The Conceptual Evolution, Internal Logic, and Contemporary Expression of the Marxist Worldview and Methodology

A scientific worldview and methodology are the “master key” for studying and solving problems, the “boat” or “bridge” for crossing the river, and the key to promoting the integration of learning for knowledge and learning for application. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasized that “to uphold Marxism as a guide, we must apply its scientific worldview and methodology to solve China’s problems,” and summarized the main content of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era with the “Six Musts.” [1]1 The “Six Musts” (六个必须坚持) refers to the six principles that must be adhered to in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era: putting the people first, maintaining self-confidence and self-reliance, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, adopting a problem-oriented approach, applying systems thinking, and maintaining a global vision. Only by deeply studying the conceptual evolution, internal logic, and contemporary expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology, and accurately grasping the principles, theories, and philosophies contained therein, can we continuously advance the systematic and theoretical interpretation of the Party’s innovative theories and write a new chapter in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

科学的世界观和方法论是研究问题、解决问题的“总钥匙”，是过河的“船”或“桥”，是推动学以致知和学以致用相结合的关键。党的二十大报告强调，“坚持以马克思主义为指导，是要运用其科学的世界观和方法论解决中国的问题”，并以“六个必须坚持”集中概括了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想世界观和方法论的主要内容。只有深入研究马克思主义世界观和方法论的概念演变、内在逻辑及其时代表达，准确把握其中蕴含的道理学理哲理，才能不断推进党的创新理论的体系化学理化阐释，谱写马克思主义中国化时代化新篇章。

I. The Conceptual Evolution of the Marxist Worldview and Methodology

一、马克思主义世界观和方法论的概念演变

Worldview and methodology constitute the basic concepts of philosophical research. In terms of the continuity and inheritance of human thought and understanding, exploring the process of conceptual evolution of the Marxist worldview and methodology is particularly important. This can be specifically unfolded from three aspects: First, reviewing the developmental thread of the concepts of worldview and methodology in Western philosophy before the founding of Marxism. Second, sorting out the important expositions of the classic Marxist writers. Third, examining the process of forming composite conceptual expressions in the Soviet Union and China.

世界观和方法论构成哲学研究的基本概念。就人类思想认识的连续性和承继性而言，探究马克思主义世界观和方法论的概念演变过程尤为重要。具体可以从三个方面展开：其一，回顾马克思主义创立之前西方哲学世界观和方法论的概念发展脉络。其二，梳理马克思主义经典作家的重要论述。其三，考察在苏联和中国形成复合概念表述的过程。

1. Philosophical Explorations Before the Founding of Marxism

1.马克思主义创立之前的哲学探索

The concept of “worldview” was initially embedded in ancient Western natural philosophy. Is the world constituted by sensory perception, or by pure reason? This was one of the core issues explored by ancient Greek thinkers. Protagoras advocated pure sensationalism, firmly believing that sensory perception was the only true existence and the cornerstone of the world picture. Parmenides, on the other hand, conceived the worldview in an extremely anti-sensory, a priori manner, believing that the essence of the world exists within the thought of the cognitive subject. Entering the modern era, the worldview gradually became an important concept in the field of philosophy and occupied a prominent position in German classical philosophy. Kant, in his *Critique of Judgment*, first used “worldview” as a technical term, referring to something of “mere appearance,” i.e., the sensory intuition of the world. Subsequently, Fichte, in his *Attempt at a Critique of All Revelation*, followed Kant’s concept of worldview. Schelling transformed the main meaning of this concept from a sensory grasp of the world to a rational grasp, believing that the worldview is a conscious method capable of understanding and explaining the universe and all things. Hegel, in discussing the process of constructing moral consciousness, endowed the concept of worldview with a transcendent, purely spiritual character that goes beyond reality. After the modern era, the concept of worldview spread from Germany to other European countries and even the whole world, gradually becoming popular in various disciplines such as linguistics, philosophy, art, and physics, with the debate between the sensory and the rational running through this process of dissemination.

“世界观”概念最初蕴含在古代西方自然哲学中。世界是由感官知觉构成，还是由纯粹理性构成？这是古希腊思想家探讨的核心议题之一。普罗泰戈拉主张纯粹感觉主义，他坚信感官知觉是唯一真实存在的，是构成世界图景的基石。而巴门尼德以一种极端反感觉的先天方式构想世界观，他认为世界本质存在于认知主体的思想之中。进入近代，世界观逐渐成为哲学领域的重要概念，并在德国古典哲学中占据显著地位。康德在《判断力批判》中首次将“世界观”作为术语使用，意指“单纯现象”的东西，即对世界的感性直观。随后，费希特在《对所有天启神学的批判》中沿用了康德的世界观概念。谢林将该概念的主要含义由对世界的感性把握转化为理性把握，认为世界观是一种有意识的方法，能够理解和解释宇宙万物。黑格尔在讨论道德意识的构建过程中，赋予了世界观概念以超越现实的、纯粹精神的特质。近代以后，世界观概念从德国到欧洲其他国家乃至整个世界，逐渐在语言学、哲学、艺术、物理学等各门学科中流行开来，而感官与理性之争贯穿这一传播过程。

The etymology of methodology can be traced back to the ancient Greek word μέθοδοs, which can be understood through a “road metaphor,” meaning “to reach a certain goal along a certain path.” Some scholars believe that the “road metaphor” is the core implication of this term, indicating that the key to method lies in improving efficiency in the process of achieving goals. Plato was the first to use this term, referring to solid knowledge of an art and the ability to impart such knowledge. Aristotle systematically discussed the methods of argumentation, established the theory of syllogism and the system of logical categories, and further explored reasonable procedures for drawing conclusions, believing that reasonable procedures could help people reason and “avoid uttering contradictory statements.” The use of this term by ancient Greek philosophers all carried meanings such as means, procedure, and pathway, closely related to the “road metaphor.” After the modern era, the concept of methodology received more extensive discussion. An important content of 17th-century Western philosophy was the awakening of methodology. During this period, in Hegel’s words, the development of methodology was mainly divided into the “empirical school” and the “philosophy of thought, proceeding from the inner self.” The former, represented by Bacon, Locke, and others, based on sensory perception and individual experience, constructed a set of experimental scientific methodologies including experimental methods and inductive methods. The latter, represented by Descartes, Leibniz, and others, focusing on mental reasoning, formed a rationalist methodology based on mathematical deduction. At this time, the birth of Newtonian mechanics marked the emergence of truly scientific cognitive activity. Subsequently, Hume, Kant, and Hegel took Newtonian mechanics as their object of study and explored the cognitive capacity of human intellect. Hume proposed the law of causality and the problem of induction. Kant emphasized the conceptual contribution of thought to cognition. Hegel, on the basis of Kant’s thought, established a complete dialectical logic and conceptual methodology. It is not difficult to find that modern philosophical methodology was, to a large extent, intertwined with epistemology.

方法论的词源可追溯到古希腊语μέθοδοs，可以用一种“道路比喻”来理解，即“沿着某条路达到某种目的”。有学者认为，“道路比喻”是这一术语的核心意蕴，它表明方法的关键性在于提升实现目标过程中的效率。柏拉图最早使用这一术语，意指关于一门艺术的扎实知识以及传授这些知识的能力。亚里士多德对论辩方法进行了系统论述，创立了三段论学说和逻辑范畴体系，并进一步探讨了得出结论的合理程序，认为合理的程序能帮助人们进行推理，并“避免说出矛盾之辞”。古希腊哲学家使用这一术语都有手段、程序、途径等涵义，与“道路比喻”紧密相关。近代以后，方法论概念得到了更多的探讨。17世纪西方哲学的重要内容就是方法论觉醒。在这一时期，用黑格尔的话说，方法论发展主要分为“经验派”，以及“思维、从内心出发的哲学”。前者以培根、洛克等为代表，基于感官知觉和个体经验，构建了一套包括实验法和归纳法在内的实验科学方法论。后者以笛卡尔、莱布尼茨等为代表，着眼于心智推理，形成了以数学演绎为基础的理性主义方法论。此时，牛顿力学的诞生标志着真正意义上科学认识活动的出现。随后，休谟、康德和黑格尔以牛顿力学为研究对象，探讨了人类理智的认识能力。休谟提出因果联系法则和归纳难题。康德强调思维对认识所作的概念方面的贡献。黑格尔在康德思想的基础上创立了完整的辩证逻辑和概念方法论。不难发现，近代的哲学方法论在很大程度上同认识论糅合在一起。

2. The Scientific Elucidation by the Classic Marxist Writers

2.马克思主义经典作家的科学阐明

Both worldview and methodology were philosophical concepts that only gained widespread attention in the modern era. The issues related to them essentially focus on the foundation and capacity of human cognition, and the discussion always revolves around the dual elements of the sensory and thought, experience and reason. The birth of Marxist philosophy provided a new perspective, namely, starting from practice to discuss issues concerning human cognition within social history and real life.

世界观和方法论都是直至近代才成为受到广泛关注的哲学概念。与它们相关的议题，本质上都聚焦人类的认识基础、认识能力等，讨论始终离不开感官与思维、经验与理性的二元要素。马克思主义哲学的诞生提供了新的视角，即从实践出发在社会历史和现实生活中讨论有关人类认识的问题。

Marx said in his *Theses on Feuerbach*: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.” From “interpret” to “change,” this reflects Marx’s emphasis on practice rather than pure speculation. Engels evaluated the *Theses* as “the first document in which is deposited the brilliant germ of the new world outlook” and pointed out: “Marx’s whole world outlook is not a doctrine but a method. It provides not ready-made dogmas, but starting points for further investigation and the method for this investigation.” This expression highlights the practical character of Marx’s worldview in the contrast between “doctrine” and “method.” In *Anti-Dühring*, Engels directly expressed the reality of Marx’s worldview, believing that it “must be verified and demonstrated in the various real sciences.” In *The German Ideology*, Marx and Engels pointed out: “It is not consciousness that determines life, but life that determines consciousness.” They endorsed a “method of investigation that proceeds from real, living individuals themselves,” that is, “man must prove the truth of his thinking in practice.” In general, Marxist philosophy is rooted in human activity and social history, and has been closely linked to the practice of social change since its inception. In Marxist philosophy, although the formation of the worldview involves the rational reflection of the subject, it mainly occurs in production and life; methodology is the means or pathway for the subject to achieve the goals of specific activities. The process of applying methods is the process of fully grasping the value orientation and knowledge guide contained in the principles of the scientific worldview, thereby approaching, grasping, and ultimately transforming the object. As some scholars have said: “The worldview, with its value connotation, determines people’s practical intention and practical attitude, and with its knowledge connotation, determines the way people pursue or realize value and the direction of practice.” This process requires the participation of the subject’s thinking and cognition, and even more so, the participation of practical activity.

马克思在《关于费尔巴哈的提纲》中说：“哲学家们只是用不同的方式解释世界，问题在于改变世界。”从“解释”到“改变”，体现了马克思对实践而非纯粹思辨的重视。恩格斯评价《提纲》是“包含着新世界观的天才萌芽的第一个文献”，并指出：“马克思的整个世界观不是教义，而是方法。它提供的不是现成的教条，而是进一步研究的出发点和供这种研究使用的方法。”这一表述在“教条”和“方法”的对比中突出了马克思世界观的实践特质。在《反杜林论》中，恩格斯对马克思世界观的现实性进行了直接表述，认为它“应当在各种现实的科学中得到证实和表现出来”。在《德意志意识形态》中，马克思、恩格斯指出：“不是意识决定生活，而是生活决定意识。”他们赞同一种“从现实的、有生命的个人本身出发”的“符合现实生活的考察方法”，即“人应该在实践中证明自己思维的真理性”。总体而言，马克思主义哲学立足于人类活动和社会历史，自其诞生之日起就与社会变革实践紧密相连。在马克思主义哲学中，世界观的形成虽涉及主体的理性反思，但主要还是发生在生产、生活中；而方法论则是主体实现特定活动目标的手段或途径，运用方法的过程，就是充分把握科学世界观原理中包含的价值导向和知识指南，从而接近、把握乃至最终改造客体的过程。正如有学者所言：“世界观以其价值内涵决定人的实践意向和实践态度，以其知识性内涵决定人们追求或实现价值的方式和实践指向。”这一过程需要有主体思维认知的参与，更需要有实践活动的参与。

A review of the literature reveals that Marx and Engels commonly used the term “method,” while Lenin more frequently used “methodology” and, in corresponding passages, expounded how Marxist historical materialism and dialectical materialism could be applied to analyze concrete cases. In *What the “Friends of the People” Are and How They Fight the Social-Democrats*, the “new methodology” and “methodology of social science” he referred to denote Marx’s approach of “regarding society as a living organism in continuous development” and “objectively analyzing the relations of production that constitute the social formation, studying the laws of activity and development of that social formation”—that is, the method of isolating relations of production for separate study and then examining the superstructure. Lenin also criticized Alexander Potresov from a methodological angle for substituting national liberalism for Marxism, pointing out that Potresov’s reduction of “the essence of Marx’s methodology” to “judging from an international rather than a national perspective” was one-sided: “Marx’s method is, above all, to consider the objective content of the historical process at a specific time and in a specific environment.” Furthermore, Lenin once stated: “Marx’s philosophy is a complete philosophical materialism, which has given humanity, and especially the working class, a great instrument of cognition.” Here, the emphasis on Marxism as an “instrument of cognition” for the working class reflects Lenin’s recognition of the methodological function of Marxist theory. For the working class, the purpose of understanding the world lies in transforming it and carrying out social change, which echoes the practical character mentioned above.

梳理文献可以发现，马克思、恩格斯常用“方法”一词，列宁则较多地使用“方法论”一词，并在相应的语段中阐述了马克思主义唯物史观、唯物辩证法何以用于分析具体事例。他在《什么是“人民之友”以及他们如何攻击社会民主党人？》中所提及的“新的方法论”和“社会科学的方法论”，就是指马克思那种“把社会看做处在不断发展中的活的机体”，并“客观地分析组成该社会形态的生产关系，研究该社会形态的活动规律和发展规律”，即把生产关系划分出来单独加以研究，进而研究上层建筑的方法。列宁还从方法的角度批判亚·波特列索夫用民族自由主义偷换马克思主义，他指出，亚·波特列索夫将“马克思方法论的实质”简单等同于“从国际的观点而不是从民族的观点作出判断”的做法是片面的，“马克思的方法首先是考虑具体时间、具体环境里的历史过程的客观内容”。此外，列宁曾说：“马克思的哲学是完备的哲学唯物主义，它把伟大的认识工具给了人类，特别是给了工人阶级。”这里对马克思主义作为工人阶级“认识工具”的强调，体现了列宁对马克思主义理论的方法功能的体认。对工人阶级而言，认识世界的目的在于改造世界、进行社会变革，这与上述实践性形成呼应。

3. Compound Expressions Formed in the Soviet Union and China

3.在苏联和中国形成的复合表述

Building on Marx’s emphasis on and use of method, Engels’ interpretation of Marx’s worldview, and Lenin’s use and elaboration of the term “methodology,” as theory evolved, compound expressions such as “worldview and methodology,” “worldview methodology,” and “worldview, methodology” have become common in contemporary Marxist discourse.

在马克思对方法的重视与运用、恩格斯对马克思世界观的解读以及列宁对方法论一词的使用和阐释的基础上，随着理论的演进，诸如“世界观和方法论”、“世界观方法论”、“世界观、方法论”等复合表述在当前马克思主义话语体系中已较为常见。

The compound expression originated in Soviet textbooks. *Dialectical and Historical Materialism* by Mark Mitin is considered a landmark in the formation of the Soviet model of Marxist philosophy. In this work, expressions combining “worldview” and “method” appear in more than one place, such as “Marxism arms the working class with a complete worldview and a method for changing the world,” and Marx and Engels “thoroughly formed dialectical materialism as the worldview and method of the working class.” *The Principles of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy*, edited by Fyodor Konstantinov, uses “worldview and methodology” in more than one place, for example: “The unity, integrity, and thoroughness of Marxism-Leninism (which even its enemies must acknowledge) are organically linked to the fact that all its component parts possess a unified worldview and methodology,” and “Mastering Marxist-Leninist philosophy as a worldview and methodology helps to understand the law-governed connection between the development of natural science and specific historical conditions, and to deeply grasp the social significance and overall prospects of scientific discoveries and their technological applications.”

复合表述缘起于苏联教科书。米丁编写的《辩证唯物论与历史唯物论》被认为是苏联马克思主义哲学模式基本形成的标志。在该书中，不止一处出现了将“宇宙观”和“方法”放在一起的表达，如“马克思主义就用一种完整的宇宙观和改变世界底方法来武装劳工集团”，以及马克思和恩格斯“彻底地形成辩证法唯物论为劳工集团底宇宙观和方法”。而康斯坦丁诺夫主编的《马克思列宁主义哲学原理》则不止一处使用了“世界观和方法论”，如“马克思列宁主义的统一性、完整性、彻底性（这些就连它的敌人也得承认)，是与它的各个组成部分都具有统一的世界观和方法论这一点有机地联系着的”，以及“掌握马克思列宁主义哲学这一世界观和方法论，有助于理解自然科学发展同具体历史条件的合乎规律的联系，有助于深刻领会科学发现及其技术应用的社会意义和总的前景”。

Later, the compound expression was widely used in China. Mao Zedong always attached importance to the question of method. He compared the various tasks set in work to “crossing a river” and the methods for completing them to “a bridge or a boat,” stressing that “without solving the problem of the bridge or boat, crossing the river is an empty phrase.” In *On Contradiction*, he pointed out that materialism and dialectics are both a worldview and a method. In 1945, in his speech at a cadre conference in Yan’an, *The Situation and Our Policy After the Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan*, he directly used the expression “worldview, methodology”: “There are two kinds of worldviews and methodologies: the proletarian worldview and methodology, and the bourgeois worldview and methodology.” In the 1930s, expressions such as “worldview and method” and “worldview and methodology” were not uncommon in the works of Chinese Marxist thinkers and revolutionaries. Li Da, in his *Outline of Sociology*, pointed out that dialectical materialism can be regarded as “the unity of worldview and method.” Ai Siqi’s book *On the Method of Thought* used “worldview and methodology” as the title of a subsection in the first chapter. Hu Sheng, in *The New Philosophical Outlook on Life*, argued that neither social science nor natural science can ignore “the basic worldview and methodology,” and further explained that “the laws of dialectical materialism are themselves a worldview, a methodology, and even an epistemology,” and that in establishing a correct outlook on life, one cannot neglect “worldview, methodology, and epistemology.” After a long period of discursive evolution, theorists have come to broadly use “scientific worldview and methodology” to refer to Marxist philosophy, namely dialectical materialism and historical materialism. In recent years, textbooks on the basic principles of Marxism have explicitly used “Marxist worldview and methodology” to describe or refer to dialectical materialism and historical materialism.

后来，复合表述在中国被广泛使用。毛泽东历来重视方法问题，他把工作中提出的各种任务比作“过河”，把完成任务的方法比作“桥或船”，并强调“不解决桥或船的问题，过河就是一句空话”。在《矛盾论》中，他指出，唯物论、辩证法既是宇宙观，又是方法。1945年，他在延安干部会议上的讲稿《抗日战争胜利后的时局和我们的方针》中直接使用了“世界观、方法论”的表述：“有两种世界观、方法论：无产阶级的世界观、方法论和资产阶级的世界观、方法论。”20世纪30年代，在中国马克思主义思想家、革命家的著作中“世界观和方法”、“世界观和方法论”等表述并不鲜见。李达在《社会学大纲》中指出，唯物辩证法可以“当作世界观与方法的统一”来看。艾思奇的《思想方法论》一书将“世界观和方法论”作为第一章中一个小节的标题。胡绳在《新哲学的人生观》中指出，社会科学和自然科学都不能忽视“基本的世界观和方法论”，他进一步说明“唯物辩证法的法则本身是世界观，是方法论，甚至就是认识论”，在建立正确的人生观时，也不能忽略“世界观、方法论、认识论”。经过长时间的话语演变，理论工作者都会宽泛地使用“科学的世界观和方法论”来指称马克思主义哲学，即辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义。近年来编写的马克思主义基本原理教科书中，明确地用“马克思主义世界观和方法论”来描述或指称辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义。

II. The Internal Logic of the Marxist Worldview and Methodology

二、马克思主义世界观和方法论的内在逻辑

From the perspective of the history of philosophy, the founding of Marxism largely freed philosophy from the binary opposition between rationalism and empiricism in modern times, endowing the unity of worldview and methodology with a realistic and practical connotation. The compound expressions formed in the Soviet Union and China reflect this internal consistency. However, this also harbors a theoretical risk—reducing the relationship between the two concepts to an undifferentiated identity, i.e., “worldview = methodology.” Although, at a certain historical stage, equating worldview and methodology in a general way helped to demonstrate the scientific nature of the Marxist worldview and, to some extent, facilitated the public dissemination and explanation of Marxist theory, as research deepens, relying solely on this “identity” for understanding is insufficient. The relationship between the Marxist worldview and methodology should be one of dialectical unity that maintains both consistency and acknowledges difference.

从哲学史的视角来看，马克思主义的创立使哲学在很大程度上脱离了近代唯理论和经验论的二元对立，赋予世界观和方法论一致的现实性与实践性内涵。在苏联和中国形成的复合表述就体现了这种内在一致性。然而，这也潜藏着一种理论上的风险——将两个概念之间的关系简化为无差别的同一性，即“世界观=方法论”。虽然在一定历史阶段，将世界观和方法论笼统地等同起来，有助于彰显马克思主义世界观的科学性，并在一定程度上便于向公众宣传和阐释马克思主义理论，但随着研究的深入，仅仅依赖这种“同一性”来理解是不充分的。马克思主义世界观和方法论之间应当是既保持一致性、又承认差异性的辩证统一关系。

1. The Difference Between Worldview and Methodology

1.世界观和方法论的差异

In *On Dialectical and Historical Materialism*, Stalin made a simple distinction between worldview and methodology. He considered that the materialist “explanation,” “understanding,” and “theory” of natural phenomena belong to the part of worldview, while the dialectical method of studying and understanding natural phenomena belongs to the part of methodology. Since reform and opening up, Chinese academic circles have conducted in-depth discussions on the difference between the Marxist worldview and methodology. Broadly speaking, the difference between the two can be understood from four dimensions.

斯大林在《论辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义》中对世界观和方法论作了简单的区分，他认为对自然界现象的唯物主义的“解释”、“了解”、“理论”等内容属于世界观的部分；而研究和认识自然界现象的辩证的方法则属于方法论的部分。改革开放以来，国内学界对马克思主义世界观和方法论的差异进行了深入的探讨。大体上，可以从四个维度理解二者之间的差异。

In terms of research content. The worldview takes the external world as its object, mainly exploring the state of existence, inherent attributes, and laws of motion of nature, society, and human thought, with its basic starting point being matter, which possesses objective reality. The direct object of methodology is method as a form of human social activity, mainly discussing issues such as how to acquire, master, and apply the principle of the unity of subject and object. Because method possesses both subjectivity and objectivity, the basic starting point of methodology includes not only matter but also the spiritual and ideological state of human beings. Specifically, in the process of the subject’s cognition and transformation of the object, the worldview focuses on the question of which takes priority, matter or spirit, and whether the subject can know the object; methodology focuses on the question of how the subject knows and how the subject transforms the object.

就研究内容而言。世界观以外部世界为对象，主要探究自然、社会和人类思维的存在状况、固有属性、运动规律等，其基本出发点是具有客观实在性的物质。方法论的直接对象是作为一种人的社会活动的方法，主要探讨怎样获取、掌握和运用主客体统一的原则等问题。由于方法兼具主体性和客体性，因而方法论的基本出发点除了物质，还有人的精神和思想状况。具体而言，在主体认识和改造客体的过程中，世界观关注物质与精神何者优先、主体能否认识客体的问题；方法论则聚焦主体如何认识、如何改造客体的问题。

In terms of theoretical form. The construction of a worldview is a gradual process from the particular to the general, from practice to theory. The worldview exists as an intellectual achievement through which people consciously or unconsciously understand the world; it runs through the three realms of nature, human society, and thought, covering multiple dimensions such as the view of nature and the view of history, and constitutes a descriptive knowledge system centered on questions of “what it is” and “why it is.” The formation process of methodology, by contrast, begins with theory and points toward practice. As applied theory, it is closer to practical operations and focuses on discussions of epistemology and the theory of practice. Generally speaking, methodology not only encompasses knowledge about objective objects but also explores the value relationship between subject and object, and requires the subject to formulate a series of scientifically reasonable action norms and behavioral guidelines based on the cognitive level of the objective object; it constitutes a normative knowledge system centered on questions of “how to do it” and “whether it should be done this way.”

就理论形态而言。世界观的构建，是一个从个别到一般、从实践到理论的渐进过程。世界观作为人们自觉不自觉认识世界的思想成果而存在，它贯穿自然界、人类社会以及思维三大领域，涵盖自然观、历史观等多个维度，是围绕“是什么”、“为什么”等问题展开的描述性知识体系。而方法论的形成过程始于理论，指向实践。作为应用型理论，它更加贴近现实操作，聚焦于认识论与实践论方面的探讨。一般而言，方法论不仅涵盖关于客观对象的知识，还探讨主客体之间的价值关系，并要求主体依据对客观对象的认知水平制定一系列科学合理的行动规范和行为准则，是围绕“怎么办”、“是否应该这样办”等问题展开的规范性知识体系。

In terms of function. The worldview, as humanity’s fundamental perspective on the world, provides us with the overall direction and principles for understanding and transforming the world. These views subtly permeate people’s daily thinking and behavior, profoundly shaping their ideals, beliefs, emotions, and action goals. Methodology, by contrast, emphasizes the subjective initiative exerted by the subject; its core lies in how the subject uses its spiritual and material forces to actively transform the object in order to satisfy its own needs. It encompasses various methods, providing people with concrete and practical means and tools in fields such as scientific research and everyday life.

就功能作用而言。世界观作为人类对于世界的根本观点，为我们提供认识世界与改造世界的总体方向和原则。这些观点悄然渗透于人们的日常思维和行为中，深刻塑造着人们的理想、信念、情感以及行动目标。而方法论注重主体所发挥的主观能动性，其核心在于主体如何运用自己的精神力量和物质力量去能动地改造客体，以满足自身需要。它包含各种方法，在科学研究、生活实践等领域为人们提供具体而实用的手段和工具。

In terms of evaluative criteria. A scientific worldview pursues a faithful reflection of things as they truly are, emphasizing respect for and adherence to objectivity. On the one hand, for the evaluation of a worldview, truthfulness or falsity is the key; the original state of the world is the basis of judgment. Although objective essence may be in a state of concealment and difficult to reach, “there is no insurmountable gap between relative truth and absolute truth,” and humanity can continue to advance on the path of seeking truth, striving to approach absolute truth within relative truth. On the other hand, methodology takes guiding human activity as its core goal, and its evaluation often focuses on whether the functions of the specific methods it contains have been strengthened and whether their effectiveness has been enhanced. Determining whether a method is effective requires considering the actual conditions of both subject and object; in particular, it must be recognized that, influenced by the subject’s level of cognition, value orientation, and practical needs, methodology may become inconsistent with or even deviate from a scientific worldview. At such times, it is necessary to carefully judge whether methodology and a scientific worldview are truly consistent—that is, whether the methods it contains truly conform to objective reality and possess the correct value orientation.

就评价标准而言。科学的世界观追求的是对事物本来面目的如实反映，强调对客观性的尊重和坚守。一方面，对于世界观的评判，真实与否是关键，世界的本然状态是评价的依据。尽管客观本质可能处于遮蔽状态而难以触及，不过“相对真理和绝对真理之间没有不可逾越的鸿沟”，人类能够在探寻真理的道路上不断前行，努力在相对真理中逼近绝对真理。另一方面，方法论以指导人类活动为核心目标，对它的评价往往聚焦于其中具体方法的功能是否得到强化、效益是否有所提高。判定方法是否有效要同时考虑主客体的实际情况，尤其要看到，受主体认识水平、价值倾向、实际需求等方面的影响，方法论会出现与科学世界观不一致甚至背离的情况。此时，需要审慎地判断方法论与科学世界观是否真正一致，即其中包含的方法是否真正符合客观实际、是否具备正确的价值取向。

As described above, the Marxist worldview and methodology maintain a high degree of consistency in the spiritual essence of emphasizing practice, but they also exhibit certain differences in content, form, function, and evaluation. This article discusses these differences not in order to separate the worldview from methodology, but to emphasize that the relationship between the Marxist worldview and methodology should be understood as shifting from a superficial, static cognition of “identity” to a deep, dynamic understanding of “unity.” Profoundly grasping the internal mechanism of coordination and unity between the worldview and methodology is a necessary prerequisite for mastering and applying them.

如上所述，马克思主义世界观和方法论在重视实践的精神实质方面保持了高度的一致性，但在内容、形态、功能、评价等方面又具有一定的差异性。本文探讨差异性，不在于将世界观和方法论分隔开，而在于强调关于马克思主义世界观和方法论之间的关系问题，应从表面上的、静态的“同一性”认知转变为深层次的、动态的“统一性”理解。深刻领会世界观和方法论之间协调统一的内在机理，是掌握和运用它们的必要前提。

2. The Unity of Worldview and Methodology

2.世界观和方法论的统一

Mao Zedong once criticized some comrades within the Party for “only being able to cite isolated phrases from Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin, but being unable to apply their standpoints, viewpoints, and methods,” and for “not paying attention to the study of current conditions, not paying attention to the study of history, and not paying attention to the application of Marxism-Leninism.” [6]6 Mao Zedong, “Rectify the Party’s Style of Work” (1942), a speech criticizing dogmatic tendencies within the Chinese Communist Party during the Yan’an Rectification Movement. In practice, if one merely recites and repeats the specific conclusions and phrases of the Marxist worldview and methodology in such a simplistic manner, one may fall into the errors of dogmatism, subjectivism, and mechanism. It is necessary to proceed from reality in everything, continuously promote the mutual integration and organic unity of the worldview and methodology, “make correct answers that conform to China’s actual conditions and the requirements of the times, arrive at scientific understandings that conform to objective laws, and form theoretical achievements that keep pace with the times.” [7]7 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Conference Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China” (2021), emphasizing the need to adapt Marxism to Chinese conditions.

毛泽东曾批评党内一些同志“只会片面地引用马克思、恩格斯、列宁、斯大林的个别词句，而不会运用他们的立场、观点和方法”，“不注重研究现状，不注重研究历史，不注重马克思列宁主义的应用”。在实践中，如果只是如此简单地背诵和重复马克思主义世界观、方法论的具体结论和词句，就可能会陷入教条主义、主观主义、机械主义等误区。要坚持一切从实际出发，不断推进世界观和方法论相互融合、有机统一，“作出符合中国实际和时代要求的正确回答，得出符合客观规律的科学认识，形成与时俱进的理论成果”。

The unity of the worldview and methodology is a bidirectional, multi-level process. The first level is the transformation of basic viewpoints of Marxist philosophy into general methods of thinking; this is the primary step in achieving unity. Basic viewpoints are descriptive knowledge; they need to undergo cognitive transformation in the subject’s brain, becoming normative guiding concepts, and then forming proficient thinking methods. For example, based on the viewpoint of the universality of contradiction, dialectical thinking is formed to analyze and explore the principal contradiction and key factors affecting the development of things. Based on the viewpoint of the regularity of historical development, historical thinking is formed to fully understand the historical development process of things, grasp the general trend of history, and act in accordance with it. Of course, basic philosophical viewpoints and general thinking methods do not have a one-to-one correspondence; sometimes one viewpoint can correspond to multiple thinking methods—for instance, the viewpoint of universal connection can give rise to strategic thinking, systematic thinking, dialectical thinking, and so on. Similarly, one thinking method can be supported by multiple basic philosophical viewpoints—for example, historical thinking takes historical materialism as its main philosophical foundation, but it also contains viewpoints of dialectical materialism. Some scholars have pointed out: “The worldview influences people’s ideas and behavior, and thereby influences social development, precisely through the establishment and change of modes of thinking to form specific thought methods and behavioral methods.” General thinking methods are the intermediate link connecting basic Marxist viewpoints with concrete measures, subtly influencing the subject’s thought and behavior. The second level is the transformation of general thinking methods into concrete practical measures; this is the key link in achieving unity. General thinking methods are still relatively abstract and remain at a certain distance from guiding specific work; therefore, abstract thinking methods must be further implemented in practice, formulating more concrete and targeted practical plans for different problems. The third level is the transformation of concrete practical measures back into principled understandings; this is an important manifestation of genuine unity. The link of forming principled understandings from the concrete to the abstract is extremely important. The reason is that principled understandings within a certain period are relatively stable, and a series of basic principles approaching truth constitute the worldview. But in essence, basic principles can develop and change—that is, the worldview can develop and change; this development and change is manifested as the result of people’s practice and feedback on concrete measures. Engels said: “In fact, all genuine, exhaustive knowledge consists solely in raising the individual thing in thought from individuality into particularity, and then from particularity into universality.” [8]8 Friedrich Engels, “Dialectics of Nature” (1883), discussing the process of cognition from the particular to the universal. According to the above, the direction of transformation in the first and second levels is from the worldview to methodology, and the direction of transformation in the third level is from methodology to the worldview, thereby forming a mutually reinforcing bidirectional cycle that promotes the innovative development of theory.

世界观和方法论的统一是一个双向的、多层次的过程。第一个层次是马克思主义哲学基本观点向一般思维方法的转化，这是实现统一的首要步骤。基本观点是描述性知识，需要在主体的大脑中进行认知转化，成为规范的指导性观念，进而形成熟练的思维方法。例如，基于矛盾普遍性的观点形成辩证思维，分析和探究影响事物发展的主要矛盾和关键因素。基于历史发展规律性的观点形成历史思维，充分认识事物的历史发展进程，把握历史大势，顺势而为。当然，哲学基本观点与一般思维方法不是一一对应的关系，有时一个观点可以对应多种思维方法，如普遍联系的观点可以衍生出战略思维、系统思维、辩证思维等。同样，一种思维方法也可以有多个哲学基本观点作为支撑，如历史思维以唯物史观为主要哲学基础，其中也蕴含着辩证唯物主义的观点。有学者指出：“世界观就是通过思维方式的确立和改变来形成特定的思想方法和行为方法，影响人们的观念、行为，进而影响社会发展的。”一般思维方法是联系马克思主义基本观点和具体措施的中间纽带，潜移默化地影响主体的思想和行为。第二个层次是一般思维方法向具体实践措施的转化，这是实现统一的关键环节。一般思维方法仍较抽象，离指导具体工作还有一定的距离，因而还要把抽象的思维方法进一步落实到实践中，针对不同的问题制定出更具体、更有针对性的实践方案。第三个层次是具体实践措施反过来向原理性认识的转化，这是真正统一的重要体现。从具体到抽象形成原理性认识的环节十分重要。原因在于，一定时期内的原理性认识是相对稳定的，一系列接近真理的基本原理构成世界观。但本质上说，基本原理是可以发展变化的，即世界观是可以发展变化的，这一发展变化体现为人们对具体措施进行实践和反馈的结果。恩格斯说：“事实上，一切真实的、寻根究底的认识都只在于：我们在思想中把个别的东西从个别性提高到特殊性，然后再从特殊性提高到普遍性。”根据上述内容，第一、第二层次的转化方向是从世界观到方法论，第三层次的转化方向是从方法论到世界观，由此形成一个彼此促进的双向循环，推动理论创新发展。

However, the diversity and complexity of reality cause the process of unifying worldview and methodology to be tortuous. On the one hand, the objective world is in motion and change, while concrete practical measures are relatively static; a contradiction exists between the two. On the other hand, due to the limitations of the subject’s capacity, concrete practical measures may not always be fully implemented. Hence the above process of unification must necessarily undergo repeated cycles of practice, cognition, re-practice, and re-cognition. In this process, besides emphasizing the subject’s practical power, special attention must also be paid to its spiritual power, such as value orientation, faith, curiosity, and the desire for truth. Among these, a correct value orientation must run through the entire process of transforming worldview into methodology, so as to ensure its rationality and scientificity. Moreover, faith plays an important role in the transformation processes of the first and second levels. History has proven that faith often becomes a powerful spiritual force; although it may not necessarily enhance the subject’s ability to complete tasks, it can strengthen their willingness to persist in effort, thereby driving activities to change the world toward success. Curiosity can also enhance innovation in the second-level transformation; curiosity drives the subject to actively use laws to serve their own goals, strengthening the degree to which the subject’s creativity is exerted. The desire for truth drives the third-level transformation. Lenin said: “Without ‘human emotions,’ there has never been, nor can there be, a human pursuit of truth.” [9]9 Mao Zedong, “On Contradiction” (August 1937), in *Selected Works of Mao Zedong*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1991), p. 312. With this emotion, the subject will more actively employ theoretical thinking ability to summarize and generalize basic principles.

然而，现实的多样性和复杂性导致世界观和方法论相统一的过程存在曲折性。一方面，客观世界是运动变化的，而具体实践措施是相对静止的，两者之间存在矛盾。另一方面，由于主体能力的局限性，具体实践措施不一定都能得到落实。因而上述统一过程必然会经历实践、认识、再实践、再认识的多次反复，在这一过程中除了要重视主体的实践力量，还要特别重视其精神力量，如价值取向、信仰、好奇心、求真的欲望等。其中，正确的价值取向必须贯穿世界观和方法论转化的全过程，以保证其合理性和科学性。此外，信仰在第一和第二层次的转化过程中发挥着重要作用。历史已经证明，信仰往往会成为一股强大的精神力量，虽然不一定能够提高主体完成任务的能力，但能够加强他们持续努力的意愿，从而推动变革世界的活动走向成功。好奇心也能够提升第二层次转化中的创新性，好奇心能驱使主体积极利用规律服务于自己的目标，使主体创造力的发挥程度得到强化。求真的欲望推动着第三层次的转化。列宁说：“没有‘人的情感’，就从来没有也不可能有人对于真理的追求。”有了这种情感，主体就会更加积极地运用理论思维能力去总结、概括基本原理。

III. The Contemporary Expression of the Marxist Worldview and Methodology

三、马克思主义世界观和方法论的时代表达

As the Marxism of contemporary China and the Marxism of the 21st century, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era inherits, enriches, and develops Marxism. Through the interaction of new practice and cognition, it has achieved the unification of the Marxist worldview and methodology, distilling the “Six Musts” [10], providing our Party with a powerful ideological weapon for solving China’s practical problems and responding to the multiple challenges of the era.

作为当代中国马克思主义、21世纪马克思主义，习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想继承、丰富和发展了马克思主义，在新的实践和认识的互动中实现了马克思主义世界观和方法论的统一，凝练出“六个必须坚持”，为我们党解决中国实际问题、应对时代多重挑战提供了强大的思想武器。

1. Nurtured in the Essence of Marxist Thought and the Great Practice of the New Era

1.孕育于马克思主义思想精髓和新时代伟大实践中

“Every genuine philosophy is the spiritual quintessence of its time,” and genuine philosophy “not only internally through its content, but also externally through its manifestation, comes into contact and interaction with the real world of its own time.” The contemporary expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology is nurtured in the essence of Marxist thought, forming a continuous line with dialectical materialism and historical materialism. At the same time, it is also nurtured in the great practice of the New Era, being an innovative expression formed on the basis of new era backgrounds, historical conditions, and social practice.

“任何真正的哲学都是自己时代的精神上的精华”，而真正的哲学“不仅在内部通过自己的内容，而且在外部通过自己的表现，同自己时代的现实世界接触并相互作用”。马克思主义世界观和方法论的时代表达孕育于马克思主义的思想精髓中，与辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义一脉相承。同时，它也孕育于新时代伟大实践中，是在新的时代背景、历史条件和社会实践的基础上形成的创新表达。

Marxist philosophy, born in the 19th century, revealed the general laws of the objective world, especially the development of human society. Its truth and scientificity have been proven by history and practice. In the 21st century today, it remains a powerful ideological weapon guiding our work and life. Why the Communist Party of China “can,” why socialism with Chinese characteristics is “good,” ultimately comes down to Marxism “works.” The contemporary expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology must first uphold Marxism. This is not upholding some specific conclusion or viewpoint of the classical Marxist writers, but upholding the ideological core of the Marxist worldview and methodology. In the 1872 German edition preface to the *Manifesto of the Communist Party*, Marx and Engels pointed out: “However much the situation may have changed in the last 25 years, the general principles set forth in this Manifesto are, on the whole, as correct today as ever.” Lukács said that Marxist “orthodoxy” does not lie in “accepting the results of Marx’s research,” nor in “belief in this or that thesis,” nor in “the exegesis of a sacred book,” but in adherence to the overall method, i.e., the dialectical method. At the same time, the contemporary expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology is the result of theoretical innovation and development that keeps pace with the times. Of course, development does not mean starting anew, but must be based on the truth and correct path of Marxism. The process of upholding and developing dialectical materialism and historical materialism is the process of achieving the unification of the Marxist worldview and methodology, that is, the process of using its standpoints, viewpoints, and methods to guide practice, thereby promoting theoretical innovation. Since entering the New Era, world multipolarization, economic globalization, social informatization, and cultural diversification have deepened profoundly, and the domestic and international situation has undergone tremendous changes. “Contemporary China is experiencing the most extensive and profound social transformation in its history, and is also carrying out the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history.” New social conditions, world patterns, and new practice have provided space and impetus for the formation of a “contemporary expression” that reflects the characteristics of the era and the requirements of practice.

诞生于19世纪的马克思主义哲学，揭示了客观世界尤其是人类社会发展的一般规律，其真理性和科学性已经被历史和实践所证明。在21世纪的今天，它依然是指导我们工作和生活的强大思想武器。中国共产党为什么“能”，中国特色社会主义为什么“好”，归根结底是马克思主义“行”。马克思主义世界观和方法论的时代表达，首先要坚持马克思主义。这不是对马克思主义经典作家某个或某些具体结论、观点的坚持，而是对马克思主义世界观和方法论思想内核的坚持。马克思、恩格斯在《共产党宣言》1872年德文版序言中指出：“不管最近25年来的情况发生了多大的变化，这个《宣言》中所阐述的一般原理整个说来直到现在还是完全正确的。”卢卡奇说，马克思主义的“正统性”，不在于“接受马克思研究的结果”，不在于“对这个或那个论点的‘信仰’”，也不在于“对某本‘圣’书的注解”，而是对总体方法即辩证方法的坚持。与此同时，马克思主义世界观和方法论的时代表达，是与时俱进的理论创新发展成果。当然，发展不是另起炉灶，而必须基于马克思主义的真理和正道。坚持和发展辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的过程，是马克思主义世界观和方法论实现统一的过程，也就是运用其中的立场、观点和方法来指导实践，进而促进理论创新的过程。进入新时代以来，世界多极化、经济全球化、社会信息化、文化多样化深入发展，国内外形势发生了巨大变化，“当代中国正经历着我国历史上最为广泛而深刻的社会变革，也正在进行着人类历史上最为宏大而独特的实践创新”。新的社会状况、世界格局及新的实践，为反映时代特征和实践要求的“时代表达”的形成，提供了空间和动力。

In summary, the contemporary expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology is the result of theoretical innovation. It is continuous with Marxism in fundamental characteristics, spiritual core, and internal logic, while in terms of discursive expression it must embody the deepening and expansion of Marxism, reflecting the results of creative transformation and development. Upholding and developing dialectical materialism and historical materialism means “adding new categories, proposing new viewpoints, making new interpretations, and endowing new connotations in the process of exploration.” In the great practice of the New Era, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have

总之，马克思主义世界观和方法论的时代表达是理论创新的结果。它在根本特征、精神内核、内在逻辑上与马克思主义一脉相承，而在话语表达方式上要体现对马克思主义的深化和拓展，体现创造性转化和发展的成果。坚持和发展辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，就是“在探索过程中增添新范畴、提出新观点、作出新解读、赋予新内涵”。在新时代伟大实践中，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人焕发历史主动精神，运用马克思主义世界观和方法论解决中国现实问题，推动世界观和方法论实现相互统一，形成了“六个必须坚持”这一重大理论创新成果。

2. Concentratedly embodied as the “Six Musts”

2.集中体现为“六个必须坚持”

The contemporary expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology is concentratedly embodied as the “Six Musts.” The “Six Musts” condense the ideological essence of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, inheriting and applying the Marxist mass historical view, epistemology, truth view, contradiction view, world historical view, etc. The innovative and epochal character of the “Six Musts” is manifested in the following aspects:

马克思主义世界观和方法论的时代表达，集中体现为“六个必须坚持”。“六个必须坚持”凝聚了辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的思想精髓，继承并运用了马克思主义的群众史观、认识论、真理观、矛盾观、世界历史观等。“六个必须坚持”的创新性和时代性体现在如下几方面：

First, the “Six Musts” specify the overarching methodological principles for upholding and developing Marxism and promoting theoretical innovation on the basis of practice. Adhering to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground directly answers the question of “how theory develops.” Theoretical development is the realization of the dialectical unity of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in practice. Upholding fundamental principles means adhering to the correct path and direction, emphasizing both drawing on historical wisdom and experience and grasping the inherent laws of the development of things. Breaking new ground, on the premise of upholding fundamental principles, is based on practice, accumulating new experience in practice, exerting creativity, improving methods, and expanding theory. This aligns with the requirements of the transformation at the third level mentioned above, that is, the leap from concrete practical measures to (new) principled understanding, which is essentially the innovative development of theory. Adhering to a problem-oriented approach embodies the epochal character of theory and also provides a focal point for upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. Adhering to a problem-oriented approach emphasizes the need to answer the questions of China, the questions of the world, the questions of the people, and the questions of the times, and to solve practical problems in the process of Chinese-path modernization—this is the basis for the formation and the realistic foundation of contemporary Chinese Marxist theoretical innovation. Specifically, this principle points the direction for the transformation from the second-level thinking methods to practical measures, indicating what kind of problems the thinking methods should be applied to and what effects should be achieved. This principle also provides the starting point and impetus for the transformation from the third-level practical measures to (new) principled understanding. Problems are the contradictions of things, and contradictions are the driving force for theoretical innovation. Mao Zedong pointed out: “Discovering contradictions begins at the perceptual stage; analysis only reaches the rational stage.” [9]9 Mao Zedong, “On Contradiction” (August 1937), in *Selected Works of Mao Zedong*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1991), p. 312. Specifically, the third-level transformation process is first to use “perception” in practice to discover contradictions, then take these contradictions as entry points, use “rationality” to analyze and elevate the results of thinking to the theoretical level, thereby achieving theoretical innovation.

其一，“六个必须坚持”指明了坚持和发展马克思主义、推动实践基础上理论创新的总体性方法原则。坚持守正创新，直接回答了“理论怎么发展”的问题。理论发展就是在实践中实现守正与创新的辩证统一。守正是坚守正确的道路、方向，既强调汲取历史的智慧和经验，也注重把握事物发展的内在规律。而创新是在守正的前提下，以实践为基础，在实践中积累新经验，发挥创造力，改进方法、拓展理论。这与上述第三层次转化的要求相契合，即从具体实践措施到（新的)原理性认识的跃升，本质上就是理论的创新发展。坚持问题导向，体现了理论的时代性，也为守正创新提供了着力点。坚持问题导向强调要回答中国之问、世界之问、人民之问、时代之问，解决中国式现代化进程中的实际问题——这是当代中国马克思主义理论创新的形成依据和现实基础。具体而言，该原则为第二层次思维方法向实践措施的转化指明了方向，指明了思维方法应运用到什么样的问题上、达成什么样的效果。该原则还为第三层次实践措施向（新的)原理性认识的转化提供了起点和动力。问题是事物的矛盾，矛盾是理论创新的动力。毛泽东指出：“发现矛盾开始是感觉性质的，分析才到理性阶段。”具体说来，第三层次转化过程就是先在实践中利用“感觉”发现矛盾，然后以这些矛盾为切入点，运用“理性”分析将思考的结果提升至理论层面，从而实现理论创新。

Second, the “Six Musts” contain the rich connotation of the Marxist view of the people and elevate it to the level of worldview and methodology. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that “people-centeredness is the most distinctive quality of Marxism” and that “to study Marx, one must study and practice Marxist thought on adhering to the people’s standpoint.” Upholding people-centeredness, self-confidence and self-reliance, and embracing the world with an open mind highlights the emphasis on the people as the subject from multiple angles, running through the entire process of the unity of worldview and methodology. Upholding people-centeredness first requires us to firmly take the people’s standpoint and grasp the people’s aspirations. “The proletarian movement is the independent movement of the immense majority, in the interests of the immense majority.” [10] It is necessary to stay close to the people’s lives, listen to the people’s voices, formulate policies and advance work based on solving the people’s urgent, difficult, and anxious problems, and ensure that every decision conforms to the people’s interests. This guarantees that all levels of the transformation process between worldview and methodology have the correct value orientation. Second, it requires respecting the people’s creativity and concentrating the people’s wisdom. “History is nothing but the activity of man pursuing his aims.” [11] The people are not only witnesses to history but also creators of history; they can use the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method to understand and transform the world, contribute experience, participate in decision-making, and promote theoretical innovation. The people’s creativity and wisdom are the real forces driving the mutual transformation of worldview and methodology. Upholding self-confidence and self-reliance establishes the spiritual character that China’s problems must be solved by the Chinese people themselves. In the process of solving problems, the Chinese people “must adhere to a firm belief in Marxism and a firm conviction in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strengthen confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” [12] while also respecting objective laws and accurately grasping the actual situation. This clarifies the responsible subject for promoting the unity of the contemporary Chinese Marxist worldview and methodology. Upholding embracing the world with an open mind demonstrates a broad global vision and profound human sentiment. We must examine problems with a world perspective, contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength to global sustainable development and the flourishing of world civilization, and commit to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

其二，“六个必须坚持”蕴含着马克思主义人民观的丰富内涵，并将其提升至世界观、方法论层面。习近平总书记指出，“人民性是马克思主义最鲜明的品格”，“学习马克思，就要学习和实践马克思主义关于坚守人民立场的思想”。坚持人民至上、自信自立、胸怀天下，从多角度彰显了对人民主体的重视，贯穿世界观和方法论统一的全过程。坚持人民至上，首先要求我们站稳人民立场、把握人民愿望。“无产阶级的运动是绝大多数人的，为绝大多数人谋利益的独立的运动。”要贴近人民生活、聆听人民心声，以解决人民急难愁盼的问题为依据来制定政策、推动工作，确保每一项决策都符合人民的利益。这保证了世界观与方法论间各层次的转化过程都具有正确的价值取向。其次，要求尊重人民创造、集中人民智慧。“历史活动是群众的活动，随着历史活动的深入，必将是群众队伍的扩大。”人民不仅是历史的见证者，更是历史的创造者，他们能够运用马克思主义立场观点方法来认识和改造世界，贡献经验、参与决策，推动理论创新。人民的创造力与智慧是推动世界观和方法论相互转化的现实力量。坚持自信自立，树立了中国的问题由中国人自己解决的精神品格。在解决问题的过程中，中国人“要坚持对马克思主义的坚定信仰、对中国特色社会主义的坚定信念，坚定道路自信、理论自信、制度自信、文化自信”，同时要尊重客观规律、准确把握实际情况。这为推动当代中国马克思主义世界观和方法论的统一明确了责任主体。坚持胸怀天下，彰显了广阔的世界眼光和深切的人类情怀。我们要以世界眼光审视问题，为全球的可持续发展和世界文明的繁荣贡献中国智慧和中国力量，致力于构建人类命运共同体。

Third, the “Six Musts” make the integration of worldview and methodology closer, displaying more prominent methodological traits and systemic characteristics. According to the specific differences between worldview and methodology mentioned above, the theoretical system of worldview is composed of basic philosophical principles, while the theoretical system of methodology is composed of a series of relatively independent guiding principles and norms. The process of achieving unity between worldview and methodology includes both the transformation of philosophical principles and practical feedback. The “Six Musts” are a theoretical system formed in this process; they have a clear structural hierarchy, possessing both profound theoretical rationality and effective guidance. At the level of theoretical foundation, they condense the spiritual core of Marxist philosophy. At the transitional level, they contain scientific thinking methods that can realize the transition from descriptive theory to normative theory. Upholding systemic thinking can be said to be an important innovation in the history of the CPC’s [13] ideological theory; it includes a series of scientific thinking methods such as strategic thinking, historical thinking, dialectical thinking, systemic thinking, innovative thinking, rule-of-law thinking, and bottom-line thinking. These scientific thinking methods are indispensable in the process of unifying worldview and methodology, especially playing a linking role in the transformation process of the first and second levels—“basic viewpoints → thinking methods → practical measures.” At the operational level, the “Six Musts” cover all fields of governance in the New Era and have broad applicability. The principles for further deepening reform comprehensively emphasized by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [14] include three of these items, namely, adhering to a people-centered approach, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and upholding systemic thinking. In addition, they can be transformed into practical and targeted thinking methods, working methods, leadership methods, etc., in various problems. At the same time, the “Six Musts” can form a closely connected theoretical whole around one theme.

其三，“六个必须坚持”使世界观和方法论的融合更为紧密，展现更加突出的方法论特质和体系性特征。根据上述世界观和方法论之间的具体差异，世界观理论体系由哲学基本原理构成，而方法论理论体系则由一系列相对独立的指导性原则和规范构成。世界观和方法论实现统一的过程，既包含哲学原理的转化，也包含实践的反馈。“六个必须坚持”就是在这一过程中形成的理论体系，它有着清晰的结构层次，兼具深厚的学理性和有效的指导性。就理论基础层面而言，它凝聚马克思主义哲学的精神内核。就过渡层面而言，它包含科学思维方法，能实现描述性理论到规范性理论的过渡。坚持系统观念，可以说是中国共产党思想理论史上的一次重要创新，它包括战略思维、历史思维、辩证思维、系统思维、创新思维、法治思维、底线思维在内的一系列科学思维方法。这些科学思维方法在世界观和方法论的统一过程中是不可或缺的，尤其在第一层次和第二层次“基本观点—思维方法—实践措施”的转化过程中发挥着纽带作用。就操作层面而言，“六个必须坚持”涵盖新时代治国理政各个领域，具有广泛适用性。党的二十届三中全会所强调的进一步全面深化改革的原则包含其中三项内容，即坚持以人民为中心、坚持守正创新、坚持系统观念。此外，它能够在各种问题中转化为具有实用性和针对性的思想方法、工作方法、领导方法等。同时，“六个必须坚持”能围绕一个主题形成联系紧密的理论整体。

In the philosophical explorations before the founding of Marxism, the conceptual evolution of worldview and methodology implicitly contained the binary opposition between rationalism and empiricism. Marxist philosophy introduced a new practical perspective, injecting consistent realistic and practical connotations into worldview and methodology. With the development of theory, compound expressions such as “worldview and methodology” and “worldview methodology” appeared in the Marxist discourse system. To deeply understand the theoretical and philosophical principles contained in worldview and methodology, it is also necessary to clarify the specific differences between the two, which are reflected in aspects such as research content, theoretical form, function and role, and evaluation criteria. The key question is: how to achieve the dialectical unity of the two while grasping their differences? The unity of worldview and methodology is a bidirectional, multi-level process. First, the basic viewpoints of Marxist philosophy must be transformed into general thinking methods; second, general thinking methods must be transformed into specific practical measures; finally, specific practical measures must in turn be transformed into (new) principled understandings. Throughout this transformation process, the practical and spiritual power of the people as the subject plays an important role. Since entering the New Era, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have, on the path of

在马克思主义创立之前的哲学探索中，世界观和方法论的概念演进历程隐含着唯理论和经验论的二元对立问题。马克思主义哲学引入了新的实践视角，为世界观和方法论注入了一致的现实性和实践性内涵。随着理论的发展，在马克思主义话语体系中，出现了诸如“世界观和方法论”、“世界观方法论”一类的复合表述。深入理解世界观和方法论所蕴含的学理和哲理，同样需要厘清二者之间存在的具体差异，这些差异体现在研究内容、理论形态、功能作用、评价标准等方面。问题的关键在于，如何在把握二者差异的基础上实现二者的辩证统一？世界观和方法论的统一是一个双向的、多层次的过程。首先，马克思主义哲学的基本观点要转化为一般思维方法；其次，一般思维方法要转化为具体实践措施；最后，具体实践措施还要反过来转化为（新的)原理性认识。在整个转化过程中，人民主体的实践和精神力量发挥着重要作用。进入新时代以来，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人在追求真理、揭示真理、笃行真理的道路上，推动马克思主义世界观和方法论的深度融合与统一，创造性地形成了“六个必须坚持”这一中国化时代化马克思主义世界观和方法论的理论成果。“六个必须坚持”继承并运用了马克思主义哲学的基本原理，指明了中国共产党推动理论创新的总体性方法原则，蕴含着马克思主义人民观的丰富内涵，并展现出鲜明的方法论特质和整体性、体系性特征，是马克思主义世界观和方法论时代表达的集中体现。

Online editor: Jing Mu

网络编辑：静穆