The Internal Mechanism through Which the Guiding Ideology of the CPC Leads Self-Revolution and Social Revolution

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC points out: "Why the CPC can do it, why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good — in the final analysis, it is because Marxism works, and because Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times works." The CPC has traversed a century-long journey, and through various storms and tests it has always been able to forge ahead with determination; the great root and great source lies in the fact that the CPC is a proletarian party that takes Marxism as its guiding ideology. The leadership of the CPC is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The leadership of the CPC is first and foremost ideological leadership; it always emphasizes the scientific guidance and concrete direction of Marxism and Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times in the CPC's leadership of China's revolution, construction, and reform, thereby continuously realizing the great leaps of the New China from standing up, to growing rich, to becoming strong. This is the ideological power of the CPC's guiding ideology.

中国共产党二十大报告指出：“中国共产党为什么能，中国特色社会主义为什么好，归根到底是马克思主义行，是中国化时代化的马克思主义行。”中国共产党已经走过百年历程，历经各种风浪考验始终能够砥砺前行，大本大源就在于中国共产党是以马克思主义为指导思想的无产阶级政党。中国共产党领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征。中国共产党领导首先是思想领导，始终强调马克思主义和中国化时代化的马克思主义在中国共产党领导中国革命、建设和改革进程中的科学引领和具体指导作用，从而不断实现新中国从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，这就是中国共产党指导思想的思想伟力。

General Secretary Xi Jinping first put forward the important proposition of "the CPC's ideological leadership" in the report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, a proposition concerning the construction of the ruling party and the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In recent years, research results on the CPC's ideological leadership have emerged rapidly, mainly focusing on its connotation, significance, function, composition, difficulties, process, and enhancement. These research results provide a relatively rich theoretical foundation for understanding the CPC's ideological leadership. Research on the CPC's ideological leadership can be conducted from two perspectives: first, focusing on the characteristics of the objects of leadership, the leadership process, and the leadership methods — that is, emphasizing the process and mechanism through which ideological leadership acts upon the objects being led; second, emphasizing the subject of leadership — that is, the inherent influence of the thought itself, focusing on how a thought system generates its appeal and influence on people from the inside out. Overall, among the current research results on the CPC's ideological leadership, there are more works that emphasize the object and process perspective, while fewer works elaborate on how thought itself generates influence on the objects of leadership. The influence, leadership, and leading power of a thought are fundamentally generated from within the thought itself, determined by the essential attributes of the thought itself. This article focuses on exploring what the core composition and key essence of the CPC's guiding ideology are, and what the internal mechanism is through which it forms broad appeal and sustained leadership over Party members, cadres, and the masses.

习近平总书记在党的十九大报告中首次提出“中国共产党思想引领力”这一关于执政党建设和中国特色社会主义事业发展的重要命题。近年来，关于中国共产党思想引领力的研究成果迅速涌现，主要聚焦中国共产党思想引领力的内涵、意义、功能、构成、困境、过程与提升等方面，这些研究成果为理解中国共产党思想引领力提供了较为丰富的理论基础。关于中国共产党思想引领力的研究可以有两个角度：一是侧重引领力的客体特点、引领过程和引领方法，即重点关注思想引领力对引领对象的作用过程和作用机制；二是强调引领力的主体，即思想自身的内在影响力，聚焦的是一种思想体系它自身特点如何由内而外生成对人们的吸引力和影响力。整体来看，目前关于中国共产党思想引领力的研究成果，侧重引领力的客体和引领过程视角的研究成果较多，注重阐明思想自身如何对引领对象生成影响力的成果偏少。一种思想的影响力、领导力、引领力，从根本来说是思想自身由内而外生成的，是思想自身的本质属性决定的。本文重点探讨中国共产党指导思想的内核构成与核心要义是什么，它对广大党员干部和人民群众形成广泛吸引力、持续引领力的内在机制是什么。

I. The Three Core Tenets of the CPC's Guiding Ideology

一、中国共产党指导思想的三大内核

Many existing studies have defined the connotation and concept of the CPC's ideological leadership, but most have not clearly pointed out what exactly the "thought" in "the CPC's ideological leadership" refers to, only vaguely expressing it as the theory and thought of the CPC. The theory and thought of the CPC is a huge scientific system that constantly enriches and innovates with the development of objective practice. All waters have a source; all trees have roots. In summary, the source and essence of the CPC's theory and thought is the CPC's guiding ideology. This is the unchanging ideological cornerstone for understanding the CPC and the century-long historical practice of the CPC leading revolution, construction, and reform. "A guiding ideology is the spiritual banner of a political party." The guiding ideology stipulates the fundamental questions of what a political party is, what it does, and how it does it; it is the concentrated expression of the party's political program and political propositions, and the theoretical basis that determines the party's founding and effective operation. Grasping the key of the stable core contained in the CPC's guiding ideology, to a large extent, also grasps the formation mechanism, core essence, and practical requirements of the CPC's ideological leadership.

已有不少研究对中国共产党思想引领力的内涵和概念作了界定，但多数成果并没有明确指出中国共产党思想引领力中的“思想”究竟指的是什么，只是笼统地表述为中国共产党的理论和思想。中国共产党的理论和思想是一个随着客观实践发展而不断丰富创新的庞大科学体系。万水有源，万木有根。概括起来，中国共产党的理论和思想的源头和精髓是中国共产党的指导思想，这是理解中国共产党及中国共产党领导革命、建设和改革百年历史实践的不变思想基石。“指导思想是一个政党的精神旗帜。”指导思想规定了一个政党是什么、干什么、怎么干的根本问题，是对政党政治纲领和政治主张的集中表达，是决定政党创建和有效运行的理论基础。抓住中国共产党指导思想中蕴含的稳定内核这一关键，在很大程度上也就把握了中国共产党思想引领力的形成机制、核心要义和实践要求。

As the fundamental law of the CPC, the Constitution of the Communist Party of China clearly stipulates: "The Communist Party of China takes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide to action." The CPC's ideological leadership originates at its source from Marxism-Leninism, as clearly stipulated in the Party Constitution. Marxism-Leninism is a complete scientific system composed of Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism. Its content is extremely rich, but it can mainly be summarized and categorized into three core tenets.

作为中国共产党的根本大法，《中国共产党章程》明确规定：“中国共产党以马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论、‘三个代表’重要思想、科学发展观、习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想作为自己的行动指南。”中国共产党思想引领力从本源上来自《中国共产党章程》明确规定的马克思列宁主义，马克思列宁主义是由马克思主义哲学、政治经济学和科学社会主义组成的完整的科学体系，内容极其丰富，但主要可以概括归纳为三大思想内核。

First, the inevitability of human society developing into communism and the mission and task of the Communist Party leading the people to strive for communism or for the free and comprehensive development of each individual; second, the political stance of the Communist Party in seeking interests for the overwhelming majority of the people; third, taking a scientific worldview and methodology as the fundamental guarantee for realizing the political stance of seeking interests for the overwhelming majority and the mission and task of the free and comprehensive development of each individual. The scientific truths revealed by these three core tenets of Marxism elucidate the ultimate goal of human social development and the inevitability of its realization, reliable force guarantee, and scientific methods and pathways. They shine with the power of scientificity, people-orientation, value, morality, and practicality. This is precisely the inner foundation that can generate broad and far-reaching influence on the greatest number of people.

第一，人类社会发展进入共产主义的必然性和共产党领导人民致力于实现共产主义抑或实现每个人自由而全面发展的使命任务；第二，为绝大多数人谋利益的共产党的政治立场；第三，以科学的世界观和方法论，作为实现为绝大多数人谋利益的政治立场和每个人自由而全面发展使命任务的根本保证。马克思主义这三大内核所揭示的科学真理，阐明了人类社会发展的终极目标及其实现的必然性、可靠力量保证及科学方法途径，闪耀着科学性、人民性、价值性、道德性、实践性的光辉力量，这正是能够对最大多数人产生广泛而深远影响力的内在根基所在。

The mission and task among these three core tenets directly stipulates the CPC's lofty ideal, and at the same time can timely propose scientific phased goals and tasks, continuously specifying concrete goals at different stages of development, from national independence, a moderately prosperous society, common prosperity, to Chinese-path modernization, continuously leading the thoughts, understanding, and actions of Party members, cadres, and the masses. The political stance among these three core tenets always upholds serving the people wholeheartedly, adhering to a people-centered approach, putting the people first, everything for the people, relying on the people, and sharing the fruits of development among the people, ensuring maximum attraction of people's hearts and gathering of strength. The scientific worldview and methodology among these three core tenets provide a powerful practical weapon for correctly understanding the world, effectively transforming the world, continuously realizing the people's aspiration for a better life, and steadily advancing towards common prosperity and communism. The political stance stipulates the mission and task, and stipulates the generation of the scientific worldview and methodology; the scientific worldview and methodology guarantee the continuous realization of the political stance and mission and task. The CPC's political stance, mission and task, and scientific worldview and methodology are relatively independent yet form an organic whole with an inherent scientific logic. They are integrated into one and function together, laying the foundation for the CPC's long-term governance and enduring vitality.

这三大内核中的使命任务既直接规定了中国共产党的远大理想，又能够适时提出科学的阶段性目标任务，不断规定不同发展阶段的具体奋斗目标，从民族独立、小康社会、共同富裕到中国式现代化，持续引领广大党员干部和人民群众的思想、认识和行动。这三大内核中的政治立场，始终坚持全心全意为人民服务，坚持以人民为中心，坚持人民至上，一切为了人民、一切依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，保证了最大限度地吸引民心、凝聚力量。这三大内核中的科学世界观方法论，为正确认识世界、有效改造世界，不断实现人民对美好生活的向往，持续迈向共同富裕和共产主义提供了强大现实武器。政治立场规定使命任务，规定科学世界观方法论的生成，科学的世界观和方法论保证政治立场和使命任务的持续实现。中国共产党的政治立场、使命任务和科学的世界观和方法论，三者之间既相对独立，又是一个有机整体，有着内在的科学逻辑，三者融为一体，共同发挥作用，奠定中国共产党长期执政和基业长青之本。

Although these three core tenets of the CPC's guiding ideology were not expressed in concrete and clear texts and discourse at the time of the Party's founding and in the early stages of its development, they were internally generated from the day of the Party's founding and manifested in the CPC's leadership thought and leadership practice, taking root in fine traditional Chinese culture, embedded in the life genes and historical bloodline of the CPC, and at the same time constantly upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, continuously enriching and improving in the practice of China's revolution, construction, and reform. The consistent adherence to the three core tenets of the CPC's guiding ideology demonstrates to the whole Party, the entire nation, and the whole world the far-reaching historical vision, high degree of historical consciousness, and lofty reputation and credibility of the Chinese Communists.

中国共产党指导思想的三大内核，尽管在中国共产党创建之日和发展前期并没有用具体明确的文本和话语表达出来，但从党的创建之日就开始内在地生成并见之于中国共产党的领导思想和领导实践中，扎根于中华优秀传统文化中，根植于中国共产党的生命基因和历史血脉中，同时在中国革命、建设和改革实践中不断守正创新、持续丰富完善。中国共产党指导思想三大内核的一以贯之，向全党全国人民和全世界彰显了中国共产党人的深远的历史眼光、高度的历史自觉和崇高的信誉荣誉。

The CPC's guiding ideology, possessing these three core tenets, discerns the historical laws of human social development and the basic trends of world development and change; it can always lead society in the correct direction of progress and development; it can win heartfelt positive identification and conscious action from the people; it can guide and promote the development of human society, making people's lives better and happier. The CPC's guiding ideology can provide both objective laws for understanding and grasping the world and methodologies for effectively transforming the world, always providing Party members, cadres, and the masses with scientific guidance on the direction forward, spiritual consolidation in thought and understanding, and inexhaustible motivation for continuous progress.

具有这三大内核的中国共产党指导思想，它洞察了人类社会发展的历史规律和世界发展变动的基本趋势，它能够始终引领社会前进和发展的正确方向，它可以赢得人们发自心底的积极认同和自觉行动，它能够指导和推动人类社会的发展，使人们的生活迈向更美好更幸福。中国共产党的指导思想，既能够提供认识世界把握世界的客观规律，又能够指出有效改造世界的方法论，能够始终为广大党员干部和人民群众提供前进方向的科学引领、思想认识的凝神聚魂和不断前行的不竭动力。

The leadership of the CPC's guiding ideology is fundamentally the powerful force of the thought itself, the inherent appeal of the thought, which can generate broad, strong, and lasting influence on Party members, cadres, and the masses. Over more than a hundred years since the founding of the CPC, it is under the continuous guidance of this guiding ideology that the CPC has led the Chinese people from standing up to growing rich, from growing rich to beginning to become strong, and has made increasingly greater contributions to continuously promoting world peace and development and to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

中国共产党指导思想的引领力，从根本上说是思想本身所具有的强大力量，是思想本身内在的感召力，能够对广大党员干部和人民群众产生广泛强大且持久的影响力。中国共产党成立一百余年来，正是在这样的指导思想的持续引领下，中国共产党领导中国人民从站起来到富起来、从富起来到开始强起来，并为不断推动世界和平与发展、为人类命运共同体的构建作出越来越大的贡献。

The CPC's ideological leadership is a directional, positive, non-coercive influence exerted by the CPC's guiding ideology on the thoughts, understanding, and actions of Party members, cadres, and the masses. This influence aims to win active followership and conscious action from the people towards the CPC and its correct propositions. Here, the subject that generates leadership is the CPC, especially its guiding ideology; the object of leadership is the thoughts, understanding, and actions of Party members, cadres, and the masses; the main content of leadership emphasizes the broad and sustained influence that the CPC's guiding ideology generates on the thoughts, politics, and actions of Party members, cadres, and the masses.

中国共产党思想引领力是中国共产党的指导思想对广大党员干部和人民群众的思想、认识和行动所产生的一种定向的、积极的非强制性影响力，这种影响力旨在赢得人们对中国共产党及其正确主张的主动追随和自觉行动。这里能够产生引领力的主体是中国共产党特别是党的指导思想，引领力的作用对象是广大党员干部和人民群众的思想、认识和行动，引领力的主要内容强调中国共产党的指导思想对广大党员干部和人民群众思想上政治上行动上所生成的广泛、持续影响力。

II. Upholding Fundamental Principles and Breaking New Ground in the Three Core Tenets of the CPC's Guiding Ideology

二、中国共产党指导思想三大内核的守正创新

The CPC has always adhered to the theoretical guidance of Marxism for China's revolution. Through arduous exploration during the New Democratic Revolution period, it gradually formed the first major theoretical achievement of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context — Mao Zedong Thought, realizing the first historic leap of combining Marxism with China's specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture. This created the Sinicization of Marxism, established the historical consciousness of the CPC combining adherence to Marxism's guiding position with the Party's theoretical innovation, and firmly established the guiding position of Marxism and Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Entering the new period of reform and opening up and socialist construction with Chinese characteristics, and the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the second major theoretical achievement of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context — the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, composed of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, was formed, as well as the latest theoretical achievement of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times — Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The three major theoretical achievements of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context are responses by the CPC in different historical periods to urgent challenges posed by the times and solutions to major problems faced. The specific content of each guiding ideology differs, but their spiritual essence and ideological core are fully compatible and highly consistent with the three core tenets and essential requirements of Marxism. The upholding of fundamental principles and breaking new ground centering on the three core tenets of Marxism in the CPC's guiding ideology is concentratedly embodied in the following three aspects.

中国共产党始终坚持马克思主义对中国革命的理论指导，经过新民主主义革命时期的艰辛探索，逐渐形成了马克思主义中国化第一大理论成果——毛泽东思想，实现了马克思主义与中国具体实际相结合、与中华优秀传统文化相结合的第一次历史性飞跃。由此开创了中国化的马克思主义，形成了中国共产党坚持马克思主义指导地位和坚持党的理论创新相结合的历史自觉，确立了马克思主义和中国化时代化的马克思主义的指导思想地位。进入改革开放和中国特色社会主义建设新时期和中国特色社会主义新时代，又形成了由邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观构成的马克思主义中国化第二大理论成果——中国特色社会主义理论体系，形成了马克思主义中国化时代化的最新理论成果——习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。马克思主义中国化三大理论成果是中国共产党在不同历史时期，因应时代提出的迫切挑战、解决面对的重大问题。每一个指导思想的具体内容不同，但精神实质和思想内核与马克思主义三大内核和本质要求完全契合、高度一致。中国共产党指导思想围绕马克思主义三大内核的守正创新，集中体现在以下三个方面。

First, the mission and task of the CPC. At the time of its founding, the CPC clearly defined its highest political program, taking the realization of communism as the ultimate goal of struggle. Starting from its own ultimate historical mission, the CPC has always adhered to closely combining the realization of the historical mission with the accomplishment of phased tasks, continuously pushing the proposal of phased tasks backward from the historical mission, and continuously approaching the realization of the historical mission through the achievement of phased tasks. Although the phased tasks of a series of theoretical achievements of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times have been dynamically adjusted in different periods of revolution, construction, and reform, the main line and essence running through these specific tasks has always been the unswerving advancement and realization of the CPC's mission and task. The CPC's mission and task provide the fundamental correct direction, objective standard for testing, and inexhaustible source of motivation for the CPC's ideological leadership.

第一，中国共产党的使命任务。中国共产党创建之日，就明确了自己的最高政治纲领，把实现共产主义作为奋斗的最终目标。中国共产党从自身的最终历史使命出发，始终坚持把实现历史使命和完成阶段任务二者紧密结合起来，以历史使命持续倒推阶段任务的提出，以阶段任务的实现不断接近历史使命的实现。马克思主义中国化时代化一系列理论成果，尽管在革命、建设和改革不同时期的阶段任务始终在动态调整，但贯穿这些具体任务之中的主线和精髓，始终是坚定不移地推进和实现中国共产党的使命任务。中国共产党的使命任务为中国共产党思想引领力提供了根本的正确方向、检验的客观标准和不懈奋斗的动力之源。

From the period of China's revolution, striving for victory in the New Democratic Revolution, achieving national independence and people's liberation, and establishing a new China; to after the completion of the socialist transformation [1]1 The socialist transformation refers to the process in the 1950s of transforming private ownership of the means of production into public ownership, completing the transition from New Democracy to socialism., proposing the goal of "the four modernizations" [2]2 The "four modernizations" refers to the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology, first proposed by Zhou Enlai in 1963 and formalized in 1964. within the 20th century and the "two-step" vision for its realization. In the early period of reform and opening up, it proposed the goal of achieving a moderately prosperous standard of living for the people by the end of the 20th century and formulated the "three-step" development strategy [3]3 The "three-step" development strategy, proposed by Deng Xiaoping in 1987, set goals for 1990 (doubling 1980 GNP and solving basic needs), 2000 (doubling 1990 GNP and achieving moderate prosperity), and the middle of the 21st century (reaching the level of moderately developed countries).. Entering the new century, it proposed to build a moderately prosperous society of a higher standard benefiting over one billion people within the first 20 years of the 21st century. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the 18th National Congress proposed to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the 100th anniversary of the Party's founding; the 19th National Congress proposed, after completing the building of a moderately prosperous society, to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035 and to build a great modern socialist country by the middle of the 21st century; the 20th National Congress proposed that the CPC's mission and task is "from now on, the central task of the Communist Party of China is to unite and lead the people of all ethnic groups in comprehensively building a great modern socialist country, realizing the second centenary goal, and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization." These phased goals and tasks and specific deployments in different periods are all concrete requirements of the Party's mission and task at different times.

从中国革命时期致力于新民主主义革命胜利，实现民族独立、人民解放，建立新中国；到社会主义改造完成后提出20世纪内实现“四个现代化”的奋斗目标和实现这个目标的“两步走”设想。改革开放初期，提出20世纪末人民生活水平达到小康水平的奋斗目标，并制定“三步走”发展战略。进入新世纪，提出在21世纪头20年，全面建设惠及十几亿人口的更高水平的小康社会。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，党的十八大提出建党100年时全面建成小康社会，党的十九大提出在全面建成小康社会后到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化、到21世纪中叶建成社会主义现代化强国的奋斗目标，党的二十大提出，中国共产党的使命任务是“从现在起，中国共产党的中心任务就是团结带领全国各族人民全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现第二个百年奋斗目标，以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。”这些不同时期的阶段性目标任务和具体部署，都是党的使命任务在不同时期的具体要求。

The CPC's mission and task emphasize the combination of the lofty mission and phased tasks. This combination can maintain the continuity and stability of the historical mission while timely adjusting specific tasks according to actual conditions, better adapting to the new situation and new requirements of development. It avoids both empty talk that only speaks of the lofty goal without concrete action and short-sightedness that only looks down at pulling the cart without looking up at the road, enabling the organic integration and continuous connection of the Party's historical mission and phased tasks. This is the scientific leading power of the Party's historical mission.

中国共产党的使命任务，强调远大使命和阶段任务的结合，这种结合既能够保持历史使命的持续性稳定性，又可以根据实际情况及时调整具体任务，更好适应发展了的新形势、新要求。既避免了只讲远大目标缺乏具体行动的空谈，也避免了只顾低头拉车、忘了抬头看路的短视，能够把党的历史使命和阶段任务始终有机结合起来、持续贯通起来，这就是党的历史使命的科学引领力量。

Second, the political stance of the CPC. The CPC's political stance firmly and clearly answers the fundamental question concerning the essential nature of a political party: "For whom," "Rely on whom," "Who am I." The CPC always adheres to a people-centered political stance, directly manifesting the Party's ideals and beliefs, firm faith, and political pursuit in theory and practice, truly making Party members, cadres, and the masses feel that the CPC is the people's own party. This naturally helps to enhance the broad appeal and sustained attraction of the CPC's guiding ideology and the CPC as an organization among Party members, cadres, and the masses.

第二，中国共产党的政治立场。中国共产党的政治立场坚定明确回答了“为了谁”、“依靠谁”、“我是谁”这一关乎政党本质属性的根本性问题。中国共产党始终坚持以人民为中心的政治立场，在理论上和实践中直接彰显党的理想信念、坚定信仰和政治追求，真正让广大党员干部和人民群众感受到中国共产党是人民自己的党，自然有利于增强中国共产党指导思想及中国共产党这一组织在广大党员干部和人民群众中的广泛感召力和持续吸引力。

From Mao Zedong's statement that "all words and actions of communists must take the broadest interests of the overwhelming majority of the people and the support of the overwhelming majority of the people as the highest standard" [4]4 This is from Mao Zedong's "On the Coalition Government" (1945)., and the Party Constitution adopted at the Seventh National Congress first clearly stipulating that "members of the CPC must have the spirit of serving the Chinese people wholeheartedly, and must establish broad ties with the worker masses, peasant masses, and other revolutionary people" [5]5 The Seventh National Congress of the CPC was held in 1945; the Party Constitution adopted then formally established "serving the people wholeheartedly" as the fundamental purpose.; to Deng Xiaoping's proposition that whether the people support, approve, are happy, or consent should be taken as the starting point and end result of formulating policies and making decisions; to the important thought of Three Represents prominently expressing "representing the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people" and the Scientific Outlook on Development's "people-oriented" approach — all embody the fundamental people-centered political stance. Then to General Secretary Xi Jinping's emphasis: "To seek happiness for the people is the original aspiration of Chinese Communists. We must never forget this original aspiration and always take the people's aspiration for a better life as our goal of struggle." The CPC's adherence to a people-centered political stance has been consistent through different historical periods, while also continuously endowing it with new connotations and new tasks according to the requirements of the times.

从毛泽东提出“共产党人的一切言论行动，必须以合乎最广大人民群众的最大利益，为最广大人民群众所拥护为最高标准”，党的七大党章第一次明确规定“中国共产党人必须具有全心全意为中国人民服务的精神，必须与工人群众、农民群众及其他革命人民建立广泛的联系”。到邓小平主张要把人民拥护不拥护、赞成不赞成、高兴不高兴、答应不答应作为制定方针政策和作出决断的出发点和归宿，到“三个代表”重要思想中突出表达“代表中国最广大人民的根本利益”、科学发展观的“以人为本”，无不体现着以人民为中心的根本的政治立场。再到习近平总书记强调：“为人民谋幸福，是中国共产党人的初心。我们要时刻不忘这个初心，永远把人民对美好生活的向往作为奋斗目标。”中国共产党坚持以人民为中心的政治立场在不同历史时期一以贯之，同时又根据时代要求不断赋予新的内涵、新的任务。

The lofty ideal of communism defines the Party's mission and task, and also defines the Party's political stance. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. [6]6 A classical Chinese saying from the Dao De Jing, later widely used in CPC discourse. Realizing the free and comprehensive development of each individual is ultimately for the broad masses, which defines the CPC's people-centered political stance. The Party's political stance stipulates the CPC's fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, manifesting the Chinese Communists' scientific method of seeing the inside from the outside, determining the Party's political stance starting from the objective requirements of realizing the lofty ideal and the actual needs of the masses. The fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly is the concretization and visualization of the Party's lofty ideal and mission and task in the present, and is also the political stance, methodological goal, and purpose of the CPC. This further connects the Party's mission and task, political stance, and scientific worldview and methodology, connects the lofty ideal with concrete actions, closely links the realization of the Party's correct propositions with meeting the specific needs of the masses, thereby manifesting the sustained attraction of the CPC's guiding ideology for Party members, cadres, and the masses.

实现共产主义远大理想，规定了党的使命任务，同时也规定了党的政治立场。千里之行，始于足下。实现每个人自由而全面的发展，归根结底是为了广大人民群众，这就规定了中国共产党以人民为中心的政治立场。党的政治立场规定了中国共产党全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨，彰显中国共产党人从外看内的科学思维方法，从实现远大理想的客观要求和人民群众的实际需求出发决定党的政治立场。全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨是党的远大理想、使命任务在当下的具体化和形象化，同时也是中国共产党的政治立场、方法目标和目的归宿。这就进一步把党的使命任务、政治立场和科学的世界观和方法论贯通起来，把远大理想和具体行动贯通起来，把实现党的正确主张和满足群众的具体需求密切联系起来，从而彰显中国共产党指导思想对广大党员干部和人民群众的持续吸引力。

Third, the scientific worldview and methodology of the CPC. Marxist dialectical materialism and historical materialism, as the scientific worldview and methodology of the CPC, determine that the CPC can not only scientifically understand the world but also effectively transform the world. Only having good motives and intentions for a beautiful mission and task and a benevolent political stance is not enough; one must also have the qualities, abilities, and skills centered on a scientific worldview and methodology capable of effectively transforming the world. Good wishes need superior abilities as support and guarantee. Good wishes without ability guarantee are unlikely to sustain ideological leadership over Party members, cadres, and the masses. The unity of continuously declaring good motives and intentions to Party members, cadres, and the masses on the one hand, and continuously delivering visible and tangible practical results on the other, is the direct driving force that generates the CPC's ideological leadership.

第三，中国共产党的科学世界观和方法论。马克思主义辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义作为中国共产党的科学世界观和方法论，决定了中国共产党不仅能够做到科学认识世界，更能够做到有效改造世界。只有美好使命任务和善良政治立场的动机和意愿还不够，还要有能够有效改造世界的科学的世界观和方法论为核心的素养、能力和本领。良好的愿望需要高超的能力作为支撑和保证。没有能力保证的良好愿望，很难持续实现对广大党员干部和人民群众的思想引领力。向广大党员干部和人民群众不断宣示的良好动机、意愿与持续能够给人们看得见、摸得着的实际结果二者结合于同一，是生成中国共产党思想引领力的直接动因。

From the living soul of Mao Zedong Thought — "seeking truth from facts, mass line, independence and self-reliance"; to Deng Xiaoping's clear propositions of "emancipating the mind," "taking reform as the driving force for promoting all work in building socialism with Chinese characteristics," "proceeding from reality," "respecting the pioneering spirit of the masses," and "correctly handling the relationship among reform, development, and stability"; to Jiang Zemin's adherence to seeking truth from facts, "promoting institutional innovation, scientific and technological innovation, cultural innovation, and other innovations through theoretical innovation, constantly exploring and advancing in practice, never complacent, never lax," insisting on combining "bringing in" and "going out," promoting reform and development through opening up; to the Scientific Outlook on Development's emphasis on the basic requirement of comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development, the fundamental method of balancing all considerations, and balancing both domestic and international situations; to the "Six Persistences" worldview and methodology running through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era — persisting in putting the people first, persisting in self-confidence and self-reliance, persisting in upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, persisting in problem orientation, persisting in systems thinking, and persisting in embracing the world. These worldviews and methodologies of the CPC sparkling with the essence of Marxist philosophy provide guidance and direction in scientific thinking methods and effective working methods for scientifically understanding and accurately analyzing major problems and effectively solving major difficulties, and also provide strong support and strength guarantee for having the superior abilities needed to firmly stand on the political stance and realize the mission and task.

从毛泽东思想活的灵魂“实事求是、群众路线、独立自主”，到邓小平明确提出“解放思想”“把改革作为推进建设有中国特色社会主义事业各项工作的动力”“从实际出发”“尊重群众的首创精神”“正确处理改革、发展同稳定的关系”，到江泽民坚持求真务实，“通过理论创新推动制度创新、科技创新、文化创新以及其他各方面的创新，不断在实践中探索前进，永不自满、永不懈怠”，坚持“引进来”和“走出去”相结合，以开放促改革促发展。到科学发展观强调全面协调可持续的基本要求，统筹兼顾的根本方法，统筹国内国际两个大局。到贯穿习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想中坚持人民至上、坚持自信自立、坚持守正创新、坚持问题导向、坚持系统思维、坚持胸怀天下的“六个坚持”的世界观和方法论。中国共产党这些闪耀着马克思主义哲学精髓的世界观方法论，为科学认识准确分析重大问题、有效解决重大难题，提供了科学思想方法和有效工作方法的指引指导，也为具有站稳政治立场、实现使命任务所需的高超能力提供有力支撑和力量保证。

In summary, Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times is essentially the organic combination of the Chinese Communists' consistent adherence to Marxism's guiding position and continuous promotion of the Party's theoretical innovation, always sticking to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in theoretical achievements. No matter how theory is innovated, it always adheres to the unchanged guiding position of Marxism. Upholding fundamental principles emphasizes adhering to the basic tenets of Marxism without wavering, adhering to the Party's overall leadership without wavering, and adhering to socialism with Chinese characteristics without wavering. In essence, it always adheres to Marxism's guiding ideological position and the CPC's unchanging nature, unchanging color, and unchanging flavor. This is the theoretical background and political essence of the Chinese Communists. Breaking new ground means that the Party's theory always persists in creatively transforming and innovatively developing the CPC's guiding ideology by continuously combining it with fine traditional Chinese culture, with the requirements of the times, and with the people's expectations, continuously promoting the Party's theoretical innovation, continuously forming Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, thereby continuously generating the CPC's ideological leadership.

综上，中国化时代化的马克思主义本质上是中国共产党人始终坚持马克思主义的指导地位与不断推进党的理论创新的有机结合，始终坚持守正创新的理论成果，不管如何创新理论都始终坚守马克思主义的指导地位不变。守正强调坚持马克思主义基本原理不动摇，坚持党的全面领导不动摇，坚持中国特色社会主义不动摇，本质上始终坚持马克思主义指导思想地位和中国共产党的不变质、不变色、不变味，这是中国共产党人的理论底色和政治本色。创新是指党的理论始终坚持中国共产党指导思想不断结合中华优秀传统文化、不断结合时代要求和人民期待的创造性转化和创新性发展，不断推进党的理论创新，不断形成中国化时代化的马克思主义，从而不断生成中国共产党的思想引领力。

III. The Internal Mechanism of the CPC's Guiding Ideology Leading Self-Revolution

三、中国共产党指导思想引领自我革命的内在机理

The leading power of the CPC's guiding ideology is fundamentally the powerful force inherent in the ideology itself. The CPC's ideological leading power mainly includes the ideological leading power over Party organizations at all levels and Party cadres and members, and the ideological leading power over the broad masses of the people. The ideological leading power over Party organizations at all levels and the broad masses of Party cadres and members, that is, the leading power that leads the Party's self-revolution, plays a foundational, directional, and guaranteeing role in the formation of the CPC's ideological leading power. Only self-confidence can lead to others' confidence. The key to the formation of the power of the CPC's guiding ideology to lead social revolution lies in the fact that this guiding ideology is first able to continuously lead the Party's self-revolution within the Party, so that the broad masses of the people believe because they see it. Conversely, the power of the CPC's guiding ideology to lead self-revolution provides model demonstration and fundamental driving force for the formation of the power of the Party's guiding ideology to lead social revolution.

中国共产党指导思想的引领力，从根本上说是思想本身所具有的强大力量。中国共产党的思想引领力，主要包括对党的各级组织和党员干部的思想引领力和对广大人民群众的思想引领力。对党的各级组织和广大党员干部的思想引领力，即引领党的自我革命的引领力，在中国共产党思想引领力的形成中发挥着基础性、引领性和保障性的作用。先自信才有他信。中国共产党指导思想引领社会革命的力量之所以能够形成，关键在于这种指导思想首先能够在党内持续引领党的自我革命，让广大人民群众因为看见所以相信。反过来，中国共产党指导思想引领自我革命的力量，为党的指导思想形成引领社会革命的力量提供了榜样示范和根本动力。

The reason why the CPC's guiding ideology can produce a broad, far-reaching, and sustained influence on Party cadres and members ultimately lies in the fact that this guiding ideology scientifically answers three fundamental questions concerning the nature of the organization and scientifically elucidates the fundamental norms for handling three basic relationships. The first is the relationship between the organization and the society outside the organization in the spatial dimension, which addresses why an organization should be created and what the purpose and significance of the organization's existence are. The second is the relationship between the short-term goals and the long-term mission of the organization in the temporal dimension, which addresses the issue of the continuous creation of the long-term mission. The third is the relationship between the organization's own will and capacity guarantee in the self-dimension, which addresses the issue of the organization's purpose and the capacity and motivation for sustained value creation. The three core elements of Marxism theoretically answered these three questions and provided the standards for solving these relationships in practice. Under the guidance of Marxism, the CPC has continuously answered these three questions well in light of China's actual conditions, which is concentratedly expressed in the discursive expressions of the Party's building theories such as the Party's nature and purpose, its original aspiration and founding mission, and its faith and conviction. The CPC's guiding ideology provides continuous scientific guidance for maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, ensuring that the Party continuously improves its leadership and governance capabilities, and always remains the leading core of the great cause, thus forming the internal mechanism of the CPC's guiding ideology leading the Party's own building and the Party's self-revolution.

中国共产党的指导思想之所以能够对党员干部产生广泛、深远、持续的影响力，归根结底在于这一指导思想科学回答了关于组织本质的三个基本问题，科学阐明了处理三个基本关系的根本准则。一是空间维度组织和组织之外社会的关系问题，解决的是为什么要创建一个组织，组织存在的目的和意义是什么。二是时间维度组织的短期目标和长远使命之间的关系，解决的是长远使命的持续创造问题。三是自身维度组织的自身意愿与能力保证的关系，解决的是组织目的和持续价值创造的能力和动力问题。马克思主义三大内核从理论上回答了这三个问题，为实践上解决这三个关系提供了标准。在马克思主义引领下，中国共产党结合中国实际不断回答好这三个问题，集中表现为党的性质宗旨、初心使命和信仰信念等党的建设理论的话语表达。中国共产党指导思想为保持党的先进性和纯洁性，确保党不断提高领导水平和执政水平，始终成为伟大事业的领导核心，提供了持续的科学指导，形成了中国共产党指导思想引领党的自身建设和党的自我革命的内在机理。

First, the purpose of the organization's establishment, that is, why an organization should be created, concerns the core concept of the organization. The core concept defines the enduring and unchanging traits of an organization, defining the unchanging "what we stand for and why we exist." Like political party organizations in general, the CPC as a political party organization also has the issue of the core concept of its founding, which is the original aspiration of the CPC, answering why the CPC set out, what the political stance of CPC members is, who I am, and for whom I act. From the moment of its birth, the CPC established its core concept of its own founding and development based on Marxist theory and gradually adapted this Marxist core concept to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, "establishing as its original aspiration and founding mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation." [7]7 Self-revolution (自我革命) refers to the CPC's acts of self-purification, self-improvement, self-renovation, and self-enhancement to maintain its advanced nature and purity. Social revolution (社会革命) denotes the Party's leadership of the people in transforming society and advancing social progress. The CPC has always stayed true to its original aspiration and founding mission, always adhered to the people's stance, put the people first, done everything for the people and relied on the people, shared the fruits of development among the people, and always regarded the people's aspiration for a better life as its eternal goal of struggle. This is the purpose and original aspiration of the founding of the CPC.

第一，组织成立的目的，即为什么要创立一个组织，关乎组织的核心理念。核心理念定义了一个组织持久不变的特质，定义了不变的“我们代表什么和我们为什么存在”。同一般意义上的政党组织一样，中国共产党这一政党组织同样有一个创立的核心理念问题，这就是中国共产党的初心，回答的是中国共产党究竟为什么出发，中国共产党人的政治立场是什么、我是谁、为了谁。中国共产党一经诞生，就根据马克思主义理论确立了自身创立和发展的核心理念，并逐步把马克思主义这一核心理念中国化时代化，“把为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴确立为自己的初心使命”。中国共产党始终不忘初心、牢记使命，始终坚持人民立场，坚持人民至上，坚持一切为了人民、一切依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，坚持把人民对美好生活的向往作为永远的奋斗目标。这就是中国共产党创建的目的和初心。

The core concept of the founding of the CPC determines the Party's political stance, and the Party's original aspiration must always embody and manifest the Party's political stance. The fundamental purpose of the CPC is to serve the people wholeheartedly, highlighting the CPC's people-oriented nature and value. Moreover, the CPC focuses on the urgent needs and fundamental interests of the broad masses of the people at different historical periods according to the situation and tasks. From satisfying the peasants' demand for land during the revolutionary period, satisfying the people's demand for ever-growing material and cultural life during the construction period, to satisfying the broadest masses of the people's aspiration for a better life in the New Era, it has always been heart-to-heart with the people and has always kept pace with the times. At the same time, the CPC persists in bearing the world in mind, always committing to the noble cause of human peace and development, displaying the lofty spiritual realm and noble moral sentiment of CPC members, and possessing infinity in the spatial dimension.

中国共产党创建的核心理念决定了党的政治立场，党的初心必须始终体现和彰显党的政治立场。中国共产党的根本宗旨是全心全意为人民服务，凸显的是中国共产党的人民性和价值性。而且，中国共产党注重根据不同历史时期的形势和任务，聚焦满足和实现当时广大人民群众的迫切需求和根本利益。从革命时期满足农民对土地的要求、建设时期满足人民群众对不断增长的物质文化生活的需求，到新时代满足最广大人民对美好生活的向往，一直与人民群众心心相印，始终坚持与时俱进。同时，中国共产党坚持胸怀天下，始终致力于人类和平与发展崇高事业，展现了中国共产党人的崇高精神境界和高尚道德情操，具有空间维度的无限性。

Second, the ultimate goal of the organization's establishment, that is, what the ultimate purpose of the organization is to achieve, essentially concerns the organization's mission. The organization's mission is built on the basis of the organization's core concept, representing "what we aspire to become, what realm we want to reach, and what we create (future prospects)." What kind of organization to establish is not defined from within the organization, but from outside the organization, from the long-term satisfaction of the needs of the organization's service targets. For the CPC, there is also the issue of the organization's mission. From the moment of its birth, the CPC established its lofty mission of its own founding and development based on Marxist theory, that is, to realize the lofty ideal of communism, to realize the free and comprehensive development of each individual, and then to the present realization of the people's aspiration for a better life and common prosperity. [8]8 Original aspiration and founding mission (初心使命) refers to the CPC's original aspiration and mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, an overarching call from Xi Jinping for It can be seen that the CPC's historical mission is not defined from the perspective of the CPC itself, but from the external perspective of the people's needs and the requirements of national development, and is defined in terms of the long-term needs of the people from this external perspective. The CPC's historical mission defines the enduring and unchanging traits of the CPC, establishes an internal mechanism of never being satisfied and never slackening to effectively combat the stubborn disease of complacency within, and can continuously renew itself with endogenous power and the direction of the mission, achieving the organization's enduring vitality.

第二，组织成立的终极目标，即组织要实现的最终目的是什么，本质关乎组织的使命。组织的使命建立在组织的核心理念基础之上，代表的是“我们渴望成为什么，达到什么境界，以及创造出什么（未来前景）”。创立什么样的组织，并不是从组织内部来界定，而是从组织外部来界定，从组织服务对象的需求的长远满足来界定。对中国共产党而言，同样有组织的使命问题。中国共产党一经诞生，就根据马克思主义理论确立了自身创立和发展的远大使命，即实现共产主义远大理想，实现每个人自由而全面的发展，再到现在的实现人民对美好生活的向往，实现共同富裕。可以看出，中国共产党的历史使命并不是从中国共产党自身出发来界定的，而是从人民的需求和国家发展的要求这一外部视角来界定的，而且是从人民这一外部视角长远需求的实现来界定自身使命的。中国共产党的历史使命定义了中国共产党持久不变的特质，建立了一种永不满足、永不懈怠的内在机制有效对抗内部存在的骄傲自满顽疾，能够以内生的力量、使命的方向不断自我更新，实现组织的基业长青。

The fundamental attribute of the mission reflects the directional guidance of the ultimate goal of the organization's development. A scientific mission orientation can provide continuous forward direction guidance for the organization's development, always leading all organization members to stay at the forefront of the times. The CPC's highest political program—to realize communism and the free and comprehensive development of each individual—concentratedly manifests the CPC's scientific thinking methodology of beginning with the end in mind, scientifically establishing the ultimate goal and fundamental source of the CPC's ideological leading power. The lofty ideal based on the scientific truth of Marxism stipulates the Party's ultimate mission, stipulates the Party's specific tasks, enabling the CPC to timely put forward key tasks according to the characteristics of different historical periods, and break them down through development plans, stage goals, and policies and guidelines, and realize them through the powerful organizational system and the hard work of broad cadres, members, and the people. The CPC's historical mission ensures that the CPC can always stay at the forefront of the times, always use the Party's mission and tasks to achieve continuous scientific guidance over the cause of the Party and the state, and possesses infinity in the temporal dimension.

使命的根本属性体现出来的是对组织发展最终目标的方向引领，一个科学的使命定位能够为组织发展提供持续的前行方向指引，始终引领全体组织成员走在时代前列。中国共产党的最高政治纲领——实现共产主义、实现每个人自由而全面的发展，集中彰显了中国共产党以终为始的科学思维方法论，科学确立了中国共产党思想引领力的最终目标和根本渊源。基于马克思主义科学真理的远大理想，规定了党的最终使命，规定了党的具体任务，使得中国共产党能够根据不同历史时期的形势特点及时提出重点任务，并通过发展规划、阶段目标和政策方针来分解，通过强大的组织体系和广大党员干部、人民群众的实干来实现。中国共产党的历史使命确保中国共产党能够始终走在时代前列，始终用党的使命任务实现对党和国家事业的持续科学引领，具有时间维度的无限性。

Third, the organization's capacity building, the core of which is the organization's values and methodology, that is, the behavioral norms and behavioral standards of the organization's members. This is about how to build organizational capacity to always ensure the organization's original aspiration and continuously realize the organization's mission, the key is how to ensure continuous empowerment for the organization. For the CPC, how to ensure the fundamental purpose and political stance of serving the people wholeheartedly, how to realize the historical mission of common prosperity and the free and comprehensive development of each individual, depends on the CPC's scientific world outlook and methodology for realization and guarantee. The CPC has no special interests of its own other than the interests of the people. The Party's lack of self-interest determines that the CPC can master a scientific world outlook and methodology, can be brave in self-revolution, uphold truth, correct errors, continuously transcend itself, and always pursue excellence.

第三，组织的能力建设，核心是组织的价值观和方法论，即组织成员的行为规范和行为标准。这是关于为始终保证组织的初心、持续实现组织的使命，组织能力要怎么建设的问题，关键是如何保证能够为组织持续赋能。对中国共产党来说，如何保证全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨和政治立场、如何实现共同富裕和每个人自由而全面发展的历史使命，需要依靠中国共产党的科学世界观方法论来实现和保证。中国共产党除了人民的利益，没有自己任何特殊的利益。党的不谋私利决定了中国共产党能够掌握科学的世界观和方法论，能够勇于自我革命，坚持真理、修正错误，不断自我超越，始终追求卓越。

To ensure the eternal unchanging political nature of its own nature and fundamental purpose, the CPC emphasizes that Party cadres and members have no special private interests other than the work duties and personal interests stipulated by laws and regulations. The CPC's lack of self-interest requires Party cadres and members, on the one hand, to focus on theoretical armed and political building, to identify with and be loyal to the Party's political stance and mission tasks; on the other hand, to master a scientific world outlook and methodology, continuously improve capabilities and skills, in order to realize the Party's political stance and mission tasks. The scientific world outlook and methodology determine the behavioral norms of the organization and its members and the measurement standards of results in the process of implementing the Party's political stance and mission tasks. The scientific world outlook and methodology, on the one hand, concretize and operationalize the behavioral requirements of the Party's political stance and mission tasks for the organization's members, which are the objective requirements for realizing the Party's political stance and mission tasks; on the other hand, they greatly ensure the consistency of the organization's members' behavior with the Party's political stance and mission tasks, forging the core capacity of the organization, and ensuring the continuous realization of the Party's political stance and mission tasks. In summary, the scientific world outlook and methodology play the fundamental role of leading the organization's development direction, correcting the behavioral deviations of Party cadres and members, winning the continuous recognition of the people, and ensuring the healthy development of the organization in the process of realizing the organization's original aspiration, stance, and mission tasks.

中国共产党为保证自身性质和根本宗旨的政治本色恒久不变，强调党员干部除了法律法规规定的工作职权和个人利益，没有任何特殊的私利。中国共产党的不谋私利要求党员干部，一方面要注重理论武装和政治建设，认同忠诚党的政治立场和使命任务，另一方面要掌握科学的世界观和方法论，不断提高能力和本领，以实现党的政治立场和使命任务。科学的世界观和方法论决定党的政治立场和使命任务落地过程中，组织及其成员的行为准则和结果的衡量标准问题。科学的世界观方法论，一方面是党的政治立场和使命任务对组织成员行为要求的具体化、可操作化，是实现党的政治立场和使命任务的客观要求；另一方面也在很大程度上保证组织成员的行为与党的政治立场和使命任务的一致性，锻造组织的核心能力，确保党的政治立场和使命任务的持续实现。总之，科学的世界观和方法论在实现组织初心立场和使命任务的过程中，发挥着引领组织发展方向、校正党员干部行为偏差、赢得人民持续认可、保证组织健康发展的根本保证作用。

Precisely because Marxism scientifically answers the fundamental norms for handling these three basic relationships concerning organizational theory, it necessarily enables the CPC, under the guidance of Marxism, to continuously lead and promote the theory and practice of Party building, continuously advance the Party's self-revolution, always maintain the Party's advanced nature and purity, always ensure that the Party's leadership and governance capabilities are compatible with the requirements of the development of the cause, always be able to consolidate the soul and gather strength within the entire Party, continuously strengthen the Party's unity and solidarity, and ensure that the Party always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

正是因为马克思主义科学回答了处理这三个关于组织理论基本关系的根本准则，必然使得中国共产党在马克思主义指导下，不断引领和推进党的建设的理论和实践，不断推进党的自我革命，始终保持党的先进性和纯洁性，始终保证党的领导水平和执政水平与事业发展要求相适应，始终能够在全党凝神聚魂，不断巩固党的团结统一，确保党始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。

IV. The Internal Mechanism of the CPC's Guiding Ideology Leading Social Revolution

四、中国共产党指导思想引领社会革命的内在机理

The powerful force inherent in the CPC's guiding ideology acts on both the Party organization and Party cadres and members, and on society and the masses of the people, leading the Party's building and the Party's self-revolution while also leading social revolution. Ideological leading power, especially the ideological leading power over society outside the organization and the masses of the people, is always from the inside out; it cannot be coerced, but can only be voluntary and willing on the part of the people. If the leading subject can continuously satisfy and realize the current needs and long-term interests of the led objects, it will naturally generate and form a sustained influence on the led objects. Marxism, in the final analysis, is a theory that seeks benefits for the people. None of its three core elements are not aimed at realizing the interests of the people; none of them are not aimed at guaranteeing and continuously realizing the interests of the people. This is the fundamental prerequisite and ideological foundation for the CPC's guiding ideology to continuously attract and always rally the broad masses of the people to carry out continuous social revolution.

中国共产党指导思想自身所具有的强大力量，既作用于党组织和党员干部，也作用于社会和人民群众，在引领党的建设和党的自我革命的同时引领社会革命。思想引领力特别是对组织之外社会和人民群众的思想引领力总是由内而外的，它无法被强制，只能靠人们的自觉自愿。如果领导主体能够持续满足和实现领导对象的当前需求和长远利益，自然就能够生成和形成对领导对象的持续影响力。马克思主义说到底就是为人民谋利益的理论，三大内核无一不是为了实现人民利益的，无一不是为了保障和持续实现人民利益的。这是中国共产党的指导思想能够持续吸引和始终凝聚广大人民群众不断进行社会革命的根本前提和思想基础。

First, the CPC's political stance and original aspiration and purpose determine that everything the CPC strives for is always to satisfy the people's aspiration for a better life. The handling of the relationship between the organization and groups outside the organization determines the nature of an organization and its external influence. The basic way for business organizations to handle this relationship is transaction and exchange based on contract; the basic way for government organizations to handle this relationship is rule and management based on coercive power; and the basic way for bourgeois political parties to handle this relationship is exchange of interests through votes, which is essentially similar to business organizations. Guided by Marxism, the CPC defines the basic relationship between the organization itself and the people as service, fundamentally reversing the essential relationship between the leading subject and the led objects that has existed for a long time. In this new type of leadership relationship, the CPC as the leading subject naturally needs to play a leading role, but its fundamental positioning is to serve the people, organically combining serving the masses with leading the masses. The people as the led objects are the subjects in the leadership relationship. Whatever services the people need, whenever they need them, and however they need them to be provided, the CPC provides appropriate services according to the actual needs of the people, and in the process of service, guides the people's thinking and understanding to a higher stage, continuously raising the people's level of consciousness. The motive of the CPC's leadership is for the interests of the people, for the long-term and fundamental interests of the people, and it realizes this through the method of serving the people, which people can accept.

第一，中国共产党的政治立场和初心宗旨，决定了中国共产党所奋斗的一切始终都是为了满足人民对美好生活的向往。组织和组织之外群体关系的处理决定了一个组织的性质及其外在影响力。企业组织处理二者关系的基本方式是建立在契约基础上的交易和交换，政府组织处理二者关系的基本方式是建立在强制性权力基础上的统治和管理，资产阶级政党处理二者关系的基本方式是以选票交换利益，本质上近似于企业组织。以马克思主义为指导，中国共产党把组织自身和人民的基本关系规定为服务，从根本上颠倒了长期以来领导主体和领导对象之间的本质关系。在这一新型领导关系中，作为领导主体的中国共产党当然需要发挥领导作用，但根本定位是为人民服务，把服务群众和引领群众有机结合起来。作为领导对象的人民是领导关系中的主体，人民需要什么服务，什么时候需要服务，需要如何提供服务，中国共产党就按人民的实际要求提供恰当的服务，并且在服务中把人民的思想和认识引导到更高程度的阶段，不断提高人民的觉悟水平。中国共产党的领导动机是为了人民利益，为了人民的长远利益和根本利益，而且是通过为人民服务这种人们能够接受的方式去实现。

Second, the CPC's mission tasks and struggle goals determine that everything the CPC strives for is always to continuously satisfy the people's aspiration for a better life. The faith and conviction of organization members in the organization's long-term mission determine how far an organization can ultimately go. Marxism reveals the basic laws of human social development, points out that the direction of human social development is to realize communism, and clarifies that the subject to realize this historical task is the proletariat and its party. The CPC is a party armed with Marxist theory. At different historical stages, the CPC has always adhered to the realization of communism as its fundamental mission task and used this to deduce the current specific policies and actions, promoting and leading social revolution to continuously advance toward this lofty ideal. It is particularly necessary to point out that Marx and Engels also had a statement about communism in the Communist Manifesto: "In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all." Later, in Capital, they pointed out that the future society would be "a social formation in which the full and free development of each individual constitutes the fundamental principle." In the context of Marx and Engels, realizing the free and comprehensive development of each individual is consistent with communism and is the fundamental goal pursued by Marxism. This determines that everything the CPC strives for is always for the masses of the people, that is, to continuously satisfy the people's aspiration for a better life. Since realizing the communism of the free and comprehensive development of each individual is only the direction forward, Marxism only opens up and points to the path to the truth. As for how to truly realize this path to the truth, it inevitably depends on the CPC, as a collective of advanced elements, to carry out practical exploration under the guidance of Marxism, continuously put forward policies and tasks suitable for the characteristics of the specific stage, always lead the masses to implement the policy propositions, complete stage tasks, achieve stage goals, continuously advance the cause of satisfying the people's aspiration for a better life, and finally realize the lofty ideal of the free and comprehensive development of each individual.

第二，中国共产党的使命任务和奋斗目标，决定了中国共产党所奋斗的一切始终都是为了持续满足人民对美好生活的向往。组织成员对组织长远使命的信仰信念决定一个组织最终能走多远。马克思主义揭示了人类社会发展的基本规律，指出了人类社会发展的方向是实现共产主义，明确了实现这一历史任务的主体是无产阶级及其政党。中国共产党是由马克思主义理论武装起来的党，中国共产党在不同的历史阶段，都坚持以共产主义的实现为根本的使命任务，并以此来倒推当下具体的政策与行动，推动和领导社会革命不断朝着这一远大理想去迈进。需要特别指出的是，马克思、恩格斯在《共产党宣言》中对共产主义还有一个说法，“代替那存在着阶级和阶级对立的资产阶级旧社会的，将是这样一个联合体，在那里，每个人的自由发展是一切人的自由发展的条件。”后来他们又在《资本论》中指出未来社会将是一个“把每个人都有完全地自由发展作为根本原则的社会形态”。在马克思、恩格斯的语境中，实现每个人的自由而全面的发展与共产主义是一致的，是马克思主义追求的根本目标。这就决定中国共产党所奋斗的一切始终都是为了人民群众，也就是持续满足人民对美好生活的向往。由于实现每个人的自由而全面的发展的共产主义只是前进的方向，所以马克思主义只是开辟和指出了通往真理的道路，至于如何真正实现这一真理的道路，就必然依赖于中国共产党这一先进分子的集合在马克思主义指导下进行实践探索，不断提出适合具体阶段特点的政策和任务，始终领导人民群众去执行政策主张完成阶段性任务、实现阶段性目标，持续将满足人民对美好生活的向往的事业向前推进，最终实现每个人自由而全面发展的远大理想。

Third, the CPC's scientific world outlook and methodology determine that the CPC's capabilities and skills are always enhanced and improved in the direction of being able to continuously realize the people's aspiration for a better life. The scientific world outlook and methodology that the CPC has consistently adhered to and practiced can scientifically understand and effectively transform the world, and can be transformed into the political cultivation, theoretical literacy, moral cultivation, and the capabilities and skills needed for Party cadres and members to perform their duties. The CPC always adheres to the theoretical foundation of Marxism's guiding ideological status unchanged, while focusing on promoting the Party's theoretical innovation in light of China's actual conditions, insisting on upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, [9]9 “Small self” (xiaowo) and “great self” (dawo) are terms in Chinese philosophy and Party discourse, referring respectively to the individual self and the collective or objective world. insisting on arming the mind, guiding practice, and promoting work with the latest achievements of the Party's theoretical innovation, especially the scientific world outlook and methodology contained therein, promoting the continuous actual results of the cause of the Party and the state, and the masses of the people continuously obtain tangible benefits.

第三，中国共产党的科学世界观方法论，决定了中国共产党的能力本领始终朝着能够持续实现人民对美好生活向往的目标去增强和提高。中国共产党一以贯之坚持并践行的科学世界观和方法论，能够科学认识世界和有效改造世界，能够转化为广大党员干部的政治修养、理论素养、道德修养和履职尽责需要的能力和本领。中国共产党始终坚持马克思主义指导思想地位的理论底色不变，同时注重结合中国实际不断推进党的理论创新，坚持守正创新，坚持用党的理论创新最新成果特别是蕴含其中的科学的世界观和方法论武装头脑、指导实践、推动工作，推进了党和国家事业不断取得实效，人民群众不断获得实实在在的利益。

In summary, the Marxist theory of seeking benefits for the people stipulates the characteristics of the CPC from various aspects. As the Constitution of the Communist Party of China clearly states: "The Party has no special interests of its own other than the interests of the working class and the broadest masses of the people." As Mao Zedong pointed out: "The Communist Party is a party that seeks interests for the nation and the people; it itself has absolutely no private interests to pursue." Deng Xiaoping also emphasized: "The reason why it can lead the masses is precisely and only because it is a wholehearted servant of the masses, reflecting their interests and will, and striving to help them organize and fight for their own interests and will." Impartiality leads to perceptiveness; integrity leads to authority. [10]10 “Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground” (shouzheng chuangxin) is a key concept in Xi Jinping Thought, emphasizing adherence to socialist principles while innovating in practice. Impartiality and integrity essentially stipulate the fundamental norms for the CPC to handle the relationship between itself and the people, as well as the relationship between the people's current needs and long-term interests. This is the core value of CPC members and the general requirement for all actions. It is precisely because the CPC has no private interests of its own that it can truly and thoroughly serve the people wholeheartedly, rather than serving itself or a minority. It is precisely because the Party has no private interests of its own that it can always seek long-term interests for the people, rather than focusing only on short-term interests. It is precisely because the Party has no private interests of its own that it can never forget its lofty ideals, remain true to its original aspiration and founding mission, always move forward, and continuously move forward. It is precisely because the Party has no private interests of its own that it can be brave in self-revolution, uphold truth, correct errors, master the scientific world outlook and methodology, always stay at the forefront of the times, win the heartfelt support of the people, withstand various tests of wind and waves, and ensure long-term governance. Such a party, such a party's guiding ideology, naturally can continuously generate a broad, far-reaching, and sustained ideological leading power over the masses of the people, forming a mighty force that continuously promotes social revolution.

总而言之，马克思主义这一为人民谋利益的理论从各个方面规定了中国共产党的特性。正如《中国共产党章程》明确的：“党除了工人阶级和最广大人民的利益，没有自己特殊的利益。”也如毛泽东指出的：“共产党是为民族，为人民谋利益的政党，它本身决无私利可图。”邓小平也强调：“它之所以能够领导人民群众，正因为而且仅仅因为，它是人民群众的全心全意的服务者，它反映人民群众的利益和意志，并且努力帮助人民群众组织起来，为自己的利益和意志而斗争。”公生明，廉生威。公和廉本质上规定了中国共产党处理自身和人民关系，以及处理人民当下需求和长远利益关系的根本准则，这是中国共产党人的核心价值观和一切行动的总要求。正是因为中国共产党没有自己的私利，才能真正彻底地全心全意为人民服务，而不是为自己服务或少数人服务。正是因为党没有自己的私利，才能始终为人民谋长远利益，而不只是关注短期利益。正是因为党没有自己的私利，才能始终不忘记远大理想，不忘初心、牢记使命，始终向前、持续向前。正是因为党没有自己的私利，才能勇于自我革命，坚持真理、修正错误，掌握科学的世界观方法论，始终走在时代前列、赢得人民衷心拥护、经得起各种风浪考验，确保长期执政。这样的党，这样的党的指导思想，自然能够不断生成对人民群众广泛、深远而持续的思想引领力，形成不断推进社会革命的磅礴之力。

The three core elements of the CPC's guiding ideology stipulate the internal mechanism for forming the CPC's leading social revolution from the dimensions of relationship, task, and pathway respectively, continuously generating the powerful ideological leading power that always enables the CPC to lead social revolution. The dimension of relationship, that is, the essential relationship between the leading subject and the led objects, is the essence or core of the Party's political stance. The CPC's political stance establishes the essence of the Party being for the people and relying on the people, stipulates that the Party's founding and development are all for the people, with no private interests to pursue. This fundamental political stance lays the foundation for the Party to win the recognition and following of the people. The dimension of task is concentratedly embodied in the goals and missions that the leading subject and the led objects are to achieve. Serving the interests of the people cannot be an empty slogan; there must be direction and goals. The CPC's mission tasks clarify the direction and supreme realm for realizing the interests of the people, and it is adept at putting forward goals, tasks, and policy strategies according to the specific stage, and can also play an exemplary and vanguard role, leading the people to collectively realize their interests. Such mission tasks can continuously realize the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security, consolidating the historical and practical basis for the Party to win the recognition and following of the people. The dimension of pathway, that is, how to effectively advance and ultimately realize the mission tasks that reflect the people's interests and will. The scientific world outlook and methodology handle the relationship between self-will and capacity guarantee, providing the guarantee of capacity conditions for the continuous realization of the CPC's political stance and mission tasks, and for the Party to win the recognition and following of the people. These three dimensions are indispensable for the generation of the CPC's ideological leading power. If there is only the dimension of task but no concrete realization of the people's interests, there can be no influence over the people. If there is only the dimension of relationship but no leadership performance, it is also impossible to generate ideological leading power over the people. The dimensions of relationship and task both depend on the dimension of pathway; without the dimension of pathway, the scientific world outlook and methodology, the continuous realization of the CPC's political stance and mission tasks is impossible, and the influence on the people will also be weakened or even lost.

中国共产党指导思想的三大内核分别从关系维度、任务维度和途径维度规定了形成中国共产党引领社会革命的内在机理，持续生成中国共产党始终引领社会革命的强大思想引领力。关系维度，即领导主体和领导对象之间的本质关系问题，这是党的政治立场的本质或核心问题。中国共产党的政治立场确立了党为了人民、依靠人民的本质，规定了党的创建和发展都是为了人民，没有任何私利可图，这一根本政治立场为党赢得人民的认可和追随奠定了根基。任务维度，集中体现为领导主体领导对象要实现的目标和使命问题。为人民的利益不能是一句空话，要有方向和目标。中国共产党的使命任务明确了人民利益实现的方向和至高境界，并且善于根据具体阶段提出目标任务和政策策略，还能够发挥先锋模范作用，领导人民一起实现人民的利益。这样的使命任务能够使人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感不断得到实现，为党赢得人民的认可和追随夯实了历史和现实的依据。途径维度，即如何有效推进、并最终实现反映人民利益和意愿的使命任务，科学的世界观和方法论处理了自身意愿与能力保证的关系，为中国共产党的政治立场、使命任务的持续实现，为党赢得人民的认可和追随提供了能力条件的保证。这三个维度对中国共产党思想引领力的生成，缺一不可。只有任务维度，没有对人民群众利益的具体实现，对人民群众不可能有影响力。只有关系维度，没有领导绩效，也无法生成对人民群众的思想引领力。关系维度、任务维度又都依赖途径维度，没有途径维度的科学世界观方法论，中国共产党的政治立场、使命任务的持续实现是不可能的，对人民群众的影响力也会因此削弱甚至丧失。

“The Communist Party of China comes from the people, takes root among the people, and has always adhered to doing everything for the people and relying on the people, earning the sincere support and firm backing of the broadest masses of the people. This is the broad and deep foundation of the CPC’s leadership and governing capacity.” The CPC represents and realizes the fundamental, holistic, and long-term interests of the people. This is the ideological source of the CPC’s incomparably strong leadership, and also the essential characteristic of the CPC’s ideological guiding force, which internally generates the ideological guiding force over the broad masses of the people. Centering on the fundamental issue of serving and realizing the people’s interests, the CPC continuously provides theoretical answers and solutions, concentratedly manifested in the discursive expression of the Party’s theories, lines, principles, and policies, thereby attracting and consolidating a mighty force, forming the inner mechanism of the CPC’s guiding thought leading social revolution, and ensuring that the Party’s cause advances from victory to new victory.

“中国共产党来自人民、植根人民，始终坚持一切为了人民、一切依靠人民，得到了最广大人民衷心拥护和坚定支持，这是中国共产党领导力和执政力的广大而深厚的基础。”中国共产党代表和实现人民利益的根本性、整体性和长远性，这是中国共产党无比坚强领导力的思想源头，也是中国共产党思想引领力的本质特点，内在地生成对广大人民群众的思想引领力。围绕着为了和实现人民利益这个根本问题，中国共产党在理论上不断作出回答和解决，集中表现为党的理论和路线方针政策等的话语表达，从而吸引和凝聚了磅礴力量，形成了中国共产党指导思想引领社会革命的内在机理，保证了党的事业不断从胜利走向胜利。

For an organization to achieve lasting development and sustainable growth, it must continuously and scientifically handle three basic relationships: the spatial relationship between the organization and the society outside it, the temporal relationship between the organization’s short-term tasks and its long-term mission, and the organization’s self-relationship between the small self (individual self) and the great self (objective world). [9]9 “Small self” (xiaowo) and “great self” (dawo) are terms in Chinese philosophy and Party discourse, referring respectively to the individual self and the collective or objective world. At the cognitive level, the scientific handling of these three basic relationships follows a thinking method from the distant to the near and from the external to the internal; that is, the temporal relationship determines the spatial relationship, the spatial relationship determines the self-relationship. Starting from the organization’s mission and tasks, one deduces backward to establish the guidelines for handling the relationship between the organization and the society outside it, and then further deduces backward from the establishment of those guidelines to establish the guidelines for handling the relationship between the organization’s small self and the objective world’s great self.

一个组织的基业长青和永续发展，需要持续科学处理好组织和组织之外社会的空间维度关系、组织短期任务和组织长远使命的时间维度关系、组织小我与客观世界大我的自身维度关系。在认识层面，这三个基本关系的科学处理，遵循的思维方法是由远及近、从外到内思考，即时间维度关系规定空间维度关系、空间维度关系规定自身维度关系，从组织的使命任务出发倒推思考组织和组织之外社会关系的准则确立，再进一步从处理组织和组织之外社会关系准则的确立倒推思考组织小我与客观世界大我关系的准则确立。

At the practical level, the worldview and methodology that the organization should follow is opposite to the backward-deduction thinking method applied in theory; it is a forward action, acting from the inside to the outside and from the near to the distant. That is, starting from the rational understanding and conscious identification of the guidelines for handling the self-relationship between the organization’s small self and the objective world’s great self, one transforms one’s own subjective world, reshapes one’s own worldview and methodology, and establishes action guidelines. Then one scientifically handles the relationship between the organization and the society outside it, thereby effectively completing the organization’s short-term tasks. Finally, in the process of achieving short-term tasks, the organization always keeps in mind its long-term mission, continuously uses the long-term mission to guide short-term tasks, and ultimately draws ever closer to its long-term mission. The thinking methodology of the CPC’s ideological guiding force combines the backward-deduction method of moving from time to space and from space to self, with the forward-action method of moving from self to space and from space to time. The organic integration and continuous linking of these two methods forms the inner mechanism of the CPC’s ideological guiding force leading self-revolution and social revolution.

在实践层面，组织所应遵循的世界观与方法论则与理论上的倒推思考的思维方法相反，它是一种正向行动，由内而外、从近到远去行动。即先从组织小我与客观世界大我自身维度关系处理准则的理性认识和自觉认同出发，改造自身的主观世界，重塑自身的世界观和方法论确立行动准则。然后去科学处理组织和组织之外社会的关系，从而有效完成组织的短期任务。最后，在实现组织短期任务的过程中，始终牢记组织的长期使命，持续用长期使命引领组织的短期任务，最终不断接近组织的长远使命。中国共产党思想引领力的思维方法论是从时间到空间、从空间到自身的倒推思考法，与从自身到空间、从空间到时间的正向行动法，两种方法有机结合、持续贯通，形成中国共产党思想引领自我革命与社会革命的内在机理。

V. Conclusion

五、结语

“Possessing the guidance of Marxist scientific theory is the fundamental foundation for our Party to firmly adhere to its faith and convictions and to grasp the historical initiative.” The political stance, mission tasks, and scientific worldview and methodology established by Marxism constitute the three cores of the CPC’s ideological guiding force. Through upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground [10]10 “Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground” (shouzheng chuangxin) is a key concept in Xi Jinping Thought, emphasizing adherence to socialist principles while innovating in practice., the CPC integrates these three ideological cores into the entire process of governing the Party and the country, fundamentally establishing the internal logic of the generation and continuous forging of the CPC’s ideological guiding force, and determining that the CPC is always the leading force guiding the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and to realize the lofty ideal of communism. For the CPC, the essential requirement for solving the unique challenges facing a major party [11]11 “Unique challenges facing a major party” (dadang duyou nanti) refers to the distinctive difficulties that a large, long-governing party like the CPC faces, such as maintaining discipline, preventing corruption, and ensuring ideological unity. The term was popularized by Xi Jinping at the 20th National Congress of the CPC. is to always soberly and firmly uphold and practice the Party’s guiding thought.

“拥有马克思主义科学理论指导是我们党坚定信仰信念、把握历史主动的根本所在。”马克思主义确立的政治立场、使命任务和科学的世界观和方法论，构成了中国共产党思想引领力的三大内核，中国共产党通过守正创新把这三大思想内核贯穿在治党治国的全过程，从根本上奠定了中国共产党思想引领力的生成和持续锻造的内在逻辑，决定了中国共产党始终是领导中国人民和中华民族实现中华民族伟大复兴和实现共产主义远大理想的领导力量。对中国共产党来说，解决大党独有难题的本质要求是始终清醒而坚定地坚持和践行党的指导思想。

“Just as the ‘ultimate goal’ does not simply await us somewhere outside the process, but is contained within each specific stage of the process, so too the Communist Party, as a revolutionary form of proletarian consciousness, is by its very nature a process.” The trinity of the CPC’s political stance, mission tasks, and scientific worldview and methodology, as scientific theory and great practice, is essentially a leadership process. This determines that the CPC must, heading toward the communist “ultimate goal,” always adhere to building the Party ideologically and strengthening the Party theoretically [12], continuously generate the CPC’s ideological guiding force, advance self-revolution toward the organization’s “ultimate goal,” always use self-revolution to continuously promote and lead social revolution, and achieve tangible results while marching forward on new historical journeys, only then can it gradually approach the “ultimate goal.”

“正像‘最终目标’不是简单地在过程以外的某个地方等待着我们，而是寓于过程之内的每个具体阶段上一样，共产党作为无产阶级意识的革命形式按本性来说也是一种过程。”中国共产党的政治立场、使命任务和科学的世界观和方法论三位一体的科学理论和伟大实践本质上是一种领导过程，这就决定了中国共产党必须朝着共产主义的“最终目标”，始终坚持思想建党、理论强党，持续生成中国共产党思想引领力，朝向组织的“最终目标”不断推进自我革命，始终以自我革命持续推动和领导社会革命，并不断取得实效，不断迈进新的历史征程，才能逐渐接近“最终目标”。

(The author is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Department of Party Building, Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance).)

（作者系中共中央党校（国家行政学院）党的建设教研部教授、博士生导师）

Online editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁