Pursuing Truth with the Spirit of Truth in China | Comrades | Truth
Author: Chang Zheng
In July 1945, Comrade Mao Zedong gave the first answer in a conversation with Huang Yanpei to break out of the historical cycle of chaos and rise and fall - only by letting the people supervise the government can the government dare not relax.To forge ahead on a new journey and make achievements in a new era, and to lead the social revolution with the Party's self revolution, we must adhere to truth, correct mistakes, and always maintain a clear and firm determination to solve the unique problems of the Party.
To uphold truth and correct mistakes, we must firmly stand on the people's standpoint
Governing a country requires stability, while benefiting the people is the foundation. Since its establishment in 1921, seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation has always been the original aspiration and mission of our party. The more than 100 year history of our Party and the people's hearts connected, breathing together, and sharing a common destiny is the more than 100 year history of practicing our original aspiration and mission.This country is its people; the people are the country.People's hearts are the greatest politics. If we cannot win the hearts of the people, our party will have an unstable foundation, weak bloodline, and weak strength.The people, only the people, are the greatest confidence of our party in governing and revitalizing the country.
Marx and Engels pointed out in the Communist Manifesto that "in the various stages of development experienced by the struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, communists always represent the interests of the entire movement" and "they have no interests different from those of the entire proletariat". Comrade Mao Zedong emphasized that "the Communist Party is a political party that seeks the interests of the nation and the people, and it itself has no selfish interests." For over a hundred years, whether it is in the bloody and indomitable period of the New Democratic Revolution, or in the period of self-reliance and self-improvement in the socialist revolution and construction; Whether in the new era of emancipating the mind, striving for progress in reform and opening up, and socialist modernization construction, or in the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics characterized by confidence, self-improvement, integrity, and innovation, our Party has always represented the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people and has never had any special interests of its own.
To stand firm in the position of the people, we must adhere to truth and correct mistakes in order to achieve the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people. Whatever is beneficial to the cause of the Party and the people, we must resolutely work, work hard, and never stop working; Whatever is detrimental to the cause of the Party and the people, we must resolutely and thoroughly rectify it, without delay, and comprehensively promote the Party's self purification, self-improvement, self-renewal, and self-improvement. Self purification and self-improvement are the methods of applying medicine and using knives to treat diseases; And self-improvement and self-improvement are the measures to strengthen the foundation and strengthen the body. The simultaneous development of the "four selves" has formed a virtuous cycle in which our party relies on its own strength to discover problems and correct deviations, and it is also the scientific connotation of self revolution.
To uphold truth and correct errors, we must adhere to the principle of putting practice first
What is learned on paper is shallow, but one must take action to know it. Marxism is truth, but not knowledge in the study, but a practical theory. In the Outline of Feuerbach, Marx believed that all social life is essentially practical. Whether human thinking has objective truth is not a theoretical issue, but a practical one. People should prove the truth of their thinking in practice, that is, the reality and power of their thinking, and the shore of their thinking. The Marxism formed in the practice of the people seeking liberation has also been enriched and developed in the practice of the people seeking liberation. Practicality is a prominent characteristic that distinguishes Marxism from other theories, and the scientific concept of practice is the core viewpoint of Marxist epistemology. Comrade Mao Zedong emphasized that "human correct thinking can only come from social practice" and "truth can be discovered through practice, and truth can be confirmed and developed through practice". Practice has no end, and theoretical innovation has no end.
Engels pointed out that "the theoretical thinking of each era, including our own, is a product of history, with completely different forms and contents in different eras." Marxist classical writers have not exhausted the truth.Marxism can only take root with Chinese characteristics and be full of vitality with modernization. Our party established Mao Zedong Thought during the period of the New Democratic Revolution, enriched and developed Mao Zedong Thought during the period of socialist revolution and construction, and achieved the first historic leap in the sinicization of Marxism. In the new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernization construction, our party has formed a theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and achieved a new leap in the sinicization of Marxism.Our party's glorious history of over a hundred years is a process of continuously promoting the sinicization and modernization of Marxism, as well as a process of pursuing truth, revealing truth, and practicing truth.
Adhering to the principle of putting practice first, we must adhere to seeking truth from facts and continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice.It is precisely by adhering to the principle of seeking truth from facts that our Party can convene the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee and make a historic decision to shift the focus of Party and state work to economic construction and implement reform and opening up. Adhering to seeking truth from facts means adhering to the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities, and with China's excellent traditional culture. Only in this way can we continuously open up new horizons for the sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
To uphold truth and correct errors, it is necessary to strengthen intra party supervision
The faults of a gentleman are like the eclipses of the sun and moon: the faults are visible to all; Moreover, everyone admires it. Our party has also had ideological deviations and made mistakes in decision-making.For example, during the land revolution war, correcting the errors of "left" blind movement and "left" adventure; For example, during the Yan'an period, Wang Ming's "left" dogmatic errors were thoroughly corrected; For example, after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, it completely denied the Cultural Revolution. Lenin pointed out, "The attitude of a political party towards its own mistakes is the most important and reliable measure of whether the party is serious and truly fulfills its obligations to its own class and working people. It openly acknowledges its mistakes, exposes the reasons for its mistakes, analyzes the environment in which they occur, and carefully discusses the methods of correcting them - this is the hallmark of a serious party, and this is the party's obligation to fulfill its obligations."
Whether it is opposing imperialism, feudalism, or bureaucratic capitalism, striving for national independence and people's liberation; Our party has no precedent or model to support the transformation from new democracy to socialism, carry out socialist revolution, and promote socialist construction. Since our party is engaged in an unprecedented cause, how could this exploration be smooth sailing without ups and downs; Since it is exploration, how can there be no twists and turns, no detours? The spiral rise and wave advance are the historical logic of the development of great undertakings.
To strengthen intra party supervision, it is necessary to make good use of the weapon of criticism and self-criticism, and play the role of inspection tools.
Ambition does not seek ease, and things do not seek refuge. A party that has experienced many vicissitudes and remains steadfast in its original intention can have a long-lasting foundation; Only a party that has achieved glory and is still brave in self revolution can be invincible.
Guangming Daily