Comment on “Several Questions Concerning Socialist Construction [1 (Study Material)]” (September 16, 1961) Comrade Lin Ke [2]: I have reviewed this volume; the next one [3] remains to be read. Please first forward this volume to Comrade Tian Jiaying [4]. Comrade Tian Jiaying: There are six instances where text has been both altered and restored [5], please deliberate accordingly. Mao Printed from the manuscript at seven o’clock in the morning on September 16. Notes [1] This material was compiled based on the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Rotational Training of Cadres” for cadre study purposes. It primarily consists of excerpts from relevant discussions by Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and various documents of the CPC Central Committee concerning socialist construction. The table of contents reads as follows: I. What Is Socialism? (1) Socialism is the lower stage of communism; (2) The theory of permanent revolution combined with the theory of stages of revolution; (3) Building socialism requires a very long historical period. II. Several Issues in Socialist Economic Construction: (1) Relations of production must be suited to the development of productive forces; (2) Agriculture is the foundation of national economic development; (3) Peasants must not be deprived of their means of production; the worker-peasant alliance must be consolidated; (4) Planned proportional development and planned work are essential; (5) Ultimately, the growth of means of production depends on the growth of consumer goods and individual consumption; (6) The law of commodity production and value; (7) Adhere to distribution according to work and oppose egalitarianism. III. Strengthen Study and Overcome Subjectivism: (1) Seek truth from facts and conduct thorough investigations; (3) Respect objective laws while exercising subjective initiative; (2) Combine revolutionary enthusiasm with a scientific spirit; (4) Both rightist and “leftist” errors stem from detachment from reality; (5) Achievements and mistakes both possess a dual nature; (6) The key lies in the ability to learn effectively. [2] Lin Ke was then serving as secretary to Mao Zedong’s office. [3] Refers to another study material titled “Several Questions Concerning Party Life (Study Material),” also compiled based on the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Rotational Training of Cadres.” See note [1] on page 592 of this volume. [4] Tian Jiaying was then deputy director of the CPC Central Political Research Office and also served as Mao Zedong’s secretary. [5] The six modifications and restorations made by Mao were as follows: First, on page fifteen, an excerpt from Mao’s speech at the Second Zhengzhou Conference in March 1959 included the following passage: “Currently, many people still do not realize that commune ownership must undergo a process of development—from small collective ownership at the team level to large collective ownership at the commune level—this process will take several years to complete.” Mao deleted the final sentence, “This process will take several years to complete.” Second, on pages twenty-five and twenty-six, an excerpt from Mao’s speech at the Second Zhengzhou Conference in March 1959 contained the following statement: “The current problem lies with the counties and communes, especially at the commune level: they need to understand the law of value and equivalent exchange. This is an objective law—an external law and a natural principle are one and the same—if violated, it will lead to disastrous consequences.” Mao removed the phrase “an objective law—an external law and a natural principle are one and the same.” Third, on page forty, an excerpt from Mao’s speech at a CPC Central conference on intellectual issues held on January 20, 1956, included the following remark: “Departments should set targets and plans only on a feasible basis. Failing to act on what is genuinely achievable and ought to be done constitutes right-wing conservatism; attempting to implement plans without sufficient basis, which are inherently unworkable, represents blind adventurism, or ‘left’ deviation. I believe that at present, no single tendency predominates across the Party, yet a certain vague inclination can already be discerned, indicative of a lack of clear thinking.” Mao deleted the phrase “indicative of a lack of clear thinking.” Fourth, on page thirty-six, an excerpt from a conversation Mao had during the Wuhan Conference on December 11, 1958, read: “One must possess both fervent enthusiasm and冷静理性—a seeming contradiction. High morale represents heat; scientific analysis represents cold. In our country today, some individuals are excessively zealous. They refuse to allow themselves any moments of冷静理性, avoiding analysis and clinging solely to passion. Comrades, such an attitude is detrimental to leadership work; it may lead to serious setbacks. Those concerned should remind themselves to maintain a balance between the two. On the other hand, there are those who favor冷静理性and resist enthusiasm. They find certain matters difficult to grasp or keep up with—those inclined toward rigid formalism or nitpicking fall into this category. For these individuals, it is advisable to gradually encourage a more热忱approach.” This passage had originally been deleted in the submitted draft, but Mao appended a note reading “Restore” and subsequently removed the phrase “those inclined toward rigid formalism or nitpicking fall into this category.” Fifth, on page thirty-nine, an excerpt from Mao’s article “Ten-Year Summary,” written on June 18, 1960, included the following two paragraphs: “Initiative is akin to having a commanding perspective and sweeping momentum. It arises from seeking truth from facts and from the genuine reflection of objective circumstances in people’s minds—the dialectical process by which humans come to understand the external world. Along the way, numerous erroneous perceptions are corrected step by step until the correct understanding is reached.” “It is impossible to avoid making mistakes. As Lenin said, no one has ever lived without erring. What distinguishes a serious party is its emphasis on acknowledging errors, identifying their causes, analyzing both subjective and客观factors behind them, and openly rectifying them. Our Party’s general line is correct, and our practical work has generally been carried out well. However, a certain degree of error is unavoidable. Where, indeed, does one find a so-called saint who attains truth without ever making a mistake? The pursuit of truth is not accomplished in a single stroke, but rather through a gradual process. We adhere to the epistemology of dialectical materialism, not metaphysical idealism. Freedom is the inevitable result of cognition and transformation. The leap from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom is achieved progressively over a prolonged period of learning. Regarding our socialist revolution and construction, we already have ten years of experience and have gained considerable insight. Nevertheless, our experience in socialist construction remains insufficient; before us lies a vast, largely unknown realm of necessity. We have not yet fully grasped it. In future practice, we must continue to investigate and study it, extracting its inherent laws so that we may apply them to the cause of socialism.” Both of these passages had been deleted in the submitted draft, but Mao appended a note reading “Restore” and made minor textual adjustments. The versions quoted above reflect these revisions. Later, Mao made further modifications to these two passages; the final, definitively revised text appears on pages 213–216 of the “Ten-Year Summary.” Sixth, on page forty-four, an excerpt from a speech Mao delivered at the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee on November 15, 1956, stated: “Achievements have a dual nature, and so do mistakes. Achievements can inspire confidence and also breed pride; mistakes bring misfortune and anxiety—they are adversaries, yet they can also serve as our valuable teachers.” This passage had been deleted in the submitted draft, but Mao, upon reviewing it, appended a note reading “Restore.”