Promoting the Breaking of Difficulties and the Opening of New Situations through Investigation and Research

The Communist Party of China has often faced the tasks of breaking difficulties and opening new situations in different historical periods and stages. The Party’s history of struggle over more than a century is also a history of continuously discovering, researching, and solving problems in practice. So, how can we effectively promote the breaking of difficulties and the opening of new situations? As early as May 1930, Mao Zedong gave a clear answer in his article “Oppose Book Worship” — “investigate the actual situation.”

中国共产党在不同历史时期和阶段常常面临着破难题、开新局的任务，党百余年奋斗的历史，也是一部在实践中不断发现问题、研究问题、解决问题的历史。那么，怎样才能有效推动破难题、开新局？早在1930年5月，毛泽东就在《反对本本主义》一文中给出了明确回答——“向实际情况作调查”。

“Oppose Book Worship” was originally titled “Investigation Work.” It was once circulated in the Central Soviet Area in a lithographed edition and later lost. Mao Zedong often thought of this article, saying he missed it “like missing his own child.” In the early 1960s, this article was rediscovered and delivered to Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong was very pleased, had it printed and distributed for discussion at the Three-South Conference [1]1 The Three-South Conference (三南会议) refers to a series of meetings held in early 1961 in the southern regions of China (specifically the South-Central, East China, and Southwest regions) to discuss rural work and economic adjustment following the Great Leap Forward., and said, “This is an old article,” and “it seems still somewhat useful.” After personally reviewing it, in 1964, Mao Zedong changed the title of this article to “Oppose Book Worship” and included it in the A and B editions of *Selected Readings from the Works of Mao Zedong*. In 1991, as the only supplementary piece, it was included in the first volume of the second edition of *Selected Works of Mao Zedong*.

《反对本本主义》原题名为《调查工作》，在中央苏区曾有石印本流传，后来散失。毛泽东时常念及这篇文章，他说，就“像想念自己的孩子一样”。20世纪60年代初，这篇文章被重新发现并送到毛泽东手上。毛泽东十分高兴，把它批印给三南会议讨论，说“这是一篇老文章”，“看来还有些用处”。经亲自审定，1964年，毛泽东把这篇文章题目改为《反对本本主义》，编入《毛泽东著作选读》甲种本和乙种本。1991年，它作为唯一补充篇目，被编入《毛泽东选集》第二版第一卷。

This article systematically and comprehensively discussed the issue of investigation and research for the first time within the Party, initially forming the three basic points of the living soul of Mao Zedong Thought, namely seeking truth from facts, the mass line, and independence and self-reliance. It is one of the representative works of Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought. More than 90 years have passed. Standing at the new starting point of a new journey to further comprehensively deepen reform and advance Chinese-path modernization, revisiting this classic document can still provide rich spiritual nourishment and ideological inspiration from the Marxist ideological methods and working methods it contains.

这篇文章在党内第一次系统全面论述了调查研究问题，初步形成了毛泽东思想活的灵魂的三个基本点，即实事求是、群众路线、独立自主，是毛泽东哲学思想的代表作之一。90多年过去了，立足进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的新征程新起点，重温这篇经典文献，仍能从它所蕴含的马克思主义思想方法和工作方法中，获得丰富的精神滋养与思想启示。

“Investigation Is to Solve Problems”

“调查就是解决问题”

After 1927, “Left” deviationist thinking pervaded the Party. Some dogmatists proceeded from “books,” using Marxist “books” and Soviet experience divorced from reality to “issue blind orders.” This not only failed to solve a series of serious problems facing the Chinese revolution but also brought huge losses to the Party and the army, which were in their infancy. “Oppose Book Worship” is an important article in which Mao Zedong resolutely fought against opportunism and dogmatism.

1927年以后，党内“左”倾思想弥漫，一些教条主义者从“本本”出发，拿着马克思主义的“本本”和苏联的经验脱离实际“瞎指挥”，不仅没有解决中国革命面临的一系列严峻问题，而且给处于幼年时期的党和军队带来巨大损失。《反对本本主义》是毛泽东同机会主义、教条主义坚决斗争的一篇重要文章。

Mao Zedong began the article by putting forward the proposition that “no investigation, no right to speak,” and directly criticized some comrades in the Party: “Since you have not investigated the current situation and historical situation of that problem and do not know the ins and outs, your remarks on that problem will certainly be nonsense.” Mao Zedong revealed the serious harm of “talking nonsense” without factual basis: “Many inspectors, many guerrilla leaders, and many newly appointed work cadres like to announce their views as soon as they arrive. Seeing a bit of the surface, a single detail, they point fingers and say this is wrong and that is erroneous. This purely subjective ‘talking nonsense’ is truly the most detestable thing. It will certainly mess things up, certainly lose the masses, and certainly fail to solve problems.”

毛泽东开篇即提出“没有调查，没有发言权”的主张，对党内一些同志提出直截了当的批评：“你对那个问题的现实情况和历史情况既然没有调查，不知底里，对于那个问题的发言便一定是瞎说一顿。”毛泽东揭示了没有事实依据“瞎说一顿”的严重害处：“许多巡视员，许多游击队的领导者，许多新接任的工作干部，喜欢一到就宣布政见，看到一点表面，一个枝节，就指手画脚地说这也不对，那也错误。这种纯主观地‘瞎说一顿’，实在是最可恶没有的。他一定要弄坏事情，一定要失掉群众，一定不能解决问题。”

In Mao Zedong’s view, only through in-depth investigation and research can we effectively solve the new and difficult problems that constantly emerge in struggle. “If you cannot solve a problem, then go and investigate the current situation and history of that problem! Once you have thoroughly investigated and understood it, you will have a way to solve it.” Conversely, methods and ideas conceived through empty thinking without investigation and research will only have a bad effect. “Only fools are those who, alone or by gathering a group of people, without conducting investigation, only ponder and rack their brains to ‘find a way’ and ‘come up with an idea.’ You must know that this will certainly not produce any good methods or good ideas. In other words, they will certainly produce wrong methods and wrong ideas.” For comrades who retreated or gave up in the face of difficulties and problems, Mao Zedong prescribed the “good prescription” of investigation and research: “Move your two legs, go to various parts and places within your work scope, learn from Confucius’s ‘ask about everything,’ and no matter how limited your ability, you can solve problems,” or “summon those who understand the situation to hold an investigation meeting, find the ‘source’ of the so-called difficult problem, clarify its ‘current situation,’ and then your difficult problem will be easily solved.” Mao Zedong concluded: “Investigation is like ‘ten months of pregnancy,’ and solving a problem is like ‘the moment of delivery.’ Investigation is to solve problems.”

在毛泽东看来，只有深入调查研究才能切实解决斗争中不断出现的新题、难题。“你对于那个问题不能解决吗？那末，你就去调查那个问题的现状和它的历史吧！你完完全全调查明白了，你对那个问题就有解决的办法了。”相反，不经过调查研究、空想出来的办法和主意，只会起坏作用。“只有蠢人，才是他一个人，或者邀集一堆人，不作调查，而只是冥思苦索地‘想办法’，‘打主意’。须知这是一定不能想出什么好办法，打出什么好主意的。换一句话说，他一定要产生错办法和错主意。”针对在困难和问题面前退缩、放弃的同志，毛泽东给其开出了调查研究的“良方”：“迈开你的两脚，到你的工作范围的各部分各地方去走走，学个孔夫子的‘每事问’，任凭什么才力小也能解决问题”，或者“召集那些明了情况的人来开个调查会，把你所谓困难问题的‘来源’找到手，‘现状’弄明白，你的这个困难问题也就容易解决了”。毛泽东得出结论：“调查就像‘十月怀胎’，解决问题就像‘一朝分娩’。调查就是解决问题。”

Investigation and research were an important working method that Mao Zedong adhered to throughout his life. Mao Zedong deeply understood that the way out for solving problems was always deeply buried in China’s national conditions, so he took up the “hoe” of investigation and research to diligently dig and explore. It was precisely by relying on solid investigation and research that Mao Zedong effectively solved one new and difficult problem after another in revolution and construction, making tremendous contributions to the exploration and expansion of the Chinese Communist Party’s path.

调查研究是毛泽东一生坚持的重要工作方法。毛泽东深知，解决问题的出路，从来都深埋在中国的国情之中，于是拿起调查研究这把“锄头”努力去挖掘探求。正是依靠扎实的调查研究，毛泽东有效破解革命和建设中的一个又一个新题、难题，为中国共产党道路的探索和拓展作出巨大贡献。

Opposing Book Worship That “Only Obeys Superiors” and “Only Obeys Books”

反对“唯上”“唯书”的本本主义

Investigation and research are not merely a matter of method; behind them lie fundamental positions and the ideological line. Whether to conduct in-depth investigation and research is actually a struggle and opposition between the ideological line of seeking truth from facts and the ideological line of book worship (dogmatism). Mao Zedong sharply criticized two erroneous tendencies of book worship.

调查研究不仅仅是方法问题，其背后还是基本立场问题，是思想路线问题。是否深入调查研究，实际上是实事求是思想路线与本本主义（教条主义）思想路线之间的对立斗争。毛泽东尖锐批评了本本主义的两种错误倾向。

One erroneous tendency is blindly and superficially implementing instructions from superiors. Mao Zedong pointed out: “We say that the instructions of higher leading organs are correct, not simply because they come from ‘higher leading organs,’ but because their content is suitable to the objective and subjective circumstances of the struggle and is needed by the struggle. To blindly implement them without discussion and examination based on actual conditions, this formalistic attitude based purely on the concept of ‘superiors’ is very wrong.” Mao Zedong believed that this formalism would prevent the Party’s strategic line from penetrating the masses. “To blindly and superficially implement the instructions of superiors without any dissent is not truly implementing the instructions of superiors; it is the best way to oppose the instructions of superiors or to sabotage them.”

一种错误倾向是盲目地、表面地执行上级指示。毛泽东指出：“我们说上级领导机关的指示是正确的，决不单是因为它出于‘上级领导机关’，而是因为它的内容是适合于斗争中客观和主观情势的，是斗争所需要的。不根据实际情况进行讨论和审察，一味盲目执行，这种单纯建立在‘上级’观念上的形式主义的态度是很不对的。”毛泽东认为，这种形式主义会使党的策略路线不能深入群众，“盲目地表面上完全无异议地执行上级的指示，这不是真正在执行上级的指示，这是反对上级指示或者对上级指示怠工的最妙方法”。

Another erroneous tendency is mechanically copying Marxist-Leninist “books” and the Soviet model. Mao Zedong pointed out: “We say Marxism is correct, not because Marx was some kind of ‘sage,’ but because his theory has been proven correct in our practice and in our struggle.” He emphasized: “Marxist ‘books’ must be studied, but they must be integrated with China’s actual conditions. We need ‘books,’ but we must correct book worship that is divorced from reality.” The latter two sentences were added by Mao Zedong himself when this article was included in the A and B editions of *Selected Readings from the Works of Mao Zedong* in 1964, showing his emphasis on this major issue concerning the success or failure of China’s revolution and construction.

另一种错误倾向是照搬马列“本本”和苏联模式。毛泽东指出：“我们说马克思主义是对的，决不是因为马克思这个人是什么‘先哲’，而是因为他的理论，在我们的实践中，在我们的斗争中，证明了是对的。”他强调：“马克思主义的‘本本’是要学习的，但是必须同我国的实际情况相结合。我们需要‘本本’，但是一定要纠正脱离实际情况的本本主义。”后面这两句话是1964年此文编入《毛泽东著作选读》甲种本、乙种本时，毛泽东亲笔加的，可见他对这一关系中国革命和建设成败的重大问题的重视。

Mao Zedong believed that only by investigating the actual situation could book worship be corrected. He advocated adhering to the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, fully exerting subjective initiative, using Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods to understand China’s actual conditions, and solving problems encountered in the practice of China’s revolution and construction. Under Mao Zedong’s vigorous advocacy and personal example, investigation and research became a fine tradition and style of our Party, becoming the foundation for our Party’s planning and the way to achieve success.

毛泽东认为，只有向实际情况作调查，才能纠正本本主义。他主张坚持实事求是思想路线，充分发挥主观能动性，运用马克思主义的立场、观点和方法，了解中国的实际情况，解决中国革命和建设实践中遇到的问题。在毛泽东的大力倡导和亲身垂范下，调查研究成为我们党的优良传统和作风，成为我们党的谋事之基、成事之道。

“We Need to Constantly Understand Social Conditions and Constantly Conduct Actual Investigations”

“我们需要时时了解社会情况，时时进行实际调查”

The arduousness and protractedness of the Chinese revolution determined the extreme importance of our Party’s struggle strategy, and the generation of a correct struggle strategy cannot be separated from regular investigation and research. Mao Zedong pointed out: “The correct and unwavering struggle strategy of the Communist Party can never be produced by a few people sitting in a room; it can only be produced in the process of the masses’ struggle, that is, it can only be produced from practical experience. Therefore, we need to constantly understand social conditions and constantly conduct actual investigations.”

中国革命的艰巨性、长期性决定了我们党斗争策略的极端重要性，而正确斗争策略的产生，离不开经常性的调查研究。毛泽东指出：“共产党的正确而不动摇的斗争策略，决不是少数人坐在房子里能够产生的，它是要在群众的斗争过程中才能产生的，这就是说要在实际经验中才能产生。因此，我们需要时时了解社会情况，时时进行实际调查。”

Mao Zedong drew a portrait of some dogmatists: “Clearly, there are comrades in the Red Army who are content with the status quo, who seek no thorough understanding, who are hollowly optimistic, who advocate the erroneous idea that ‘the proletariat is just like this,’ who eat their fill all day, doze off in their offices, and never bother to stretch a foot out into society and the masses to conduct investigation. When they speak to people, it is always the same few platitudes, which people are sick of hearing.” He sternly criticized “those comrades who have a stereotyped, conservative, formalistic, hollowly optimistic mentality, who think that the current tactics of struggle are already the best possible,” who believe that relying on “dogma” [2]2 “本本” (literally “books” or “booklets”) refers to dogmatic reliance on texts, specifically the “original copies” of Marxist works, as criticized in Mao’s 1930 essay “Oppose Dogmatism” (反对本本主义). can “guarantee permanent victory, and that as long as they follow established methods they will be victorious in everything,” and he clearly stated: “These ideas are completely wrong, entirely not the ideological line of a Communist Party member who creates new situations through struggle; they are entirely a conservative line.” To awaken these comrades, Mao Zedong called out: “Quickly change your conservative thinking! Exchange it for the progressive struggle thinking of Communists! Go into the struggle! Go and conduct practical investigation among the masses!”

毛泽东为有些教条主义者画了像：“红军中显然有一部分同志是安于现状，不求甚解，空洞乐观，提倡所谓‘无产阶级就是这样’的错误思想，饱食终日，坐在机关里面打瞌睡，从不肯伸只脚到社会群众中去调查调查。对人讲话一向是那几句老生常谈，使人厌听。”他严肃批评了“那些具有一成不变的保守的形式的空洞乐观的头脑的同志们，以为现在的斗争策略已经是再好没有了”，以为靠“本本”就能“保障了永久的胜利，只要遵守既定办法就无往而不胜利”的观点，并明确指出：“这些想法是完全错误的，完全不是共产党人从斗争中创造新局面的思想路线，完全是一种保守路线。”为唤醒这些同志，毛泽东呼吁：“速速改变保守思想！换取共产党人的进步的斗争思想！到斗争中去！到群众中作实际调查去！”

The view of “constantly understanding social conditions, constantly conducting practical investigation” conforms to the basic principles of Marxism. Marxism holds that the law of the unity of opposites is the fundamental law of the universe; it is precisely the unity and struggle of the two sides of a contradiction that drives the movement, change, and development of things. Mao Zedong hoped that all comrades in the Party would grasp the law of this truth, always adopt the method of investigation and research, resolve the prominent contradictions and problems in social practice, thereby push society forward, and continuously create new situations.

“时时了解社会情况，时时进行实际调查”的观点是符合马克思主义基本原理的。马克思主义认为，对立统一规律是宇宙的根本规律，正是矛盾双方的统一与斗争，推动着事物的运动、变化和发展。毛泽东希望全党同志掌握这个真理的规律，始终采取调查研究的方法，解决社会实践中的突出矛盾和问题，从而推动社会向前发展，不断创造新的局面。

Mao Zedong did not treat investigation and research as a one-time task, nor did he ever stop his own steps in investigation and research. On March 23, 1961, at a Central Work Conference, he specifically introduced the content of “Oppose Dogmatism” [3]3 “Oppose Dogmatism” (反对本本主义) is a 1930 essay by Mao Zedong that argues for investigation and research as the foundation of correct policy, rejecting mechanical adherence to Marxist texts. to the participants, stating: “In the stage of the democratic revolution, we must conduct investigation and research; in the stage of the socialist revolution and socialist construction, we must still conduct investigation and research; for ten thousand years, we must still do the work of investigation and research.” He also said: “Now, the documents our Central Committee produces, if they lack concrete measures, cannot be realized. To have correct measures, we must do the work of investigation and research.” From revolution to construction to reform and opening up, from saving the nation to rejuvenating the nation to strengthening the nation, “Oppose Dogmatism” has always possessed a powerful vitality, exerting a profound influence on our Party’s guiding ideology, line, principles, policies, and the work style of cadres.

毛泽东没有把调查研究当成是一劳永逸的事，也一直没有停下调查研究的脚步。1961年3月23日，他在中央工作会议上特意向与会者介绍了《反对本本主义》的内容，指出：“民主革命阶段，要进行调查研究，社会主义革命和社会主义建设阶段，还是要进行调查研究，一万年还是要进行调查研究工作。”他还说：“现在我们中央搞的文件，如果没有具体措施也是不可能实现的。要有正确的措施，就要做调查研究工作。”从革命到建设再到改革，从救国到兴国再到强国，《反对本本主义》始终有着强大的生命力，对我们党的指导思想、路线方针和干部作风产生深刻影响。

Investigation and research are not only a working method but also a major issue concerning the success or failure of the cause of the Party and the people. At present, we are in a critical period of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. On the new journey of the New Era, to implement the tasks of further comprehensively deepening reform and opening up proposed by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC [4]4 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, held in July 2024, focused on further comprehensively deepening reform and opening up to advance Chinese-path modernization., we must make full and good use of investigation and research, this heirloom of the Party. We must highlight a problem-oriented approach, focus on the key tasks of reform and development, identify the focal points and breakthroughs for reform, solve development difficulties, find new ideas and new methods for solving problems, truly achieve clarity of situation, firmness of resolve, and correctness of method, push Chinese-path modernization to achieve new progress and new breakthroughs, and continuously open up new situations in the cause’s development while overcoming difficulties.

调查研究不仅是一种工作方法，而且是关系党和人民事业得失成败的大问题。当前，我们正处在以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期。在新时代新征程上，贯彻落实党的二十届三中全会提出的进一步全面深化改革的任务，必须用足用好调查研究这个传家宝，突出问题导向，聚焦改革发展重点任务，找准改革发力点和突破口，解决发展难题，找出解决问题的新思路新办法，真正做到情况明、决心大、方法对，推动中国式现代化取得新进展新突破，在攻坚克难中不断打开事业发展新局面。

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧