Mao Zedong Thought

From the very beginning, the Communist Party of China (CPC) used Marxism and Leninism to guide its struggle in the Chinese revolution. For many years the Party in its inexperience simply applied the tenets of the proletarian revolution and imitated the Russian experience of the October Revolution, launching armed uprisings in Chinese cities which failed to make any progress.

In search of a new solution, many Chinese Communists, principally represented by Mao Zedong (1893-1976), tried to apply the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism to the Chinese context. Based on a summary of the unique experience gained in their long endeavor in revolution, they established a set of scientific guiding ideas that were more applicable to China's situation: Mao Zedong Thought.

Mao Zedong Thought took shape in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Based on an in-depth analysis of China's society and class structure, Mao and his colleagues developed a theory on establishing and consolidating a revolutionary regime, encircling the cities from the countryside, and seizing power by armed force. They also formulated a number of principles regarding how to build the Party and an army under its leadership, all based on China's own conditions. Throughout his fight against the erroneous "leftist" tendency to focus on ideology and Soviet dogma, Mao Zedong always followed the principle of integrating Marxism with the revolutionary situation in China. One of his best-known axioms – "No investigation, no right to speak" – was coined during this period.

Mao's leadership over the whole Party was established at the Zunyi Meeting held in January 1935. The thought named after him matured after much reflection in theory and exposure to practice between the late Agrarian Revolution and during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. During this period, Mao led the whole Party in studying Marxist theories and conducting a party-wide rectification campaign to free their minds. They reviewed the experience and lessons of the Chinese revolution and gained a full understanding of the dynamics of the democratic revolution, which resulted in a complete set of views on philosophy, the military, the united front and the Party development. Mao Zedong, in particular, conducted a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the basic theory, guidelines and program for the new democratic revolution, and of the policies and strategies the CPC should adopt. 

The Seventh CPC National Congress in 1945 established Mao Zedong Thought as a guiding thought and incorporated it into the CPC's Constitution.

Mao Zedong Thought continued to develop during the War of Liberation (1946-1949) and after the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949. In addition to enriching the theory on the new democratic revolution, there was new content such as a summary of China's experience in socialist revolution and development. It included theories on socialist transformation, on people's democratic dictatorship, on distinguishing contradictions among the people from those between ourselves and the enemy and on the correct handling of contradictions among the people, on exploring a path of economic development suitable to the actual conditions in China, on reinforcing the CPC as the governing party, and on foreign policies of independence and peaceful coexistence.

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in late 1978, the Party, under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997), made a correct appraisal of Mao Zedong's historical status and of Mao Zedong Thought, and established the correct path toward socialist modernization based on China's new conditions. The solution of these two interconnected issues set a correct direction for the Party and the country. 

The soul of Mao Zedong Thought refers to its stances, viewpoints and methods, which are crystallized in three basic tenets – seeking truth from facts, the mass line and independence.

Seeking truth from facts is a basic tenet of Marxism and a basic requirement for the CPC to understand and change the world. It explains how the Party thinks, works, and leads: It has to proceed from reality in everything its does, integrate theory with practice, and test and develop truth in practice.

The mass line is the CPC's lifeline and a basic principle for all its work. This tradition enables the Party to maintain its vitality and combat capability. Pursuing the mass line means that the CPC goes to the grassroots, finds out what ordinary people need and want, and structures its policies accordingly, which become their conscious actions in the governance of the country.

Independence is the natural path followed by the CPC based on China's realities and through the process of revolution, development and reform by relying on itself and the Chinese people. It is an important principle for building the CPC and the PRC. Sticking to this principle, the Party has prioritized development of the country and nation, safeguarded national dignity and confidence, and followed a path of its own.

These stances, viewpoints and methods have enabled the CPC to develop Marxism in a creative way and push Chinese society forward.

Mao Zedong Thought is a summary of the unique Chinese experience and the fruit of the collective wisdom of the CPC. Many outstanding Communists contributed to it, and many of the works authored by Mao Zedong reflected it. It represents the first historic step in adapting Marxism to China's conditions, and proves invaluable to the CPC and the Chinese people. It provides scientific guidance to China's revolution and development, and ideological support to the Chinese nation.

毛澤東思想

中國共產黨自成立起，就以馬克思列寧主義為指導，開始了全新的中國革命。但是，一段時期內，年輕的中國共產黨曾簡單套用馬克思列寧主義關于無產階級革命的一般原理、照搬俄國十月革命城市武裝起義的經驗，中國革命遭受到嚴重挫折。面對中國的特殊國情，以毛澤東為主要代表的中國共產黨人，根據馬克思列寧主義基本原理，從中國實際出發，把中國革命和建設實踐中的一系列獨創性經驗作了理論概括，形成了適合中國情況的科學指導思想——毛澤東思想。

毛澤東思想主要產生于20世紀20年代后期和30年代前期。在這期間，以毛澤東為主要代表的中國共產黨人深刻分析中國社會形態和階級狀況，創造了善于建立和發展紅色政權的理論，開辟了農村包圍城市、武裝奪取政權的革命道路，并在建軍和建黨等問題上，創造性地提出了一系列適合中國國情的原則。在同“左”傾錯誤的艱苦斗爭中，毛澤東始終堅持馬克思主義與中國革命實際相結合的原則，提出了“沒有調查，就沒有發言權”等著名論斷。

1935年召開的遵義會議確立了毛澤東在全黨的領導地位。在土地革命戰爭后期和中國人民抗日戰爭時期，毛澤東思想得到系統總結和多方面展開而達到成熟。在這期間，毛澤東引導全黨學習和研究馬克思主義理論，開展意在解放思想的整風運動，系統總結中國革命的經驗教訓，正確認識了中國民主革命的規律，形成了比較系統的哲學思想、軍事思想、統一戰線思想和黨的建設思想。特別是毛澤東系統而完整闡述的新民主主義革命的基本理論、基本路線和基本綱領，精辟論證的黨在民主革命時期的政策和策略，對指導中國革命具有特別重大的意義。1945年召開的中共七大將毛澤東思想確立為中國共產黨的指導思想并寫入黨章。

解放戰爭時期和中華人民共和國成立以后，毛澤東思想繼續發展，既有對已經形成的新民主主義革命理論的豐富和完善，更有在新的實踐基礎上形成的關于社會主義革命和社會主義建設的正確理論原則和經驗總結。主要包括：關于社會主義改造的理論；關于人民民主專政的理論；關于兩類矛盾學說和正確處理人民內部矛盾的理論；關于探索適合中國國情的經濟建設道路的思想；關于加強執政黨建設的思想；關于獨立自主、和平共處的外交政策等。中共十一屆三中全會后，在鄧小平的領導下，中國共產黨解決了正確評價毛澤東同志的歷史地位和毛澤東思想科學體系、根據新的實際和歷史經驗確立中國實現社會主義現代化的正確道路這兩個相互聯系的重大歷史課題，為黨和國家發展確定了正確方向。在新的歷史條件下，毛澤東思想的科學體系不斷得到豐富和發展。

毛澤東思想活的靈魂是貫穿其中的立場、觀點、方法，其三個基本方面就是實事求是、群眾路線、獨立自主。實事求是是馬克思主義的根本觀點，是中國共產黨人認識世界、改造世界的根本要求，是中國共產黨的基本思想方法、工作方法、領導方法。堅持實事求是，就是堅持一切從實際出發，理論聯系實際，在實踐中檢驗真理和發展真理。群眾路線是中國共產黨的生命線和根本工作路線，是黨永葆青春活力和戰斗力的重要傳家寶。堅持群眾路線，就是堅持一切為了群眾，一切依靠群眾，從群眾中來，到群眾中去，把黨的正確主張變為群眾的自覺行動，把群眾路線貫徹到治國理政全部活動之中。獨立自主是中國共產黨從中國實際出發、依靠黨和人民力量進行革命、建設、改革的必然結論，是中國共產黨、中華人民共和國立黨立國的重要原則。堅持獨立自主，就是始終把國家和民族發展放在自己力量的基點上，堅持民族自尊心和自信心，堅定不移走自己的路。正是堅持了這些立場、觀點和方法，中國共產黨才能創造性地發展馬克思主義，不斷推動中國社會的發展進步。

毛澤東思想是中國革命獨創性經驗的總結，是中國共產黨集體智慧的結晶，黨的許多卓越領導人對它的形成和發展作出了重要貢獻，毛澤東的科學著作是它的集中概括。這一重要思想是馬克思主義中國化第一次歷史性飛躍的理論成果，是中國共產黨和中國人民歷盡艱辛獲得的寶貴的精神財富，是中國革命和建設的科學指南，是中華民族的精神支柱。