Resolution of the Central Committee of the
Chinese Communist Party on Investigation

(August 1, 1941)

1. Over the past twenty years, although our Party has made gradual progress in
studying the history and society of China and world affairs, gradually accumulating more and more knowledge, it is still greatly inadequate. Being crude and careless, being content with superficial understanding, arrogantly thinking oneself
always in the right, and subjectivist and formalist work-styles still exist within the
Party in a serious way. Since the outbreak of the War of Resistance, our Party has
taken a big step forward with regard to understanding Japan, understanding domestic economic and political relationships, and understanding social conditions,
and subjectivist and formalist work-styles have lessened as well. But what has
been found out is still mostly crude and rough, like a caricature, lacking in systematic, detailed, or thorough understanding. And subjectivist and formalist workstyles have yet to be eliminated altogether. The seriousness of the harm done to
the revolutionary work over the past twenty years as a result of the subjectivist and
formalist mentality of many of our comrades and lack of thorough knowledge of
various aspects has yet to be recognized fully by all leading organs of the Party
and all our comrades. A number of comrades responsible for local work lack systematic and thoroughgoing understanding of the internal and external environment of the area in which they work, whether in relation to the society, the economy,
and politics, to the enemy and the puppets, or to their own work. Many comrades
within the Party have yet to understand the truth that without investigation there is
no right to speak. They have yet to understand that a systematic and thoroughgoing investigation of society is the basis on which policy is formulated. They still
do not know that the fundamental tasks of a leading organ are to understand conditions and to master policies, and that if conditions are not understood, then policies are bound to be in error. They still do not know how finely detailed are Japanese
imperialism's investigation and study of our country. Nor do they yet grasp that
the subjectivist work-style of being crude and careless and arrogantly self-righteous is the first manifestation of an impure Party spirit, whereas seeking truth

This resolution was first published in Jiefang ribao, September 8, 1941. Nianpu, Vol. 2, pp.
315-16, confirms that it was drafted by Mao. Our source is Mao Zedong ji, Vol. 8, pp. 17–
19, which reproduces the text that appeared in Jiefang ribao.


from facts and closely combining theory with practice is the basic attitude of a
Party member with a strong Party spirit. Our Party has now become a large political party charged with a great revolutionary task, and whatever we say or do has a
bearing on the future of the nation and society. So we must do everything possible
to avoid emptiness and shallowness, do away with subjectivist work-styles, and
take concrete measures so that everyone, from the Central Committee on down to
each Party member, steps up his investigation and study of history, of the environment, and of actual conditions both inside and outside the country, the province,
the xian, and the district. Only in this way can revolutionary forces in all classes
throughout the country be effectively united to overthrow the rule of Japanese
imperialism.
2. The following examples are provided with regard to methods of investigation and study: First, collect and then select, edit, and study all types of newspapers, magazines, and books from the three sources of the enemy, our friends, and
ourselves, that concern political, military, economic, cultural, and social class relations. Second, gather together experienced people in groups of three to five or
seven or eight at a time to hold fact-finding meetings and investigate typical cases
of a township, a district, a xian, a city, a town, an army, a division, a factory, a shop,
a school, or a problem (for example, the land problem, the labor problem, the
problem of vagrants, and the problem of secret societies). To start with a typical
case is the most feasible method. From one typical case you can move to another.
Third, in the countryside, emphasis should be placed upon detailed investigation
into the living conditions of, political needs of, and relations among the various
social strata such as landlords, rich peasants, merchants, middle peasants, poor
peasants, farm laborers, handicraft workers, vagrants, and so on. In the cities,
emphasis should be placed upon the living conditions of, political needs of, and
relations among the comprador big bourgeoisie, the national bourgeoisie, the petty
bourgeoisie, the proletariat, the masses of the poor, and the masses of vagrants.
Fourth, use various sorts of cadre meetings and representatives' conferences to
gather materials. Fifth, write biographies of well-known figures. Considering the
important role played by leading figures in Chinese society, studying various aspects of these figures and compiling their biographies is an important link in studying the whole of China. Within the anti-Japanese front, biographies of several
hundred to several thousand characters each should be written for all capitalists or
landlords whose assets exceed 50,000 yuan, military officers above the level of
regiment commander, officials above the level of xian magistrate, responsible persons above the xian level in the various parties and groups, famous scholars, cultural figures, journalists, religious leaders, social activists known inside and outside
a xian, and foreign activists in China, so as to learn about their personal histories,
their aspirations, and their interests and determine the appropriate steps to take in
cooperating with them to resist Japan. As for those who have all along been discriminated against in society but have some noteworthy outstanding characteristic, such as heads of secret societies, vagabond chiefs, local bandit chiefs, celebrity
actors, and prostitutes, they should be understood so that they may make some
contribution to the cause of national liberation. It is even more necessary to have
comprehensive knowledge about prominent enemy bandits and Chinese traitors,
and the prominent elements who play the jackal to their tiger, or the targets of our
present struggle, so as to achieve the objective of winning every battle by knowing
both oneself and the enemy. Comrades of the prefecture and xian Party committees should be charged with sharing responsibility for this sort of biography. The
contents of the biography must be true to the person's actual life history and must
not be distorted because of personal likes and dislikes. Sixth, conduct individual
oral interviews. Either send people to ask questions or have people come to be
questioned. Ask questions of cadres, workers, peasants, educated people, sympathizers, merchants, officials, vagabonds, captives, and so on, all of them. Seventh,
collect and make a study of gazetteers for xian, townships, and provinces, family
tree records, maps, and so on.
3. Carry out education about understanding objective conditions (those of the
enemy, our friends, and ourselves) among cadres in office and in schools where
cadres are trained. Praise and encourage those comrades who know more and better about actual conditions, and criticize those comrades who engage in empty talk
and are unrealistic. Praise and encourage those comrades who not only understand
actual conditions but also pay attention to policy, and criticize those comrades who
not only do not know objective conditions but are also careless about policy. Make
it so that this practice of knowing actual conditions and being careful about policy
is closely linked with the practice of studying Marxist-Leninist theory. In study,
oppose the practice of only memorizing doctrine while ignoring actual reality, and
the harmful tendency of separating the study of Marxist-Leninist theory and principles, on the one hand, from the understanding of Chinese social conditions and
solving the problems of the Chinese revolution, on the other. Cadres and students
should be encouraged to read newspapers and given guidance in the way to read
newspapers and in analyzing each change in the current situation. Cadres and students should be provided with factual material about all sorts of conditions both
inside and outside the country, the province, and the xian. The teaching and study
of these materials and the conclusions therefrom should be incorporated into the
formal curriculum, be given the necessary time, and be tested and examined.