Dictatorship for Enemy Contradictions | Generated by AI
Question: What is the basic method for correctly handling contradictions between ourselves and the enemy?
Answer:
The correct answer is A. 专政的方法 (the method of dictatorship / exercise of dictatorship).
Detailed Explanation
This question is based on Mao Zedong’s classic 1957 article 《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》 (On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People), which is one of the foundational texts of Mao Zedong Thought.
Mao clearly distinguished two fundamentally different types of social contradictions in socialist society:
- Contradictions between ourselves and the enemy (敌我矛盾)
- Nature: Antagonistic contradiction (对抗性矛盾)
- Core issue: Distinguishing between friend and foe / who is the enemy
- Basic method: 专政的方法 (the method of dictatorship)
→ This means using state power (dictatorship of the proletariat) to suppress, punish, and reform enemies through coercion, legal punishment, forced labor, isolation, and other compulsory measures.
- Contradictions among the people (人民内部矛盾)
- Nature: Non-antagonistic contradiction (非对抗性矛盾)
- Core issue: Distinguishing right from wrong / matters of ideology and understanding
- Basic method: 民主的方法 (the democratic method), also called the method of 说服教育 (persuasion and education), or more specifically the formula:
“团结—批评—团结” (unity → criticism → unity)
Mao explicitly stated:
“敌我之间和人民内部这两类矛盾的性质不同，解决的方法也不同。前者是分清敌我的问题，后者是分清是非的问题。……我们历来主张，在人民内部，是用民主的方法解决，用说服教育的方法解决，而不是用强制的、压服的方法解决。……至于敌我之间的矛盾，则是用专政即独裁的方法去解决。”
Why the other options are incorrect
-
B. 讨论的方法 (method of discussion)
Discussion is one form of democratic handling, suitable only for contradictions among the people, not for enemy contradictions. -
C. 批评的方法 (method of criticism)
Criticism (especially self-criticism and mutual criticism) is part of the “unity–criticism–unity” approach, again only for internal contradictions among the people. -
D. 说服教育的方法 (method of persuasion and education)
This is the classic description of the democratic method for handling contradictions among the people. It is explicitly not used as the basic method for enemy contradictions.
Summary Table for Clarity
| Type of Contradiction | Nature | Core Issue | Basic Method | Typical Methods / Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 敌我矛盾 (Enemy vs. Us) | Antagonistic | Distinguish enemy | 专政的方法 (dictatorship) | Suppression, punishment, forced reform, legal coercion |
| 人民内部矛盾 (Among People) | Non-antagonistic | Distinguish right/wrong | 民主的方法 / 说服教育的方法 | Discussion, criticism, persuasion, education, unity–criticism–unity |
Only A matches the basic method Mao designated for correctly handling 敌我矛盾.
References:
- Mao Zedong, 《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》 (February 27, 1957)
- Official CPC theoretical textbooks and documents on contradictions (几乎所有中共党史和毛泽东思想教材均以此为标准答案)