A major debate on what constitutes truth

A major debate on what constitutes truth, initiated forty years ago under Deng Xiaoping and other revolutionary leaders of his generation, unfolded among Party members and the general public. It was about whether we should seek truth from facts or abide by the decisions Chairman Mao had made or the instructions he had given.

In the mid and late 1970s, blind adherence to the words of Mao effectively blocked China's march forward. To break these shackles, Deng championed a clear departure from this dogmatic mentality, which – as he pointed out on many occasions – ran counter to Marxism. He also highlighted the importance of a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of Mao Zedong Thought. Theoretical Trends, an in-house journal of the Party School of the Central Committee, published an article on May 10, 1978 entitled "Only Practice Leads to Truth." The article categorically refuted any dogmatic formula for following Mao's instructions. It unequivocally pointed out that according to basic Marxist principles, the only test for truth was practice, and that a theory must be tested continuously through practice in order to prove its validity. The article was published in the Guangming Daily the next day, and was released nationwide through Xinhua News Agency. It sparked heated debate within the Party and among the general public on what constitutes truth.

With strong and timely support from Deng and other revolutionary leaders, the debate enabled the public to think about the important question of how to chart a course for the country's future development, and allowed China to break free from the dogmatic formula for following Mao's instructions. It spurred a nationwide ideological emancipation campaign that promoted a true understanding of Marxist teachings, laid the ground for the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, and led the Party to reaffirm Marxist principles as its guiding ideological, political and organizational principles.

The dogma advocating blind adherence to the words of Mao was roundly repudiated at the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee. Conclusions were reached, acknowledging and applauding the outcome of the debate on what constitutes truth, and reaffirming the relevance of Marxism. What the Party accomplished at this gathering marked the dawn of a new era of reform and opening up.

真理標準問題大討論

真理標準問題的討論，是40年前在鄧小平等老一輩無產階級革命家的領導和支持下，在全黨全國范圍內開展的一場大討論，主要表現為實事求是和“兩個凡是”的爭論。

20世紀70年代中后期，中國面臨著“兩個凡是”（即：凡是毛主席做出的決策，我們都堅決維護；凡是毛主席的指示，我們都始終不渝地遵循）錯誤方針的嚴重阻礙。針對這種狀況，鄧小平多次旗幟鮮明地提出，“兩個凡是”不符合馬克思主義，我們要完整準確地理解毛澤東思想。1978年5月10日，中央黨校內部刊物《理論動態》發表了《實踐是檢驗真理的唯一標準》一文，鮮明指出，社會實踐是檢驗真理的唯一標準，任何理論都要不斷接受實踐的檢驗等馬克思主義的基本原理。這就從根本理論上否定了“兩個凡是”。5月11日，這篇文章在《光明日報》公開發表，新華社向全國轉發，在黨內外和廣大干部群眾中引起強烈反響，全國上下就此開始“真理標準問題大討論”。

鄧小平等老一輩革命家對這場討論給予及時而有力的支持，使大討論的過程成為引導人民思考國家向何處去這一重大課題的過程。這場大討論，沖破了“兩個凡是”的嚴重束縛，推動了全國性的馬克思主義思想解放運動，為黨的十一屆三中全會的召開做了重要的思想準備，為黨重新確立馬克思主義的思想路線、政治路線和組織路線奠定了思想基礎。

黨的十一屆三中全會堅決批判了“兩個凡是”的錯誤方針，總結并高度評價了真理標準問題大討論，重新確立了馬克思主義的正確路線，開啟了改革開放歷史新時期。