Deeply Understanding the Philosophical Implications of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations

The Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations were a move by the Party Central Committee to establish credibility through concrete action. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has begun its breakthrough by formulating

中央八项规定是党中央徙木立信之举。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央从制定和实施中央八项规定开局破题，以小切口撬动全面从严治党大变局，推动管党治党水平整体提升，为党和国家事业发展凝聚起强大正能量。作为新时代党的建设的“金色名片”，中央八项规定精神具有深厚的哲学意蕴，深刻领会蕴含其中的马克思主义立场观点方法，对锲而不舍落实中央八项规定精神，推进作风建设常态化长效化，具有重要的理论和实践意义。

Embodying the Ideological Line of Seeking Truth from Facts

内蕴实事求是的思想路线

The principle of the material unity of the world is a fundamental tenet of dialectical materialism. The unity of the material world is a unity of difference and diversity, requiring that everything proceed from reality and seek truth from facts. As an important component of our Party’s ideological line, seeking truth from facts runs through the entire process of the Party’s theory and practice and is inherent in the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations.

世界物质统一性原理是辩证唯物主义的基本观点，物质世界的统一性是有差别的、多样性的统一，要求一切从实际出发、实事求是。作为我们党的思想路线的重要内容，实事求是贯穿党的全部理论和实践发展全过程，内蕴于中央八项规定精神之中。

“Facts” are all things that exist objectively; “truth” is the internal connection of objective things, that is, their lawfulness; “seeking” means we study them. Seeking truth from facts centrally embodies the Marxist materialist and dialectical epistemology, emphasizing proceeding from reality in everything, linking theory with practice, and testing and developing truth in practice.

“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。实事求是，集中体现了马克思主义唯物的、辩证的认识论，强调一切从实际出发，理论联系实际，在实践中检验和发展真理。

The spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations embodies the ideological essence of seeking truth from facts. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Since we are making regulations, we should strive toward stricter standards and make them real and substantive. Regulations that are neither painful nor itchy, that are safe and balanced, are all empty slogans that cannot be implemented; it would be better not to make them at all.” The Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations directly target chronic problems in the Party’s work style, starting from prominent issues existing in reality, and put forward a series of concrete, operable, and effective practical measures, solving the problem of “a tiger wanting to eat the sky but not knowing where to start.” At the same time, the supporting systems for the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations have been continuously improved, clearly defining ideological red lines, disciplinary bottom lines, and behavioral minefields, and have become iron rules and hard constraints that all Party members and cadres must strictly abide by. Since the New Era, our Party has focused on specific problems one by one, conducting real investigations and real corrections, curbing some unhealthy tendencies and evil practices that were once considered impossible to curb, overcoming some stubborn and chronic diseases that were taken for granted, promoting the transformation of Party governance and Party management from lax, loose, and soft to strict, tight, and hard, and the new atmosphere of seeking truth and pragmatism, integrity and honesty has been continuously enriched.

中央八项规定精神体现了实事求是的思想精髓。习近平总书记强调：“既然作规定，就要朝严一点的标准去努力，就要来真格的。不痛不痒的，四平八稳的，都是空洞口号，就落不到实处，还不如不做。”中央八项规定直指党内作风顽疾，从现实中存在的突出问题入手，提出一系列具体化、可操作、能见效的务实措施，解决了“老虎吃天不知从哪儿下口”的问题。同时，中央八项规定精神的相关配套制度不断完善，明确了思想红线、纪律底线、行为雷区，已成为全体党员干部必须严格遵守的铁规矩、硬杠杠。新时代以来，我们党聚焦一个个具体问题真查实改，刹住了一些曾被认为不可能刹住的歪风邪气，攻克了一些司空见惯的顽瘴痼疾，推动管党治党从宽松软向严紧硬转变，求真务实、清正廉洁的新风正气不断充盈。

Adhering to the Fundamental Stance of Putting the People First

坚持人民至上的根本立场

Historical materialism holds that historical activity is the activity of the masses. The question of for whom and by whom is the touchstone for testing the nature of a political party and a political power. The fundamental stance of putting the people first embodies our Party’s creative application of the historical materialist view of the masses and has also become the value foundation of the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations.

唯物史观认为，历史活动是群众的活动。为什么人、靠什么人的问题，是检验一个政党、一个政权性质的试金石。人民至上的根本立场，体现了我们党对历史唯物主义群众史观的创造性运用，也成为中央八项规定精神的价值底色。

As a Marxist political party, the Communist Party of China has no special interests of its own. Whether it is carrying out revolution, engaging in construction, or pursuing reform and development, the fundamental purpose is to ensure the people live a good life. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with the mission and responsibility of “off

中国共产党作为马克思主义政党，没有任何自己的特殊利益，无论是干革命、搞建设，还是抓改革、谋发展，根本目的都是为了让人民过上好日子。新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央以“得罪千百人、不负十四亿”的使命担当祛疴治乱，紧紧依靠人民群众，以党的自我革命引领社会革命，推动改革发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民，丰富和发展了历史唯物主义群众史观。

The core of the issue of work style is the relationship between the Party and the masses. Practice has proven that only by combining people’s supervision with self-revolution can a powerful synergy be formed, enabling the Party to break out of the historical cycle of rise and fall, order and chaos. This is the regular understanding our Party has gained in building a long-term Marxist ruling party. The Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations require “improving work style and maintaining close ties with the masses,” embodying the close integration of daring self-revolution and accepting people’s supervision. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Whatever the people oppose or hate, we must resolutely guard against and correct.” Implementing the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations focuses on prominent issues, responds to the expectations of the masses, adheres to targeted rectification and comprehensive measures, reshapes the Party’s image in the hearts of the people through visible changes and tangible results, and wins the heartfelt support of the people. A 2024 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that 94.9% of the surveyed masses affirmed the effectiveness of implementing the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations.

作风问题的核心是党同人民群众的关系问题。实践证明，只有把人民监督和自我革命相结合，才能形成强大合力，跳出治乱兴衰的历史周期率。这是我们党在建设长期执政的马克思主义政党方面获得的规律性认识。中央八项规定要求“改进工作作风、密切联系群众”，体现了勇于自我革命和接受人民监督的紧密结合。习近平总书记指出：“人民群众反对什么、痛恨什么，我们就要坚决防范和纠正什么。”贯彻落实中央八项规定精神，聚焦突出问题、回应群众期盼，坚持靶向纠治、综合施策，以看得见的变化、感受得到的成效重塑党在人民心中的形象，得到人民的衷心拥护。2024年国家统计局调查显示，94.9%的受访群众对中央八项规定精神贯彻落实成效表示肯定。

The Scientific Method of Systemic Thinking

贯穿系统观念的科学方法

Dialectical materialism holds that all things are interconnected and interdependent; things and their various elements interact and influence each other, forming an organic whole with a stable structure and specific functions. Adhering to systemic thinking reflects our Party’s profound grasp and scientific application of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, and it also runs through the process of implementing the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations.

唯物辩证法认为，万事万物是相互联系、相互依存的，事物及其各要素交互作用、相互影响，构成一种具有稳定结构和特定功能的有机整体。坚持系统观念，体现了我们党对辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的深刻把握和科学运用，也贯穿于中央八项规定精神的贯彻落实过程中。

The Communist Party of China is the world’s largest ruling party, and the Party’s self-revolution is a long-term, arduous, and complex task. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee has adhered to systemic thinking to advance the great new project of Party building in the New Era, incorporated comprehensive and strict governance of the Party into the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, upheld and strengthened the Party’s overall leadership, insisted on the simultaneous advancement of ideological Party building and institutional governance of the Party, and upheld the organic unity of law-based governance and rule-based governance of the Party, promoting comprehensive and strict governance of the Party to achieve historic accomplishments and opening up a new realm of self-revolution for a century-old major Party.

中国共产党是世界第一大执政党，党的自我革命是一项长期性、艰巨性、复杂性的任务。新时代以来，党中央坚持以系统观念推进新时代党的建设新的伟大工程，把全面从严治党纳入“四个全面”战略布局，坚持和加强党的全面领导，坚持思想建党和制度治党同向发力，坚持依法治国和依规治党有机统一，推动全面从严治党取得历史性成就，开辟了百年大党自我革命的新境界。

Implementing the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations is a brilliant example of our Party consciously applying systemic thinking to advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. Work style issues and corruption issues interpenetrate in the trajectory of power operation; starting from grasping work style to advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is an important experience of the Party’s self-revolution in the New Era. Once the Eight-Point Regulations were implemented, work style construction was fully activated. We insist on planning, deploying, and implementing the Party’s work style construction together with political construction, ideological construction, organizational construction, and discipline construction, using breakthroughs on specific issues to drive the resolution of problems on a broader scale, using the “key minority” to lead and drive the “vast majority,” forming a powerful momentum for work style construction where the upper levels set an example and the lower levels follow. We insist on simultaneously grasping Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline, integrating rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption, and advancing in an integrated manner the goals of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt. We focus on using institutions to govern the Party, manage power, and discipline officials, incorporating the requirements of the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations into intra-Party regulations such as the Regulations on Intra-Party Supervision, the Regulations on Disciplinary Punishments, and the Regulations on Inspection Work. The series of powerful measures mentioned above, starting from all aspects of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and exerting systematic force, have promoted new and obvious results in work style construction.

贯彻落实中央八项规定精神，是我们党自觉运用系统观念推进全面从严治党的光辉典范。作风问题与腐败问题在权力运行轨迹中相互渗透，从抓作风入手推进全面从严治党是新时代党的自我革命一条重要经验。八项规定一子落地，作风建设满盘皆活。坚持把党的作风建设与政治建设、思想建设、组织建设、纪律建设等同规划、同部署、同落实，以一个个具体问题的突破带动面上问题的解决，以“关键少数”示范带动“绝大多数”，形成了上率下随抓作风建设的强大声势。坚持党性党风党纪一起抓、正风肃纪反腐相贯通，一体推进不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐。注重用制度治党管权治吏，把中央八项规定精神要求写入党内监督条例、党纪处分条例、巡视工作条例等党内法规。上述一系列强有力的举措，从全面从严治党的各个方面入手、系统发力，推动作风建设取得新的明显成效。

Manifesting the Practical Character of Upholding Fundamentals and Breaking New Ground

彰显守正创新的实践品格

Upholding fundamentals and breaking new ground is the dialectical unity of change and constancy, inheritance and development, principle and creativity, reflecting the requirements of basic laws of dialectical materialism such as the law of the unity of opposites and the law of the negation of the negation. It is also the character manifested in the process of the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations taking root.

守正创新是变与不变、继承与发展、原则性与创造性的辩证统一，反映了对立统一规律、否定之否定规律等辩证唯物主义基本规律的要求，同时也是中央八项规定精神在落地生根的过程中所彰显的品格。

Facing changes in the world, changes in the times, and changes in history, our Party, in the great practice of advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, has always unswervingly adhered to the “fundamentals” of the Party’s nature, purpose, ideals, beliefs, original aspiration and founding mission, focused on rectifying the source and consolidating the foundation, dared to uphold truth and correct errors, used new concepts, ideas, and measures to resolve contradictions and problems within the Party, and on the basis of the first answer to breaking out of the historical cycle — “letting the people supervise the government” — found the second answer — “the Party’s self-revolution,” manifesting our Party’s theoretical consciousness and historical initiative in upholding fundamentals and breaking new ground.

面对世界之变、时代之变、历史之变，我们党在推进全面从严治党的伟大实践中，始终坚守党的性质宗旨、理想信念、初心使命之“正”不动摇，着力正本清源、固本培元，勇于坚持真理、修正错误，以新的理念、思路和举措解决党内存在的矛盾和问题，在跳出历史周期率的第一个答案——“让人民来监督政府”的基础上找到了第二个答案——“党的自我革命”，彰显了我们党守正创新的理论自觉和历史主动。

Implementing the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations is a vivid manifestation of our Party’s adherence to upholding fundamentals and breaking new ground in work style construction. The spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations inherits the Party’s glorious traditions and fine work styles. From the “Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention” [1]1 The “Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention” were basic rules of conduct for the Red Army, later the People’s Liberation Army, formulated during the Chinese Civil War era to regulate military-civilian relations. in the war years, to the proposal of the “Two Musts” [2]2 The “Two Musts” were a directive issued by Mao Zedong at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the CPC in March 1949, calling on the Party to remain modest and prudent and to maintain a hardworking style. on the eve of the founding of New China, to the issuance of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations and their implementation rules in the New Era, the Party’s fine work styles have been both inherited and advanced with the times. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the connotation of the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations has been continuously enriched and developed, and the relevant institutional regulations have been increasingly perfected. The “golden business card” of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations, in the process of upholding fundamentals and breaking new ground, has demonstrated broad adaptability, not only changing China but also influencing the world, providing a Chinese solution and contributing Chinese wisdom to global party governance and clean governance.

贯彻落实中央八项规定精神，是我们党坚持守正创新在作风建设中的生动体现。中央八项规定精神传承党的光荣传统和优良作风。从战争年代的“三大纪律八项注意”，到新中国成立前夕提出“两个务必”，再到新时代出台中央八项规定及其实施细则，党的优良作风既一脉相承又与时俱进。党的十八大以来，中央八项规定精神的内涵不断丰富发展，相关制度规定日益完善。中央八项规定这张“金色名片”，在守正创新中展现出广泛的适应性，不仅改变了中国，也影响着世界，为全球政党治理和廉政建设提供了中国方案、贡献了中国智慧。

(The author is a Distinguished Researcher of the Fujian Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Dean of the School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision at Fujian Normal University)

（作者系福建省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、福建师范大学纪检监察学院院长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧