Political Ideas of Mao Zedong:

1. Maoism:
From the sixties to the end of last century the term Maoism was very
popular in the Communist World.

A Marxist Scholar defines Maoism in the following words – “Maoism

in its final shape is a radical peasant Utopia.
The term Maoism can be treated as the combined product of Mao’s
own thought based on the indigenous situation of China. But its
root can be traced to Marx’s and Lenin’s thought. Maoism was not
the direct product of Marxism. But it is not absolutely alien to Marx’s
basic thought and philosophy.
So we can say that the application of Marxism started with Lenin
and it was subsequently followed by Mao. In a restricted sense,
Maoism can be called a continuation of Leninism, but it cannot be
called a carbon copy of Leninism and not even Marxism. Maoism, in
a sense, is a variation of communism.

His belief was that the peasants and common people must be well-
acquainted with the revolutionary doctrine and for that purpose he
wrote several articles and the most important are “On Practice” and
“On Contradiction”.

2. On Revolution

Borrowing Marx’s and Lenin’s idea he says that in every bourgeois

society there are contradictions and when the roots of contradictions
have gone to the depth of the society, naturally they cannot be easily
resolved.

The only way is revolution. In his theory of revolution Mao has

borrowed Lenin’s views and practically he has very little originality.
Like Lenin, Mao believed that antagonism between the hostile
classes could not be settled without war, that is, revolution. The
exploited class must be prepared to take arms. On nature of
revolution Mao’s view is still remarkable. In his words – Political
Power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

He said, “A revolution is not a dinner party or writing an essay or

painting a picture or doing embroidery, it is not to be so refined, so
leisurely and gently, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and
magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by
which one class overthrows another.” This constitutes the central
idea of Mao’s theory of revolution.

3. Role of Party in Revolution

Mao has also emphasized the importance of party in a revolution.

The success of revolution primarily depends upon a well-organized
party structure. Party is really indispensable for a revolution.

He once said to lead the revolution to success or victory a political

party is necessary. But a party must follow its own line and must be
dependent on the general mass. Party is the vanguard of masses. He
also said that the party must not detach itself from the common
people.

Into his concept of revolution Mao included another technique and it

is guerrilla warfare or to launch a sudden attack against the enemy.
His theory of revolution also includes all sorts of conspiratorial
practices. The chief objective of Mao’s revolution is to defeat the
enemy from behind.

In war he did not allow ethics, principles etc. to intervene because he

knew that all these would hinder the success of a revolution.

4. On Class Struggle –
Class struggle is also another technique of revolution. But Mao
differed from Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin on the concept of class.
All of them have spoken about class in the background of capitalist
society. But Mao viewed the idea in the light of China whose main
class was peasantry. Hence in Mao’s class struggle the peasants
must play the leading role.

According to Mao the peasants, the lumpen proletariat and industrial

workers must combinedly launch a revolution against the
bourgeoisie and all the reactionary forces. All these must be well-
prepared to attack the bourgeoisie.

5. On New Democracy—Definition and Nature:

An important aspect of Mao’s political ideas is his conception about
democracy. This he explained in his widely read and discussed article
On New Democracy published in January 1940. When Mao wrote
this article China was not a republic and more particularly a
communist state.

Hence by new democracy he meant democratic China would no

longer be oppressed (politically) and exploited economically. When
China would be politically free, she would make continuous and
untiring efforts to be economically prosperous.

In Mao’s view political freedom and economic prosperity would lay

the foundation of new democracy. But for these two a revolution is
indispensable. After revolution China will set up a democracy.

This democratic society will be transformed into a socialist society.

Hence the new democracy will be a combination of democracy and
socialism. This will come through revolution.

Mao claims that his concept of democracy differs from the so-called
bourgeois democracy. He says – “The so-called democratic system in
modern states is usually monopolized by the bourgeoisie and has
become simply an instrument for oppressing the common people”.
Mao’s main emphasis is on British-American system of democracy
where only the bourgeoisie plays the dominant part, and this is a
small fraction of the entire population. Naturally, this cannot be
called real democracy.

According to Mao, the bourgeois democracy consists of a very small

section of people, and it is concerned with the welfare of this small
section. His claim is that the democracy envisaged by him will be
basically different from bourgeoisie democracy.

The New Democracy of China will represent all sections of people

and it will be managed or controlled by the revolutionary class of
entire mass. It will be based on universal and equal suffrage.

Explaining the nature of New Democracy, Mao further maintains that

this democracy is characterized by universal suffrage and democratic
centralism. He says – “The state system, a joint dictatorship of all
revolutionary classes, and the system of government democratic
centralism—these constitute the politics of New Democracy, the
republic of New Democracy”.

The new democracy will also emphasize the economic aspects of

China. New Democracy of China will be the owner of all big banks
and the big industrial and commercial enterprises. Railways,
airlines and other public utility concerns shall be managed by the
Chinese government. The state enterprises will be of socialist
character.

The economy will develop along the line of regulation of capital and
equalization of land ownership.