It was written in August 1937, as an interpretation of the philosophy of dialectical materialism, while Mao was at his guerrilla base in Yan'an.
He uses the concept of contradiction to explain different Chinese historical time periods and social events.
Mao's form of talking about contradiction creates a modified concept that brought forth the ideal of Chinese Marxism.
Mao finally officially moved toward his new ideology when the Movement of Self-Government of Hunan failed.
[3]: 31 Some of the points made in "On Contradiction" were drawn and expanded from lectures Mao presented in 1937[4]: 8 at the Counter-Japanese University in Yan'an.
These lectures drew from the work of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin.
[4]: 8 Mao elaborated on their principles based on the practice of the Chinese Communist Party at the time.
Mao studied Marxism diligently in the year before he wrote his "Lecture Notes on Dialectical Materialism."
He reviewed and annotated the Soviet Union's New Philosophy in order to actively understand the dialectical materialism concept.
[5] In addition to elaborating on his ideological and philosophic views, Mao wrote On Contradiction to help legitimize his political thinking within a Marxist framework and thus further solidify his leadership.
[4]: 8–9 In dialectical materialism, contradiction, as derived by Karl Marx, usually refers to an opposition of social forces.
[6] Mao held that capitalism is internally contradictory because different social classes have conflicting collective goals.
[8]: 44 Mao frames the metaphysical worldview as one which treats things as unitary, static, and isolated.
[8]: 44 In contrast, Mao frames the dialectical worldview as one which views things in dynamic interaction with each other while also being characterized by their own internal contradiction.
Eventually in Europe, the proletariat developed the dialectical materialistic outlook, and the bourgeoisie opposed the view.
Mao uses examples in Chinese history and society to symbolize the concept of a principal contradiction and its continual changing.
Based on the idea of contradiction, one day, the oppression will end and the colonies will gain power and freedom.
The two contradictions in an object inspire two forms of movement, relative rest and conspicuous change.
[10] Antagonistic contradiction (Chinese: 矛盾; pinyin: máodùn) is the impossibility of compromise between different social classes.
The term is most often applied in Maoist theory, which holds that differences between the two primary classes, the working class/proletariat and the bourgeoisie are so great that there is no way to bring about a reconciliation of their views.
Because the groups involved have diametrically opposed concerns, their objectives are so dissimilar and contradictory that no mutually acceptable resolution can be found.
Mao Zedong expressed his views on the policy in his famous February 1957 speech On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People.
[10] Avoiding antagonism requires an open space to allow the contradictions to emerge and be solved objectively.
[4]: 9 After Mao was celebrated in the Eastern Bloc following China's intervention in the Korean War, both texts became widely read in the USSR.
[12]: 38 In April 1960, Petroleum Minister Yu Qiuli stated that On Contradiction (along with On Practice) would be the ideological core of the campaign to develop the Daqing Oil Field in northeast China.
[13]: 150 Yu's efforts to mobilize workers in Daqing focused on ideological motivation rather than material incentives.
[13]: 150 The successful completion of Daqing despite harsh weather conditions and supply limitations became a model held up by the Communist Party as an example during subsequent industrialization campaigns.