| (p. 17) |
To change the world is at the same time to change oneself. |
| (p. 20) |
Plekhanov … did not understand the essence of dialectics (the law of the unity of opposites)… |
| (p. 21) |
The mechanistic outlook – this perceives only mutual interconnections, and not mutual interpermeation (shentou). |
| [pp. 203‒213] |
|
| (p. 22) |
No question regarding knowledge of the world can be solved except through practice. |
|
The subject of cognition is social class. |
| (pp. 23‒24) |
The first stage: very shallow, [the proletariat] does not understand the essence of capitalism, adopts incorrect methods of struggle, and is still in the stage of a “class-in-itself”. |
|
The second stage: the practice of everyday struggle and the development of the reality of capitalism, leads the proletariat to an understanding of the essence of capitalism (exploitative relationships and the relations of class struggle), Marxism appeared, and the proletariat achieved the stage of a “class-for-itself. |
| (pp. 24‒25) |
From the perceptual stage move to the rational stage, and from the rational stage move to revolutionary practice. |
| (p. 25) |
The purpose of knowledge is to achieve logical understanding from perceptual data, the two stages are different, but cannot be separated. |
| (p. 26) |
Perceptual knowledge: one-sided, superficial, external connections. |
|
Rational knowledge: totality, essence, internal connections. |
| (pp. 28‒29) |
Perceptual knowledge cannot be separated from rational knowledge, perceptual knowledge already contains within it the sprouts of rational knowledge. The general is already contained in that which is concrete, but what is contained is only the external and not the internal connection. From the shallow to the deep, from the outside to the inside, from the particular to the general, it is only thought with practice as its basis which succeeds. This is the movement of the deepening of knowledge, it is sudden change of knowledge. It is only with this deepening and sudden change that nature can be reflected relatively correctly and completely. |
| (p. 29‒30) |
Practice proves: things that are perceived cannot immediately be comprehended, it is only things that are comprehended that can be more deeply and correctly perceived. Perception solves the problem of phenomenon, comprehension solves the problem of essence and it is only in the process of practice that the essence of a thing can be revealed and understood. |
| (p. 33) |
Practice is the proof of truth. |
| [pp. 213‒216] |
|
| (pp. 33‒34) |
Theory is produced from practice; if the process of development of the objective external world is correctly reflected, and if subsequently this theory is applied in practice, then this theory can be made manifest in practice, and thus completes the process of knowledge. |
| [pp. 253‒257] |
|
| (p. 44) |
It is necessary to indicate all of the particular characteristics of a process, especially the fundamental particularity; only then is it possible to know the laws of development of a process, because the laws (faze) are contained in the development of the contradictions of the basic particularity. |
| (p. 46) |
It is necessary not only to know the basic characteristics of an entire process, it is also necessary to know the different characteristics of the various stages of the process. |
| [pp. 258‒260] |
|
| (pp. 48‒49) |
The process of development has its origin in the change of intrinsic essence to non-essence, has its origin in the change of non-essence to essence. This distinction is essential, otherwise there will be errors. |
| [pp. 265‒267] |
|
| (p. 50) |
A process has both qualitative and quantitative aspects. |
| (p. 52) |
Quantitative change promotes qualitative change. |
| [pp. 272‒276] |
|
| (p. 59) |
The acknowledgement of development through leaps is one of the central characteristics of dialectical materialism. |
| (p. 60) |
Nature, society, thought, all undergo leaps (feiyue). At the moment of the leap, the old quality is eliminated and a new quality is produced (with the old quality as the basis). |
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The quality and quantity of the old object are terminated, and the new quality and quantity begin to emerge. |
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The old process is the preparation for the new process, the old stage is the preparation for the new stage. |
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The new process or stage retains remnants of the old quality, and while there is furthermore a lengthy period in which the old and new intermesh in a complex manner, there is dominance of one over the other. |
| (p. 62) |
Dialectics must pay attention to the specific character of leaps. |