The main contents of the theory and policies put forward by Comrade Mao Zedong in this respect are:

First, one must use the Marxist-Leninist law of the unity of opposites to observe socialist society. The law of the contradiction in things, that is, the law of the unity of opposites, is the most fundamental law of materialist dialectics. This law is universally present, whether in the natural world, in human society, or in people's thought. The contradictory opposites are both in unity and in struggle, thereby impelling the movement and change of things. Socialist society is no exception. In socialist society, there exist two types of social contradictions: contradictions among the people and contradictions between ourselves and the enemy. These two types of social contradictions are completely different in nature, and the methods for handling them should also be different. Correctly handling these two types of social contradictions will cause the dictatorship of the proletariat to become increasingly consolidated, and will cause socialist society to become increasingly consolidated and developed. Many people acknowledge the law of the unity of opposites, but are unable to apply this law to observe and handle the problems of socialist society. They do not acknowledge that socialist society has contradictions, do not acknowledge that in socialist society there are not only contradictions between ourselves and the enemy but also contradictions among the people, and do not understand how to correctly distinguish and correctly handle these two types of social contradictions, and thus are unable to correctly handle the question of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

Second, socialist society is a very long historical stage. In socialist society, classes and class struggle still exist, and the struggle between the two roads of socialism and capitalism exists. To have only the socialist revolution on the economic front (in the ownership of the means of production) is not enough, and it is not consolidated. There must also be a thorough socialist revolution on the political front and on the ideological front. In the political and ideological spheres, the struggle of who will win and who will lose between socialism and capitalism requires a very long period of time to be resolved. Several decades will not do; it will require one hundred to several hundred years to succeed. On the question of time, it is better to prepare for a longer period than a shorter one; on the question of work, it is better to see it as more difficult than easier. To think and act in this way is more beneficial and will result in less harm. If one has an insufficient understanding of this situation, or does not understand it at all, one will commit the gravest of errors. In this historical stage of socialism, it is imperative to uphold the dictatorship of the proletariat and carry the socialist revolution through to the end, in order to prevent a capitalist restoration, carry out socialist construction, and prepare the conditions for the transition to communism.

Third, the dictatorship of the proletariat is led by the working class and is based on the alliance of workers and peasants. The dictatorship of the proletariat means that the working class and the people under its leadership exercise dictatorship over the reactionary classes, reactionaries, and elements who resist socialist transformation and socialist construction. Among the people, democratic centralism is practiced. This democracy of ours is the broadest democracy that cannot be had in any bourgeois state.

Fourth, in both socialist revolution and socialist construction, it is imperative to uphold the mass line, give free rein to the masses, and go in for mass movements in a big way. The mass line of "from the masses, to the masses" is the fundamental line for all the work of our Party. One must firmly believe in the majority of the masses, first and foremost the majority of the basic masses of workers and peasants. One must be good at consulting with the masses in handling matters and never divorce oneself from the masses. Oppose commandism and the bestowal-of-favors viewpoint. The great blooming, great contending, and great debates created by the people of our country in the long-term revolutionary struggle are an important form of revolutionary struggle that relies on the masses of the people to resolve contradictions among the people and contradictions between ourselves and the enemy.

Fifth, in both socialist revolution and socialist construction, the question of whom to rely on, whom to win over, and whom to oppose must be resolved. The proletariat and its vanguard must conduct a class analysis of socialist society, rely on the truly reliable forces that are determined to follow the socialist road, win over all possible allies, and unite with the masses of the people, who constitute more than ninety-five percent of the population, to jointly deal with the enemies of socialism. In the rural areas, after agricultural collectivization, it is also imperative to rely on the poor and lower-middle peasants in order to consolidate the dictatorship of the proletariat, to consolidate the worker-peasant alliance, to defeat the spontaneous forces of capitalism, and to continuously consolidate and expand the socialist position.

Sixth, the socialist education movement must be carried out universally and repeatedly in the cities and the countryside. In this movement of continuously educating people, one must be good at organizing the revolutionary class ranks, raising their class consciousness, correctly handling contradictions among the people, and uniting all who can be united. In this movement, a sharp, tit-for-tat struggle must be waged against the capitalist and feudal forces that are hostile to socialism, against the landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, bourgeois rightists, and against the embezzlers, thieves, and degenerate elements, to defeat their attacks on socialism and to remold the majority of them into new people.

Seventh, one of the fundamental tasks of the dictatorship of the proletariat is to strive to develop the socialist economy. Under the guidance of the general policy of developing the national economy with agriculture as the foundation and industry as the leading factor, the modernization of industry, agriculture, science and technology, and national defense must be gradually realized. On the basis of developing production, the livelihood of the masses of the people must be gradually and universally improved.

Eighth, the economy of ownership by the whole people and the economy of collective ownership are the two forms of the socialist economy. The transition from collective ownership to ownership by the whole people, and the transition from two types of ownership to a single ownership by the whole people, requires a considerably long process of development. Collective ownership itself also has a process of development from a lower level to a higher level, from small to large. The people's commune, created by the Chinese people, is a suitable organizational form for resolving this question of transition.

Ninth, the policy of letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is a policy for promoting the development of literature and art and the progress of science, and a policy for promoting the flourishing of socialist culture. Education must serve proletarian politics and must be combined with productive labor. The laboring people must become intellectualized, and the intellectuals must become laborers. In the ranks of science, culture, art, and education, foster proletarian thought and eliminate bourgeois thought; this is also a long-term and fierce class struggle. We must, through the cultural revolution, through the revolutionary practice of class struggle, the struggle for production, and scientific experiment, build a vast contingent of working-class intellectuals who serve socialism and are both red and expert.

Tenth, the system of cadres participating in collective productive labor must be upheld. The cadres of our Party and state are ordinary laborers, not masters riding on the heads of the people. By participating in collective productive labor, cadres maintain the most extensive, constant, and close ties with the laboring people. This is a major matter of fundamental importance under the socialist system; it helps to overcome bureaucracy and to prevent revisionism and dogmatism.

Eleventh, a high-salary system for a few people must never be implemented. The gap in personal income between the personnel of the Party, the state, enterprises, and people's communes on the one hand, and the masses of the people on the other, should be reasonably and gradually narrowed, not widened. Prevent all personnel from using their official powers to enjoy any special privileges.

Twelfth, the people's armed forces of a socialist state must forever be placed under the leadership of the party of the proletariat and the supervision of the masses of the people, and forever maintain the glorious tradition of the people's army, with unity between the army and the people, and unity between officers and men. Uphold the system of officers serving as soldiers. Practice military democracy, political democracy, and economic democracy. At the same time, universally organize and train the militia, and implement the system of making every citizen a soldier. The barrel of the gun must forever be in the hands of the Party and the people, and must never be allowed to become a tool of individual careerists.

Thirteenth, the people's public security organs must forever be placed under the leadership of the party of the proletariat and the supervision of the masses of the people. In the struggle to defend the fruits of socialism and the interests of the people, the policy of relying on the broad masses of the people combined with specialized organs must be implemented, so that not a single bad person is let off and not a single good person is wronged. Counter-revolutionaries must be suppressed whenever they are found, and mistakes must be corrected whenever they are discovered.

Fourteenth, in foreign policy, it is imperative to uphold proletarian internationalism and oppose great-power chauvinism and national egoism. The socialist camp is a product of the struggle of the international proletariat and laboring people. The socialist camp belongs not only to the people of the socialist countries, but also to the international proletariat and laboring people. The fighting slogans "Proletarians of all countries, unite!" and "Proletarians and oppressed nations of the world, unite!" must be genuinely put into practice. The anti-communist, anti-people, and counter-revolutionary policies of imperialism and the reactionaries of all countries must be resolutely opposed, and the revolutionary struggles of the oppressed classes and oppressed nations of the world must be aided. Relations between socialist countries should be built on the principles of independence, complete equality, and mutual support and mutual assistance of proletarian internationalism. The construction of each socialist country should mainly rely on self-reliance. If a socialist country practices national egoism in its foreign policy, and even goes so far as to collude with imperialism to partition the world, that is to degenerate and betray proletarian internationalism.

Fifteenth, the Communist Party, as the vanguard of the proletariat, must exist together with the dictatorship of the proletariat. The Communist Party is the highest form of organization of the proletariat. The leading role of the proletariat is realized through the leadership of the Communist Party. In all departments, the system of Party committee leadership must be implemented. During the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat, the party of the proletariat must maintain and develop its close ties with the proletariat and the broad masses of the laboring people, maintain and carry forward its vigorous revolutionary style, uphold the principle of integrating the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of its own country, and uphold the struggle against revisionism, against dogmatism, and against all opportunism.