I realized that my brain has declined because I haven’t read for a long time. So I plan to reread “Outline of Marxist Philosophy” and also refer to “A Small Dictionary of Philosophy,” Lenin’s “Philosophical Notes,” and others.
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Qualitative Change
Qualitative: Qualitative refers to the specific internal characteristics that distinguish a thing from other things. (While quantity is an external characteristic)
Qualitative change: A qualitative change is the reciprocal position of the main and non-main aspects of contradiction, that is, the resolution of contradiction.
Why is the shift of primary and secondary aspects considered the resolution of contradiction? After the shift, aren’t there still primary and secondary aspects? Does the original contradiction still exist?
It is actually related to the law of negation of negation (affirmative negation). When the non-primary aspect becomes stronger, it negates the original primary aspect, which is the first negation.
(The negation of the primary aspect is the affirmation of the non-primary aspect, so negation of negation is also called the law of affirmative negation.) After the primary aspect is eliminated, the secondary aspect also changes because it is no longer the self that was suppressed by the primary aspect. This is a further negation; the secondary aspect is also negated and changes.
Just like after the founding of New China, the people are no longer oppressed but become the masters of the state. Society undergoes a qualitative change; revolutionary masses are no longer the negating factor of social system as in old society, but become the main aspect of the new society, the affirmative factor of society.
Quantity: The scope and level of qualitative characteristics. Quantity can also be called the external characteristic of a thing.
Quantitative change: When the internal contradiction between the two sides of a thing has not yet reached the level of primary-secondary shift, and the measure of the thing has not been broken through, thus maintaining a relatively stable qualitative state, this change is called quantitative change.
Difference between qualitative and quantitative: The existence of a thing is directly unified with its quality; if a thing loses its quality, it is no longer called that thing. Quantity, however, does not have direct identity with a thing; within a certain range, increases or decreases in quantity do not affect the thing’s identity. Therefore, it can be said that quality is an internal characteristic, while quantity is an external characteristic.
Degree: The unity of quality and quantity. “This boundary that allows a thing to maintain a certain specific quality and quantity is called degree in philosophy.”
The unity of quality and quantity of a thing is not only generally reflected in the fact that quality always has a certain quantity based on quantity; especially, it is deeply reflected in the fact that every thing has a quantitative limit to its quality.
Essence: “Every form of motion contains within itself a specific contradiction. This specific contradiction constitutes the particular essence that distinguishes a thing from other things.” (《Contradiction》)
【The distinction between essence (wesen) and quality (gualitat): The essence is formed by the internal contradictions of a thing. It can be said that the essence is the internal specific contradiction of the thing; while quality is not equal to the internal contradiction but is a special characteristic determined by the internal contradiction that distinguishes this thing from others. The category of essence is more profound than that of quality. Generally, when people can distinguish a thing from other things, it means they have recognized its quality; but only when the specific internal contradiction of the thing is discovered, i.e., the internal cause or basis that makes this thing different from others, can it be said that they have understood the essence of the thing. Once people understand the essence of a thing, their understanding of its quality becomes deeper.] (《Marxist Philosophy Outline》, note on section about quality, P311) The relationship between essence and quality is as literal as the words suggest. Essence is the basis of quality; after all, “ben” (本) means root. Previously, it was said that the quality of a thing is its distinguishing characteristic, indicating the difference between this thing and others. Since difference is contradiction, is the quality determined by the contradiction between this thing and others—i.e., the external contradiction? Actually, no. The essence is ultimately determined by the internal contradiction of the thing, which is governed by the essence. External contradictions influence internal contradictions through their effects, i.e., external factors act by strengthening or weakening certain aspects of internal contradictions.
Here is an example I thought of:
The defining characteristic of an egg is its ability to hatch chicks at suitable temperatures, which is the egg’s quality (biological aspect). As a biological entity, the fundamental contradiction of the egg is between assimilation and alienation. The external condition of suitable temperature influences this contradiction, strengthening the aspect of assimilation, allowing the embryo to develop before the nutrients inside the egg are exhausted by alienation, thus hatching chicks. Because of the internal contradiction of assimilation and alienation, the egg’s ability to hatch chicks at suitable temperatures is a characteristic that manifests during its interaction with external temperature.
About Leap
Qualitative change is a leap from one quality to another, and all things must undergo a leap to complete a qualitative change.
A leap is a special form of movement; it is not directly identical to qualitative change. The subject of a leap can be various objects or concepts, and the process of leap should also include a change in quantity (?).
Why do oppositional contradictions associated with leaps have strong external conflicts?
Similar to external influences affecting internal contradictions, internal contradictions also influence external contradictions—because things are universally interconnected. The internal contradiction of an object determines its quality, which indicates its difference from other objects. Since difference is contradiction, quality and external contradiction are related.
When an object undergoes a drastic qualitative change, its relationship with the external world must also change dramatically. Therefore, the explosion of a strongly oppositional contradiction results in a significant qualitative change, and the contradiction with the external world is also intensified.
e.g., The internal contradiction of a bomb is between the sealed shell and internal pressure; the external contradiction is between the shell and external atmospheric pressure.
When the bomb detonates, internal pressure rapidly exceeds the tolerance limit, destroying the shell. The previously stable solid state turns into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas and scattered shrapnel. Its nature changes, and it collides violently with external air, generating a shock wave—this is a severe external conflict.
e.g., After the October Revolution, the proletariat abolished the bourgeois state machine; the former “world policeman” Tsarist Russia became Soviet Russia. The previous dominant relationship between Russia and other imperialist countries was maintained by the Tsarist government, which was the main aspect of the internal contradiction; later, the state apparatus of the proletarian dictatorship became the dominant external factor.
Why is the qualitative change of the same object always faster than the quantitative change stage?
Because the stage of quantitative change is the stage where the old thing is strong and the new thing is weak. During this stage, the affirmative factors of the old thing are still strong, and the affirmative factors of the new thing are relatively weak, so the growth of the new thing is slower. The stage of qualitative change is when the old and new things are evenly matched (e.g., when a liquid reaches boiling point and the saturated vapor pressure equals the atmospheric pressure). The new thing has become relatively strong enough to rapidly promote the transformation of primary and secondary aspects of contradiction, so this stage is faster.
Gradualism
Gradualism is the opposite of leap; it is a process of quantitative change. But it is a common mistake to treat gradualism as qualitative change—revisionists often do this to reinforce the old society under the guise of revolution.
Why is qualitative change never gradual? Here is a sharp critique of gradualism (quoted from Lenin’s 《Philosophical Notes》):
“The hypothesis of gradualism is based on the understanding that: what is emerging already exists sensually or fundamentally exists in reality, but cannot be perceived because it is too small… Moreover, the so-called existence here does not mean that: it is already contained within existing things, but that: it is already an existing entity, just not visible yet… In other words, the internal and essential differences become external differences, merely differences in quantity…”
Qualitative change involves the emergence of new qualities and the demise of old qualities. The emergence is from nothing to something; the demise is from something to nothing. This concept of creation and destruction cannot be encompassed by gradualism.
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