The Principal Contradictions in the History of Capitalism

This article aims to analyze the development of capitalism over a period of 500 years by the use of Mao’s concept: “The principal contradiction.” It is not an article about philosophy; the principal contradiction is presented as a working tool for analyzing and development of strategy. The article distills history into epochs characterized by changing principal contradictions. The correct identification of the principal contradiction and its interaction with secondary contradictions is the starting point of the development of a strategy, which can influence the aspect of the contradiction, in the desired direction. Finally is the relation between the contradiction in the capitalist mode of production and its expression in the changing principal contradictions discussed.