General Secretary Kim Jong Il said.

“There have been various types of world outlook in history, but there was none that clearly indicated the standpoint and attitude on the world placing man at the center. Even the materialists who in the past had regarded the world as a material object, to say nothing of the idealists who considered it as a world of ideas or spirit, could not put forward the standpoint and approach towards the world with man at the center.”

In general, methodology is a theory on general principle and method to be kept by man in all activities to cognize and transform things and phenomena.

Man’s creative activities to cognize and transform the world are diverse and accordingly diverse methods are used. And various methods can be used to attain one goal.

However diverse they are, there is a general methodological principle to be constantly adhered to. This general methodological principle is the philosophical methodology.

The man-centered standpoint and attitude towards the world that was elucidated by the Juche philosophical world outlook, that is, the standpoint and attitude to approach the world proceeding from man’s interests and to approach the change and development of the world focusing on man’s activities, are the most scientific and philosophical methodology to be kept in cognition and practice.

What, then, is the reason?

First of all, this is because the Juche standpoint and attitude towards the world is based on most scientific Juche standpoint towards the world.

In general, the standpoint towards the world is theoretical premise of the standpoint and stand towards the world. Therefore, if the standpoint and attitude towards the world are to be scientific, they should be based on scientific standpoint. This is as much the same as the fact that we need scientific strategy and tactics to win in the fight and for this we must know ourselves and the enemy.

The Juche standpoint towards the world is, in essence, that the world is dominated and transformed by man and that the world develops by the active role of man in the direction of serving him and in correspondence with the level of his development. Therefore, in all activities to cognize and transform the world, it is necessary to approach the world proceeding from the interests of man and take the way of enhancing continuously his role. This is none other than man-centered standpoint and attitude.

These standpoint and attitude are most correct philosophical methodology to be constantly kept in all activities to cognize and transform the world as they are based on most scientific Juche standpoint on the essence of the world and on the law of its change and development.

Another reason is that they correctly embody social nature of man, the subject of cognition and practice.

Cognition and practice are man’s active role. Therefore, the standpoint and attitude towards the world should embody man’s nature. That is because man is the subject of cognition and practice which take place by man’s nature. The cognition and practice is the process in which man sets a goal from his demand for independence and interests and fulfills it purposefully and consciously with his creative ability. Therefore, the purpose, direction, order, intensity, result and evaluation of cognition and practice are defined by man’s nature.

As man is independent being, the standpoint and attitude that define the starting point of his behavior ought to embody independence.

The Juche standpoint and attitude towards the world proceeding from man’s interests make it possible to realize his demand for independence and interests and thus make everything in the world serve him. That’s why they are most correct philosophical methodology that embodies independence, the social nature of man.

As man is not only independent but also creative social being, the standpoint and attitude that define method of human activity should embody creativity.

The Juche standpoint and attitude towards the change and development of the world focusing on man’s activity make it possible to mobilize his creative cognitive faculty and practical faculty to the full to make effective use of them according to situation. That’s why they are most correct philosophical methodology that embodies creativity, his social nature.

Like this, the man-centered standpoint and attitude towards the world embody comprehensively independence and creativity, social nature of man, the subject of cognition and practice. Therefore, they are most correct philosophical methodology for the correct understanding of the world and for the successful transformation of the world.

Now we will see originality and superiority of cognition and practice.

Like the view of the world, the standpoint and attitude towards the world have developed for a long historical time. But the previous world outlook of different kinds failed to set the standpoint and attitude towards the world as an independent component part and moreover failed to clarify standpoint and attitude towards the world centering on man. This is expressed in case of materialism not to say of idealism. The previous philosophies could not scientifically clarify essential characteristics of man and his position and role in the world, thus failing to evolve man-centered standpoint and attitude towards the world.

Marxist philosophy could not set standpoint and attitude towards the world as an independent component part of the world outlook. Marxist philosophy only established methodology to observe the world as it is in the relations and in the aspect of change and development proceeding from dialectical materialism.

On the basis of scientific elucidation of man’s essential characteristics and his position and role in the world, the Juche idea set man as master who dominates the world. And on that basis, it set standpoint and attitude towards the world as an independent component part of philosophical world outlook and established a new standpoint and attitude towards the change and development of the world centering on man, the master of the world unlike the past philosophies. Herein lies originality of the Juche standpoint and attitude towards the world.

The Juche standpoint and attitude towards the world presuppose dialectical materialist standpoint and attitude that overcame idealistic metaphysics, but it is incomparably superior to dialectical materialism.

First of all, to approach the world in the aspect of man’s interests is superior to materialist standpoint and attitude.

The materialist standpoint and attitude requires to see everything as it is since the world consists of objective matters. In one word, this is called principle of objectivity. This principle is significant in possessing realistic stand towards the world against mysticism and subjectivism. But it could not clarify what is the fundamental purpose in cognition and practice.

The man-centered standpoint and attitude towards the world proceeding from man’s interests do not confine themselves to seeing everything as it is without prejudice but require to approach the world in the aspect of interests of the people, the masters of the world. Therefore, the man-centered standpoint and attitude enables to set correct purpose and according to it conduct all cognitive and practical activities. They are therefore superior philosophical methodology that overcome one-sidedness of the materialist view towards the world.

The man-centered standpoint and attitude towards the world focusing on man’s activities are superior to dialectical ones.

Dialectics claims everything in the world constantly changes and develops and thus requires to see everything in change and development instead of seeing it as fixed and immutable. This is called historical principle. This principle is significant in overcoming metaphysical and dogmatical thinking methods. But it could not show methods of enhancing man’s role in cognition and practice of the world.

The standpoint and attitude towards the world focusing on man’s activity do not confine themselves to seeing everything in relations and change and development but enable to solve all problems by enhancing the role of man, the transformer of the world, to the maximum and thus to shape human destiny successfully. Therefore they are superior philosophical methodology that surpassed one-sidedness of the dialectical method.

The clarification of the man-centered standpoint and attitude towards the world by the Juche idea set up a major part of philosophical world outlook, developed component system and contents and made people to successfully shape their destiny with correct methodology. This is fundamental innovation in the development of the philosophical world outlook and in shaping man’s destiny.