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Fundamental Ideological Weapon for Great Advance toward New Century
Following are excerpts of this article written by Ren Zhongping on persistence in emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, which, he says, is a fundamental ideological weapon for the great advance toward the new century. The article consists of 18 points in three parts.
(1) The CPC Central Committee's Proposals on Formulating the 10th Five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, examined and approved by the Fifth Plenary Session of the 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has sounded the clarion call for the great advance toward the new century. With a view to smoothly pushing forward this great advance, the Plenary Session acted solemnly in line with the requirements of the "three representatives" (representing advanced culture, advanced productive forces and the fundamental interests of the people) to comprehensively strengthen Party building, placed before the whole Party the question concerning efforts to improve the styles of ideology, study and work and stressed the need to continue to persist in emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts.
Emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts are the living soul of Marxism as well as the fundamental ideological weapon for us to understand new things, adapt to the new situation and accomplish our new tasks. The two are unified. Only with emancipation of the mind is it possible to achieve the aim of seeking truth from facts; and only by persisting in seeking truth from facts can there be genuine emancipation of the mind. The aim of liberating the mind is to seek truth from facts.
(2) The Proposals adopted at the Fifth Plenary Session of the Party, standing at the new height of history, grasping the characteristics of the time and having the world situation in view, plans China's development, scientifically draws the magnificent blueprint for China's economic and social development in the first five years of the new century, and sets forth the main targets and tasks in the 10th Five-year plan. In the process from setting down the important principles, such as regarding development as the theme, economic restructuring as the main line, the reform and opening up drive and scientific and technological progress as the driving force and improvement of people's living standards as the fundamental point of departure, to putting forward a series of major strategic, macro and policy-related problems concerning economic development, reform and opening program, science, technology and education, cultural and ethical progress and the construction of democracy and legal system, and people's livelihood, the Proposals runs through the process of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts and is the product of our Party's persistence in emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. Similarly, to faithfully carry out various tasks set forth by the Fifth Plenary Session also requires continued persistence in emancipation of the mind and seeking truth from facts.
Seeking Truth from Facts-a Magic Weapon for Always Retaining Vitality
(3) Seeking truth from facts is the essence of Marxism, of Mao Zedong Thought and of Deng Xiaoping Theory. Marxism is a product of seeking truth from facts. It is the whole lot of "facts" of previous human society summed up by the founders of Marxism, the whole lot of "facts" existing in their times, it is the "truth" they searched out through scientific studies. Mao Zedong Thought is the "truth" obtained by the Party's first generation leading collective by studying China's "facts" with the universal truth of Marxism. Deng Xiaoping Theory is the "truth" found out by the Party's second generation leading collective by studying modern Chinese "facts" with Marxism and Mao Zedong Thought. The Party's third generation leading collective with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core, based on the practical problems concerning China's reform, opening up and modernization drive, centered on what we are doing, focused on the practical application of Marxism, on the theoretical consideration of actual problems and on the new practice and new development, has formulated a magnificent blueprint and a series of correct strategic ideas, principles and policies for China's cross-century development, and has thus enriched and creatively developed Deng Xiaoping Theory, this is another vivid embodiment of the principle of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. Facts show that Marxism, fundamentally speaking, is methodology for knowing and remaking the world, the core of this methodology is seeking truth from facts. Marxism has strong vitality whose secret lies in seeking truth from facts.
(4) Seeking truth from facts is a magic weapon for placing us in an invincible position. The history of China's revolution, construction and reform can be regarded as a history in which the Party and people have exerted themselves to make the country prosperous under the banner of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. None of our successes and victories was achieved without being benefited by seeking truth from facts. Without seeking truth from facts, there would have not been the road of encircling cities from the countryside and finally seizing the cities and consequently would not have been victories for Chinese revolution. Without seeking truth from facts, there would have been no setting things to rights and comprehensive reform during the New Historical Period. Over the past two decades and more, on our road of reform and opening up, each major theoretical breakthrough, the readjustment of each major policy and the adoption of each major reform measure are all the result of our emancipation of the mind and seeking truth from facts. Similarly, our setbacks and our mistakes stem from our deviation from the principle of seeking truth from facts. Emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts are the banner our Party has always been holding high and the experiences we should do our utmost to treasure.
(5) Seeking truth from facts is the core of the spirit of scientific innovation. Innovation means a breakthrough to old things and old concepts. Innovation requires readjusting, improving and reforming the systems, mechanisms and related ideologies and concepts inconsistent with the objective reality, so that they can conform to the objective reality. To uphold the principle of seeking truth from facts, it is necessary to engage in innovation; to adhere to innovation, it is necessary to persist in seeking truth from facts. Innovation is essentially identical with the principle of seeking truth from facts.
(6) Seeking truth from facts is the cornerstone of the spirit of hard struggle. Hard struggle aims to create wealth and happiness. Only when we persist in seeking truth from facts and act according to the objective law governing the development of things, can we achieve efficiency and return for the hard struggle and constantly bring about and progressively increase tangible interests for the masses of the people. Only by upholding the principle of seeking truth from facts, can we constantly update the content of hard struggle and can we pass the spirit of hard struggle from generation to generation, and can the banner of hard struggle attract, gather and inspire people.
(7)Seeking truth from facts is the nature of a proletarian party. A proletarian party is born in compliance with the needs of historical development. Its historical responsibility is to seek the natural, inherent and internal law governing social development, and mobilize and organize the people in the endeavor to push history forward.
(8) Seeking truth from facts is reliable and unbeatable. One who advocates seeking truth from facts is a person who believes in and pursues truth, at the same time, he or she is a far-sighted and broad-minded person, can proceed from reality and sees the necessity of the development and change of things. Under difficult circumstance, he remains indomitable, the more setbacks he suffers the more he braces himself up; under favorable circumstances, he can be prepared for danger in time of peace and remain sober-minded.
Seeking Truth From Facts-A Firm, Clear-cut Political Character
(9) The key lies in the Party to fulfilling the magnificent goal of the task of cross-century development and modernization drive. In Party building, a very important aspect is the construction of style of work. The Party's style is also the image of the Party. A party which makes pioneering effort, links itself with the masses, makes vigorous progress and is imbued with vitality must take the principle of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts as the clear-cut political character which should be embodied in all his activities.
(10) Dogmatism is also called book worship. Its characteristics are placing importance on book and the words of the superior and not reality. A dogmatist does not proceed from the reality of development and change, and fails to make a concrete analysis of concrete things.
Historically, our Party had suffered, more than once, losses incurred from dogmatism. Comrade Mao Zedong once said the practice of dogmatism in everything had resulted in a fiasco. Today, as we are engaged in the socialist modernization drive and developing a socialist market economy, there is no ready-made experience, so we can only persist in integrating theory with practice and engage in exploration and creation in the course of practice. Since the initiation of the reform and opening-up drive, we have, under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, persisted in proceeding from the most essential national condition that China is and will remain for a long time in the primary stage of socialism and will constantly push forward the great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Historical experience has proved that each indicative and fundamental leap achieved in China's socialist practice is the result of the combination of the basic theory of Marxism with the concrete practice of China, the achievement gained through ridding ourselves of the shackles of dogmatism and emancipating our minds and the theoretical innovation made on the basis of upholding the basic theory of Marxism.
Doing everything on the basis of China's national conditions and from the reality of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, that is the true meaning of historical materialism and is the Marxist style of study which Chinese Communists should possess.
(11) Bureaucracy. This is a very bad, decadent style left over from the officialdom of the old society. Bureaucracy is, to a great extent, originates from the "official position" ideology formed in China's feudal society. This ideology has been in circulation for several thousand years and still retains a very profound influence today. The seriousness of the problem lies in the fact that some Communist Party members and Part leading cadres have advertently or inadvertently fallen captive to this ideology. The crucial point of bureaucratists is failure to hold responsibility for the cause of the Party and State and for the interests of the nation and people, but instead holding responsibility only for themselves. A person seriously affected by bureaucracy cannot and will not require themselves to seek truth from facts. Bureaucracy must be severely criticized and resolutely done away with.
(12) Formalism. Its essence is the reversed relations between content and form. The crucial feature of formalism is seeking only empty reputation, and not pursuing actual results. Formalism is also bureaucracy. It is more harmful for a formalist to work than not to work. Similarly, formalism must be sternly criticized and done away with.
Seeking Truth from Facts-Ideological Level Advancing With the Time
(13) Beginning with the new century, we will enter the new development stage of comprehensively building a well-off society and accelerating our modernization drive. New opportunities and new challenges have once again pushed us to the historical juncture of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and once again given the principle of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts new contents and new requirements.
(14) Upholding the principle of seeking truth from facts requires that we must study hard and integrate theory with reality. At present, as new things have emerged one after another and new problems have constantly emerged, only when leading cadres emancipate their minds and seek truth from facts, and quickly adapt themselves to the change in the objective reality and the actual environment, can they grasp the initiative of work in their own hands.
(15) Persisting in seeking truth from facts requires enhancement of one's courage and the spirit of sacrifice. Persisting in seeking truth from facts conforms to the fundamental and long-term interests of the majority of people, while a person's immediate interest often is not invariably identical with the interests of the majority. As a Communist Party member, particularly a leading cadre, when his personal interest is in conflict with the interests of the collective and the people, they should unhesitatingly give up their personal interests to safeguard the principle of seeking truth from facts, rather than abandon this same principle for the sake of personal interests.
(16) Persisting in seeking truth from facts requires that we go deep into reality and maintain close ties with the masses. We can gain solid achievement in whatever things we do, big or small, so long as we go deep into reality.
(17) Persisting in seeking truth from facts requires promoting democracy and guaranteeing scientific decision-making. Seeking truth from facts is the prerequisite for realizing scientific and democratic decision-making; while scientific and democratic decision-making is the result of seeking truth from facts.
(18) Seeking truth from facts is the ideological line, the style of work, the objective of cognition and the direction of effort. The development and change of things are boundless, whereas the ability of cognition of a person and a generation of people is limited. Although we cannot have a full and exhaustive understanding of the objective things, we can get our understanding constantly and endlessly closer to the objective things. And, in the great advance in the new century, we should be determined to make progress and march forward with great strides.
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