-- Emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts is the essence of Deng Lao's theory

Today, our country is in the midst of an upsurge of reform and opening up that is advancing by leaps and bounds, and this is a scene of prosperity that has never been seen for many years, and what is the great driving force for this rapid change? It is the result of the struggle of the people of the whole country to hold high the great banner of Deng Lao Theory, which shines on the sun and the moon and is infinitely powerful, and what is the essence of his theory? It is to emancipate the mind and seek truth from facts.

Why is it said that emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts is the essence of Deng Lao's theory?

First, let's look at the essence of Deng Lao's theory.

In 1992, the 14 th National Congress of the Communist Party of China summarized the main contents of Deng Lao's theory in nine aspects.

(1) On the issue of the path of socialist development, it is emphasized that we should emancipate the mind, seek truth from facts, follow the path of modernization and development in the Chinese style, and build socialism with Chinese characteristics.

(2) On the issue of the stage of development of socialism, it is emphasized that all principles and policies must be formulated on the basis of basic national conditions, and everything should proceed from the reality that China is in the initial stage of socialism.

(3) On the issue of the fundamental task of socialism, it is emphasized that the main contradiction of socialism in our country at the present stage must be centered on the development of productive forces and economic construction and promote all-round social progress.

(4) On the question of the driving force of socialist development, reform is the only way for China's modernization. The establishment of a socialist political system is compatible with the reform of the economic and political systems.

(5) On the issue of the external conditions for socialist construction, peace and development are the two major themes of today's open world, and China's development cannot be separated from the world, so it must open up to the outside world and boldly absorb and learn from the achievements of advanced civilizations.

(6) On the issue of the political guarantee of socialism, it is emphasized that the four cardinal principles should be adhered to, and the content of the new era should be obtained from reform, opening up, and modernization.

(7) In terms of the strategic steps of socialist construction, the "three-step" strategy of development and change has been proposed, and the "step-by-step" development and change strategy has been implemented. Some people are allowed to get rich first, and gradually become prosperous.

(8) On the issue of socialist leadership and reliance, it is emphasized that the Communist Party of China is the core of leadership, and that it must meet the needs of reform, opening up, and modernization, and constantly improve and strengthen its own construction.

(9) On the issue of the reunification of the motherland, the idea is to resolve the issues of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao, and the policy of "one country, two systems" has been put forward to promote the great cause of the peaceful reunification of the motherland.

The purpose of listing the above nine points one by one is to let everyone examine the basic content of Deng Lao's theory one by one, and analyze the connotation of the articles and shows that the connotation of the articles is inseparable from emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, which can prove that emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts is the essence of Deng Lao's theory.

Second, what is the basis for the formation of Deng Lao's theory?

Its basis is also inseparable from emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts.

The emergence of Deng Lao's theory is by no means accidental, it is a product of the times.

Today, the theme of the development of the times has changed dramatically, from war and revolution to peace and development. The wave of new technological revolution has also brought about profound changes in the contemporary world, Deng Lao was able to keenly grasp the changes of the times, and made a Marxist analysis of it, he said: "The world situation is changing with each passing day, especially the rapid development of modern science and technology. Now a year is worth decades, hundreds or even longer in the past ancient societies. Those who do not inherit and develop Marxism with new ideological viewpoints are not Marxists. "Deng Lao stands at the height of the times and observes and thinks about problems from the perspective of the world. He has experienced several decades of socialism in China, witnessed its victories and setbacks, and especially learned the lessons of the special period of the past 10 years. After the special period, the world's new technological revolution and new industrial revolution are flourishing, the "four little tigers" in Asia have risen, and the Soviet socialist model has declined. Since the 11 th Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China, China has carried out two major changes: the transformation of the planned economy into a socialist market economy and the transformation from an agricultural country to a modern industrial country. Such abundant and vivid practice has laid a firm foundation for the formation of Deng Lao's theory. From the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee to the 12th CPC National Congress, the Party supported the great discussion that practice is the only criterion for testing truth, re-established the ideological line of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, and abandoned the erroneous policy of "taking class struggle as the key link." In his opening speech at the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Deng Lao said: "Integrating the universal truth of Marxism with the specific practice of our country, taking our own road, and building socialism with Chinese characteristics is the basic conclusion we have drawn from summing up our long-term historical experience. "The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China systematically expounded the theory of the initial stage of socialism in China, and for the first time systematically summarized the main content of the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the spring of 1992, during his southern tour, Deng Lao analyzed the situation at home and abroad, scientifically summed up the basic experience since the 11 th Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee, and pushed the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new stage, thus constituting a relatively complete system of scientific theories. We can see from the basis and process of the formation of Deng Lao's theory that without emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts would not have produced Deng Lao's theory, and his theory will inevitably reflect this objective law of reality. Deng Lao himself also had the spirit of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, otherwise, he would not have been able to write such a scientific theory. Such a basis and such a spirit must also be written with the essence of this connotation -- emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts.

Third, judging from the tremendous role of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, it is also the essence of Deng Lao's theory.

After the special period, when China was faced with a major historical juncture of where to go, it was Deng Lao who called on the whole party to emancipate the mind, seek truth from facts, and restore and develop the Marxist ideological line advocated by Chairman Mao, pointing out that to carry out modernization, we must also rely on seeking truth from facts, and at that time, in order to restore the tradition of seeking truth from facts, it was necessary to emancipate the mind and overcome the ideological rigidity within the party. It was precisely Deng Lao who put forward this ideological line at an important juncture in history that dispelled the fog that permeated the heads of hundreds of millions of Chinese and pointed out a correct way forward for China, which was wandering and confused.

Comprehensive reform and opening up requires emancipating our minds and seeking truth from facts, because comprehensive reform requires us to re-examine the traditional concepts that have been formed over a long period of time, to emancipate our minds from those frameworks that have been proved by practice to be incompatible with China's reality, the progress of the times, and the objective laws of economic and social development, to push reform, opening up, and modernization to a new stage, and to effectively promote and ensure the progress of comprehensive reform.

In China, how to build socialism, Marxism-Leninism cannot be found in the original, and we cannot copy the experience of other countries, the Soviet Union's socialist model has failed, and the socialist system has also disintegrated, and North Korea's socialist model is a set of the Soviet Union, although it has not disintegrated, but it is backward and underdeveloped, and Europe and the United States, the system is mostly different from China's. Only when the essence of Deng Lao's theory pointed out that "emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts means persistently integrating Marxism with China's reality, and insisting that the socialist road must be socialism with Chinese characteristics that suits China's reality" and pointed out a practical and feasible bright road for China to build socialism, we will dare to be good at taking our own road.

In his speech at the meeting marking the 80 th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Jiang said: "Emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts is a powerful force guiding the progress of society. ”

A history of the development of Marxism fully illustrates this point. Marx and Engels wrote the "Communist Manifesto" in the spirit of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts For the first time, he pointed out the road of liberation to the people of the whole world and promoted the progress and development of human society; Lenin did the same and pointed out a broad road of socialism for economically and culturally backward countries; Chairman Mao, the great leader of our country, still adhered to this line, founded New China, and pushed China, which was plagued by many disasters and difficulties, into a new era; in the era of Deng Lao, he put forward the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in line with the ideological line of the first three great men, and guided China's socialist cause to enter a new period of vigorous development. The practice of reform and opening up over the past 20 years and more has proved that without the re-establishment of the ideological line of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, there would not have been the vigorous development of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization in our country today. From reform and opening up in 1978 to today, China's national economy has seen a sustained, rapid, and healthy trend, and has become one of the countries with the fastest and most dynamic economic growth in the world. From 1978 to 1994, the gross national product grew at an average annual rate of 9.4 percent, the high-tech industries represented by electronics and information technology rose rapidly, and the people on the whole reached the level of moderate prosperity.

In short, the cause of socialist modernization has shown unprecedented vigor and vitality, and all this has benefited from the guidance of Deng Lao Theory, especially the essence theory, which has fully demonstrated that once the masses grasp the correct theory, it can become a tremendous material force.

Fourth, the essence of Marxism-Leninism and Chairman Mao's thought is to emancipate the mind and seek truth from facts, and Deng Lao Theory is the inheritance and development of Marxism-Leninism, and its essence is inevitably to emancipate the mind and seek truth from facts.

Emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and a high degree of democracy have summarized and concentrated the spiritual essence of the Marxist-Leninist philosophical world outlook and methodology, thus becoming the quintessence of Marxism and Chairman Mao Thought. Marx and Engels were not bound by the "myths" of bourgeois ideologists and apologists about the sacredness and immutability of capitalism, emancipated their minds, and sought truth from facts, on the basis of extensively studying the ideological materials of their predecessors and critically absorbing the ideological achievements of their predecessors, scientifically revealing the inevitable demise of capitalism. Lenin adhered to Marxism, persisted in emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with the development of the times with the reality of Russia, thus revealing the law of unbalanced economic and political development of world capitalism and pointing out a bright road for economically and culturally backward countries to move toward socialism. Comrade Chairman Mao integrated Marxism-Leninism with China's reality, founded the theory of new democracy, toppled the three mountains, and led the Chinese people onto the socialist road. Deng Lao adhered to Marxism-Leninism and Chairman Mao Thought, insisted on emancipating the mind, and seeking truth from facts; he was the chief architect of China's socialist reform, opening up, and modernization; he respected practice, respected the masses, always paid attention to the interests and aspirations of the broad masses of the people, and was good at summing up the experiences and creations of the masses. Proceeding from China's national conditions, he keenly grasped the pulse and opportunity of the development of the times, inherited his predecessors and broke through outdated conventions, and demonstrated tremendous political courage in opening up a new road for socialist construction and theoretical courage in opening up a new realm of Marxism. Deng Lao applied the Marxist stand, viewpoint, and method to study new situations, solve new problems, integrate the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism with China's reality, put forward the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, inherited and developed Marxism-Leninism and Chairman Mao Thought, pushed them to a new stage, opened up a new realm, and made a historic and important contribution to the formation and development of Marxism in contemporary China.

Since emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts is the quintessence of Marxism and Chairman Mao Thought, can the essence of Deng Lao Theory, which is the inheritance theory of Marxism and Chairman Mao Thought, be different from the essence of Marxism and Chairman Mao Thought?

The above expounds the emancipation of the mind, seeking truth from facts is the essence of Deng Lao's theory, these two essences also complement each other, emancipating the mind is the prerequisite for seeking truth from facts, seeking truth from facts is the purpose of emancipating the mind, the two are a dialectical unity, these two essences are extraordinary, they reflect the sun and the moon, and the eternal fragrance!

As people of today's era, we must always adhere to the essence of Deng Lao's theory, seize opportunities, meet challenges, advance with the times, and revitalize China!

(2002)