An Exploration of Deng Xiaoping’s Thought on Exercising Historical Initiative

Exercising historical initiative means giving full play to human subjective agency, and, on the basis of understanding and grasping the laws of historical development, influencing and changing the course of history through positive and proactive attitudes and actions, thereby seizing the initiative in historical development. The Party’s century-long history of struggle, and especially its leadership in the course of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, is a vivid illustration of the full exercise of historical initiative. In the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as their chief representative, through practical exploration and innovative development, blazed the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed the important ideological achievement of Deng Xiaoping Theory, and achieved a marked improvement in the people’s living standards and a notable enhancement of the nation’s comprehensive national strength. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, continued to uphold and develop Marxism, driving historic achievements and historic transformations in the cause of the Party and the state, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process. Facing the new journey of the New Era, Xi Jinping, at the 20th National Congress of the CPC, called on “all Party comrades to remain true to our original aspiration and founding mission, to stay modest, prudent, hard-working, and thrifty, to have the courage and ability to carry on our fight, to strengthen historical confidence and enhance historical initiative, and to write an even more magnificent chapter of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the New Era,” thereby raising the practical task of continuing to exercise historical initiative and the theoretical task of deepening research on exercising historical initiative.

发挥历史主动是指充分发挥人的主观能动性，在认识和把握历史发展规律的基础上，以积极、主动的态度和行动去影响和改变历史进程，从而掌握历史发展主动权。党的百余年奋斗历史，特别是领导中国特色社会主义建设历程，就是充分发挥历史主动的生动诠释。在改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，以邓小平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人通过实践探索和创新发展，开创了中国特色社会主义道路，形成了重要思想成果——邓小平理论，实现了人民生活水平的显著提高和国家综合实力的显著增强。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人继续坚持和发展马克思主义，推动党和国家事业取得了历史性成就、发生了历史性变革，中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程。面对新时代新征程，习近平在党的二十大号召“全党同志务必不忘初心、牢记使命，务必谦虚谨慎、艰苦奋斗，务必敢于斗争、善于斗争，坚定历史自信，增强历史主动，谱写新时代中国特色社会主义更加绚丽的华章”，提出了接续发挥历史主动的实践课题和深化发挥历史主动研究的理论课题。

Deng Xiaoping, as the chief architect of China’s reform and opening up and socialist modernization and the pioneer of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed a rich body of thought on exercising historical initiative in the course of promoting China’s historical development. This is embodied in his series of discourses on history, such as “summing up historical experience,” “the dialectics of history,” “a new historical period,” “different historical stages,” “the Party’s history,” “China’s history,” “world history,” “historical mission,” “historical significance,” “historical judgment,” and “history is created by the masses.” It is also embodied in his leadership of the entire Party and the entire people in the great practice of reform and opening up, which was both forward-looking, creative, and combative in its pursuit of strategic initiative. This formed a systematic ideological system on exercising historical initiative, including the connotative definitions of subjective agency, initiative, and seizing the initiative; the subjective elements of historical consciousness, historical thinking, and historical resolve; and the realization pathways of focusing on historical issues, following historical laws, and opening up new historical situations. This system exerted a major influence on the historical development of the nation and the state, and laid a solid foundation for the Party to enhance historical initiative in the New Era. On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s birth and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, systematically sorting out Deng Xiaoping’s thought on exercising historical initiative and drawing lessons and inspiration from the exercise of historical initiative is both a requirement for carrying forward Deng Xiaoping’s behest and deepening the study of Deng Xiaoping Theory, and a demand for enhancing historical initiative and contributing to the building of a great modern socialist country.

邓小平作为中国改革开放和社会主义现代化建设总设计师、中国特色社会主义事业的开创者，在推动中国历史发展过程中形成了丰富的发挥历史主动思想，体现在他“总结历史经验”“历史的辩证法”“新的历史时期”“不同历史阶段”“党的历史”“中国历史”“世界历史”“历史使命”“历史意义”“历史评判”“历史是人民群众创造的”等一系列关于历史的阐释话语中，也体现在他带领全党全国人民开展兼具预见性、创造性、斗争性的争取战略主动的改革开放伟大实践中，形成了关于发挥历史主动的系统的思想体系，其中包括主观能动性、主动权、争取主动的内涵释义，包括历史自觉、历史思维、历史定力的主体要素，包括聚焦历史课题、遵循历史规律、开创历史新局的实现路径等，对国家和民族的历史发展发挥了重大影响，为党在新时代增强历史主动奠定了坚实基础。在邓小平同志诞辰120周年来临之际，在庆祝中华人民共和国成立75周年之际，系统梳理邓小平发挥历史主动思想，汲取发挥历史主动的经验启示，既是继承邓小平遗志、深化邓小平理论研究的需要，也是增强历史主动、为建成社会主义现代化强国贡献力量的要求。

I. Exercising historical initiative has the connotative meaning of giving play to subjective agency, grasping strategic initiative, and continuously striving for the initiative

一、发挥历史主动具有发挥主观能动性、把握战略主动权和不断争取主动的内涵意义

The understanding of “initiative” is the cognitive foundation of Deng Xiaoping’s thought on exercising historical initiative and the decisive factor in further constructing and interpreting the connotation of “exercising historical initiative.” Deng Xiaoping inherited and developed the views on “initiative” of the classical Marxist writers, and in his writings he prominently emphasized subjective agency, the initiative, and striving for the initiative. These formed the basic connotation of Deng Xiaoping’s thought on exercising historical initiative.

对“主动”的理解是邓小平发挥历史主动思想的认知基础，是进一步构建和阐释“发挥历史主动”内涵的决定因素。邓小平继承并发展了马克思主义经典作家关于“主动”的观点认识，在其著述中突出强调了主观能动性、主动权和争取主动等方面。这些形成了邓小平关于发挥历史主动思想的基本内涵。

1. Exercising historical initiative first of all means giving play to subjective agency

1.发挥历史主动首先是指发挥主观能动性

In *Capital*, Marx repeatedly used “active” as the antonym of “passive,” clarifying the active meaning of “initiative.” For example, he pointed out: “Under the credit system, all these potential capitals, because they are concentrated in the hands of banks, etc., become disposable capital, ‘loanable capital,’ money-capital, and are no longer passive, no longer future music, but active, profit-yielding things (here profit-yielding [wuchernd] means growing).” Thus we can understand the meaning of “historical initiative” that Marx and Engels used when criticizing the utopian socialists and summing up the experience of the Paris Commune: “They see no historical initiative on the part of the proletariat, no political movement peculiar to it,” “What flexibility, what historical initiative, what a capacity for self-sacrifice these Parisians have.” [1]1 The quotations are from Marx’s letter to Ludwig Kugelmann of 12 April 1871 and from Engels’s 1891 introduction to Marx’s *The Civil War in France*. In the view of Marx and Engels, the most basic meaning of “historical initiative” refers to the subjective agency exercised by the proletariat in promoting historical progress. In his preface to the Russian translation of *Karl Marx’s Letters to Dr. Kugelmann*, Lenin provided a detailed interpretation of Marx’s “historical initiative,” arguing that among the many valuable experiences of struggle that Marx enthusiastically praised the Paris workers for, “what Marx valued most was the historical initiative of the masses.” In further explaining Marx’s refutation of Kugelmann’s letter doubting the historical value of the Paris workers’ uprising under conditions of insufficient maturity, Lenin further pointed out that “what he valued most was the heroic, self-sacrificing, and active creation of world history by the working class.” This, from the side, clarified the specific referent of exercising subjective agency to advance history, namely, the determination for heroic struggle, the attitude of active progress, and the spirit of pioneering innovation. In applying the Marxist stand, viewpoint, and method to solve the problems of China’s revolution and construction, Mao Zedong particularly emphasized giving play to subjective agency. In leading the War of Resistance against Japan, which achieved victory for the weak over the strong, he clearly stated: “Those who direct war cannot exceed the limits permitted by objective conditions in hoping for victory in war, but they can and must, within the limits of objective conditions, actively strive for victory in war.”

马克思在《资本论》中多次将“能动”作为“被动”的反义词使用，明确了“主动”的能动含义。例如他指出：“在信用制度下，所有这些可能的资本，由于它们积聚在银行等等的手中，而成为可供支配的资本、‘可贷资本’、货币资本，而且不再是被动的东西，不再是未来的音乐，而是能动的，生利的东西（在这里，生利的[wuchernd]意思就是增长）”。这样我们就能理解马克思恩格斯在批判空想社会主义者和总结巴黎公社运动时所使用的“历史主动性”的含义，“他们看不到无产阶级方面的任何历史主动性，看不到它所特有的任何政治运动”，“这些巴黎人，具有何等的灵活性，何等的历史主动性，何等的自我牺牲精神”。 在马克思恩格斯的视野中，“历史主动性”最基本的含义就是指无产阶级在推动历史进步过程中发挥的主观能动性。列宁在《卡·马克思致路·库格曼书信集俄译本序言》中对马克思的“历史主动性”进行了详细解读，认为在马克思热情赞颂巴黎工人诸多宝贵奋斗经验中，“马克思最重视的是群众的历史主动性”，并在介绍马克思反驳库格曼回信中怀疑巴黎工人在时机不够成熟条件下起义的历史价值时进一步指出，“他最重视的是工人阶级英勇地奋不顾身地积极地创造世界历史”，这就从侧面阐明了发挥推进历史的主观能动性的具体所指，即英勇奋斗的决心、积极进取的态度、开拓创新的精神等。毛泽东在运用马克思主义立场观点方法解决中国革命、建设问题过程中特别强调发挥主观能动性，在领导实现以弱胜强的抗日战争中他就明确指出，“指导战争的人们不能超越客观条件许可的限度期求战争的胜利，然而可以而且必须在客观条件的限度之内，能动地争取战争的胜利”。

Deng Xiaoping inherited the Marxist view of initiative, directly linking initiative and agency as synonyms. Recalling the history of the Second Field Army and discussing methods for handling internal relations, he said: “This practice is very beneficial for increasing mutual trust between superiors and subordinates and enhancing the combat effectiveness of the troops; it can also train the initiative of commanders—to put it in philosophical language, it is called giving play to agency.” [2]2 The “Second Field Army” (二野) was one of the five main field armies of the People’s Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War (1945–1949), commanded by Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping. Regarding the exercise of subjective agency to advance history, first, he believed that the broad masses of the people, as the creators of history, must overcome difficulties and work hard and perseveringly. At the same time, drawing on his long experience in political and military activities, he explained how to achieve this, pointing out that the most important thing is to unite the people through common ideals and firm convictions: “With such unity, any difficulty or setback can be overcome.” Second, he focused on exploring the issue of giving play to the “initiative” of the masses in the process of China’s socialist construction. In accordance with the policy and task set by the Eighth National Congress of the CPC—“mobilize all positive factors, mobilize all forces, to strive for the building of China into a great socialist industrial country”—he systematically studied specific policy measures for mobilizing the initiative of different subjects, including peasants, intellectuals, Party members and cadres, and enterprises. Finally, he prominently emphasized the “active and creative spirit” of the masses. In analyzing the international military situation and criticizing the view of technological determinism, he pointed out: “Then human agency would be gone,” revealing the core essence of people’s war achieving victory for the weak over the strong. In Deng Xiaoping’s view, active creation meant “using one’s brains to think of ways,” which was an inevitable requirement for turning passivity into initiative. Based on this understanding, he affirmed the important role played by the exemplary actions and creative spirit of Communist Youth League members in China’s socialist construction cause, and raised the issue of giving play to the creative spirit of literary and art workers, among others.

邓小平继承了马克思主义的主动观，直接将主动性与能动性联系在一起作为同义词来使用。他在回顾二野历史，谈到处理内部关系方法时讲：“这种做法对增加上下级之间的相互信任，提高部队的战斗力，很有好处，还可以锻炼指挥员的主动性，讲句哲学语言叫发挥能动性。”关于发挥推进历史的主观能动性，首先，他认为作为历史创造者的广大人民群众要克服困难、艰苦奋斗。他同时结合长期的政治军事活动经验阐释了如何做到这一点，指出最重要的是要以共同的理想和坚定的信念把人民团结起来，“有了这样的团结，任何困难和挫折都能克服”。其次，他着重探讨了发挥人民群众在中国社会主义建设过程中“积极性”的问题。根据党的八大明确的方针任务——“调动一切积极因素，调动一切力量，为把我国建设成为一个伟大的社会主义工业国而奋斗”，他系统研究了调动农民、知识分子、党员干部、企业等不同主体积极性的具体政策措施。最后，他突出强调了人民群众的“主动创造精神”。在分析国际军事形势、批判技术决定论观点时他指出，“那样人的能动性也就没有了”，揭示了人民战争以弱胜强的核心要义所在。在邓小平看来，主动创造意味着“开动脑筋想办法”，这是实现由被动转为主动的必然要求。基于这一认识，他肯定了共青团员在中国社会主义建设事业中的模范行动和创造精神发挥的重要作用，提出了文艺工作者发挥创造精神的作用等。

2. Exercising historical initiative aims at winning strategic initiative

2.发挥历史主动以赢得战略主动权为目的

In *The Siege of Silistria*, Engels expressed his understanding of “initiative” through a strategic analysis of Russian military operations. He believed that initiative is a position of power that, based on advantages in quantity, quality, or management, can influence other things and determine the development of the situation. Literally, “initiative” contains the meaning of leading and determining action. As an objective and task, initiative naturally becomes the essential meaning of exerting initiative. In the course of human historical development, the historical initiative in class society is concentratedly embodied in the possession of state ruling power. In *The German Ideology*, co-authored by Marx and Engels, the class essence of the state is revealed, pointing out that “the class which is the ruling *material* force of society is at the same time its ruling *intellectual* force.” While criticizing the idealist conception of history for regarding human history as the history of ideas, it pointed out the only correct path for progressive forces to win initiative, namely, “this ‘alienation’ (to use a term which will be comprehensible to the philosophers) can, of course, be abolished only given two practical premises. To become a ‘powerless’ force, the force of money must have already developed to a certain stage, and the division of labor must have already reached a certain stage.” On this basis, Engels, in *The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State*, directly referred to the ruling class as the “historically active class,” [3]3 Friedrich Engels, *Anti-Dühring*, Part III, Chapter 2: “Theoretical.” The translation follows the standard English edition. intending to emphasize that the ruling class, in the course of the development of class society, possesses the initiative determined by the advantage of state power. This further confirms the scientific nature of the theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat from the perspective of exerting historical initiative. Mao Zedong, from the height of the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, emphasized that “initiative is an extremely important matter,” affirming that initiative is the goal of exerting historical initiative.

在《对锡利斯特里亚的围攻》中，恩格斯通过对俄军军事行动的战略分析，表达了自己对“主动权”的理解，他认为主动权是基于数量、质量或管理等优势而具有的能够左右其他事物、决定形势发展的权力地位。从字面看，“主动”含有主导、决定行动的意义，作为目标任务，主动权自然而然地成为发挥主动的题中要义。而在人类历史发展进程中，阶级社会的历史主动权集中体现在掌握国家统治权力上，马克思恩格斯合著的《德意志意识形态》一书揭示了国家的阶级实质，指出“一个阶级是社会上占统治地位的物质力量，同时也是社会上占统治地位的精神力量”。在批判唯心史观将人类历史视为观念历史的错误的同时，指明了进步力量赢得主动权的唯一正确路径，即“个人力量（关系）由于分工而转化为物的力量这一现象，不能靠人们从头脑里抛开关于这一现象的一般观念的办法来消灭，而只能靠个人重新驾驭这些物的力量，靠消灭分工的办法来消灭”。在此基础上，恩格斯在《家庭、私有制和国家的起源》中，将统治阶级直接称为“历史上主动的阶级”，意在强调统治阶级在阶级社会历史发展进程中掌握着国家政权优势决定的主动权，这也就进一步从发挥历史主动角度印证了无产阶级专政理论的科学性。毛泽东从实事求是思想路线的高度强调了“主动权是一个极端重要的事情”，肯定了主动权是发挥历史主动的目的。

Deng Xiaoping also used the concept of “initiative” in the sense of the goal of exerting initiative. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the National Science Conference held on March 18, 1978, he pointed out that although the Party had gained some experience in leading scientific and technological work, it had not yet fully grasped the laws. “If this situation is not changed, it will be difficult to achieve great accomplishments, and there will be no initiative.” He used the Party’s great achievements in transforming society to encourage leading cadres at all levels to exert initiative, strive to study and learn, and become expert insiders in organizing and managing scientific and technological work, thereby gaining initiative. Around the time of the founding of New China, based on the realization and irreversible consolidation and development of the people’s democratic dictatorship, Deng Xiaoping enriched and developed the Marxist view of historical initiative. First, he emphasized strategic initiative. When the War of Liberation entered the stage of strategic counteroffensive, Deng Xiaoping, while discussing the situation and policies in the Henan-Shaanxi-Hubei base area, quoted Mao Zedong’s words that the counteroffensive had reversed the wheel of war and changed the strategic situation. He focused on analyzing the strategic position of the Central Plains region, especially the Dabie Mountains, pointing out that although the Central Plains region “suffered the most hardships nationwide and paid the heaviest price, it exchanged this for strategic initiative and achieved overall victory.” This expanded the spatiotemporal reference of historical initiative from a strategic perspective, extending the advantage of state power in possessing historical initiative to the advantage of development. Second, he endowed initiative with the connotation of removing obstacles and constraints that hinder development. In 1990, when talking with several responsible comrades of the Central Committee about the issue of some countries in the international community hoping

邓小平也是在发挥主动的目的意义上使用“主动权”概念的，他在1978年3月18日召开的全国科学大会开幕式上的讲话中指出，党领导科学技术工作虽然取得了一些经验，但仍未完全掌握规律，“不改变这种情况，就很难取得大的成就，就不会有主动权”。他以我们党改造社会的伟大成绩勉励各级领导干部要发挥主动，努力钻研学习，成为组织管理科学技术工作的内行专家，从而掌握主动权。在新中国成立前后，基于人民民主专政的实现和巩固发展不可逆转的现实，邓小平丰富和发展了马克思主义历史主动权的观点。首先，他强调战略主动权。在解放战争进入战略反攻阶段，邓小平在豫陕鄂根据地谈形势与政策的时候，引用毛泽东的话讲反攻扭转了战争的车轮，改变了战略形势。他着重分析了中原地区特别是大别山的战略地位，指出中原地区“虽在全国范围吃苦头最多，付出了代价，但换取了战略上的主动，取得了全局的胜利”。这就从战略的视角拓展了历史主动权的时空参照物，使掌握历史主动权的政权优势延伸到发展优势。其次，他赋予了主动权摆脱束缚发展的障碍制约内涵。邓小平在1990年同中央几位负责同志谈话时，讲到国际社会一些国家希望中国当头的问题时说：“这个头我们当不起，自己力量也不够。当了绝无好处，许多主动都失掉了。”他实事求是地分析了中国当头给自身发展带来的种种制约，比如陷入争霸的泥沼无法自拔、遭遇普遍的国际社会反对等，指出摆脱众多束缚我们发展的障碍制约是我国发展历史主动权的重要内容。

3. Exercising historical initiative requires constantly striving for the initiative

3.发挥历史主动需要不断争取主动

Marxism is a doctrine concerning the proletariat’s struggle for its own emancipation and thereby the emancipation of all humanity. Here, “emancipation” refers to throwing off the status of being dominated and controlled, thereby gaining the initiative, i.e., freedom. Engels directly discussed this in the third part of *Anti-Dühring* when he expounded the historical inevitability of socialism replacing capitalism. He pointed out that when human society develops to the stage where the means of production are socially owned, “the objective, alien forces that have hitherto dominated history now come under the control of people themselves. Only from this point on will people fully consciously create their own history; only from this point on will the social causes set in motion by people have, in the main and to an ever-increasing degree, the results they intend. This is humanity’s leap from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom.” [3]3 Friedrich Engels, *Anti-Dühring*, Part III, Chapter 2: “Theoretical.” The translation follows the standard English edition. In the view of Marx and Engels, the historical mission of emancipating all humanity can only be realized through the self-emancipation of the proletariat. They adhered to the proposition that “the emancipation of the working class must be won by the working class itself” and systematically demonstrated the inevitable path from political emancipation and economic emancipation to the ultimate realization of human emancipation. Its protracted, tortuous, and arduous nature is self-evident. Therefore, Marx pointed out in *The Civil War in France* that for the proletariat to fulfill its historical mission, “it must go through long struggles, through a whole series of historical processes that transform both circumstances and people.” Thus, in the sense that the proletariat must undergo a long-term struggle aimed at achieving emancipation, Marx and Engels expressed the idea of constantly striving for historical initiative. Mao Zedong always believed that “the position of initiative is not something imagined.” His assertion that in armed struggle “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun” and his thesis that in socialist construction “we must mobilize all positive factors, both inside and outside the Party” all expressed the view of constantly striving for the initiative.

马克思主义是关于无产阶级争取自身解放从而解放全人类的学说，这里的“解放”指的就是摆脱受支配受控制地位，获得主动即自由。恩格斯在《反杜林论》第三编阐释社会主义代替资本主义历史必然性时对此有直接论述，他指出，人类社会发展到生产资料为社会占有阶段，“至今一直统治着历史的客观的异己的力量，现在处于人们自己的控制之下了。只是从这时起，人们才完全自觉地自己创造自己的历史；只是从这时起，由人们使之起作用的社会原因才大部分并且越来越多地达到他们所预期的结果。这是人类从必然王国进入自由王国的飞跃”。在马克思恩格斯看来，解放全人类的历史使命只有通过无产阶级自我解放才能够实现，他们坚持“工人阶级的解放应该由工人阶级自己去争取”的主张，并系统论证了经由政治解放、经济解放最终实现人的解放的必然路径。其漫长性、曲折性、艰巨性是不言而喻的。因此，马克思在《法兰西内战》中指出，无产阶级要完成历史使命，“必须经过长期的斗争，必须经过一系列将把环境和人都加以改造的历史过程”。这样，马克思恩格斯在无产阶级要经过长期的以实现解放为目标的斗争的意义上，表达了要不断争取历史主动的思想。毛泽东始终认为“主动地位不是空想的”，他强调武装斗争的“枪杆子里面出政权”的论断，关于社会主义建设要“把国内外一切积极因素调动起来”的论断等都表达了不断争取主动的观点。

Deng Xiaoping inherited and developed this idea by integrating it with the characteristics of the times and China’s reality. First, he emphasized that the working class must strive unremittingly for the realization of socialist modernization. In 1978, based on the great goal of achieving the four modernizations of socialism [4]4 The “four modernizations” (四个现代化) refer to the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology, a policy goal first proposed by Zhou Enlai in 1964 and revived by Deng Xiaoping after 1978. put forward by the 11th National Congress of the CPC and the Fifth National People’s Congress, Deng Xiaoping called on the broad masses of the working class to actively contribute and work hard at the Ninth National Congress of the Chinese Trade Unions. He believed that the establishment of the goal of the four modernizations meant launching a great revolution in China to fundamentally change the backwardness of its economy and technology and to shake off historical passivity. This placed entirely new demands on the development of productive forces and the transformation of relations of production. The working class had to continue to play a vanguard and exemplary role, “using the greatest efforts to master modern technological knowledge and modern management knowledge, and make outstanding contributions to the realization of the four modernizations.” This endowed “constantly striving for historical initiative” with connotations adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Second, he explicitly put forward the proposition of “striving for the initiative.” Historical initiative is neither easily obtained nor permanently held. Marx and Engels did not directly express this idea; Deng Xiaoping elucidated it through the proposition of “striving for the initiative” and emphasized its application in the sense of working to transform people’s thinking in order to gain and master historical initiative. At the enlarged Central Work Conference held in 1962 to sum up the work experience and lessons since the Great Leap Forward, [5]5 The Great Leap Forward (大跃进, 1958–1962) was a campaign initiated by Mao Zedong to rapidly industrialize China and collectivize agriculture, which led to widespread famine. The 1962 enlarged Central Work Conference (the “Seven Thousand Cadres Conference”) was convened to review its failures. Mao Zedong focused on the issue of democratic centralism, demanding full democracy both inside and outside the Party. He took the lead in conducting self-criticism and assuming responsibility. Deng Xiaoping’s speech emphasized the issue of restoring the Party’s tradition of democratic centralism. He believed that it was necessary for leading cadres in certain localities to conduct self-criticism after the meeting, and they could even repeatedly examine themselves, because only by summing up the experience and lessons from both positive and negative aspects could they deepen their understanding of the laws governing socialist construction. In his view, “we must strive for the initiative. This is also a positive method.”

邓小平结合时代特征和中国实际继承并发展了这一思想。首先，强调了工人阶级要为实现社会主义现代化不懈奋斗。1978年，邓小平立足党的十一大和第五届全国人民代表大会提出的实现社会主义四个现代化的伟大目标，在中国工会第九次全国代表大会上号召广大工人阶级要积极贡献、努力奋斗。他认为四个现代化目标的确立意味着在中国掀起一场根本改变经济和技术落后面貌、摆脱历史被动的伟大革命，这对生产力发展、生产关系变革都提出了全新的要求，工人阶级要继续发挥模范先锋作用，“要用最大的努力来掌握现代化的技术知识和现代化的管理知识，为实现四个现代化作出优异的贡献”。这就赋予了“不断争取历史主动”中国化时代化的内涵。其次，明确提出了“争取主动”的命题。历史主动权不会轻而易举地获得，也不会一劳永逸地掌握，马克思恩格斯没有直接表达这一思想，邓小平用“争取主动”的命题进行了阐释，并在努力改造人的思想以获得并掌握历史主动的意义上强调运用。在1962年召开的总结“大跃进”以来工作经验教训的扩大的中央工作会议上，毛泽东着重阐述了民主集中制问题，要求党内外充分发扬民主，他带头进行了自我批评，承担了责任。邓小平的发言强调了恢复党的民主集中制传统问题，他认为，会后个别地方主要领导进行自我批评是必要的，甚至可以反复检讨，因为只有总结正反两方面的经验教训，才能深化对社会主义建设规律的认识，在他看来“要争取主动。这也是一个正面的方法”。

Deng Xiaoping’s understanding of the connotation of exercising historical initiative focuses on the key word “initiative.” He insists on applying the basic viewpoints of historical materialism and dialectical materialism, and comprehensively reveals the core essence of exercising historical initiative from the dimension of unifying the static structural interpretation of subjective initiative and the initiative, and the dynamic practical interpretation of striving for the initiative. This laid the ideological and cognitive foundation for enhancing historical initiative in the New Era.

邓小平对发挥历史主动内涵的认识，聚焦“主动”这一关键词，坚持运用历史唯物主义和辩证唯物主义基本观点，以主观能动性、主动权的静态结构性阐释和争取主动的动态实践性阐释相统一的维度，全面揭示了发挥历史主动的核心要义，为新时代增强历史主动奠定了思想认识基础。

2. Exercising historical initiative requires the developing subject to possess historical consciousness, historical thinking, and historical resolve

二、发挥历史主动要求发展主体具备历史自觉、历史思维、历史定力

The historical literacy of the subjects who propel historical development itself constrains the effectiveness of exerting historical initiative. In the historical process of leading the Party and the people in revolution, construction, and reform, Deng Xiaoping himself exhibited a high degree of historical consciousness, scientific historical thinking, and firm historical resolve, perfectly interpreting the requirements for the subjective elements of fully exerting historical initiative.

推动历史发展的主体自身历史素养制约着历史主动发挥的成效，邓小平在领导党和人民进行革命、建设和改革的历史进程中自身呈现出的高度的历史自觉、科学的历史思维和坚定的历史定力，完美诠释了充分发挥历史主动的主体要素要求。

1. The Subject of Development Must Possess a High Degree of Historical Consciousness

1.发展主体要具备高度的历史自觉

So-called historical consciousness refers to historical awareness achieved on the basis of grasping the core essence of historical development, and it is a necessary prerequisite for exerting historical initiative. Deng Xiaoping’s historical consciousness stemmed from his accurate grasp of the subject of historical development, the driving force of historical development, and the general trend of historical development.

所谓历史自觉，是指基于掌握历史发展核心要义而实现的历史觉悟，是发挥历史主动的必要前提。邓小平的历史自觉来源于对历史发展主体、历史发展动力和历史发展大势的准确把握。

First, he emphasized that the masses create history. In his report to the Eighth National Congress of the CPC [6]6 The Eighth National Congress of the CPC was held in Beijing in September 1956, the first such congress after the founding of the People’s Republic of China., Deng Xiaoping focused on the issue of the Party’s mass line. He reaffirmed the Marxist basic view that the masses create history and, on this basis, pointed out that the realization of the historical mission of the proletariat depends on the state of development of the masses’ strength, and that a proletarian party should “consciously recognize itself as a tool of the masses for completing specific historical tasks in a specific historical period.” On the one hand, the Party must serve the people wholeheartedly and help the masses liberate themselves; on the other hand, it must adhere to the mass line to realize Party leadership. This was based on the urgent demands placed on the Party by the independent exploration of socialist construction, emphasizing the significance of a clear understanding of the historical subject.

首先，他强调了人民群众创造历史。在党的八大所作的报告中，邓小平着重论述了党的群众路线问题，他重申了马克思主义关于人民群众创造历史的基本观点，并基于此指出无产阶级历史使命的实现取决于人民群众力量发展状况，无产阶级政党应当“自觉地认定自己是人民群众在特定的历史时期为完成特定的历史任务的一种工具”。一方面，党要全心全意为人民服务，帮助人民群众自己解放自己；另一方面，坚持群众路线实现党的领导。这立足于独立自主探索社会主义建设对党提出的迫切要求实际，强调了对历史主体清醒认识的重要意义。

Second, he emphasized that socialism must first develop the productive forces. In 1980, during a conversation with leading comrades of the Party Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping, summing up past lessons from promoting social development through revolution, pointed out that “the revolution in the productive forces is also a revolution, and a very important one; from the perspective of historical development, it is the most fundamental revolution.” This changed the passive situation in the preliminary exploration stage, which was confined to taking the transformation of relations of production as the sole driving force for social development. It explained the superiority of socialism from the perspective of a rate of production development higher than that of capitalism, bringing the understanding of the essence of socialism back to the decisive role of the productive forces, and highlighting the primary significance of developing the productive forces for socialist construction. Based on this, he looked to the world and, from the general trend of scientific and technological progress propelling human historical development at an astonishing pace, creatively put forward the thesis that “science and technology are the primary productive forces.”

其次，他强调了社会主义首先要发展生产力。1980年在同中央负责同志的谈话中，邓小平总结以往通过革命推动社会发展的经验教训时指出，“生产力方面的革命也是革命，而且是很重要的革命，从历史的发展来讲是最根本的革命”。这就改变了初步探索阶段囿于将生产关系的变革作为推进社会发展唯一动力的被动局面，从生产发展速度高于资本主义的角度阐释了社会主义的优越性，把对社会主义本质的认识带回到起决定性作用的生产力方面，突出了发展生产力对社会主义建设的首要意义。基于此，他放眼世界，从科技进步推动人类历史发展一日千里的总态势，创造性提出了“科学技术是第一生产力”的论断。

Finally, he emphasized the general historical trend of peace and development. At the beginning of the comprehensive rectification and setting things right [7]7 “Comprehensive rectification and setting things right” (全面拨乱反正) refers to the process after the end of the Cultural Revolution (1976) of correcting the political, ideological, and organizational errors of that period, culminating in the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in 1978., Deng Xiaoping grasped the overall situation of world historical development from military, economic, and other aspects, concluding that it was possible to gain more time without war and that economic issues were the overriding political issue. On this basis, during a meeting with a visiting delegation from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “The really big issues in the world today, the global strategic issues, are the peace issue and the economic issue, or the development issue.” In his view, on the one hand, although the danger of war still existed, the forces restraining war had made encouraging progress, and peace was the common hope of all countries in the world; on the other hand, developed countries needed to continue developing, and if the economic problems of developing countries were not solved, they would also constrain the development of developed countries. Therefore, the development issue was the core issue. It was precisely based on this judgment of the general historical trend that the credibility, effectiveness, and strength of the Party’s basic line of taking economic construction as the central task in the primary stage of socialism were greatly enhanced.

最后，他强调了和平与发展的历史大势。在全面拨乱反正之初，邓小平就从军事、经济等方面对世界历史发展形势进行了整体把握，得出了可以争取多一点时间不打仗、经济问题是压倒一切的政治问题等的结论。在此基础上，邓小平在会见日本商工会议所访华团时指出：“现在世界上真正大的问题，带全球性的战略问题，一个是和平问题，一个是经济问题或者说发展问题。”在他看来，一方面，虽然战争的危险还存在，但制约战争的力量有了可喜发展，和平是世界各国共同的希望；另一方面，发达国家需要继续发展，发展中国家经济问题不解决也会制约发达国家的发展。因此，发展问题是核心问题。也正是基于对历史发展大势的判断，从而大大提高了党在社会主义初级阶段以经济建设为中心的这一基本路线的信度、效度和力度。

2. The Subject of Development Must Possess Scientific Historical Thinking

2.发展主体要具备科学的历史思维

Historical thinking is a thinking paradigm that takes history as its perspective, content, and standard. Marxist historical materialism is the product of scientific historical thinking. Adherence to historical materialism enabled Deng Xiaoping to always conform to historical laws and exert historical initiative when understanding and solving historical problems.

历史思维是以历史作为视阈、内容和标准的思维范式，马克思主义唯物史观是科学的历史思维的产物，对唯物史观的坚守使邓小平在认识和解决历史问题时能够始终顺应历史规律，发挥历史主动。

First, thinking that takes history as its perspective is holistic thinking. Human history has two dimensions, time and space. Historical thinking requires a holistic grasp of the past, present, and future in time, and a holistic grasp of oneself and the world in space. In 1956, when answering an international youth delegation’s question about the meaning and tasks of Chinese Communists, Deng Xiaoping used holistic thinking to provide a historical answer. He pointed out: “In the past, when the democratic revolution had not been completed, it was necessary first to complete the bourgeois-democratic revolution. After the completion of the democratic revolution, now we must build socialism, and in the future, we will develop from socialism to communism.” In 1988, during an inspection of the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider project, Deng Xiaoping, based on the overall situation of human historical development, pointed out: “In the past, today, and in the future, China must develop its own high technology and occupy a place in the world’s high-tech field.”

首先，以历史作为视阈的思维是整体性思维。人类历史有着时空两个维度，历史思维要求在时间上整体把握过去、现在和未来，在空间上整体把握自身和世界。1956年，在回答国际青年代表团关于中国共产党员含义和任务的问题时，邓小平就运用整体性思维进行了历史解答，他指出：“在过去民主革命没有完成的时候，首先要完成资产阶级民主革命，民主革命完成以后，现在要建设社会主义，将来再由社会主义发展到共产主义。”1988年，在视察北京正负电子对撞机工程时，邓小平又立足人类历史发展全局，指出：“过去也好，今天也好，将来也好，中国必须发展自己的高科技，在世界高科技领域占有一席之地。”

Second, thinking that takes history as its content is processual thinking. The process of historical development has its own context and sequence. Historical thinking, by summing up experience in past history, can understand the past to illuminate the present and guide the future. The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC [8]8 The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, held in December 1978, is widely regarded as the beginning of the reform and opening-up era, shifting the Party’s focus to economic development. achieved a great historical turning point of far-reaching significance in the Party’s history since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. However, some people still had misunderstandings about major historical issues. To this end, Deng Xiaoping personally presided over the drafting of the “Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China” [9]9 The “Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China” was adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in 1981, providing an official Party assessment of Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution., playing a positive role in unifying thought and promoting unity and progress. Among the three basic principles Deng Xiaoping proposed for the drafting work, the third clearly stated: “Summing up the past is to guide everyone to unite and look forward.” In fact, summing up historical experience to guide reality and the future was a thinking method Deng Xiaoping consistently adhered to. He had already used it during the democratic revolution period in his Party and military work. Later, when meeting with Czechoslovak President Gustáv Husák, he further summarized the historical dialectics contained therein: “Summing up history is to open up the future.”

其次，以历史作为内容的思维是过程性思维。历史发展过程有其自身来龙去脉，历史思维在过往历史中总结经验，就能够知古鉴今、指引未来。党的十一届三中全会实现了新中国成立以来党的历史上具有深远意义的伟大历史转折，但一部分人对历史重大问题还存在误解，为此，邓小平亲自主持起草了《关于建国以来党的若干历史问题的决议》，发挥了统一思想、团结进步的积极作用。邓小平在为起草工作提出的三条基本原则要求中，第三条明确讲“总结过去是为了引导大家团结一致向前看”。事实上，总结历史经验以指导现实、指引未来是邓小平始终坚持的思维方法，早在民主革命时期邓小平从事党和军队工作中就坚持使用，后来在会见捷克斯洛伐克总统胡萨克时，他进一步概括出了其中蕴含的历史辩证法——“总结历史是为了开辟未来”。

Finally, thinking that takes history as its standard is objective thinking. Historical evaluation is the conclusion drawn by the cognizer about the significance or value of historical figures or events. Historical thinking requires a concrete analysis of historical figures or events within the historical context of the time, minimizing the subjective penetration of the cognizer as much as possible, in order to seek objectivity and fairness. During the preparatory meeting for the Sixth Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC [10]10 The Sixth Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC was held in June 1981, primarily to adopt the historical resolution mentioned in note [9]., when discussing the reason for emphasizing appropriateness in the draft resolution, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “It is because, in the previous period, some discussions about Comrade Mao Zedong’s issues were too harsh. They should be corrected. This is more in line with reality.” He analyzed the system and situation during the “Cultural Revolution” [11]11 The “Cultural Revolution” (1966–1976) was a major political movement initiated by Mao Zedong, characterized by widespread social and political upheaval. in a factual manner, opposing the attribution of all problems solely to Mao Zedong and opposing evaluations of Mao that did not conform to reality.

最后，以历史作为标准的思维是客观性思维。历史评价是认知者关于历史人物或事件的意义价值的结论，历史思维要求将历史人物或历史事件放到当时的历史背景下具体分析，最大限度避免认知者的主观渗透，以求客观公正。在党的十一届六中全会预备会期间，邓小平在谈到这一版决议稿强调恰如其分的原因时指出，“就是在前一段时间里，对毛泽东同志有些问题的议论讲得太重了，应该改过来。这样比较合乎实际”，他实事求是地分析了“文化大革命”时期的制度、形势，从历史实际出发反对将所有问题都归咎于毛泽东一人、反对对毛泽东作出不符合实际的评价。

3. The Subject of Development Must Possess Firm Historical Resolve

3.发展主体要具备坚定的历史定力

So-called historical resolve refers to the ability to cope with various uncertain risks and challenges and persist in completing historical tasks. Focusing on the main task of a considerable historical period after the end of the “Cultural Revolution”—modernization—and targeting the obstruction of various ideological trends of questioning and opposition at that time, Deng Xiaoping put forward the Four Cardinal Principles [12]12 The Four Cardinal Principles (四项基本原则) are: upholding the socialist path, upholding the people’s democratic dictatorship, upholding the leadership of the CPC, and upholding Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. They were articulated by Deng Xiaoping in 1979.. This anchored the historical course of socialist modernization in terms of path, system, leadership, and theory, demonstrating strong historical resolve.

所谓历史定力是指能够应对各种不确定风险挑战，坚持完成历史任务的能力。邓小平围绕结束了“文化大革命”后一个相当长历史时期内的主要任务——现代化建设，针对当时思想政治方面种种质疑反对思潮的阻挠，提出了四项基本原则，这就从道路、制度、领导、理论各方面锚定了社会主义现代化的历史航向，体现出强韧的历史定力。

First, the socialist path must be upheld. Deng Xiaoping demonstrated the inevitability of China taking the socialist path from three aspects: that only socialism could save China is a historical conclusion, that the socialist revolution greatly shortened the gap between China and the developed capitalist countries, and that the socialist system has advantages that the capitalist system cannot match. He repeatedly argued that only by adhering to the socialist path could it be guaranteed that socialist modernization could be carried out on the basis of stability and unity.

首先，必须坚持社会主义道路。邓小平从只有社会主义才能救中国是历史结论、社会主义革命大大缩短了我国同发达资本主义国家差距、社会主义制度具有资本主义制度无法比拟的优越性三个方面论证了中国走社会主义道路的必然性，并反复论证指出，只有坚持社会主义道路才能保证在安定团结基础上进行社会主义现代化建设。

Second, the dictatorship of the proletariat must be upheld. Deng Xiaoping provided arguments from two aspects: socialist democracy and dictatorship over hostile forces. Regarding socialist democracy, he held that “without democracy there is no socialism, and there is no socialist modernization,” and he focused on demonstrating the authenticity, breadth, and procedural nature of socialist democracy, emphasizing the important task of continuously expanding intra-Party democracy and people’s democracy in democratic practice. Regarding the dictatorship over hostile forces, he stressed that in socialist society, destructive activities by international and domestic hostile forces still exist, and that the dictatorship over hostile forces is intended to ensure the democratization of the socialist state.

其次，必须坚持无产阶级专政。邓小平从社会主义民主和对敌对势力专政两个方面进行了论证。关于社会主义民主，他认为“没有民主就没有社会主义，就没有社会主义的现代化”，并着力论证了社会主义民主的真实性、广泛性和过程性，强调了在民主实践方面要不断扩大党内民主和人民民主的重要任务。关于对敌对势力的专政，他强调在社会主义社会仍存在国际、国内敌对势力的破坏活动，对敌对势力专政是为了保证社会主义国家的民主化。

Third, the leadership of the Communist Party must be upheld. Drawing on the history of the international communist movement and the history of China’s “Cultural Revolution” period, when Lin Biao and the “Gang of Four” kicked aside the Party committee to make revolution, sparking resolute nationwide resistance from the people, Deng Xiaoping powerfully demonstrated the truth that “without the Communist Party, there would be no new socialist China.” On the basis of summing up the experience of the struggle against bourgeois liberalization, he emphasized the core position of upholding Party leadership within the Four Cardinal Principles.

再次，必须坚持共产党的领导。邓小平从国际共产主义运动的历史、我国“文化大革命”期间林彪、“四人帮”踢开党委闹革命引发全国人民坚决反抗的历史等，有力证明了“没有中国共产党，就没有社会主义的新中国”的道理，并在总结反对资产阶级自由化的斗争经验基础上，强调了坚持共产党的领导在四项基本原则中的核心地位。

Finally, Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought must be upheld. Deng Xiaoping focused on distinguishing Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought as guiding ideologies from the individual assertions of the classical Marxist writers themselves. He pointed out that neither Marx, Lenin, nor Mao could avoid having certain errors, and that individual erroneous assertions by these figures do not belong to the scientific system of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. On this basis, he indicated that the essence of the debate between the sole criterion for testing truth and the “Two Whatevers” [13]13 The “Two Whatevers” (两个凡是) refers to the slogan “Whatever decisions Chairman Mao made, we resolutely uphold; whatever instructions Chairman Mao gave, we steadfastly follow,” which was promoted after Mao’s death in 1976 and opposed by Deng Xiaoping as lay in whether to uphold Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. This, from the perspective of the ideological line, emphasized that Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought determine whether the direction of socialist modernization is correct.

最后，必须坚持马列主义、毛泽东思想。邓小平着重区分了作为指导思想的马列主义、毛泽东思想与马克思主义经典作家个人的个别论断，指出无论马克思、列宁还是毛泽东都不免存在这样那样的失误，而个人个别错误论断不属于马列主义、毛泽东思想科学体系。在此基础上他指出检验真理唯一标准和“两个凡是”争论的实质在于是否坚持马列主义、毛泽东思想，这就从思想路线角度强调了马列主义、毛泽东思想关系社会主义现代化建设的方向正确与否。

The role of the subject in historical development is mainly manifested in its capacity to choose the direction and path of historical development and its ability to respond to risks and challenges. Deng Xiaoping’s emphasis on the historical literacy of the development subject, such as historical consciousness, historical thinking, and historical resolve, ensured the full exertion of the subject’s role in history and laid the foundation of historical subjectivity for enhancing historical initiative in the New Era.

历史发展主体作用，主要体现在其对历史发展方向、道路的选择能力和应对风险挑战的能力上，邓小平对历史自觉、历史思维、历史定力等发展主体历史素养的强调，确保了历史主体作用的充分发挥，为新时代增强历史主动奠定了历史主体性基础。

III. Exerting Historical Initiative Follows the Practical Path of Focusing on the Historical Theme, Respecting Historical Laws, and Opening Up New Historical Situations

三、发挥历史主动依循着聚焦历史主题、尊重历史规律、开创历史新局的实践路径

Exerting historical initiative is essentially a practical issue. In the various stages of historical practice—generation, development, and innovation—it faces the different tasks of posing, solving, and breaking through problems. In his rich practice of leading revolution, construction, and reform, Deng Xiaoping focused on exploring how to accomplish this practical task, revealing the practical path that must be followed to exert historical initiative.

发挥历史主动本质上是一个实践课题，在历史实践历经的生成、发展、创新各阶段面临着开题、解题和破题的不同任务。邓小平在领导革命、建设、改革的丰富实践中着力探索完成这一实践课题，揭示了发挥历史主动必须依循的实践路径。

1. Exerting Historical Initiative Must Focus on the Historical Theme

1.发挥历史主动必须聚焦历史主题

Marx once said that every era has its own problems. Human history is generated around the main problems of different eras and exhibits the characteristics of different stages. In a new stage of historical generation, the primary task of exerting historical initiative is to clarify the main problem of that stage, so that all practice in that stage focuses on this main problem. The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC [14]14 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at the symposium commemorating the 110th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping’s birth, held on August 20, 2014. achieved a great historical turning point in the period of socialist construction, opening up a new historical stage in the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization. Standing at this new historical starting point, Deng Xiaoping profoundly summed up the experiences and lessons of the preliminary exploration stage of socialist construction, clearly raised and repeatedly pondered the core question of “what is socialism and how to build socialism.” In 1985, during a meeting with Tanzanian Vice President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, he reviewed history and pointed out: “We calmly analyzed China’s reality and summed up our experience. We affirmed that the achievements in the thirty years from the founding of the People’s Republic to 1978 were considerable, but it cannot be said that everything we did was successful. The socialist system we have established is a good system and must be upheld. When we Marxists made revolution in the past, we were fighting for the lofty ideal of socialism and communism. Now that we are engaged in economic reform, we must still adhere to the socialist road and uphold the lofty ideal of communism. The younger generation, in particular, must understand this. But the question is what socialism is and how to build it. We have many lessons and experiences, and the most important one is to get this question clear.” In fact, the twists and turns and mistakes experienced in the preliminary exploration stage of socialist construction ultimately stemmed from the failure to concentrate efforts on clarifying this main problem.

马克思曾讲过，每个时代都有属于它自己的问题。人类历史就是围绕着不同时代的主要问题而产生并呈现出不同阶段特色的。在新的历史生成阶段，发挥历史主动的首要任务就是明确本阶段的主要问题，从而使本阶段所有实践都聚焦这个主要问题。党的十一届三中全会实现了社会主义建设时期的伟大历史转折，开启了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期新的历史阶段。站在新的历史起点上，邓小平深刻总结社会主义建设初步探索阶段的经验教训，明确提出并反复思考“什么是社会主义，怎样建设社会主义”这一核心问题。1985年，在会见坦桑尼亚联合共和国副总统姆维尼时，他回顾历史指出：“我们冷静地分析了中国的现实，总结了经验，肯定了从建国到一九七八年三十年的成绩很大，但做的事情不能说都是成功的。我们建立的社会主义制度是个好制度，必须坚持。我们马克思主义者过去闹革命，就是为社会主义、共产主义崇高理想而奋斗。现在我们搞经济改革，仍然要坚持社会主义道路，坚持共产主义的远大理想，年轻一代尤其要懂得这一点。但问题是什么是社会主义，如何建设社会主义。我们的经验教训有许多条，最重要的一条，就是要搞清楚这个问题。”事实上，社会主义建设初步探索阶段所经历的曲折和失误，归根结底就在于没有集中力量搞清楚这个主要问题。

Focusing on the era’s theme of “what is socialism and how to build socialism” objectively prompted Deng Xiaoping, while engaging in systematic thinking and comprehensive planning, to focus on exploring key questions that play a foundational role in answering this theme, such as the essence of socialism, the historical orientation of socialism, and the driving force of socialist development. He successfully raised the historical issue of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Regarding what socialism is, the classical Marxist writers did not give a clear answer. Deng Xiaoping returned to the Marxist principle that the productive forces and the economic base play a decisive role, summed up the previous lesson of defining socialism mainly from the characteristics of the relations of production and the superstructure, and from the perspective of combining productive forces and relations of production, elucidated the theory of the essence of socialism: liberating and developing the productive forces, abolishing exploitation, eliminating polarization, and ultimately achieving common prosperity. Regarding the historical orientation of China’s socialism, Deng Xiaoping treated it as the primary question in studying how to build socialism, emphasizing: “In general, first, do not depart from reality or skip over stages by adopting ‘Left’ methods. That will not lead to the building of socialism. In the past, we suffered precisely from ‘Left’ mistakes.” After seeking truth from facts and arduous theoretical exploration, the 13th National Congress of the CPC [15] systematically expounded the theory that China is in and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism. Based on considerations conducive to liberating and developing the productive forces, Deng Xiaoping regarded the driving force of socialist development as the second most important question in studying how to build socialism. On the basis of the practice of economic system reform, which began with rural pilot projects and then shifted to cities, centering on invigorating state-owned enterprises, he clearly pointed out that “reform is China’s second revolution.” According to a systematic view of internal and external linkages, he also stated that “opening up is also part of the content of reform; in general, it is all called reform,” thereby establishing the development path of advancing the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics through reform and opening up.

聚焦“什么是社会主义，怎样建设社会主义”这一时代主题，客观上促使邓小平在系统思考、全面布局的同时，着力探索了社会主义本质、社会主义历史方位、社会主义发展动力等对回答这一主题起基础性作用的关键问题，成功提出了中国特色社会主义的历史性课题。关于什么是社会主义，马克思主义经典作家并未给出明确答案，邓小平回归马克思主义生产力经济基础起决定作用原理，总结以往侧重从生产关系上层建筑特征定义社会主义的教训，从生产力与生产关系结合的角度阐明了解放生产力、发展生产力，消灭剥削，消除两极分化，最终实现共同富裕的社会主义本质理论。关于我国社会主义历史方位，邓小平将其作为研究如何搞社会主义建设的首要问题，强调：“总起来说，第一，不要离开现实和超越阶段采取一些‘左’的办法，这样是搞不成社会主义的。我们过去就是吃‘左’的亏。”经过实事求是的分析和艰辛的理论探索，党的十三大系统阐述了我国正处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段理论。邓小平基于有利于解放和发展生产力的思考，视社会主义发展动力为研究如何搞社会主义建设第二重要问题，在经过农村试点和农村转向城市后以搞活国有企业为中心的经济体制改革实践基础上，明确指出“改革是中国的第二次革命”，并根据内外联动的系统观指出“对外开放也是改革的内容之一，总的来说，都叫改革”，确立了通过改革开放推进中国特色社会主义建设的发展道路。

2. Exerting Historical Initiative Must Respect Historical Laws

2.发挥历史主动必须尊重历史规律

Marx and Engels studied and reflected on history from the starting point of material production practice, clarifying that history is the essence of the unfolding of human practice in time and space, thereby revealing that historical development is a dialectically unified process of purposiveness and regularity. Modernization is a historical stage of human civilization originating from the Industrial Revolution. China’s modernization is socialist modernization, and the socialist practice carried out by the Party leading the people is precisely the developmental course of China’s modernization. The Party’s second-generation central leadership collective with Comrade Deng Xiaoping at its core inherited the goal of the Four Modernizations [14]14 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at the symposium commemorating the 110th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping’s birth, held on August 20, 2014. proposed by the Party’s first-generation central leadership collective with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core. Based on a profound grasp of the national conditions of “a weak foundation” and “a large population with little arable land,” as well as a sober understanding of the modernization development process of international society, it explicitly put forward the proposition of “Chinese-path modernization.” This established the systematic promotion of the practical activities of China’s socialist modernization on the foundation of fully respecting the historical law of the unity of universality and particularity, and of commonality and individuality, in the modernization practice of human society. As early as October 1978, during a meeting with a delegation from the Federal Republic of Germany’s press association, Deng Xiaoping expressed the idea that the standard for China’s realization of the Four Modernizations by the end of the 20th century might lag behind developed countries by 20 or even 50 years. In March of the following year, during a meeting with a delegation from the Executive Committee of the Sino-British Cultural Association, based on the gap between China’s development level and that of modernized countries in the world, he used for the first time a “new formulation” of “Chinese-style Four Modernizations,” and in a speech at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee two days later, he condensed and summarized this new formulation as “Chinese-path modernization.” At the Party’s theoretical work conference on March 30, Deng Xiaoping, drawing on the successful experience of the democratic revolution period in opening up the path of the New Democratic Revolution [15] based on national conditions, pointed out that the construction stage must also adapt to national conditions, and provided a concrete explanation of the characteristics of China’s national conditions for “Chinese-path modernization.”

马克思恩格斯从物质生产实践出发研究思考历史，阐明历史是人类实践在时间上空间上展开的实质，从而揭示了历史发展是合目的性与合规律性辩证统一的过程。现代化是发端于工业革命的人类文明历史阶段，中国的现代化是社会主义现代化，党领导人民进行的社会主义实践就是中国现代化的发展历程，以邓小平同志为核心的党的第二代中央领导集体承继了以毛泽东同志为核心的党的第一代中央领导集体提出的四个现代化建设目标，基于对“底子薄”“人口多，耕地少”国情的深刻把握和对国际社会现代化发展进程的清醒认识，明确提出“中国式现代化”命题，这就将系统推进我国社会主义现代化建设的实践活动，建立在充分尊重人类社会现代化实践普遍性与特殊性、共性与个性相统一的历史规律基础之上。早在1978年10月会见德意志联邦共和国新闻代表团时，邓小平就表达了我国20世纪末实现四个现代化标准与发达国家可能会有20年甚至50年的差距的想法。次年3月，在会见英中文化协会执行委员会代表团时，基于我国同世界现代化国家发展水平差距，他首次使用了“中国式的四个现代化”的“新说法”，并在出席两天后中央政治局会议的讲话中，将这一新说法凝练概括为“中国式的现代化”。在3月30日党的理论工作务虚会上，邓小平参考民主革命时期从国情出发开辟新民主主义革命道路的成功经验，指出建设阶段也要适应国情，对“中国式的现代化”的中国国情特点进行了具体阐释。

As the chief architect of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping, proceeding from national conditions and conforming to the objective laws of modernization construction, comprehensively planned and systematically answered the historical question of how to advance Chinese-path modernization construction. First, he established a moderately prosperous society [16] as the stage goal of Chinese-path modernization construction. In response to Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira’s question about realizing the Four Modernizations by the end of the 20th century, Deng Xiaoping, based on the long-term nature of modernization construction determined by China’s national conditions, set the end of the 20th century as a stage goal node, and named it after “moderately prosperous society,” a state of ideal life pursued by ordinary people in traditional Chinese culture. This maximized the mobilization of the masses to devote themselves to socialist modernization construction while respecting the objective laws of historical development. Second, he proposed the “three-step” development strategy [17] as the timetable and roadmap for Chinese-path modernization construction. In 1987, during a meeting with Spanish guests, Deng Xiaoping inherited the two-step strategy proposed by the first-generation central leadership collective, and based on the characteristics and laws of modernization construction in international society, proposed a third-step strategic deployment to continue using 30 to 50 years in the new century to basically reach the level of international modernization. The 13th National Congress of the CPC accepted this opinion, established the “three-step” development strategy, and in the Party’s basic line for the primary stage of socialism, set the overall goal of struggle as “a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious socialist modern country.” This deepened the understanding of the laws of Chinese-path modernization construction with more comprehensive content and more stable planning. Finally, he emphasized the extreme importance of scientific and technological modernization. As early as during the rectification period in 1975, Deng Xiaoping, based on the world situation where the scientific and technological revolution was driving industrial and social change, emphasized the problem that the lag in science and education work severely constrained the overall level of modernization. Accordingly, in a conversation with two comrades from the Central Committee in 1977, he clearly pointed out: “To achieve modernization, the key is for science and technology to advance.” In his speech at the opening ceremony of the National Science Conference in 1978, Deng Xiaoping mentioned “modernization” 22 times and reaffirmed the crucial position of scientific and technological modernization among the Four Modernizations. This clarified the strategic breakthrough point for Chinese-path modernization construction based on the laws of modernization.

作为改革开放和社会主义现代化建设总设计师，邓小平从国情出发，顺应现代化建设客观规律，全盘擘画、系统解答了如何推进中国式现代化建设的历史课题。首先，确立小康社会为中国式现代化建设的阶段目标。邓小平在回答日本首相大平正芳关于20世纪末实现四个现代化的疑问时，根据中国国情决定的现代化建设的长期性，将20世纪末确定为阶段性目标节点，并以中国传统文化中普通百姓追求的理想生活状态“小康”为其命名，这就在最大限度调动人民群众投身社会主义现代化建设积极性的同时，尊重了历史发展的客观规律。其次，提出“三步走”发展战略作为中国式现代化建设的时间表和路线图。1987年在会见西班牙客人时，邓小平继承第一代中央领导集体提出的两步走战略，依据国际社会现代化建设的特征和规律，提出在新世纪继续用30至50年基本达到国际现代化水平的第三步战略部署。党的十三大接受了这一意见，确立了“三步走”发展战略，并在党的社会主义初级阶段的总路线中将总奋斗目标确定为“富强、民主、文明的社会主义现代化国家”，这就以更全面的内涵和更稳妥的规划深化了对中国式现代化建设规律的认识。最后，强调了科学技术现代化的极端重要性。早在1975年整顿时期，邓小平就根据科技革命推动产业和生活变革的世界形势，强调了科学、教育工作滞后严重制约整个现代化水平的问题。据此，1977年在同中央两位同志谈话中他鲜明地指出：“我们要实现现代化，关键是科学技术要能上去。”1978年在全国科学大会开幕式上的讲话中，邓小平22次谈到“现代化”，并重申科技现代化在四个现代化中至关重要的地位，这就依据现代化规律明确了中国式现代化建设的战略突破口。

3. Exerting historical initiative requires creating a new historical situation

3.发挥历史主动必须开创历史新局

Historical development is a process of the dialectical unity of necessity and contingency. Among them, the basic laws of historical development are necessities that do not change according to human will, while the diversity of subjective factors in human participation in history determines that historical development is also full of contingencies. These contingencies have the effect of accelerating or delaying historical necessity. Exerting historical initiative mainly involves actively promoting historical necessity by creating historical contingencies. This requires the subject of historical development to be adept at seizing opportunities, daring to face challenges, and using wisdom, continuously creating new situations that can play a positive role in promoting historical development. Deng Xiaoping keenly captured the historical opportunity of countries urgently seeking development, broke through various obstacles and constraints in ideological understanding and practical activities, and with great courage and outstanding wisdom, led the cause of reform and opening up that changed China’s destiny, creating a new situation that accelerated the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Central Work Conference held in November 1978, which served as a prelude to the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, first focused on discussing the issue of shifting the focus of the entire Party’s work to socialist modernization construction starting from 1979, based on Deng Xiaoping’s proposal. It was precisely around this shift in focus, which had never been achieved since 1957, that the prelude to comprehensive rectification and reform and opening up was opened. On December 13, at the closing ceremony of the Central Work Conference, Deng Xiaoping delivered a speech titled “Emancipate the Mind, Seek Truth from Facts, and Unite as One in Looking to the Future,” which is hailed as the declaration of reform and opening up. This was in fact also the theme report of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC. Accordingly, from December 18 to 22, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, which achieved a great historical turning point, was convened, opening a new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernization construction.

历史发展是必然性与偶然性辩证统一的过程，其中历史发展基本规律是不以人的意志为转移的必然性，而人参与历史主观因素的多样性决定了历史发展亦充满偶然性，这些偶然性具有加速或延缓历史必然性的作用。发挥历史主动主要是通过创造历史偶然对历史必然起到积极推进作用，这就要求历史发展主体善抓机遇、敢迎挑战、运用智慧，不断开创能够发挥积极推进历史发展作用的新局面。邓小平敏锐捕捉到各国迫切谋求发展的历史机遇，冲破思想认识上和实践活动中种种阻滞羁绊，以巨大的勇气和卓越的智慧领导了改变中国命运的改革开放事业，开创了加速发展中国特色社会主义的新局面。1978年11月召开的作为党的十一届三中全会前奏的中央工作会议，根据邓小平的提议，首先集中讨论了从1979年起把全党工作重点转移到社会主义现代化建设上来的问题，正是围绕这一自1957年以来始终未能实现的重心转移，才拉开了全面拨乱反正、改革开放的序幕。12月13日在中央工作会议闭幕会上，邓小平作了被誉为改革开放宣言书的题为《解放思想，实事求是，团结一致向前看》的讲话，这事实上也是党的十一届三中全会的主题报告。据此，12月18日至22日召开了实现伟大历史转折的党的十一届三中全会，开创了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期。

Deng Xiaoping, centering on the core issue of reforming the relations of production and superstructure that were incompatible with the development of productive forces, led the Chinese people to advance reform and opening up, achieving a leap from standing up to becoming prosperous, and opening a new situation in China’s historical development. First, he supported the discussion on the criterion of truth [18] and restored and developed the Party’s ideological line. Deng Xiaoping believed that for reform and opening up, ideological understanding was the primary issue. He pointed out: “Only when the mind is emancipated can we correctly use Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought as guidance to solve problems left over from the past, solve a series of newly emerging problems, correctly reform the relations of production and superstructure that are incompatible with the rapid development of productive forces, and determine the specific paths, principles, methods, and measures for realizing the Four Modernizations based on China’s actual conditions.” Based on this, he affirmed the extreme importance of the discussion on the criterion of truth as an issue of the ideological line. Second, he clearly opposed bourgeois liberalization and emphasized a stable and united political situation. In 1985, in response to various problems emerging in the process of reform and opening up, Deng Xiaoping, during a conversation with Professor Chen Guying, emphasized the role of a stable political environment in safeguarding reform and opening up. He pointed out: “The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of our Party decided to implement the open policy, and at the same time required curbing the trend of liberalization. These are interrelated issues… In short, one goal is to have a stable political environment.” At the critical juncture of the political turmoil in 198

邓小平围绕改革不适应生产力发展的生产关系和上层建筑的核心问题，带领中国人民推进改革开放实现了从站起来到富起来的飞跃，开创了中国历史发展新局面。首先，支持真理标准讨论，恢复并发展党的思想路线。邓小平认为对于改革开放而言，思想认识是首要问题，他指出：“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，正确地改革同生产力迅速发展不相适应的生产关系和上层建筑，根据我国的实际情况，确定实现四个现代化的具体道路、方针、方法和措施。”基于此他肯定了真理标准讨论作为思想路线问题的极端重要性。其次，旗帜鲜明反对资产阶级自由化，强调安定团结的政治局面。1985年，邓小平针对改革开放过程中出现的种种问题，在同陈鼓应教授谈话时强调了安定的政治环境对改革开放的保障作用，他指出：“我们党的十一届三中全会决定实行开放政策，同时也要求刹住自由化的风，这是相互关联的问题……总之，一个目标，就是要有一个安定的政治环境。”在1989年政治风波危急关头，邓小平果断表示党的十三大报告一个字都不能改，坚决维护改革发展稳定局面。最后，提出一系列创造性改革政策。邓小平凭借他过人的政治勇气和远见卓识，大胆地试、积极地闯，形成一整套具有突破创新性质的政策举措，比如推行家庭联产承包责任制、设立经济特区扩大对外开放、建立社会主义市场经济体制、推动党和国家领导制度改革、鼓励先富带动后富最终实现共同富裕、采用“摸着石头过河”的渐进式改革路线等，成功带领中国走向富强。

The great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics requires the continuous struggle of several generations. The practical path that Deng Xiaoping painstakingly explored and explicitly pointed out—focusing on the historical theme, respecting historical laws, and opening up new historical situations—has laid a successful experiential foundation for enhancing historical initiative in the New Era.

中国特色社会主义伟大事业需要几代人接续奋斗，邓小平着力探索并明确指出的聚焦历史主题、尊重历史规律、开创历史新局的实践路径，为新时代增强历史主动奠定了成功的经验基础。

General Secretary Xi Jinping once summarized Deng Xiaoping’s thought and practice of exercising historical initiative. He pointed out: “Like other older-generation revolutionaries of our Party, Comrade Deng Xiaoping was able to establish feats recorded in history for the motherland and the people precisely because he saw clearly the general trend of world and Chinese development, deeply understood the profound aspirations of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, grasped the historical laws of China’s development, and closely relied on the Party and the people to establish unprecedented historic achievements.” [14]14 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at the symposium commemorating the 110th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping’s birth, held on August 20, 2014. On the new journey of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, continuing to draw on the ideological wisdom of Deng Xiaoping’s exercise of historical initiative will help fulfill the arduous mission that history has entrusted to our generation.

习近平总书记曾对邓小平发挥历史主动的思想和实践进行过总结，他指出：“像我们党的其他老一辈革命家一样，邓小平同志之所以能够为祖国和人民建立彪炳史册的功勋，就在于他看清了世界和中国的发展大势，深刻了解中国人民和中华民族的深沉愿望，把握住中国发展的历史规律，紧紧依靠党和人民建立了前所未有的历史性伟业。”在中国特色社会主义新时代新征程上，继续汲取邓小平发挥历史主动的思想智慧，将有助于完成历史赋予我们这一代人的艰巨使命。

(Author: Chen Dacai, Professor at the School of Marxism, Shaanxi Normal University)

(作者：陈答才，陕西师范大学马克思主义学院教授)

Online Editor: You Heng

网络编辑：有恒