Establishing a Style of Seeking Truth from Facts in the Entire Party

“Reform Our Study” is a report Mao Zedong delivered at a cadre conference in Yan’an on May 19, 1941, and it was included in the third volume of the *Selected Works of Mao Zedong* in 1953. In this text, Mao Zedong severely criticized the subjectivist style of thinking that then existed within the Party, clearly stated that to further integrate the universal truth of Marxism with the concrete reality of the Chinese revolution, it was necessary to reform our methods of study, advocate a style of study characterized by seeking truth from facts and integrating theory with practice, and proposed promoting investigation and research throughout the Party. Revisiting this classic text still holds enlightening significance for us today in promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of style-building.

《改造我们的学习》是毛泽东于1941年5月19日在延安干部会上所作的报告，1953年收入《毛泽东选集》第三卷。在这篇文献中，毛泽东严肃批评了当时党内存在的主观主义的思想作风，明确提出要使马克思主义的普遍真理与中国革命实际进一步结合起来，就必须改造学习方法，倡导实事求是、理论联系实际的学风，提出在全党推行调查研究。重温这篇经典文献，对于我们今天推进作风建设常态化长效化仍具有启示意义。

Building a Major Party by Reforming the Style of Study

以改造学风建设大党

During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Communist Party of China had developed into a nationwide major party with a broad mass character, bearing the great responsibility of leading the War of Resistance. However, due to the tense war environment and rapidly changing circumstances, the ideological roots of some long-standing erroneous tendencies within the Party had not yet been thoroughly liquidated, the level of Marxist-Leninist theory among Party cadres was still not high enough, and they lacked the ability to distinguish between genuine and false Marxism. During this period, our Party also developed a large number of new members, some of whom lacked education in Marxist theory and had limited understanding of the Party’s historical experience, making them easily influenced by erroneous ideas and styles. In view of this, Mao Zedong believed that to build a major party well, it was necessary to universally and deeply study and research the scientific theory of Marxism-Leninism. In October 1938, at the Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party [1]1 The Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the CPC was held in Yan’an from September to November 1938. It affirmed Mao Zedong’s leadership role in the Party and stressed the importance of adapting Marxism to China’s specific conditions., Mao Zedong, proceeding from the needs of leading China’s unprecedentedly great revolutionary struggle, put forward the slogan “launch a learning competition throughout the Party,” demanding that the entire Party, from top to bottom, diligently study Marxism-Leninism and international experience and apply them to China’s specific environment. He pointed out: “A party that guides a great revolutionary movement, without revolutionary theory, without knowledge of history, and without a profound understanding of the actual movement, cannot achieve victory.” Subsequently, in his speech at the Yan’an Mobilization Meeting for On-the-Job Cadre Education, Mao Zedong again emphasized the importance of study for Party cadres: “To build a major party, our cadres must study. Study is the work we focus on, especially for comrade cadres, whose need for study is even more urgent. Without study, we cannot lead work, cannot improve work, and cannot build a major party. This leading of work, improving work, and building a major party is the direct reason for our study movement.” Following Mao Zedong’s call, after the Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee, a Party-wide study movement was launched in Yan’an and other base areas.

抗日战争时期，中国共产党已经发展成为一个具有广大群众性的全国性大党，担负着领导抗日战争的伟大责任。但是，由于紧张的战争环境和迅速变化的形势，对于党内长期存在的一些错误的思想根源还未作彻底清算，党内干部的马克思列宁主义理论水平还不够高，对于真假马克思主义还缺乏鉴别能力。在这一时期，我们党还发展了大量新党员，一些人缺乏马克思主义理论教育，对党的历史经验的认识也有限，很容易受到错误思想和作风的影响。有鉴于此，毛泽东认为，要建设好大党，就必须普遍地深入地学习和研究马克思列宁主义的科学理论。1938年10月，在党的扩大的六届六中全会上，毛泽东从领导中国空前伟大的革命斗争的需要出发，提出“来一个全党的学习竞赛”的口号，要求全党自上而下努力学习马克思列宁主义和国际经验，并应用于中国的具体环境。他指出：“指导一个伟大的革命运动的政党，如果没有革命理论，没有历史知识，没有对于实际运动的深刻的了解，要取得胜利是不可能的。”随后，在延安在职干部教育动员大会上的讲话中，毛泽东再次强调了党员干部学习的重要性，“我们要建设大党，我们的干部非学习不可。学习是我们注重的工作，特别是干部同志，学习的需要更加迫切，如果不学习，就不能领导工作，不能改善工作与建设大党。这领导工作、改善工作与建设大党，便是我们学习运动的直接原因”。在毛泽东的号召下，党的扩大的六届六中全会以后，一场全党性的学习运动在延安和其他根据地开展起来。

With the deepening development of the study movement, the theoretical level of the vast number of Party cadres and members was significantly improved. But at the same time, some problems were also exposed, the main one being the tendency for theory to be divorced from practice. Some people were quite familiar with book knowledge but knew nothing about other things, and did not know how to flexibly apply book knowledge in light of the new situation; some people were satisfied with empty talk, unwilling to do practical work, unwilling to engage in investigation and research; still others merely studied Marxism-Leninism in a rote manner, without using the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism-Leninism to solve practical problems. “Teachers of philosophy do not guide students in studying the logic of the Chinese revolution, teachers of economics do not guide students in studying the characteristics of the Chinese economy, teachers of political science do not guide students in studying the strategy of the Chinese revolution, and teachers of military science do not guide students in studying the strategy and tactics suited to China’s characteristics.” This subjectivist style of study, divorced from reality, was extremely harmful. To correct this erroneous tendency, Mao Zedong delivered the report “Reform Our Study” at the Yan’an cadre conference, severely criticizing the subjectivist style of study that divorced theory from practice, and advocated “reforming the study methods and study system of our entire Party.” He emphasized: “If we do not correct these shortcomings, we will be unable to take our work a step further, unable to take a step further in the great cause of integrating the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution.”

随着学习运动的深入开展，广大党员干部的理论水平得到明显提升。但同时也暴露出一些问题，其中主要的问题是存在理论与实际相脱离的倾向。一些人对于书本上的知识相当熟悉，而对于其他的东西一概不知，也不懂得结合新的形势灵活运用书本上的知识；一些人满足于夸夸其谈，不愿做实际工作，不愿做调查研究；更有一些人只是单纯学习马克思列宁主义，不会运用马克思列宁主义的立场、观点和方法去解决实际问题。“教哲学的不引导学生研究中国革命的逻辑，教经济学的不引导学生研究中国经济的特点，教政治学的不引导学生研究中国革命的策略，教军事学的不引导学生研究适合中国特点的战略和战术”。这种脱离实际的主观主义学风危害极大。为了纠正这一错误倾向，毛泽东在延安干部会上作了《改造我们的学习》的报告，严厉批判了理论脱离实际的主观主义学风，主张“将我们全党的学习方法和学习制度改造一下”。并强调：“如果不纠正这类缺点，就无法使我们的工作更进一步，就无法使我们在将马克思列宁主义的普遍真理和中国革命的具体实践互相结合的伟大事业中更进一步。”

Opposing Subjectivism by Seeking Truth from Facts

以实事求是反对主观主义

In “Reform Our Study,” Mao Zedong opposed the subjectivist attitude to the Marxist-Leninist attitude, severely criticized subjectivism, and proposed advocating the Marxist-Leninist style of study and attitude of seeking truth from facts.

在《改造我们的学习》中，毛泽东将主观主义态度与马克思列宁主义态度对立起来，严厉批评了主观主义，提出要倡导实事求是的马克思列宁主义的学风和态度。

Mao Zedong pointed out that the subjectivist style of study and attitude manifests itself in not studying the current situation, “failing to make systematic and thorough investigations of the surrounding environment, working solely by subjective enthusiasm, and having only a hazy understanding of China’s present condition,” “issuing orders based on a smattering of knowledge and ‘assumptions’”; manifests itself in not studying history, knowing nothing or very little about one’s own country’s history, “always citing Greece”; manifests itself in an unscientific approach to Marxism-Leninism, merely “abstractly and aimlessly studying Marxist-Leninist theory,” not going to Marx and Engels to find positions, viewpoints, and methods in order to solve the theoretical and strategic problems of the Chinese revolution, but “studying theory purely for the sake of studying theory.” In contrast to the subjectivist attitude, the Marxist-Leninist attitude emphasizes proceeding from objective reality in everything, making systematic and thorough investigations and research of the surrounding environment, collecting materials in detail, and from them finding inherent rather than subjectively fabricated laws as the guide for all actions; emphasizes studying history, “it is not enough to know only Greece; we must also know China; we must not only know the history of foreign revolutions but also the history of the Chinese revolution; we must not only know China’s present but also China’s yesterday and the day before yesterday”; emphasizes integrating theory with practice, “studying Marxist-Leninist theory with a purpose, combining Marxist-Leninist theory with the actual movement of the Chinese revolution,” using the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism-Leninism to solve the theoretical and strategic problems of the Chinese revolution. This attitude is the attitude of shooting the arrow at the target, the attitude of seeking truth from facts. Mao Zedong creatively expounded on “seeking truth from facts,” a proposition originally from traditional Chinese culture as a textual research concept: “‘Facts’ are all the things that exist objectively, ‘truth’ is the internal connection of objective things, that is, regularity, and ‘seeking’ means we study them.” Mao Zedong emphasized: “This attitude is a manifestation of Party spirit, the Marxist-Leninist style of unifying theory and practice. It is an attitude that every Communist Party member should at least possess.”

毛泽东指出，主观主义的学风和态度，表现为不研究现状，“对周围环境不作系统的周密的研究，单凭主观热情去工作，对于中国今天的面目若明若暗”，“仅仅根据一知半解，根据‘想当然’，就在那里发号施令”；表现为不研究历史，对自己国家的历史一点都不懂或懂得很少，“言必称希腊”；表现为不能科学地对待马克思列宁主义，只是“抽象地无目的地去研究马克思列宁主义的理论”，不是为了要解决中国革命的理论问题、策略问题而到马克思、恩格斯那里找立场，找观点，找方法，“而是为了单纯地学理论而去学理论”。与主观主义的态度相反，马克思列宁主义的态度，强调一切从客观实际出发，对周围环境做系统的周密的调查和研究，详细地占有材料，从中找出固有的而不是主观臆造的规律，作为一切行动的向导；强调研究历史，“不单是懂得希腊就行了，还要懂得中国；不但要懂得外国革命史，还要懂得中国革命史；不但要懂得中国的今天，还要懂得中国的昨天和前天”；强调理论联系实际，“有目的地去研究马克思列宁主义的理论，要使马克思列宁主义的理论和中国革命的实际运动结合起来”，用马克思列宁主义的立场、观点和方法去解决中国革命的理论问题和策略问题。这种态度就是有的放矢的态度，就是实事求是的态度。毛泽东创造性地阐发了中国传统文化中作为考据学命题的“实事求是”：“‘实事’就是客观存在着的一切事物，‘是’就是客观事物的内部联系，即规律性，‘求’就是我们去研究。”毛泽东强调：“这种态度，就是党性的表现，就是理论和实际统一的马克思列宁主义的作风。这是一个共产党员起码应该具备的态度。”

In the history of the Party, the subjectivist style existing within the Party caused serious losses to the Chinese revolution. Mao Zedong emphasized that this subjectivist style of divorcing theory from practice “is a great enemy of the Communist Party, a great enemy of the working class, a great enemy of the people, a great enemy of the nation, and a manifestation of impure Party spirit.” Therefore, it was necessary to establish the Marxist-Leninist style of study of seeking truth from facts throughout the Party. To this end, Mao Zedong proposed conducting investigation and research on all aspects of the actual situation, “no investigation, no right to speak”; conducting specialized and comprehensive in-depth research on Chinese history, especially the history of the past hundred years; integrating theory with practice, taking the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism as the guide, “centering on the study of the practical problems of the Chinese revolution,” and “abolishing the method of studying Marxism-Leninism statically and in isolation.” Only in this way could the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism be combined with the concrete reality of the Chinese revolution, and Marxism be developed creatively.

在党史上，党内存在的主观主义作风给中国革命造成了严重损失。毛泽东强调，这种理论脱离实际的主观主义作风“是共产党的大敌，是工人阶级的大敌，是人民的大敌，是民族的大敌，是党性不纯的一种表现”。因此，必须在全党树立实事求是的马克思列宁主义的学风。为此，毛泽东提出要对现实实际情况的各个方面开展调查研究，“没有调查就没有发言权”；对中国的历史特别是近百年以来的历史进行专门的和综合的深入研究；理论联系实际，以马克思列宁主义基本原则为指导，“以研究中国革命实际问题为中心”，“废除静止地孤立地研究马克思列宁主义的方法”。只有这样，才能把马克思列宁主义普遍真理和中国革命的具体实际结合起来，创造性地发展马克思主义。

Taking Investigation and Research as the Fundamental Link in Transforming the Party’s Style

以调查研究作为转变党的作风的基础一环

*Reforming Our Study* is a classic text in the historical process of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. From the theoretical height of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, Mao Zedong profoundly summarized the Party’s historical experience, pointing out that “once the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism is integrated with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution, the face of the Chinese revolution is completely renewed.” In this text, Mao Zedong elaborated on how to further advance the historical process of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. This means advocating and implementing the ideological style and method of seeking truth from facts and linking theory with practice, integrating Marxism-Leninism with the reality of the Chinese revolution. In 1943, the *Decision of the Central Committee of the CPC on the Proposal of the Presidium of the Executive Committee of the Communist International to Dissolve the Communist International* pointed out that “the rectification movement against subjectivism, sectarianism, and Party stereotypical writing carried out by the Chinese Communist Party in recent years is precisely intended to further and deeply integrate Marxism-Leninism, this revolutionary science, with the practice of the Chinese revolution, Chinese history, and Chinese culture.” [2]2 The rectification movement (1942–1945) was a Party-wide campaign to correct subjectivism, sectarianism, and stereotypical Party writing, aiming to establish Mao Zedong Thought as the guiding ideology.

《改造我们的学习》是马克思主义中国化历史进程中的经典文献。毛泽东从马克思主义中国化的理论高度深刻总结了党的历史经验，指出“马克思列宁主义的普遍真理一经和中国革命的具体实践相结合，就使中国革命的面目为之一新”。毛泽东在这篇文献中具体阐述了如何进一步推进马克思主义中国化的历史进程。这就是倡导和实行实事求是、理论联系实际的思想作风与思想方法，将马克思列宁主义与中国革命实际结合起来。1943年，《中共中央关于共产国际执委主席团提议解散共产国际的决定》指出，“中国共产党近年来所进行的反主观主义、反宗派主义、反党八股的整风运动就是要使得马克思列宁主义这一革命科学更进一步地和中国革命实践、中国历史、中国文化深相结合起来”。

To concretely achieve seeking truth from facts and linking theory with practice, one must master the basic skill of investigation and research. Mao Zedong emphasized: “Implementing the plan for investigation and research throughout the Party is the fundamental link in transforming the Party’s style of work.” He pointed out that the long-standing ideological style of subjectivism within the Party was prominently manifested in the lack of a strong atmosphere for investigating and researching objective actual conditions. Those engaged in research work had no interest in studying either today’s China or yesterday’s China, focusing only on empty “theoretical” research divorced from reality; those engaged in practical work also paid no attention to studying objective conditions, often relying solely on enthusiasm and mistaking feelings for policy. This style and attitude “is called lacking Party spirit, or having incomplete Party spirit.” To change this style, Mao Zedong “proposed to the whole Party the task of systematically and thoroughly studying the surrounding environment,” and “guided comrades’ attention toward the investigation and research of such actual matters.” He also published the book *Rural Surveys*, reiterating the importance of investigation and research.

要具体地做到实事求是、理论联系实际，就要掌握调查研究这个基本功。毛泽东强调：“在全党推行调查研究的计划，是转变党的作风的基础一环。”他指出，党内长期存在的主观主义思想作风，突出的表现就是缺乏调查研究客观实际状况的浓厚空气，做研究工作的人对于研究今天的中国和昨天的中国一概无兴趣，只把兴趣放在脱离实际的空洞的“理论”研究上；做实际工作的，也不注意客观情况的研究，往往单凭热情，把感想当政策。这种作风和态度“就叫做没有党性，或叫做党性不完全”。为了改变这种作风，毛泽东“向全党提出系统地周密地研究周围环境的任务”，“引导同志们的眼光向着这种实际事物的调查和研究”。他还出版了《农村调查》一书，重申调查研究的重要性。

Currently, the whole Party is conducting education and study on thoroughly implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations of the Central Committee. The first item of the Eight-Point Regulations is to improve investigation and research. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has attached great importance to investigation and research work. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that “the issue of work style is essentially an issue of Party spirit,” proposed that “we should vigorously promote the practice of investigation and research throughout the Party,” and emphasized that investigation and research is the foundation of planning and the way to success; without investigation, there is no right to speak, let alone the right to make decisions. On the new journey, Party members and cadres must strengthen their work style and make good use of investigation and research, this heirloom. By going down to the grassroots and immersing themselves in the front line, they should make the process of investigation and research a process of maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the masses, a process of doing their own work well, responding to risks and challenges, and advancing the cause of development, thereby providing a strong work style guarantee for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.

当前，全党正在开展深入贯彻中央八项规定精神学习教育。中央八项规定的第一条就是改进调查研究。党的十八大以来，我们党高度重视调查研究工作。习近平总书记指出，“作风问题本质上是党性问题”，提出“要在全党大兴调查研究之风”，强调调查研究是谋事之基、成事之道，没有调查，就没有发言权，更没有决策权。新征程上，党员、干部要加强作风建设，就要用好调查研究这个传家宝。扑下身子、沉到一线，使调查研究的过程成为保持同人民群众血肉联系的过程，成为干好本职工作、应对风险挑战、推动事业发展的过程，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业提供坚强作风保障。

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心