共产党是不怕批评的，因为我们是马克思主义者，真理是在我们方面，工农基本群众是在我们方面。
——《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），人民出版社版第一一页
The Communist Party does not fear criticism because we are Marxists, the truth is on our side, and the basic masses, the workers and peasants, are on our side.
― "Speech at the Chinese Communist Party's National Conference on Propaganda Work" (March 12, 1957), 1st pocket ed., p. 14.

彻底的唯物主义者是无所畏惧的，我们希望一切同我们共同奋斗的人能够勇敢地负起责任，克服困难，不要怕挫折，不要怕有人议论讥笑，也不要怕向我们共产党人提批评建议。“舍得一身剐，敢把皇帝拉下马”，我们在为社会主义共产主义而斗争的时候，必须有这种大无畏的精神。
——《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），人民出版社版第一二——一三页
Thoroughgoing materialists are fearless; we hope that all our fellow fighters will courageously shoulder their responsibilities and overcome all difficulties, fearing no setbacks or gibes, nor hesitating to criticize us Communists and give us their suggestions. "He who is not afraid of death by a thousand cuts dares to unhorse the emperor" - this is the indomitable spirit needed in our struggle to build socialism and communism.
― Ibid., p. 16.

我们有批评和自我批评这个马克思列宁主义的武器。我们能够去掉不良作风，保持优良作风。
——《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》第四卷第一四四零页
We have the Marxist-Leninist weapon of criticism and self-criticism. We can get rid of a bad style and keep the good.
― "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. 374.

有无认真的自我批评，也是我们和其他政党互相区别的显著的标志之一。我们曾经说过，房子是应该经常打扫的，不打扫就会积满了灰尘；脸是应该经常洗的，不洗也就会灰尘满面。我们同志的思想，我们党的工作，也会沾染灰尘的，也应该打扫和洗涤。“流水不腐，户枢不蠹”，是说它们在不停的运动中抵抗了微生物或其他生物的侵蚀。对于我们，经常地检讨工作，在检讨中推广民主作风，不惧怕批评和自我批评，实行“知无不言，言无不尽”，“言者无罪，闻者足戒”，“有则改之，无则加勉”这些中国人民的有益的格言，正是抵抗各种政治灰尘和政治微生物侵蚀我们同志的思想和我们党的肌体的唯一有效的方法。
——《论联合政府》（一九四五年四月二十四日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第一零九七页
Conscientious practice of self-criticism is still another hallmark distinguishing our Party from all other political parties. As we say, dust will accumulate if a room is not cleaned regularly, our faces will get dirty if they are not washed regularly. Our comrades' minds and our Party's work may also collect dust, and also need sweeping and washing. The proverb "Running water is never stale and a door-hinge is never worm-eaten" means that constant motion prevents the inroads of germs and other organisms. To check up regularly on our work and in the process develop a democratic style of work, to fear neither criticism nor self-criticism, and to apply such good popular Chinese maxims as "Say all you know and say it without reserve", "Blame not the speaker but be warned by his words" and "Correct mistakes if you have committed them and guard against them if you have not" - this is the only effective way to prevent all kinds of political dust and germs from contaminating the minds of our comrades and the body of our Party.
― "On Coalition Government" (April 24, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III, pp. 316-17.

党内不同思想的对立和斗争是经常发生的，这是社会的阶级矛盾和新旧事物的矛盾在党内的反映。党内如果没有矛盾和解决矛盾的思想斗争，党的生命也就停止了。
——《矛盾论》（一九三七年八月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第二九四页
Opposition and struggle between ideas of different kinds constantly occur within the Party; this is a reflection within the Party of contradictions between classes and between the new and the old in society. If there were no contradictions in the Party and no ideological struggles to resolve them, the Party's life would come to an end.
― "On Contradiction" (August 1937), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 317.

我们主张积极的思想斗争，因为它是达到党内和革命团体内的团结使之利于战斗的武器。每个共产党员和革命分子，应该拿起这个武器。
但是自由主义取消思想斗争，主张无原则的和平，结果是腐朽庸俗的作风发生，使党和革命团体的某些组织和某些个人在政治上腐化起来。
——《反对自由主义》（一九三七年九月七日），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第三四七页
We stand for active ideological struggle because it is the weapon for ensuring unity within the Party and the revolutionary organizations in the interest of our fight. Every Communist and revolutionary should take up this weapon.
But liberalism rejects ideological struggle and stands for unprincipled peace, thus giving rise to a decadent, philistine attitude and bringing about political degeneration in certain units and individuals in the Party and the revolutionary organizations.
― "Combat Liberalism" (September 7, 1937), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 31.

我们反对主观主义、宗派主义、党八股，有两条宗旨是必须注意的：第一是“惩前毖后”，第二是“治病救人”。对以前的错误一定要揭发，不讲情面，要以科学的态度来分析批判过去的坏东西，以便使后来的工作慎重些，做得好些。这就是“惩前毖后”的意思。但是我们揭发错误、批判缺点的目的，好象医生治病一样，完全是为了救人，而不是为了把人整死。一个人发了阑尾炎，医生把阑尾割了，这个人就救出来了。任何犯错误的人，只要他不讳疾忌医，不固执错误，以至于达到不可救药的地步，而是老老实实，真正愿意医治，愿意改正，我们就要欢迎他，把他的毛病治好，使他变为一个好同志。这个工作决不是痛快一时，乱打一顿，所能奏效的。对待思想上的毛病和政治上的毛病，决不能采用鲁莽的态度，必须采用“治病救人”的态度，才是正确有效的方法。
——《整顿党的作风》（一九四二年二月一日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第八二九——八三零页
In opposing subjectivism, sectarianism and stereotyped Party writing we must have in mind two purposes: first, "learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones", and second, "cure the sickness to save the patient". The mistakes of the past must be exposed without sparing anyone's sensibilities; it is necessary to analyse and criticize what was bad in the past with a scientific attitude so that work in the future will be done more carefully and done better. This is what is meant by "learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones". But our aim in exposing errors and criticizing shortcomings, like that of a doctor curing a sickness, is solely to save the patient and not to doctor him to death. A person with appendicitis is saved when the surgeon removes his appendix. So long as a person who has made mistakes does not hide his sickness for fear of treatment or persist in his mistakes until he is beyond cure, so long as he honestly and sincerely wishes to be cured and to mend his ways, we should welcome him and cure his sickness so that he can become a good comrade. We can never succeed if we just let ourselves go and lash out at him. In treating an ideological or a political malady, one must never be rough and rash but must adopt the approach of "curing the sickness to save the patient", which is the only correct and effective method.
― "Rectify the Party's Style of Work" (February 1, 1942), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 50.*

关于党内批评问题，还有一点要说及的，就是有些同志的批评不注意大的方面，只注意小的方面。他们不明白批评的主要任务，是指出政治上的错误和组织上的错误。至于个人缺点，如果不是与政治的和组织的错误有联系，则不必多所指摘，使同志们无所措手足。而且这种批评一发展，党内精神完全集注到小的缺点方面，人人变成了谨小慎微的君子，就会忘记党的政治任务，这是很大的危险。
——《关于纠正党内的错误思想》（一九二九年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第九四页
Another point that should be mentioned in connection with inner-Party criticism is that some comrades ignore the major issues and confine their attention to minor points when they make their criticism. They do not understand that the main task of criticism is to point out political and organizational mistakes. As to personal shortcomings, unless they are related to political and organizational mistakes, there is no need to be overcritical or the comrades concerned will be at a loss as to what to do. Moreover, once such criticism develops, there is the great danger that within the Party attention will be concentrated exclusively on minor faults, and everyone will become timid and overcautious and forget the Party's political tasks.
― "On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party" (December 1929), Selected Works, Vol. I, pp. 111-12.*

党内批评要防止主观武断和把批评庸俗化，说话要有证据，批评要注意政治。
——《关于纠正党内的错误思想》（一九二九年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第九五页
In inner-Party criticism, guard against subjectivism, arbitrariness and the vulgarization of criticism; statements should be based on facts and criticism should stress the political side.
― Ibid., p. 112.*

党内批评是坚强党的组织、增加党的战斗力的武器。但是红军党内的批评有些不是这样，变成了攻击个人。其结果，不但毁坏了个人，也毁坏了党的组织。这是小资产阶级个人主义的表现。纠正的方法，在于使党员明白批评的目的是增加党的战斗力以达到阶级斗争的胜利，不应当利用批评去做攻击个人的工具。
——《关于纠正党内的错误思想》（一九二九年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第九二页
Inner-Party criticism is a weapon for strengthening the Party organization and increasing its fighting capacity. In the Party organization of the Red Army, however, criticism is not always of this character, and sometimes turns into personal attack. As a result, it damages the Party organization as well as individuals. This is a manifestation of petty-bourgeois individualism. The method of correction is to help Party members understand that the purpose of criticism is to increase the Party's fighting capacity in order to achieve victory in the class struggle and that it should not be used as a means of personal attack.
― Ibid., p. 110.

因为我们是为人民服务的，所以，我们如果有缺点，就不怕别人批评指出。不管是什么人，谁向我们指出都行。只要你说得对，我们就改正。你说的办法对人民有好处，我们就照你的办。
——《为人民服务》（一九四四年九月八日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第一零零三页
If we have shortcomings, we are not afraid to have them pointed out and criticized, because we serve the people. Anyone, no matter who, may point out our shortcomings. If he is right, we will correct them. If what he proposes will benefit the people, we will act upon it.
― "Serve the People" (September 8, 1941), Selected Works, Vol. III, P. 227.

以中国最广大人民的最大利益为出发点的中国共产党人，相信自己的事业是完全合乎正义的，不惜牺牲自己个人的一切，随时准备拿出自己的生命去殉我们的事业，难道还有什么不适合人民需要的思想、观点、意见、办法，舍不得丢掉的吗？难道我们还欢迎任何政治的灰尘、政治的微生物来玷污我们的清洁的面貌和侵蚀我们的健全的肌体吗？无数革命先烈为了人民的利益牺牲了他们的生命，使我们每个活着人想起他们就心里难过，难道我们还有什么个人利益不能牺牲，还有什么错误不能抛弃吗？
——《论联合政府》（一九四五年四月二十四日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第一零九七——一零九八页
As we Chinese Communists, who base all our actions on the highest interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people and who are fully convinced of the justice of our cause, never balk at any personal sacrifice and are ready at all times to give our lives for the cause, can we be reluctant to discard any idea, viewpoint, opinion or method which is not suited to the needs of the people? Can we be willing to allow political dust and germs to dirty our clean faces or eat into our healthy organisms? Countless revolutionary martyrs have laid down their lives in the interests of the people, and our hearts are filled with pain as we the living think of them - can there be any personal interest, then, that we would not sacrifice or any error that we would not discard?
― "On Coalition Government" (April 24, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 317.*

我们决不能一见成绩就自满自足起来。我们应该抑制自满，时时批评自己的缺点，好象我们为了清洁，为了去掉灰尘，天天要洗脸，天天要扫地一样。
——《组织起来》（一九四三年十一月二十九日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第九三八页
We must not become complacent over any success. We should check our complacency and constantly criticize our shortcomings, just as we should wash our faces or sweep the floor every day to remove the dirt and keep them clean.
― "Get Organized!" (November 29, 1943), Selected Works, Vol. III. p. 160.*

批评要是及时的批评，不要老是爱好事后的批评。
——《关于农业合作化问题》（一九五五年七月三十一日），人民出版社版第二九页
As for criticism, do it in good time; don't get into the habit of criticizing only after the event.
― "On the Question of Agricultural Co-operation" (July 31, 1955), 3rd ed., p. 25.

错误和挫折教训了我们，使我们比较地聪明起来了，我们的事情就办得好一些。任何个人，错误总是难免的，我们要求犯得少一点。犯了错误则要求改正，改正得越迅速，越彻底，越好。
——《论人民民主专政》（一九四九年六月三十日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一四八五页
Taught by mistakes and setbacks, we have become wiser and handle our affairs better. It is hard for any political party or person to avoid mistakes, but we should make as few as possible. Once a mistake is made, we should correct it, and the more quickly and thoroughly the better.
― "On the People's Democratic Dictatorship" (June 30, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 422.