Upholding the Dialectical Unity of Breaking and Establishing in Reform

Reform and opening up is an unprecedented new undertaking; it must adhere to a correct methodology and be continuously advanced through practical exploration. “Upholding the dialectical unity of breaking and establishing, advancing both breaking and establishing while prioritizing establishing before breaking, actively establishing what should be established, and promptly breaking what should be broken on the basis of establishment, so that reform advances steadily and swiftly in the unity of breaking and establishing” — this is the reform methodology for the New Era formed by General Secretary Xi Jinping through a profound grasp of the inherent laws of comprehensively deepening reform, closely centered on the theme of advancing Chinese-path modernization. This methodology is an important embodiment of Marxist dialectical materialism. Although the classical Marxist writers did not explicitly use the expressions “breaking” and “establishing,” their philosophical reflections on social change inherently contain the dialectical thinking of the unity of breaking and establishing. Reviewing the relevant expositions and their practical application is of great significance for us to advance reform with scientific methods on the new journey and strive to open up new horizons for reform and development.

改革开放是前无古人的崭新事业，必须坚持正确的方法论，在实践探索中不断推进。“坚持破和立的辩证统一，破立并举、先立后破，该立的积极主动立起来，该破的在立的基础上及时破，在破立统一中实现改革蹄疾步稳”，是习近平总书记深刻把握全面深化改革的内在规律，紧扣推进中国式现代化主题，形成的新时代改革方法论，这种方法论是马克思主义唯物辩证法的重要体现。马克思主义经典作家虽然没有明确使用破立的表述，但对社会变革的哲学思考内在地蕴含着破立统一的辩证思维。重温相关论述及其实践运用，对于我们在新征程上以科学方法推进改革，奋力开辟改革发展新天地具有重要意义。

I

一

In summary, the dialectical unity of breaking and establishing embodies the law of the unity of opposites, the law of the transformation of quantity into quality, and the law of the negation of the negation.

概括而言，破与立的辩证统一，体现对立统一规律、量变质变规律和否定之否定规律。

The two sides of a contradiction within a thing are both mutually opposed and mutually unified, driving the continuous movement and development of the thing through mutual conditioning and mutual struggle. Breaking and establishing are two categories within the state of a thing’s development that are both opposed and unified; their relationship of unity of opposites is manifested in the process of the thing’s movement and change. Their opposition is reflected in the fact that the directions of breaking and establishing are opposite; to develop one side, the other side must be weakened. The fundamental reason why old things need to be broken is that the development of their internal contradictions has reached an irreconcilable level, hindering the emergence and growth of new things. At the same time, however, the two are unified. Establishing is not completely separated from breaking; rather, within the conditions and space created by breaking, it establishes a new form that is more advanced and more adapted to the needs of the times. Breaking is a means serving establishing, and establishing is the purpose of breaking. Breaking without establishing would only reduce the breaking of old things to blind destruction; establishing without breaking would prevent new things from gaining sufficient room for growth.

事物中矛盾的双方既相互对立又相互统一，在互为条件和相互斗争中推动事物不断运动和发展。破与立是事物发展状态中的两个既对立又统一的范畴，其对立统一关系体现在事物的运动变化过程之中。二者的对立，体现为破与立的方向是相反的，要发展一方，就要削弱另一方。旧事物之所以需要破，根本原因在于其内部矛盾的发展已达到不可调和的程度，阻碍了新事物的产生和壮大。但同时，二者又是统一的。立并非与破完全割裂，而是在破所创造的条件和空间中，把更先进、更适应时代需求的新形态立起来。破是为立服务的手段，立是破的目的。有破无立，对旧事物的破只会沦为盲目破坏；只立不破，新事物也无法获得足够的生长空间。

Any change in a thing has a process of quantitative accumulation; without the accumulation of quantity, qualitative change will not occur. In the stage of quantitative change, the thing maintains its relative stability. Once quantitative change exceeds a certain measure, it will cause qualitative change: the old quality perishes, and a new quality emerges accordingly — this is one instance of establishing and one of breaking. Moreover, based on the complexity of the movement of contradictions in things, quantity and quality are interdependent and interpenetrating: quantitative change leads to qualitative change, and on the basis of the new quality, the thing begins a new quantitative change, alternating in this way to constitute the process of the thing’s development. This means that in the process of breaking, new things are also being nurtured simultaneously; even before the old thing has completely disintegrated, some innovative factors have already sprouted. Similarly, when a new thing begins to take shape, it does not mean the end of the process of breaking, because various old ideological concepts and institutional inertias still need to be overcome. This process fully demonstrates that there is an alternating, cyclical evolutionary characteristic between breaking and establishing.

任何事物的变化都有一个量变的积累过程，没有量的积累，质变就不会发生。在量变阶段，事物保持着自己的相对稳定性。一旦量变超出一定的度，就会引起质变，旧质归于消灭，新质应运而生，这就是一立一破。不仅如此，基于事物矛盾运动的复杂性，量变与质变是相互依存、相互贯通的，量变引起质变，在新质的基础上，事物开始新的量变，如此交替循环，构成事物的发展过程。这意味着，在破的过程中，新事物也在同时孕育，甚至在旧事物尚未完全瓦解之时，一些创新的因素就已经萌芽。同样，当新事物开始形成后，也并不意味着破这一过程的终结，因为还有各种旧的思想观念和制度惯性需要克服。这一过程充分说明，破与立之间存在交替进行、循环往复的演进特征。

From the perspective of the law of the negation of the negation, any thing internally contains both an affirmative aspect and a negative aspect; negation is the link in the connection and development of things, and its essence is sublation [Aufhebung]. Dialectical negation, on the one hand, involves the new thing overcoming the old thing, and on the other hand, it retains and inherits the positive, beneficial factors within the old thing, enabling the thing to develop to a new stage. With regard to breaking and establishing, breaking implies the negation of the old thing, but this negation is not a blind overturning of everything; rather, on the basis of historical analysis and scientific evaluation of the old thing, it decisively discards those parts that have indeed become rigid and hinder the development of productive forces, while simultaneously selecting those parts that still have continued use value, thereby advancing transformation and innovation. Establishing is not a complete “starting from scratch” detached from the original point; rather, on the basis of inheriting reasonable factors, it establishes an entirely new system or structure, enabling the new thing to acquire a more stable and advanced form. Only after undergoing the baptism of double negation can a new thing gain lasting vitality and truly conform to the direction of historical progress.

从否定之否定规律来看，任何事物内部都包含着肯定与否定两个方面，否定是事物联系和发展的环节，其实质就是扬弃。辩证的否定一方面是新事物克服旧事物，另一方面又保留和继承了旧事物中积极的、有利的因素，使事物发展到一个新的阶段。就破与立而言，破意味着对旧事物的否定，但这种否定不是盲目地一概推翻，而是在对其进行历史分析与科学评判的基础上，果断摒弃确已僵化、阻碍生产力发展的部分，同时筛选出具有继续利用价值的部分，进而推进改造和创新。立也并非完全脱离原点的“另起炉灶”，而是在继承合理因素的基础上，确立起全新的体系或结构，使新事物获得更稳定、更先进的形式。只有经过双重否定的洗礼，新事物才能获得持久的生命力，真正顺应历史前进方向。

II

二

Marx and Engels believed that “all conflicts in history have their origin in the contradiction between the productive forces and the form of intercourse.” [1]1 Karl Marx, “Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy,” in Marx and Engels, Selected Works (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), vol. 1, p. 2. [The Chinese text cites this as a direct quotation from Marx and Engels; the English rendering follows the standard English edition.] The development of productive forces causes the form of intercourse to change from a “condition” of development into a “fetter” of development; “the old form of intercourse, which has become a fetter, is replaced by a new form adapted to the more developed productive forces and hence to the progressive mode of the self-activity of individuals; this new form in turn becomes a fetter and is then replaced by another form.” [2]2 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, The German Ideology, in Marx and Engels, Collected Works (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1976), vol. 5, p. 82. [The Chinese text cites this as a direct quotation; the English rendering follows the standard English edition.] This contradictory movement between productive forces and relations of production inherently contains the dialectical logic of the unity of breaking and establishing. In fact, the movement of social contradictions and their resolution is precisely the dialectical process of breaking and establishing, in which society continuously develops forward. For example, the bourgeois revolution broke the feudal system and established the capitalist system, while the antagonistic nature of the contradiction between capital and wage labor determined that the proletariat must inevitably overthrow the capitalist system through revolution and establish the socialist system, opening up a new path for the development of productive forces. After the success of the revolution, the proletariat must still, based on reality, continuously criticize and eliminate what is inappropriate, so as to continuously perfect the new social structure. This dialectical movement of breaking within establishing and establishing within breaking not only embodies Marx and Engels’ profound insight into social evolution but also provides a theoretical basis for subsequent social revolution and reform practice.

马克思恩格斯认为，“一切历史冲突都根源于生产力和交往形式之间的矛盾”。生产力的发展会导致交往形式由发展的“条件”变成发展的“桎梏”，“已成为桎梏的旧交往形式被适应于比较发达的生产力，因而也适应于进步的个人自主活动方式的新交往形式所代替；新的交往形式又会成为桎梏，然后又为别的交往形式所代替”。这种生产力与生产关系之间的矛盾运动内含着破与立之间的辩证统一逻辑。实际上，社会矛盾运动及其解决就是破与立的辩证过程，在此过程中社会不断向前发展。例如，资产阶级革命破除了封建主义制度，建立了资本主义制度，而资本与雇佣劳动之间矛盾的对抗性又决定了无产阶级必然要以革命推翻资本主义制度，建立社会主义制度，为生产力的发展开辟新道路。革命成功后，无产阶级仍需立足现实，持续批判并革除不合时宜之处，以使新社会结构不断完善。这种破中有立、立中有破的辩证运动，既体现了马克思恩格斯对社会演进的深邃洞察，也为后续的社会革命和改革实践提供了理论依据。

Lenin deepened the understanding and comprehension of the dialectical unity of breaking and establishing in the combination of theory and practice. Lenin criticized reformism, emphasized the thorough destruction of the old state machine, and insisted that the intensity of “breaking” must be sufficiently thorough; otherwise, the newborn society would be difficult to sustain. At the same time, Lenin did not neglect “establishing.” He deeply understood that revolution should not stop at destroying the old ruling group and institutional forms; it also needed to establish a stable and reasonable new system. If, contrary to Russia’s actual conditions, one unilaterally emphasized breaking or blindly advanced rashly, the revolution would degenerate into blind destruction and construction would become utopian, thereby plunging the country into a situation of internal and external troubles. Based on this, he quickly adopted multiple measures such as the New Economic Policy, consolidated the achievements of the October Revolution, and found a path for Russia’s survival and development under difficult circumstances. Brewing establishing within breaking, and consolidating the fruits of breaking within establishing — this practical path was a creative application of dialectical materialism in Russia.

列宁在理论与实践的结合上深化了对破与立辩证统一关系的认识与理解。列宁批判改良主义，强调彻底摧毁旧国家机器，主张“破”的力度必须足够彻底，否则新生社会难以维系。同时，列宁也并未忽视“立”。他深知革命不应止于摧毁旧有统治集团与制度形态，还需建立稳定、合理的新体制。如果违背俄国的现实条件，一味强调破或者盲目冒进，只会让革命沦为盲目破坏、建设流于空想，进而使国家陷入内忧外患之境。基于此，他迅速采取新经济政策等多项措施，巩固了十月革命成果，并在艰难局面下为俄国找到生存与发展的道路。在破中酝酿立，又在立中巩固破之成果，这一实践路径是唯物辩证法在俄国的创造性运用。

The understanding and practice of the dialectical unity of breaking and establishing also runs through the great process of the Chinese Communist Party leading the people in revolution, construction, and reform. As early as the period of the New Democratic Revolution, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward the revolutionary idea of “without breaking, there can be no establishing.” [3]3 Mao Zedong, “The Orientation of the Youth Movement,” in Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1967), vol. 2, p. 246. [The Chinese phrase “不破不立” is a classical four-character idiom, here used by Mao in a revolutionary context.] He emphasized that it was necessary both to eliminate the old politics, old economy, and old culture of the colonial, semi-colonial, and semi-feudal society and to establish “the new politics, new economy, and new culture of the Chinese nation.” [4]4 Mao Zedong, “On New Democracy,” in Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1967), vol. 2, p. 339. After the founding of New China, the Party led the people in combining breaking and establishing, advancing step by step, gradually abolishing the remnants of the old system, steadily advancing socialist transformation, and establishing the basic system of socialism. After reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping proposed “crossing the river by feeling the stones,” emphasizing breaking while establishing, piloting and experimenting first, daring to venture and daring to try, pushing reform from the countryside to the cities, from the coast to the interior, from partial to overall deepening, accumulating valuable experience for reform and opening up. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Party has always attached great importance to correctly handling the relationship among reform, development, and stability. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Reform involves both breaking and establishing; if the method is correct, the result will be twice the result with half the effort; if the method is incorrect, the result will be half the result with twice the effort, or even produce negative effects,” [5]5 Xi Jinping, speech at the 20th Central Commission for Deepening Overall Reform, April 2023. [This is a paraphrase of Xi’s remarks; the exact source is the official Xinhua news report.] and has discussed the relationship between breaking and establishing on multiple occasions, emphasizing achieving steady and swift progress in reform through the unity of breaking and establishing. A very important reason why comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era has achieved major practical, institutional, and theoretical results lies precisely in correctly handling the dialectical relationship between breaking and establishing.

对破与立辩证统一关系的认识与实践同样贯穿中国共产党领导人民进行革命、建设与改革的伟大进程中。早在新民主主义革命时期，毛泽东同志就提出不破不立的革命思想。他强调，既要革除殖民地、半殖民地、半封建的旧政治、旧经济和旧文化，也要建立“中华民族的新政治、新经济和新文化”。新中国成立后，党领导人民破立结合、循序渐进，逐步废除旧制度残余，稳步推进社会主义改造，建立起社会主义基本制度。改革开放后，邓小平同志提出“摸着石头过河”，强调边破边立、先行先试、敢闯敢试，推动改革从农村到城市、从沿海到内地、从局部到整体不断深化，为改革开放积累宝贵经验。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，党始终高度重视正确处理改革发展稳定关系。习近平总书记指出，“改革有破有立，得其法则事半功倍，不得法则事倍功半甚至产生负作用”，并在多个场合论及破与立的关系，强调在破立统一中实现改革蹄疾步稳。新时代全面深化改革之所以取得重大实践成果、制度成果、理论成果，非常重要的一条经验就在于正确处理破和立的辩证关系。

III

三

At present, further comprehensively deepening reform has entered a critical stage of “gnawing on hard bones”; the depth, breadth, and internal and external environment of reform have all undergone unprecedented new changes. Advancing reform and development and adjusting interest relationships affect the whole body if one part is moved; it is especially necessary to make good use of the methodology of “advancing both breaking and establishing, prioritizing establishing before breaking.”

当前，进一步全面深化改革进入“啃硬骨头”的攻坚阶段，改革的深度、广度和内外部环境都发生了前所未有的新变化。推进改革发展、调整利益关系牵一发而动全身，尤其需要用好“破立并举、先立后破”的方法论。

Further deepening reform comprehensively is an extremely vast systemic project; piecemeal adjustments will not work, nor will fragmented repairs. It must be the linkage and integration of reforms across all fields, forming an overall effect and achieving overall results in the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. To this end, reform must focus its efforts on promoting better alignment between relations of production and productive forces, between the superstructure and the economic base, and between national governance and social development. It must handle major relationships such as those between the economy and society, the government and the market, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, and development and security. It must make systematic plans and act after deliberation, be adept at accurately grasping the strategic priorities of reform from the contradictory movement of the unity of opposites, rationally arrange the sequence, pace, and timing of reform measures, seek the optimal balance between abolishing old malpractices and establishing new systems, realize a dynamic balance where establishment contains breaking and breaking contains establishment, and strive to enhance the systemic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reform.

进一步全面深化改革是一项极为宏大的系统工程，零敲碎打调整不行，碎片化修补也不行，必须是各领域改革的联动和集成，在国家治理体系和治理能力现代化上形成总体效应、取得总体效果。为此，改革要把着力点摆在推动生产关系和生产力、上层建筑和经济基础、国家治理和社会发展更好相适应上，处理好经济和社会、政府和市场、效率和公平、活力和秩序、发展和安全等重大关系，系统布局、谋定而动，善于从对立统一的矛盾运动中准确把握改革的战略重点，合理安排改革举措的先后顺序、节奏时机，在革除旧弊与确立新制之间寻求最佳平衡点，实现立中有破、破中有立的动态平衡，努力增强改革的系统性、整体性、协同性。

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized, “You cannot first throw away the rice bowl you are holding in your hand, only to find that you have not yet obtained a new one.” Reform must take “establishing” as the priority, actively establishing what should be established. Establishing before breaking, balancing the new and the old, stability and progress, the present and the long term, aims at seeking progress while maintaining stability and promoting stability through progress; it is an important measure to ensure the continuity and stability of reform and development. “Establishing first” emphasizes stability, first establishing a series of policies and institutional arrangements that help stabilize expectations, growth, and employment within the general direction and framework, drawing a relatively clear and predictable blueprint for reform for society. “Breaking later” aims to identify and eliminate old systems and policies that do not meet the requirements of transforming the development model, adjusting the structure, improving quality, and increasing efficiency, with the purpose of better “progress” and promoting stability through progress. Emphasizing “establishing first” does not mean not “breaking”; rather, it means, through analysis and research, on the basis of proposing effective new concepts, models, and mechanisms, gradually eliminating the crux of problems, ensuring both the stability of the governance system and the enhancement of governance capacity, and promoting the steady and sustained progress of reform.

习近平总书记强调，“不能把手里吃饭的家伙先扔了，结果新的吃饭家伙还没拿到手”。改革要坚持“立”字当头，把该立的积极主动立起来。先立后破，兼顾新与旧、稳与进、当前与长远，目的在于稳中求进、以进促稳，是确保改革发展连续性和稳定性的重要举措。“先立”强调稳定，在大方向、大框架上先行确立一系列有助于稳预期、稳增长、稳就业的政策和制度安排，为社会擘画出相对明晰且可预期的改革蓝图。“后破”旨在针对不符合转方式、调结构、提质量、增效益要求的旧体制、旧政策进行甄别和剔除，目的是更好地“进”，以进促稳。强调“先立”不是不“破”，而是要通过分析和研究，在提出有效的新观念、新模式、新机制基础上，逐步破除问题症结，既确保治理体系的稳定，又促进治理能力的提升，推动改革行稳致远。

(Author: Qin Long, Deputy Director of the Tianjin Normal University Base of the Tianjin Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and Vice President of Tianjin Normal University)

（作者：秦龙，系天津市中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心天津师范大学基地副主任、天津师范大学副校长）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧