阶级斗争，一些阶级胜利了，一些阶级消灭了。这就是历史，这就是几千年的文明史。拿这个观点解释历史的就叫做历史的唯物主义，站在这个观点的反面的是历史的唯心主义。
——《丢掉幻想，准备斗争》（一九四九年八月十四日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一四九一页
Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history, such is the history of civilization for thousands of years. To interpret history from this viewpoint is historical materialism; standing in opposition to this viewpoint is historical idealism.
― "Cast Away Illusions, Prepare for Struggle" (August 14, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 428.

在阶级社会中，每一个人都在一定的阶级地位中生活，各种思想无不打上阶级的烙印。
——《实践论》（一九三七年七月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第二七二页
In class society everyone lives as a member of a particular class, and every kind of thinking, without exception, is stamped with the brand of a class.
― "On Practice" (July 1937), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 296.

社会的变化，主要地是由于社会内部矛盾的发展，即生产力和生产关系的矛盾，阶级之间的矛盾，新旧之间的矛盾，由于这些矛盾的发展，推动了社会的前进，推动了新旧社会的代谢。 
——《矛盾论》（一九三七年八月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第二九零页 
Changes in society are due chiefly to the development of the internal contradictions in society, that is, the contradiction between the productive forces and the relations of production, the contradiction between classes and the contradiction between the old and the new; it is the development of these contradictions that pushes society forward and gives the impetus for the supersession of the old society by the new.
― "On Contradiction" (August 1937), Selected Works, Vol. I, P. 314.

地主阶级对于农民的残酷的经济剥削和政治压迫，迫使农民多次地举行起义，以反抗地主阶级的统治。……在中国封建社会里，只有这种农民的阶级斗争、农民的起义和农民的战争，才是历史发展的真正动力。 
——《中国革命和中国共产党》（一九三九年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第六一九页 
The ruthless economic exploitation and political oppression of the peasants by the landlord class forced them into numerous uprisings against its rule.... It was the class struggles of the peasants, the peasant uprisings and peasant wars that constituted the real motive force of historical development in Chinese feudal society.
― "The Chinese Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party" (December 1939), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 308.*

民族斗争，说到底，是一个阶级斗争问题。在美国压迫黑人的，只是白色人种中的反动统治集团。他们绝不能代表白色人种中占绝大多数的工人、农民、革命的知识分子和其他开明人士。 
——《支持美国黑人反对美帝国主义种族歧视的正义斗争的声明》（一九六三年八月八日），《全世界人民团结起来打败美国侵略者及其一切走狗》人民出版社版第四页 
In the final analysis, national struggle is a matter of class struggle. Among the whites in the United States it is only the reactionary ruling circles who oppress the black people. They can in no way represent the workers, farmers, revolutionary intellectuals and other enlightened persons who comprise the overwhelming majority of the white people.
― "Statement Supporting the American Negroes in Their Just Struggle Against Racial Discrimination by U.S. Imperialism" (August 8, 1963), People of the World, Unite and Defeat the U.S. Aggressors and All Their Lackeys, 2nd ed., pp. 3-4.*

人民靠我们去组织。中国的反动分子，靠我们组织起人民去把他打倒。凡是反动的东西，你不打，他就不倒。这也和扫地一样，扫帚不到，灰尘照例不会自己跑掉。 
——《抗日战争胜利后的时局和我们的方针》（一九四五年八月十三日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一一三一页 
It is up to us to organize the people. As for the reactionaries in China, it is up to us to organize the people to overthrow them. Everything reactionary is the same; if you don't hit it, it won't fall. This is also like sweeping the floor; as a rule, where the broom does not reach, the dust will not vanish of itself.
― "The Situation and Our Policy After the Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan" (August 13, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 19.

敌人是不会自行消灭的。无论是中国的反动派，或是美国帝国主义在中国的侵略势力，都不会自行退出历史舞台。 
——《将革命进行到底》（一九四八年十二月三十日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一三七九页 
The enemy will not perish of himself. Neither the Chinese reactionaries nor the aggressive forces of U.S. imperialism in China will step down from the stage of history of their own accord.
― "Carry the Revolution Through to the End" (December 30, 1948), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 301.

革命不是请客吃饭，不是做文章，不是绘画绣花，不能那样雅致，那样从容不迫，文质彬彬，那样温良恭俭让。革命是暴动，是一个阶级推翻一个阶级的暴烈的行动。 
——《湖南农民运动考察报告》（一九二七年三月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第一八页 
A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.
― "Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan" (March 1927), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 28.*

蒋介石对于人民是寸权必夺，寸利必得。我们呢？我们的方针是针锋相对，寸土必争。我们是按照蒋介石的办法办事。蒋介石总是要强迫人民接受战争，他左手拿着刀，右手也拿着刀。我们就按照他的办法，也拿起刀来。……现在蒋介石已经在磨刀了，因此，我们也要磨刀。 
——《抗日战争胜利后的时局和我们的方针》（一九四五年八月十三日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一一二六——一一二七页 
Chiang Kai-shek always tries to wrest every ounce of power and every ounce of gain from the people. And we? Our policy is to give him tit for tat and to fight for every inch of land. We act after his fashion. He always tries to impose war on the people, one sword in his left hand and another in his right. We take up swords, too, following his example.... As Chiang Kai-shek is now sharpening his swords, we must sharpen ours too.
― "The Situation and Our Policy After the Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan" (August 13, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. IV, pp. 14-l5.

谁是我们的敌人？谁是我们的朋友？这个问题是革命的首要问题。中国过去一切革命斗争成效甚少，其基本原因就是因为不能团结真正的朋友，以攻击真正的敌人。革命党是群众的向导，在革命中未有革命党领错了路而革命不失败的。我们的革命要有不领错路和一定成功的把握，不可不注意团结我们的真正的朋友，以攻击我们的真正的敌人。我们要分辨真正的敌友，不可不将中国社会各阶级的经济地位及其对于革命的态度，作一个大概的分析。 
——《中国社会各阶级的分析》（一九二六年三月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第三页 
Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? This is a question of the first importance for the revolution. The basic reason why all previous revolutionary struggles in China achieved so little was their failure to unite with real friends in order to attack real enemies. A revolutionary party is the guide of the masses, and no revolution ever succeeds when the revolutionary party leads them astray. To ensure that we will definitely achieve success in our revolution and will not lead the masses astray, we must pay attention to uniting with our real friends in order to attack our real enemies. To distinguish real friends from real enemies, we must make a general analysis of the economic status of the various classes in Chinese society and of their respective attitudes towards the revolution.
― "Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society" (March 1926), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 13.

一切勾结帝国主义的军阀、官僚、买办阶级、大地主阶级以及附属于他们的一部分反动知识界，是我们的敌人。工业无产阶级是我们革命的领导力量。一切半无产阶级、小资产阶级，是我们最接近的朋友。那动摇不定的中产阶级，其右翼可能是我们的敌人，其左翼可能是我们的朋友——但我们要时常提防他们，不要让他们扰乱了我们的阵线。 
——《中国社会各阶级的分析》（一九二六年三月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第八——第九页 
Our enemies are all those in league with imperialism - the warlords, the bureaucrats, the comprador class, the big Landlord class and the reactionary section of the intelligentsia attached to them. The leading force in our revolution is the industrial proletariat. Our closest friends are the entire semi-proletariat and petty bourgeoisie. As for the vacillating middle bourgeoisie, their right-wing may become our enemy and their left-wing may become our friend - but we must be constantly on our guard and not let them create confusion within our ranks.
― Ibid., p. 19.*

什么人站在革命人民方面，他就是革命派，什么人站在帝国主义封建主义官僚资本主义方面，他就是反革命派。什么人只是口头上站在革命人民方面而在行动上则另是一样，他就是一个口头革命派，如果不但在口头上而且在行动上也站在革命人民方面，他就是一个完全的革命派。 
——《在中国人民政治协商会议第一届全国委员会第二次会议上的闭幕词》（一九五零年六月二十三日），一九五零年六月二十四日《人民日报》 
Whoever sides with the revolutionary people is a revolutionary. Whoever sides with imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism is a counter-revolutionary. Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in words only but acts otherwise is a revolutionary in speech. Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense.
― "Closing speech at the Second Session of the First National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" (June 23, 1950).

我认为，对我们来说，一个人，一个党，一个军队，或者一个学校，如若不被敌人反对，那就不好了那一定是同敌人同流合污了。如若被敌人反对，那就好了，那就证明我们同敌人划清界线了。如若敌人起劲地反对我们，把我们说得一塌糊涂，一无是处，那就更好了，那就证明我们不但同敌人划清了界线，而且证明我们的工作是很有成绩的了。 
——《被敌人反对是好事而不是坏事》（一九三九年五月二十六日），人民出版社版第二页 
I hold that it is bad as far as we are concerned if a person, a political party, an army or a school is not attacked by the enemy, for in that case it would definitely mean that we have sunk to the level of the enemy. It is good if we are attacked by the enemy, since it proves that we have drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves. It is still better if the enemy attacks us wildly and paints us as utterly black and without a single virtue; it demonstrates that we have not only drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves but achieved a great deal in our work.
― "To Be Attacked by the Enemy Is Not a Bad Thing but a Good Thing" (May 26, 1939), 1st pocket ed., p. 2.*

凡是敌人反对的，我们就要拥护；凡是敌人拥护的，我们就要反对。
——《和中央社、扫荡报、新民报三记者的谈话》（一九三九年九月十六日），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第五八零页 
We should support whatever the enemy opposes and oppose whatever the enemy supports.
― "Interview with Three Correspondents from the Central News Agency, the Sao Tang Pao and the Hsin Min Pao" (September 16, 1939), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 272.

我们是站在无产阶级的和人民大众的立场。对于共产党员来说，也就是要站在党的立场，站在党性和党的政策的立场。
——《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话（一九四二年五月），〈毛泽东选集〉第三卷第八五零页 
Our stand is that of the proletariat and of the masses. For members of the Communist Party, this means keeping to the stand of the Party, keeping to Party spirit and Party policy.
― "Talks at the Yen'an Forum on Literature and Art" (May 1942), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 70.

在拿枪的敌人被消灭以后，不拿枪的敌人依然存在，他们必然地要和我们作拚死的斗争 ，我们决不可以轻视这些敌人。如果我们现在不是这样地提出问题和认识问题，我们就要犯极大的错误。 
——《在中国共产党第七届中央委员会第二次全体会议上的报告》（一九四九年三月五日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一四二八页 
After the enemies with guns have been wiped out, there will still be enemies without guns; they are bound to struggle desperately against us, and we must never regard these enemies lightly. If we do nor now raise and understand the problem in this way, we shall commit the gravest mistakes.
― "Report to the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China" (March 5, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 364.

帝国主义者和国内反动派决不甘心于他们的失败，他们还要作最后的挣扎。在全国平定以后，他们也还会以各种方式从事破坏和捣乱，他们将每日每时企图在中国复辟。这是必然的，毫无疑义的，我们务必不要松懈自己的警惕性。 
——《在中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议上的开幕词》（一九四九年九月二十一日），一九四九年九月二十二日《人民日报》 
The imperialists and domestic reactionaries will certainly not take their defeat lying down and they will struggle to the last ditch. After there is peace and order throughout the country, they will still engage in sabotage and create disturbances in various ways and will try every day and every minute to stage a come-back. This is inevitable and beyond all doubt, and under no circumstances must we relax our vigilance.
― "Opening address at the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" (September 21, 1949).

在我国，虽然社会主义改造，在所有制方面说来，已经基本完成，革命时期的大规模的急风暴雨式的群众阶级斗争已经基本结束，但是，被推翻的地主买办阶级的残余还是存在，资产阶级还是存在，小资产阶级刚刚在改造。阶级斗争并没有结束。无产阶级和资产阶级之间的阶级斗争，各派政治力量之间的阶级斗争，无产阶级和资产阶级之间在意识形态方面的阶级斗争，还是长时期的，曲折的，有时甚至是很激烈的。资产阶级也要按照自己的世界观改造世界，无产阶级要按照自己的世界观改造世界。在这一方面，社会主义和资本主义之间谁胜谁负的问题还没有真正解决。 
——《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》（一九五七年二月二十七日），人民出版社版第二六——二七页 
In China, although in the main socialist transformation has been completed with respect to the system of ownership, and although the large-scale and turbulent class struggles of the masses characteristic of the previous revolutionary periods have in the main come to an end, there are still remnants of the overthrown landlord and comprador classes, there is still a bourgeoisie, and the remoulding of the petty bourgeoisie has only just started. The class struggle is by no means over. The class struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, the class struggle between the different political forces, and the class struggle in the ideological held between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie will continue to be long and tortuous and at times will even become very acute. The proletariat seeks to transform the world according to its own world outlook, and so does the bourgeoisie. In this respect, the question of which will win out, socialism or capitalism, is still not really settled.
― "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People" (February 27, 1957), 1st pocket ed., pp. 51-52.

我国社会主义和资本主义之间在意识形态方面的谁胜谁负的斗争，还需要一个相当长的时间才能解决。这是因为资产阶级和从旧社会来的知识分子的影响还要在我国长期存在，作为阶级的意识形态，还要在我国长期存在。如果对于这种形势认识不足，或者根本不认识，那就要犯绝大的错误，就会忽视必要的思想斗争。 
——《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》（一九五七年二月二十七日），人民出版社版第二七页 
It will take a fairly long period of time to decide the issue in the ideological struggle between socialism and capitalism in our country. The reason is that the influence of the bourgeoisie and of the intellectuals who come from the old society will remain in our country for a long time to come, and so will their class ideology. If this is not sufficiently understood, or is not understood at all, the gravest mistakes will be made and the necessity of waging the struggle in the ideological field will be ignored. 
― Ibid., pp. 52-53.

在我国，资产阶级和小资产阶级的思想，反马克思主义的思想，还会长期存在。社会主义制度在我国已经基本建立。我们已经在生产资料所有制的改造方面，取得了基本胜利，但是在政治战线和思想战线方面，我们还没有完全取得胜利。无产阶级和资产阶级之间在意识形态方面的谁胜谁负问题，还没有真正解决。我们同资产阶级和小资产阶级的思想还要进行长期的斗争。不了解这种情况，放弃思想斗争，那就是错误的。凡是错误的思想，凡是毒草，凡是牛鬼蛇神，都应该进行批判，决不能让它们自由泛滥。但是，这种批判，应该是充分说理的，有分析的，有说服力的，而不应该是粗暴的、官僚主义的，或者是形而上学的、教条主义的。 
——《在中国共产党铨国宣传工作会议上的讲话》（一九五七年三月十二日），人民出版社版第一九——二零页 
In our country bourgeois and petty-bourgeois ideology, anti-Marxist ideology, will continue to exist for a long time. Basically, the socialist system has been established in our country. We have won the basic victory in transforming the ownership of the means of production, but we have not yet won complete victory on the political and ideological fronts. In the ideological field, the question of who will win in the struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie has not been really settled yet. We still have to wage a protracted struggle against bourgeois and petty-bourgeois ideology. It is wrong not to understand this and to give up ideological struggle. All erroneous ideas, all poisonous weeds, all ghosts and monsters, must be subjected to criticism; in no circumstance should they be allowed to spread unchecked. However, the criticism should be fully reasoned, analytical and convincing, and not rough, bureaucratic, metaphysical or dogmatic.
― "Speech at the Chinese Communist Party's National Conference on Propaganda Work" (March 12, 1957), 1st pocket ed., pp. 26-27.*

教条主义和修正主义都是违反马克思主义的。马克思主义一定要向前发展，要随着实践的发展而发展，不能停滞不前。停止了，老是那么一套，它就没有生命了。但是，马克思主义的基本原则又是不能违背的，违背了就要犯错误。用形而上学的观点来看待马克思主义，把它看成僵死的东西，这是教条主义。否定马克思主义的基本原则，否定马克思主义的普遍真理，这就是修正主义。修正主义是一种资产阶级思想。修正主义者抹杀社会主义和资本主义的区别，抹杀无产阶级专政和资产阶级专政的区别。他们所主张的，在实际上并不是社会主义路线，而是资本主义路线。在现在的情况下，修正主义的比教条主义更有害的东西。我们现在思想战线上的一个重要任务，就是要开展对于修正主义的批判。 
——《在中国共产党全国宣传工作会议上的讲话》（一九五七年三月十二日），人民出版社版第二零——二十一页 
Both dogmatism and revisionism run counter to Marxism. Marxism must certainly advance; it must develop along with the development of practice and cannot stand still. It would become lifeless if it remained stagnant and stereotyped. However, the basic principles of Marxism must never be violated, or otherwise mistakes will be made. It is dogmatism to approach Marxism from a metaphysical point of view and to regard it as something rigid. It is revisionism to negate the basic principles of Marxism and to negate its universal truth. Revisionism is one form of bourgeois ideology. The revisionists deny the differences between socialism and capitalism, between the dictatorship of the proletariat and the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. What they advocate is in fact not the socialist line but the capitalist line. In present circumstances, revisionism is more pernicious than dogmatism. One of our current important tasks on the ideological front is to unfold criticism of revisionism.
― Ibid., pp. 27-28.

修正主义，或者右倾机会主义，是一种资产阶级思潮，它比教条主义有更大的危险性。修正主义者，右倾机会主义者，口头上也挂着马克思主义，他们也在那里攻击“教条主义”。但是他们所攻击的正是马克思主义的最根本的东西。他们反对或者歪曲唯物论和辩证法，反对或者企图削弱人民民主专政和共产党的领导，反对或者企图削弱社会主义改造和社会主义建设。在我国社会主义革命取得基本胜利以后，社会上还有一部分人梦想恢复资本主义制度，他们要从各个方面向工人阶级进行斗争，包括思想方面的斗争。而在这个斗争中，修正主义者就是他们最好的助手。 
——《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》（一九五七年二月二十七日），人民出版社版第二九——三零页 
Revisionism, or Right opportunism, is a bourgeois trend of thought that is even more dangerous than dogmatism. The revisionists, the Right opportunists, pay lipservice to Marxism; they too attack "dogmatism". But what they are really attacking is the quintessence of Marxism. They oppose or distort materialism and dialectics, oppose or try to weaken the people's democratic dictatorship and the leading role of the Communist Party, and oppose or try to weaken socialist transformation and socialist construction. After the basic victory of the socialist revolution in our country, there are still a number of people who vainly hope to restore the capitalist system and fight the working class on every front, including the ideological one. And their right-hand men in this struggle are the revisionists.
― "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People" (February 27, 1957), 1st pocket ed., pp. 56-57