has in mind. Many theories of natural science are held to be true not only because they were so considered when natural scientists originated them, but because they have been verified in subsequent scientific practice. Similarly, Marxism-Leninism is held to be true not only because it was so considered when it was scientifically formulated by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin but because it has been verified in the subsequent practice of revolutionary class struggle and revolutionary national struggle."
A critical read to understand in depth why we must carry out our revolutionary work from the theory of marxism-leninism. Otherwise, it ultimately amount to "leftcom" pointless debates, and endless of theories reading which is not revolutionary. We must take up those revolutionary texts so we can better understand the theory and conditions that surround us, in order to continue the practice of revolutionary work, not the former alone.
A critical read to understand in depth why we must carry out our revolutionary work from the theory of marxism-leninism. Otherwise, it ultimately amount to "leftcom" pointless debates, and endless of theories reading which is not revolutionary. We must take up those revolutionary texts so we can better understand the theory and conditions that surround us, in order to continue the practice of revolutionary work, not the former alone.
February 3, 2025
-"Die lächerlichsten Menschen in der Welt sind die "Alleswisser", die, nachdem sie irgendwo fragmentarische Kenntnisse aufgeschnappt haben, sich selbst zu einer "ersten Autorität in der Welt" ernennen, was lediglich von ihrer maßlosen Einbildung zeugt."
-"Die Erkenntnis beginnt mit der Praxis, und die theoretischen Erkenntnisse, die man durch die Praxis erworben hat, müssen wiederum zur Praxis zurückkehren. Die aktive Rolle der Erkenntnis findet ihren Ausdruck nicht nur in dem aktiven Sprung von der sinnlichen Erkenntnis zur rationalen Erkenntnis, sondern, was noch wichtiger ist, sie muß auch in dem Sprung von der rationalen Erkenntnis zur revolutionären Praxis zum Ausdruck kommen."
-"Darum eben ist die Praxis das Kriterium der Wahrheit, und darum "muß der Gesichtspunkt des Lebens, der Praxis der erste und grundlegende Gesichtspunkt der Erkenntnistheorie sein." Stalin sagte sehr richtig:"... die Theorie wird gegenstandslos, wenn sie nicht mit der revolutionären Praxis verknüpft wird, genauso wie die Praxis blind wird, wenn sie ihren Weg nicht durch die revolutionäre Theorie beleuchtet."
-"Unter diesen Umständen, da man in der Praxis von unvorhergesehenen Situationen überrascht wird, werden die Ideen, Theorien, Pläne oder Projekte nicht selten teilweise, ja, manchmal völlig geändert. Das heißt, es kommt vor, daß die ursprünglich ausgearbeiteten Ideen, Theorien, Pläne oder Projekte der Wirklichkeit teilweise oder insgesamt nicht entsprechen, daß sie zum Teil oder vollkommen falsch sind. In vielen Fällen gelingt es erst nach mehrmaligen Mißerfolgen, fehlerhafte Erkenntnisse richtigzustellen, die Übereinstimmung mit den Gesetzmäßigkeiten des objektiven Prozesses zu erreichen und auf diese Weise Subjektives in Objektives zu verwandeln, das heißt, in der Praxis die erwarteten Ergebnisse zu erzielen."
-"Die Erkenntnis beginnt mit der Praxis, und die theoretischen Erkenntnisse, die man durch die Praxis erworben hat, müssen wiederum zur Praxis zurückkehren. Die aktive Rolle der Erkenntnis findet ihren Ausdruck nicht nur in dem aktiven Sprung von der sinnlichen Erkenntnis zur rationalen Erkenntnis, sondern, was noch wichtiger ist, sie muß auch in dem Sprung von der rationalen Erkenntnis zur revolutionären Praxis zum Ausdruck kommen."
-"Darum eben ist die Praxis das Kriterium der Wahrheit, und darum "muß der Gesichtspunkt des Lebens, der Praxis der erste und grundlegende Gesichtspunkt der Erkenntnistheorie sein." Stalin sagte sehr richtig:"... die Theorie wird gegenstandslos, wenn sie nicht mit der revolutionären Praxis verknüpft wird, genauso wie die Praxis blind wird, wenn sie ihren Weg nicht durch die revolutionäre Theorie beleuchtet."
-"Unter diesen Umständen, da man in der Praxis von unvorhergesehenen Situationen überrascht wird, werden die Ideen, Theorien, Pläne oder Projekte nicht selten teilweise, ja, manchmal völlig geändert. Das heißt, es kommt vor, daß die ursprünglich ausgearbeiteten Ideen, Theorien, Pläne oder Projekte der Wirklichkeit teilweise oder insgesamt nicht entsprechen, daß sie zum Teil oder vollkommen falsch sind. In vielen Fällen gelingt es erst nach mehrmaligen Mißerfolgen, fehlerhafte Erkenntnisse richtigzustellen, die Übereinstimmung mit den Gesetzmäßigkeiten des objektiven Prozesses zu erreichen und auf diese Weise Subjektives in Objektives zu verwandeln, das heißt, in der Praxis die erwarteten Ergebnisse zu erzielen."
November 10, 2024
This was a really interesting short essay by Mao. Very digestible and informative on how being a Marxist is not just understanding how the world works, but also about trying to change the world.
Key takeways:
- Knowledge begins with experience. Experience creates perceptual knowledge. Perceptual knowledge needs to be deepened to turn into rational knowledge.
- Theory is useless unless it is practiced and practice doesn't get anywhere unless it is done through theory.
Knowing theory is only the half of being a Marxist.
The other half is practice. Modifications in theory can be made through the practice of ideas. Most ideas require modifications. This creates an active guide to revolutionary practice to change both the subjective and objective world.
- Practice and knowledge are dialectical. Practice develops the knowledge and knowledge develops the practice. Then practice through the knowledge develops deeper knowledge. "Practice, knowledge, again practice, and again knowledge. This form repeats itself in endless cycles, and with each cycle the content of practice and knowledge rises to a higher level."
Key takeways:
- Knowledge begins with experience. Experience creates perceptual knowledge. Perceptual knowledge needs to be deepened to turn into rational knowledge.
- Theory is useless unless it is practiced and practice doesn't get anywhere unless it is done through theory.
Knowing theory is only the half of being a Marxist.
The other half is practice. Modifications in theory can be made through the practice of ideas. Most ideas require modifications. This creates an active guide to revolutionary practice to change both the subjective and objective world.
- Practice and knowledge are dialectical. Practice develops the knowledge and knowledge develops the practice. Then practice through the knowledge develops deeper knowledge. "Practice, knowledge, again practice, and again knowledge. This form repeats itself in endless cycles, and with each cycle the content of practice and knowledge rises to a higher level."
July 7, 2025
As those who know me know, the great companion of my intellectual life at this time is Sigmund Freud. When comparing Mao and Freud, it is obvious that Mao is not at the same level of genius. Mao is primarily a synthesizer of the earlier Marxist lineage, especially of Lenin and Stalin, and his wisdom is in applying his understanding to revolutionary practice in the Chinese context.
Mao is ultimately a man of practice, rather than theory. Nonetheless, his two great theoretical works of 1937, On Practice and On Contradiction, show that he had a strong theoretical backing for his practice (which he was obviously meta-theoretically aware of, given the subject of this lecture), which cannot be said of many other modern political figures.
This essay and On Contradiction are also useful for explain the essence of dialectical materialism in a way that any well-meaning cadre could understand, certainly in comparison to Hegel.
Mao is ultimately a man of practice, rather than theory. Nonetheless, his two great theoretical works of 1937, On Practice and On Contradiction, show that he had a strong theoretical backing for his practice (which he was obviously meta-theoretically aware of, given the subject of this lecture), which cannot be said of many other modern political figures.
This essay and On Contradiction are also useful for explain the essence of dialectical materialism in a way that any well-meaning cadre could understand, certainly in comparison to Hegel.
April 8, 2021
On Practice is such a concise, yet thorough, piece on the Marxist conception of epistemology and its direct relation to praxis. Touching upon the stages of knowledge and its relation to the subjective and objective experience, Mao does an incredible job in relating to the reader the importance of learning through experience for a conceptual understanding of the essence of a matter in its entirety (the rational stage) rather than its individual, scattered pieces (the perceptual stage). Mao also touches on the futility of theory without praxis, the Marxist Leninist tradition of employing praxis, as well as a critique of "leftists" who seem to base their theories so far into the future that they have no application in the contemporary revolutionary struggle.
March 8, 2023
Ein kleines Meisterwerk über die marxistische Methode. In seiner Klarheit, Einfachheit und Pointiertheit bis heute unerreicht. Mao vermeided die Fehler, die Stalin in seinem Kapitel über den dialektischen und historischen Materialismus macht, aber auch er gibt keine erschöpfende Darstellung. Es ist vor allem ein Text, der das Wesentliche in kondensierter Gestalt vermittelt, damit für die meisten Kommunisten, die sich nicht in die tiefere Forschungsarbeit stürzen wollen, vollkommen ausreichend. Für die Übrigen bleibt der Text ein hervorragendes Sprungbrett für die tiefere Beschäftigung mit der marxistischen Methode.
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