Methods Suitable to the Actual Situation – On the Juche Idea (treatise, 1982)

The revolutionary movement demands solving all problems in conformity with the changes and development in the reality and the specific conditions of the country.

The revolutionary struggle for socialism and communism is waged in different conditions of the time and the concrete circumstances of each country. There is no formula for the revolution and construction that is suitable to all eras and all countries. Therefore, one must always proceed from the actual situation and creatively solve all problems in conformity with it.

If one is to wage the revolutionary struggle in the way which is suitable to one’s own actual situation, one must correctly assess the subjective and objective conditions of the revolution in one’s own country and define the line, strategy and tactics in accordance with them. Should one fail to take into good account these conditions, one would fall into subjectivism in mapping out the policy and would inflict a great loss to the revolution and construction.

In the revolutionary struggle greater importance should be attached to the internal factor and the political and ideological factor. One can promote the revolution as one desires when the internal forces are prepared and the masses’ level of ideology is high, although other conditions are unfavourable. In defining the policy and methods of the revolution, one must regard the internal factor and the political and ideological factor as the main factors and strengthen them to energetically develop the revolution.

If one is to carry out the revolutionary struggle and construction work in accordance with one’s actual conditions, one must take a correct attitude towards the established theories.

As the leader instructed, with regard to the propositions or formulas of the established theories one must apply them to conform to one’s specific conditions and peculiarities after taking into consideration the demands of the time they reflect and the premises they are based on. A theory that does not conform with the specific revolutionary practice is useless. In the guidance of the revolutionary struggle and construction work, the starting point is not the propositions or formulas of the established theories but the actual realities. The point is not whether something conforms with the established theories but whether it conforms with the demands and interests of the masses and the subjective and objective conditions of a given period. If something should meet the demands and interests of the popular masses and the subjective and objective conditions, one would not need to stick to the existing propositions or formulas.

In order to correctly carry out the revolutionary struggle, one must actively inquire into new principles and methods of the revolution and construction which are suitable to the historical conditions of the time and one’s concrete situation.

Inquiring into new revolutionary principles and ways to meet the demands of the actual conditions is very urgent in our time. In our era, the revolution and construction are being intensified and developed as never before and many new theoretical and practical problems are arising. This demands that the guiding theory, strategy and tactics of the revolution be mapped out in a way which is suitable to the present conditions and that the revolutionary theory of the working class be further developed in a creative way.

The theoretical activities of our Party that has originally clarified revolutionary principles and ways to meet the demands raised by the revolutionary practice of our time, constitute a brilliant example in adhering to the revolutionary principles of Marxism-Leninism and developing the revolutionary theory of the working class onto a new, higher plane.

A critical and creative approach to foreign experiences is important in the revolution and construction.

Such experiences always reflect the socio-historical conditions and the national peculiarities of a particular country. Some of them are necessary and beneficial to one’s country and suitable to one’s actual conditions but others are not. One must accept what is beneficial to one and reject what is not. In accepting the good experiences of others, one must not swallow them raw but adhere to the stand of changing and modifying them to suit one’s actual conditions.

Though one had better refer to the experiences of others, one must make effective use of one’s own experiences as far as possible.

It is wrong both to try to copy others blindly and to refuse to learn with an open mind from the good experiences of others. The question is what should be one’s attitude towards the experiences of others. We are opposed to the dogmatic attitude of unconditionally worshipping the experiences of others without demonstrating a creative spirit and mechanically imitating even that which is not suitable to one’s actual conditions. This attitude renders it impossible to map out a correct policy conforming to the revolutionary requirements of one’s own country and the aspirations of one’s own people. In the long run, it would make it impossible to carry out the revolution and construction satisfactorily.

To apply the creative spirit in solving all problems in conformity with one’s own situation is a scientific and revolutionary method that makes it possible to reject flunkeyism and dogmatism and successfully carry out the revolution and construction.