Comrade Deng Xiaoping Is a Brilliant Model of Upholding Emancipating the Mind and Seeking Truth from Facts

Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s most important ideological characteristic and most distinctive leadership style was his adherence to emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that, under Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s guidance, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Party [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, held in December 1978, marked the beginning of the reform and opening-up era and a major shift in the Party’s focus to economic development. re-established the ideological line of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, made the major decision to implement reform and opening up, and achieved a great turning point of far-reaching significance in the Party’s history. This ideological line, whose re-establishment Comrade Deng Xiaoping guided, is the fundamental ideological weapon we must uphold to gain advantages, seize the initiative, and win the future.

邓小平同志最重要的思想特点、最鲜明的领导风范，就是坚持解放思想、实事求是。习近平总书记指出，在邓小平同志指导下，党的十一届三中全会重新确立了解放思想、实事求是的思想路线，作出实行改革开放的重大决策，实现了党的历史上具有深远意义的伟大转折。邓小平同志指导重新确立的这一思想路线，是我们赢得优势、赢得主动、赢得未来必须坚持的根本思想武器。

I. Guiding Our Party to Break Through Numerous Obstacles and Re-establish the Ideological Line of Emancipating the Mind and Seeking Truth from Facts

一、指导我们党冲破重重阻力重新确立解放思想、实事求是的思想路线

Adhering to the correct ideological line is the prerequisite and foundation for formulating and implementing the correct political and organizational lines. At the major historical juncture when the Party and the country faced the question of which path to take after the end of the “Cultural Revolution” [2]2 The Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) was a mass political movement initiated by Mao Zedong, marked by social upheaval, purges, and a focus on class struggle, which ended with Mao’s death and the arrest of the Gang of Four., Comrade Deng Xiaoping led and supported the great discussion on the criterion of truth [3]3 The discussion on the criterion of truth (1978) was a nationwide debate over whether practice, rather than Mao’s words, should be the sole test of truth, which helped break ideological dogmatism., sounding the clarion call for emancipating the mind. He proposed that seeking truth from facts is the “fundamental viewpoint, fundamental method” of Marxism and the “starting point, fundamental point” of Mao Zedong Thought. He emphasized: “Only when the mind is emancipated can we correctly take Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought as our guide, solve problems left over from the past, and solve a series of new problems that have emerged.” [4]4 This is a direct quotation from Deng Xiaoping’s speech at the closing session of the Central Work Conference in December 1978, which preceded the Third Plenary Session.

坚持正确思想路线是制定和贯彻正确政治路线和组织路线的前提和基础。“文化大革命”结束之后，在党和国家面临何去何从的重大历史关头，邓小平同志领导和支持了真理标准问题大讨论，吹响了解放思想的号角。他提出：实事求是是马克思主义的“根本观点、根本方法”，是毛泽东思想的“出发点、根本点”。他强调：“只有思想解放了，我们才能正确地以马列主义、毛泽东思想为指导，解决过去遗留的问题，解决新出现的一系列问题。”

Under the leadership of Comrade Deng Xiaoping and with the support of veteran revolutionaries, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Party resolutely ended the practice of “taking class struggle as the key link” [5]5 “Taking class struggle as the key link” was the dominant, made the historic decision to shift the focus of the Party and the country’s work to economic construction and implement reform and opening up, thereby ushering in the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, and successfully creating socialism with Chinese characteristics.

在邓小平同志领导下和老一辈革命家支持下，党的十一届三中全会果断结束“以阶级斗争为纲”，作出把党和国家工作中心转移到经济建设上来、实行改革开放的历史性决策，由此开启了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，成功开创了中国特色社会主义。

II. Integrating Emancipating the Mind and Seeking Truth from Facts Throughout the Entire Process of Reform, Opening Up, and Socialist Modernization

二、把解放思想、实事求是贯穿到改革开放和社会主义现代化建设全过程

Comrade Deng Xiaoping said that since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, “we have mainly done two things: one is to bring order out of chaos [6], and the other is comprehensive reform.” Neither of these two things could be done without emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. Comrade Deng Xiaoping presided over the drafting of the second historical resolution [7], which distinguished Mao Zedong Thought as a scientific theory from the mistakes made by Comrade Mao Zedong in his later years. In response to the rigid Soviet model of socialism, he proposed “building socialism with Chinese characteristics.” In response to the “leftist” ideological constraints that went beyond the current stage, he emphasized that China is in and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism. In response to notions such as “better a poor socialism than a rich capitalism,” he revealed that the essence of socialism is “to liberate and develop the productive forces, to eliminate exploitation and polarization, and ultimately to achieve common prosperity.” In response to differing opinions on implementing the household contract responsibility system, developing township enterprises and the private economy, establishing special economic zones, and developing the socialist market economy, Comrade Deng Xiaoping consistently adhered to emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, leading our Party in clarifying right and wrong, unifying thought, and building consensus.

邓小平同志说，十一届三中全会以来，“我们主要做了两件事，一是拨乱反正，二是全面改革”。做好这两件事都离不开解放思想、实事求是。邓小平同志主持起草第二个历史决议，把作为科学理论的毛泽东思想同毛泽东同志晚年所犯的错误区别开来。针对苏联僵化的社会主义模式，他提出“建设有中国特色的社会主义”。针对超越阶段的“左”的思想框框，他强调中国处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段。针对“宁要贫穷的社会主义，也不要富裕的资本主义”等观念，他揭示社会主义本质是“解放生产力，发展生产力，消灭剥削，消除两极分化，最终达到共同富裕”。针对关于实行家庭联产承包责任制、发展乡镇企业和私营经济、创办经济特区、发展社会主义市场经济等出现的不同意见，邓小平同志始终坚持解放思想、实事求是，领导我们党澄清是非、统一思想、凝聚共识。

Reform and opening up was an unprecedented pioneering practice, characterized by exploration and experimentation, making mistakes inevitable. Comrade Deng Xiaoping dared to acknowledge and promptly correct mistakes made in the exploration of reform, never concealing his faults for fear of criticism. He forcefully resisted interference from erroneous “leftist” and rightist tendencies, leading our Party in establishing the basic line for the primary stage of socialism and the “three-step” strategy [8], making reform and opening up the key move that determined the fate of contemporary China. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Chinese people, by upholding emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, have achieved a mutual reinforcement between emancipating the mind and reform and opening up, and a mutual promotion between conceptual innovation and practical exploration, fully demonstrating the powerful force of ideological guidance.”

改革开放是前无古人的开创性实践，具有探索性和试验性特点，失误在所难免。邓小平同志敢于承认和及时纠正改革探索中的失误，绝不讳疾忌医。他力排“左”和右的错误倾向干扰，领导我们党确立社会主义初级阶段基本路线和“三步走”战略，使改革开放成为决定当代中国前途命运的关键一招。习近平总书记指出：“中国人民坚持解放思想、实事求是，实现解放思想和改革开放相互激荡、观念创新和实践探索相互促进，充分显示了思想引领的强大力量。”

III. Upholding Emancipating the Mind and Seeking Truth from Facts to Determine the Theme of the Times and Foreign Policy

三、坚持解放思想、实事求是确定时代主题和对外方针

In response to the enormous changes in the international situation after the 1970s, Comrade Deng Xiaoping resolutely abandoned the previous view that “war is inevitable” and clearly stated that peace and development are the themes of the contemporary world.

邓小平同志针对20世纪70年代后国际形势的巨大变化，果断摈弃过去“战争不可避免”的观点，明确提出和平与发展是当代世界的主题。

Based on this scientific judgment of the theme of the times, Comrade Deng Xiaoping guided our Party in determining a new foreign policy. He pointed out: “The present world is an open world,” “China’s development cannot be separated from the world,” and it is necessary to implement the basic state policy of opening up to the outside world. Comrade Deng Xiaoping was concerned with the fate of the vast number of developing countries and opposed all forms of hegemonism. He emphasized: “The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence [9] are the best way to handle relations between countries.” Following the path of peaceful development has become a distinctive feature of Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “China’s determination to follow the path of peaceful development will not change.”

据对时代主题的科学判断，邓小平同志指导我们党确定了新的对外方针。他指出：“现在的世界是开放的世界”，“中国的发展离不开世界”，必须实行对外开放的基本国策。邓小平同志关注广大发展中国家的命运，反对任何形式的霸权主义。他强调：“处理国与国之间的关系，和平共处五项原则是最好的方式。”走和平发展道路成为中国式现代化的鲜明特征。习近平总书记强调，“中国走和平发展道路的决心不会改变”。

Rivers flow forever, and the great cause endures forever. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [10], General Secretary Xi Jinping has led the entire Party and the people of the whole country to carry forward the cause and forge ahead into the future, opening up a completely new realm of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and keeping pace with the times are the living soul of Marxism and the fundamental ideological weapon for us to adapt to new situations, understand new things, and complete new tasks.” At this new, higher historical starting point, we must unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, resolutely uphold the Two Establishments [11] and achieve the Two Upholds [12], adhere to emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, keeping pace with the times, and pursuing practical results, and strive to write a new chapter of contemporary Chinese Marxism and Marxism in the 21st century.

江河长在，伟业长兴。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记带领全党全国人民继往开来，开创了解放思想、实事求是的全新境界。习近平总书记指出：“解放思想、实事求是、与时俱进，是马克思主义活的灵魂，是我们适应新形势、认识新事物、完成新任务的根本思想武器。”在新的更高历史起点上，我们要更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，坚决捍卫“两个确立”，做到“两个维护”，坚持解放思想、实事求是、与时俱进、求真务实，奋力书写当代中国马克思主义、21世纪马克思主义新篇章。

(This article is the author’s speech at the opening ceremony of the National Academic Seminar Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of the Birth of Comrade Deng Xiaoping)

（本文系作者在全国纪念邓小平同志诞辰120周年学术研讨会开幕式上的发言）

(The author is President and Party Secretary of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者系中国社会科学院院长、党组书记）

Online Editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑