How Mao Zedong Understood and Practiced "Seeking Truth from Facts" in His Early Years

On September 17, 2020, when inspecting Yuelu Academy, Xi Jinping looked at the plaque inscribed with "seeking truth from facts

2020年9月17日，习近平在考察岳麓书院时，望着讲堂前檐上的“实事求是”匾额说：“毛主席当年就是在这里熏陶出来的，实事求是就来源于这里。……这里面的道路一定要搞清楚，一定要把真理本土化。”回顾历史，我们可以清晰地看到，中国共产党实事求是思想路线的形成，是同毛泽东对实事求是的认识和实践紧密联系在一起的。而毛泽东对实事求是的认识历程，又以他在1920年夏成为一个坚定的马克思主义者为标志，可区分为前后两个既相互区别又紧密联系的阶段。要深刻认识毛泽东对实事求是进行马克思主义的创造性转化和革命性升华的历史必然，就不能不弄清楚毛泽东早年是怎样认识和践行实事求是的。只有正确地理解了毛泽东早年对实事求是的认识和践行历程，才能更深刻地认识党的实事求是思想路线形成的深厚底蕴，才能更深刻地理解习近平在岳麓书院关于毛泽东与实事求是关系的重要论述。

I. Mao Zedong’s Understanding of Seeking Truth from Facts Began with His Reading of Zheng Guanying’s *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* in Shaoshan

一、毛泽东对实事求是的认识是从他在韶山阅读郑观应的《盛世危言》开始的

Mao Zedong’s earliest cognition of “seeking truth from facts” should have begun with his reading of *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* (*Shengshi Weiyan*) written by Zheng Guanying. In 1907, at the age of 14, Mao Zedong left school to engage in farm labor as required by his father. It was around this time that he borrowed some books from his cousin Wen Yunchang, the most important of which was *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* by the early reformist Zheng Guanying. Mao later recalled: “I read a book I liked very much, called *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age*.” According to incomplete statistics, the book mentions “seeking truth from facts” a total of 12 times, and explicitly takes “seeking truth from facts” as the basic basis and method for analyzing things and problems.

毛泽东对“实事求是”的认知，最早应当是从阅读郑观应撰写的《盛世危言》开始的。1907年，14岁的毛泽东按照父亲的要求，离开学校参加田间劳动。也就是在这个时候，他从表兄文运昌那里借来了一些书，其中最重要的一本就是早期改良主义者郑观应所写的《盛世危言》。后来毛泽东回忆说：“我这样读了一本我很喜欢的书，叫做《盛世危言》。”据不完全统计，这本书里共12处提到了“实事求是”，并明确把“实事求是”作为分析事物和问题的基本依据与方法。

To clarify the relationship between Mao Zedong’s early cognition of “seeking truth from facts” and *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age*, one must first clarify how Zheng Guanying discussed seeking truth from facts in that book. In summary, the connotation of “seeking truth from facts” as discussed in *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* is mainly reflected in the following three aspects:

要弄清楚毛泽东早年对“实事求是”的认知与《盛世危言》的关系，就必须首先弄清楚郑观应在《盛世危言》中是怎么论述实事求是的。概括来看，《盛世危言》中所讲的“实事求是”，其内涵主要体现在以下三个方面：

First, seeking truth from facts means basing oneself on reality and not indulging in empty talk. For example, in the chapter “Naval Forces” (*Shuishi*), Zheng Guanying advocated that the cultivation of naval talent should combine school education with practical training on ships. When discussing the benefits of training on ships, he said: “Training on ships has several advantages: seeking truth from facts, not indulging in empty talk, advantage one.” Clearly, seeking truth from facts here means combining the learning of book knowledge with concrete application in reality, “not letting people stay long in schools, indulging in leisure and wasting time.” Another example: in the chapter “Newspapers” (*Ribao*), Zheng Guanying said: “Those who wield the pen have the power to uphold fair criticism, to record events directly and truthfully, seeking truth from facts, and then right and wrong will be distinguished of themselves, truth and falsehood will appear of themselves, and there will certainly be no wild words, nonsense, or baseless fabrications interspersed among them, so that the people will trust without doubt.” Newspapers, weeklies, monthlies, and other periodicals were new things that emerged in the process of industrialization in modern Western countries for the timely dissemination of various kinds of information. Zheng Guanying believed that newspapers played an important role and significance in “making the people’s hidden feelings fully known and the people’s sentiments fully understood.” So how should newspapers be run? Zheng Guanying proposed the principle of “recording events directly and truthfully, seeking truth from facts,” believing that only in this way could right and wrong be distinguished, wild words and nonsense be avoided, and people’s trust be won. Here, seeking truth from facts means “basing oneself on facts, recording events directly and truthfully,” referring to the necessity for speech and writing to be based on objective facts and to correctly reflect the true nature of things, rather than being empty talk or falsehoods divorced from reality.

一是认为实事求是就是立足实际、不尚空谈。比如，郑观应在《水师》篇中，主张海军人才的培养应当把学堂教育与登舰历练结合起来，在讲到登舰练习的好处时，他说：“盖在船练习，利有数端：实事求是，不尚虚谈，利一。”很显然，这里所说的实事求是，就是把书本知识的学习与现实中的具体运用结合起来，“勿使久于学堂耽安闲而糜岁月”。又比如，在《日报》篇中，郑观应说：“盖秉笔者有主持清议之权，据事直书，实事求是，而曲直自分，是非自见，必无妄言谰语、子虚乌有之谈，以参错其间，然后民信不疑。”日报、周报、月报等报纸是近代西方国家在工业化过程中出现的及时传播各类信息的新事物，郑观应认为报纸在“民隐悉通，民情悉达”方面具有重要的作用和意义。那么如何办报呢?郑观应提出了“据事直书，实事求是”的原则，认为只有这样才能分清是非曲直，才能避免妄言谰语，才能赢得人们的信任。在这里，实事求是的意思是“立足事实、据事直书”，指说话和写文章必须以客观事实为依据，必须正确地反映事物的本来面目，而不是脱离实际的空谈妄语。

Second, seeking truth from facts means learning for application and unifying learning and application. In the chapter “Examinations” (*Kaoshi*), Zheng Guanying wrote: “Regardless of the talent or skill, the general expectation is seeking truth from facts; what one says while seated, one can immediately rise and put into practice.” This means that Western countries emphasize the integration of learning and application in education; no matter what kind of talent is cultivated, the general requirement is “seeking truth from facts,” that is, achieving learning for application and the unity of learning and application. The purpose of his saying this was to change the long-standing situation in talent cultivation where “what is learned is not used, and what is used is not learned.” From this passage, we can clearly see that he linked seeking truth from facts with “saying while seated” and “rising to practice,” with the unity of learning and application and the unity of knowledge and action. This should be consistent with what we today call the integration of theory and practice.

二是认为实事求是就是学以致用、学用统一。郑观应在《考试》这篇文章中，有这么一段话：“无论一材一艺，总期实事求是，坐而言者即可起而行。”意思是说西方各国在教育上是重视学用结合的，无论培养什么方面的人才，总的要求就是“实事求是”，即做到学以致用、学用一致。他讲这段话的目的是改变以往在人才培养上长期存在的“所学非所用，所用非所学”的状况。我们从这段话中可以清晰地看到，他把实事求是与“坐而言之”与“起而行之”联系起来，与学用一致、知行统一联系在一起，这与我们今天所说的理论与实践相结合应当是一致的。

Third, whether one can achieve seeking truth from facts is a major matter concerning the rise and fall of the state. In his essay “China Should Seek the Study of Natural Sciences” (*Zhongguo Yi Qiu Gezhi zhi Xue Lun*), Zheng Guanying said: “As time goes on, if one exclusively esteems empty formalities and cannot seek truth from facts, learning will decline, and the national power will accordingly be unable to revive.” He believed that whether in China or the West, there was a common cause for the rise and fall of states, closely related to the implementation of “practical learning” (*shixue*) of “investigating things to acquire knowledge” (*zhizhi gewu*) and the “empty formalities” (*xuwen*) of the “eight-legged essay” (*bagu zhi lun*). [1]1 The “eight-legged essay” (*bagu wen*) was a rigid, formulaic style of composition required for the imperial civil service examinations in China from the Ming dynasty onward, often criticized for stifling original thought and practical learning. He also said in the preface to *On Exploring the Source of National Wealth* (*Xu “Fuguo Tanyuan Lun”*): “In ancient times, Greece was the earliest to establish a state. Its efforts to encourage agriculture and commerce were quite painstaking, and its culture and literature surpassed those of other states; it is only a pity that it indulged in lofty discussions and empty debates, only esteeming oral Zen, and in matters of government could not seek truth from facts.” He believed that Greece, as the origin of Western civilization, why did it go from prosperity to decline? The reason, he argued, was that Greece had long been mired in debates over names and realities, esteeming empty formalities and being unable to seek truth from facts. He also linked whether to learn the Western “study of investigating things to acquire knowledge” (*gezhi zhi xue*) of seeking truth from facts with China’s rise and fall, pointing out: “Since the Three Dynasties, [2]2 The “Three Dynasties” (*sandai*) refers to the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, often idealized in traditional Chinese historiography as a golden age of virtuous governance and practical learning. customs were honest and sincere, and scholars in schools all sought practical learning. … Descending to the Tang and Song dynasties, literary embellishment gradually became esteemed, and practical learning was no longer emphasized. To this day, the eight-legged essay is exclusively esteemed. Those above seek it this way, those below respond accordingly, exhausting the useful energy of a lifetime, all dissipated in the midst of current examination essays.” Zheng Guanying believed that the Western “study of investigating things to acquire knowledge” (natural sciences) sought “seeking truth from facts,” characterized by being practical rather than empty, and that whether one could “seek truth from facts” was a major issue concerning the rise and fall of the state.

三是认为能否做到实事求是是关系国家盛衰的大事。郑观应在《中国宜求格致之学论》中说：“及至日久，专尚虚文，不能实事求是，学业骎衰，国势因亦不振。”他认为不论是中国还是西方，导致国家盛衰有一个共同的原因，与实行“致知格物”的“实学”和“八股之论”的“虚文”是有着密切关系的。他还在《序〈富国探源论〉》中说：“古者希腊立国最早，劝农务商之计，颇费经营，且教化文章胜于各国；独惜其高谈清议，仅尚口头之禅，而于政事之间不能实事求是。”他认为希腊作为西方文明的源头，为什么会由盛而衰呢?究其原因就是因为希腊长期陷入了高谈阔论的名实之辩中，崇尚虚文，不能实事求是。他还把是否学习西方实事求是的“格致之学”与中国的盛衰相联系，指出：“三代以来，风俗敦庞，学校之士无不讲求实学。……降而唐、宋，渐尚辞章，而实学不讲，至今更专尚制艺。上以此求，下以此应，将毕生有用之精力，尽消磨于时文试帖之中。”郑观应认为，西方的“格致之学”（自然科学）讲求的就是“实事求是”，其特点是务实而不是务虚，并认为能否“实事求是”是关系国家兴衰变化的大问题。

It is particularly noteworthy that in the chapter “Border Defense” (*Bianfang*), Zheng Guanying linked “seeking truth from facts” with “revitalizing China” (*zhenxing Zhonghua*), proposing that “seeking truth from facts” is the prerequisite for “revitalizing China.” He said: “To revitalize the national polity of China, one must begin with seeking truth from facts; to seek truth from facts, one must begin with borrowing methods for self-strengthening; to borrow methods for self-strengthening, one must begin with noble relatives and important ministers traveling to various countries, diligently studying arts, crafts, and the principles of governance. Only then will China perhaps be saved.” Zheng Guanying believed that an important reason for China’s defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), ceding territory and paying indemnities, was that “Chinese officials and ministers mostly rely on temper and are self-conceited, exclusively engaged in empty affairs, arrogant and self-important,” especially those high-ranking dignitaries whose “conduct and intentions are such that not a single one understands current affairs and possesses true talent,” “there are only these people who are unfamiliar with foreign affairs and merely read dead books.” So how could China achieve “turning weakness into strength, turning defeat into success”? The prescription Zheng Guanying offered was “seeking truth from facts.” Here, he linked “seeking truth from facts” with “revitalizing China,” which is extremely thought-provoking to read.

特别值得注意的是，在《边防》篇中，郑观应把“实事求是”与“振兴中华”相联系，提出了“实事求是”是“振兴中华”的前提。他说：“欲振兴中华之国体，当从实事求是始；欲实事求是，当从借法自强始；欲借法自强，当从贵戚重臣遨游列国，精习艺学治道始。如是，中国其庶几乎。”郑观应认为导致甲午战败、割地赔款的一个重要原因，就是“中国臣工多恃气而自矜，专务虚，庞然自大”，尤其是那些身居高位的名公巨卿们“居心行事，竟无一人焉识时务而具真才者”，“乃只有此不谙外务、徒读死书之流”。那么，中国如何才能实现“转弱而为强，转败而为功”呢?郑观应开出的药方就是“实事求是”。在这里，他把“实事求是”与“振兴中华”联系在一起，读来极其耐人寻味。

Although Zheng Guanying’s series of expositions did not clearly define the specific connotation and epistemological significance of “seeking truth from facts,” from his concrete application of seeking truth from facts, it is evident that seeking truth from facts was no longer a simple proposition of textual criticism. In his view, seeking truth from facts was the unity of ancient China’s “study of investigating things to acquire knowledge” and the modern Western ethos of basing oneself on facts and emphasizing practicality. Its core was to stress reality and oppose falsehood, to combine learning and application, and to unify knowledge and action. As for whether one could achieve seeking truth from facts, it was no longer merely a question of whether one could acquire true learning, but a major matter concerning the success or failure of the state’s rise and fall and whether the nation could be revitalized. It should be said that these ideas were quite profound. Here, “seeking truth from facts” had already far exceeded the scope of textual criticism and acquired implications of epistemology and methodology.

郑观应的一系列论述，虽然没有明确界定“实事求是”的具体内涵和认识论意义，但从他对实事求是的具体运用来看，实事求是显然已不是一个简单的考据学命题了。在他看来，实事求是就是中国古代的“格致之学”与现代西方立足事实、注重实用之风的统一，核心就是讲求实际、反对虚妄，就是学用结合、知行统一。至于能否做到实事求是，已不仅仅是一个能否求得真学问的问题，而是一个关系国家兴衰成败和民族能否振兴的大事。应当说这些思想是比较深刻的，在这里“实事求是”已经远远超出了考据学的范畴，具有了认识论和方法论的意蕴。

The book *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* had an extraordinary relationship with Mao Zedong, and its influence on him was also very profound, mainly reflected in:

《盛世危言》这本书与毛泽东有着非同寻常的关系，对其影响也是非常深刻的，主要体现在：

First, the borrowing period was exceptionally long. According to the *Chronicle of Mao Zedong*, Mao borrowed *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* [3]3 *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* (《盛世危言》) is a reformist treatise by Zheng Guanying (1842–1922), a late Qing scholar-official, advocating political, economic, and educational modernization. from his cousin Wen Yunchang in 1907–1908, and returned it on February 24, 1915 (that is, during the Spring Festival when Mao returned to Shaoshan from the Hunan Provincial First Normal School). In the note he attached when returning the book, Mao specifically explained, “*Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* has lost its cloth cover… I am deeply sorry and beg your forgiveness.” This shows that the interval from borrowing to returning the book was as long as eight years. One could say the borrowing period was indeed not short. Then, during those eight years, it is likely that he read it many times over.

一是借阅的时间尤长。据《毛泽东年谱》记载，毛泽东从表兄文运昌那里借到《盛世危言》的时间在1907—1908年，而还书的时间则是1915年2月24日（即在毛泽东从湖南省立第一师范学校回韶山过春节期间归还）。毛泽东在还书的便条中，还特别说明“《盛世危言》失布匣，……抱歉之至，尚希原谅”。这说明《盛世危言》这本书从借到还，间隔的时间有8年之久。可以说借阅的时间确实不短。那么，在这8年间，想必应该是阅读了很多遍的。

Second, the degree of fondness was exceptionally deep. From the time he began private school, Mao read the traditional classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics [4]4 The Four Books and Five Classics (四书五经) are the canonical texts of Confucianism, forming the core of traditional Chinese education., but he was not very interested in these canonical texts. Instead, he was captivated by certain “miscellaneous books” outside the classics, and *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* was one that Mao deeply loved at the time. In 1936, in his conversation with Edgar Snow, he said that his father was “very angry” about his reading books outside the classics, “considering reading such books a waste of time,” while *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* was “a book I liked very much.” “Often at night, I would cover my window so that my father could not see the lamplight.” It is evident that *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* deeply captivated Mao, and his fondness for this book was extraordinary.

二是喜爱的程度尤深。毛泽东从私塾上学开始，读的是四书五经这些传统经典，但他对这些经书并不十分感兴趣，对经典之外的一些“杂书”却爱不释手，而《盛世危言》就是当时深受毛泽东喜爱的一本书。1936年，他在同斯诺谈话时说，对于读经典之外的书，他的父亲是“十分生气”的，“认为读这一类的书是浪费时间的”，而《盛世危言》就是“我很喜欢的书”，“在深夜，我常把我的窗门遮盖起来，所以我的父亲看不见灯光”。可见，《盛世危言》是深深地吸引了毛泽东的，他对这本书的喜爱程度是超乎寻常的。

Third, the impact it produced was exceptionally great. The influence of *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* on Mao must be understood in terms of his suspension and resumption of schooling. According to the customs of rural China at the time, a boy of fourteen or fifteen was considered a grown laborer and should work in the fields alongside adults. Thus, in 1907, when Mao was fourteen, he stopped his studies at his father’s behest and began participating in productive labor with adults. Mao recalled: “Finally, at thirteen, I left primary school and began to work long hours in the fields, helping the hired laborers. During the day I did a full man’s work, and at night I kept the accounts for my father.” It was precisely when Mao began participating in field labor that he read *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age*, which in turn rekindled a strong desire for learning. He returned to school and, in the autumn of 1910, left Shaoshan to continue his studies at the Dongshan Higher Primary School in Xiangxiang County. Regarding the reason for this transition from suspension to resumption of schooling, Mao said: “*Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* continued to stimulate my desire for learning.” It is evident that it was precisely because this book greatly broadened Mao’s horizons and aroused his strong wish to resume his studies that he was led toward a broader world.

三是产生的影响尤大。《盛世危言》对毛泽东的影响要从他的停学和复学说起。按照当时中国农村的习惯，十四五岁的男子就是一个长成的劳动力了，应当同成年人一样下地干活。所以，1907年毛泽东14岁的时候，便按照父亲的意志停止学业，并同成年人一起参加生产劳动了。对此，毛泽东回忆说：“最后我在十三岁离开小学，开始在田中做长时间的工作，帮雇工的忙，白天完全做着大人的工作，晚上代父亲记账。”也就在毛泽东开始参加田间生产劳动的时候，他读到了《盛世危言》这本书，由此他又产生了强烈求学的欲望，重新回到了学校学习，并于1910年秋离开韶山，进入湘乡县立东山高等小学堂继续读书。对于这段从停学到复学的缘由，毛泽东是这样说的：“《盛世危言》继续动引我求学的欲望。”可见，正是因为《盛世危言》这本书极大地开阔了毛泽东的视野，激起了他恢复学业的强烈愿望，由此使他走向了一个更为广阔的天地。

Thus, it can be seen that at a critical turning point in Mao’s life, *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* had a major impact on his development. Regarding his cousin Wen Yunchang, who had lent him the book to read, Mao later said: “I am very grateful to my cousin.”

可见，在毛泽东正处于人生转折关头的时候，《盛世危言》这本书对他的成长是产生了重大影响的。对于当年给他借书阅读的表兄文运昌，毛泽东后来说：“我很感激我的老表。”

Since *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age* was a book that Mao read for such a long time, liked so deeply, and was so greatly influenced by, the viewpoint of “seeking truth from facts” (实事求是), which the book repeatedly emphasized, could not have failed to attract Mao’s attention or to influence him. It can be said that it was precisely this book, *Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age*, that first brought Mao into contact with the concept of “seeking truth from facts” and acquainted him with this attitude and method of understanding and analyzing problems.

既然《盛世危言》是毛泽东阅读时间如此之长、喜爱程度如此之深、对其产生影响如此之大的一本书，那么书中所反复强调的“实事求是”观点，不可能不引起毛泽东的注意，不可能不对毛泽东产生影响。可以说，正是《盛世危言》这本书，使毛泽东最早接触到了“实事求是”这个概念，知道了“实事求是”这个认识问题和分析问题的态度和方法。

II. Mao’s Understanding of Seeking Truth from Facts Was Closely Related to His Study Experience at Dongshan School

二、毛泽东对实事求是的认识是同他在东山学校的学习经历紧密相关的

Xiangxiang County Dongshan Higher Primary School was the first place of study Mao came to after leaving Shaoshan Chong. This school, when its establishment was first proposed in 1890, was called “Dongshan Jing She,” later renamed “Dongshan Academy,” and in 1905 renamed “Dongshan Higher Primary School” (after the founding of New China, it was renamed “Dongshan School,” a name it still uses today). Against the backdrop of the abolition of the imperial examination system and the promotion of new-style education, this was one of the earliest batch of landmark new-style schools founded in Hunan and even in the whole country. The school’s founders were a group of enlightened individuals who advocated developing new-style education. They broke free from the constraints of traditional educational concepts, believing that by learning from the West and seeking truth from facts, they could cultivate talents of practical use suited to the needs of the country and the times. Examining the *Petition* submitted by the school’s founders to the Hunan governor for the establishment of Dongshan Jing She, the *Regulations of Xiangxiang Dongshan Jing She* (hereinafter referred to as the *Regulations*), the *Record of Dongshan Academy*, and the bound volumes of the *Xinmin Congbao* [5]5 *Xinmin Congbao* (《新民丛报》) was a reformist journal published by Liang Qichao (1873–1929) in Japan from 1902 to 1907, promoting constitutional monarchy and national renewal. that Mao read there, we can deeply feel the important influence of Dongshan School’s educational philosophy of “seeking truth from facts” and its academic atmosphere on Mao.

湘乡县立东山高等小学堂是毛泽东走出韶山冲之后来到的第一个求学之地。这所学校1890年倡议筹办时叫“东山精舍”，后改称“东山书院”，1905年易名为“东山高等小学堂”（新中国成立后又改称“东山学校”并一直沿用至今）。在废除科举、兴办新学背景下，这是一所在湖南乃至全国最早一批创办的具有标志性意义的新式学堂。学校的创办者是一批主张发展新式教育的开明人士，他们突破传统教育观念的束缚，认为通过学习西方、实事求是，就能培养出适合国家和时代需要的经世致用之才。翻阅当时学校主办者为创办东山精舍上书湖南巡抚的《禀文》、《湘乡东山精舍章程》（以下简称《章程》）、《东山书院记》和毛泽东在这里读过的《新民丛报》合订本，我们可以深切地感受到东山学校“实事求是”的办学理念、学习风气对毛泽东的重要影响。

First, we can see the concept of “seeking truth from facts” in the *Petition* submitted by the founders of Dongshan Jing She to Hunan Governor Chen Baozhen in January 1896 (the twelfth month of the 21st year of the Guangxu reign). This *Petition* elaborated on the reasons for establishing the school, its educational philosophy, and its training objectives. In explaining why Dongshan Jing She was to be founded, the *Petition* emphasized that it was precisely to learn from the experience of Western countries in order to save the nation from subjugation and strengthen it, stating: “The rise and fall of a state depends on its talent; the flourishing or decline of talent depends on schools.” “Examining the rise of Western countries, in everything from educating scholars, training farmers, promoting commerce, and examining crafts, to the army and navy, none do not have people enter schools to study, collectively understand their principles, become familiar with their instruments, and personally engage in these affairs. They derive everything from learning; if a boy or girl over five does not enter school, their parents are punished; each person masters one skill and can put it to use. That they dominate the seas is certainly not merely due to their strong ships and powerful guns.” The *Petition* believed that Japan was able to transform from a weak country into a strong one because it “vigorously implemented Western methods, thereby initiating the Meiji Restoration. With practical learning comes true talent, so it could rise vigorously and repeatedly display its military prowess. China, on the other hand, follows old habits, devotes itself to empty formalities without seeking practical learning, and has never understood the principles of things, often being controlled by the foreigners. Thus, to revitalize the country, strengthen the military, enrich the people, and increase wealth, there is no alternative but to encourage learning to cultivate talent.” Then, what method should be used to run schools and cultivate talent? The *Petition* clearly put forward the educational philosophy of “seeking truth from facts” (实事以求是) and “investigating things to exhaust principles” (即物而穷理), stating: “However, when things are exhausted, change is necessary. If we do not seek truth from facts and investigate things to exhaust principles, I fear the academy will ultimately become a mere formality. How can it then cultivate talent?” The purpose of establishing Dongshan Jing She was to “train scholars by specialization, establishing four departments: mathematics, natural sciences, foreign languages, and commerce, teaching them with practical matters and assessing them with practical achievements. In this way, the general atmosphere will be greatly opened, correcting its emptiness and crudeness. By specializing in what they study, they will naturally become proficient through diligence, sufficient to cultivate practical talent.” It held that as long as one “follows the principles of Chinese righteousness and supplements them with the techniques of Western wealth and power, then the Way and the implements will be unified, talent will flourish day by day, and there will surely emerge outstanding and extraordinary individuals.” It is noteworthy that this *Petition* not only explicitly raised the concept of “seeking truth from facts” but also closely linked it with “investigating things to exhaust principles,” thereby embodying the latest concept, formed since the debate between Han Learning and Song Learning in the Qing Dynasty, of unifying “seeking truth from facts” and “investigating things to exhaust principles.”

首先，我们可以从1896年1月（光绪二十一年十二月）东山精舍创办者呈报给湖南巡抚陈宝箴的办学《禀文》中看到“实事求是”的理念。这个《禀文》对办学缘由、办学理念、培养目标等作了具体阐述。在讲到为什么要创办东山精舍时，《禀文》强调就是为了学习西方国家的经验以实现救亡图强，指出：“国家之隆替，系乎人才；人才之盛衰，由于学校。”“考西国之兴，凡课士、训农、通商、考工，与陆军、水师，无不入学堂读书，共明其理，习见其器，而躬亲其事。彼一切取成于学，男、女五岁不入学者，即罪其父母；人专一艺，而能致用。是其纵横海上，固非徒恃船坚炮利也。”《禀文》认为日本之所以能够由弱国走向强国，是因为“力行西法，遂启维新，有实学即有真材，故能勃然以兴，屡耀其武。而中国反蹈常习，故务虚文而不求实学，未尝讲明事理，往往受制于洋人。然则欲兴国而强兵、足民而丰财，非劝学以育才”。那么，用什么样的方法来办学育才呢?《禀文》明确提出了“实事以求是”“即物而穷理”的办学理念，指出：“然穷变则通，苟非实事以求是，即物而穷理，恐书院究成虚设，何以造就人才?”举办东山精舍就是要“分科造士，为算学、格致、方言、商务四斋，教之以实事，程之以实功。庶几风气大开，矫其空陋，专习所学，自然业精于勤，足以养成实材”，认为只要“循中国义理之学，辅以泰西富强之术，则道器一贯，人才自蒸蒸日上，必有魁奇桀俊出其中”。值得注意的是，这篇《禀文》不仅明确提出了“实事以求是”的概念，而且把它同“即物而穷理”紧密联系在一起，从而体现了清代汉学与宋学之争以来形成的“实事求是”与“即物穷理”相统一的最新观念。

Secondly, we can see the specific requirements of "seeking truth from facts" in the *Charter* formulated by the founders at that time. The *Charter* consisted of 24 articles, and its main points are reflected in the following three aspects: First, it proposed to "value practicality in learning and combine learning with practice." The *Charter* stated, "Learning is achieved through inquiry, and talent is forged through tempering." To achieve "valuing practicality in learning," the school, while purchasing books on Western natural sciences, also "acquired Western instruments and equipment for physics and manufacturing to facilitate testing and verification." To achieve the combination of learning and practice, the *Charter* also proposed that "students of the Jing She [Refined Lodge] should gather with friends for lectures and discussions to enhance virtue, following in the footsteps of Wen Zheng [Zeng Guofan]." [6]6 Zeng Guofan (1811-1872), a prominent Qing dynasty statesman and military leader from Hunan, known for his emphasis on practical statecraft and moral cultivation. "Wen Zheng" is his posthumous title. That is, to unify "seeking truth from facts" with "investigating things to exhaust their principles," and "lecturing in the capital" with "training in Hunan," thereby integrating learning with practice, and study with national salvation. Second, it proposed to "base oneself on reality and humbly seek truth." The *Charter* required students to "focus on the great and the far-reaching, not to dispute between Han Learning and Song Learning, [7]7 Han Learning (Hanxue) refers to a school of Confucian scholarship emphasizing philological and textual criticism, dominant in the Qing dynasty. Song Learning (Songxue) refers to the Neo-Confucian school of the Song dynasty, focusing on metaphysical principle (li) and moral cultivation. not to distinguish between Chinese and foreign, to humbly seek truth, to be dedicated to their work and enjoy the company of others, then learning will surely succeed." It required students to base themselves on reality, "not to be stubborn or dogmatic, to learn broadly and inquire carefully, to elucidate the principles and thoroughly investigate them." Third, it proposed to "be proficient in both Chinese and Western learning, understand the substance and apply it in practice." The *Charter* stated that teachers should be "excellent in both character and learning, proficient in both Chinese and Western knowledge," and "scholars should aim to understand the substance and apply it in practice," "this is to promote China's practical learning, to transform Western learning into Chinese learning, not to abandon one's own learning and follow Western learning." The goal was to cultivate practical talents who were well-versed in both Chinese and Western learning, understood the substance, and could apply it. In response, the then Hunan Provincial Governor commented in his approval: "The Dongshan Jing She's pursuit of practical learning shows great foresight. The proposed charter, which takes moral principles as the substance and the investigation of things as the function, is also comprehensive and well-regulated." Overall, this charter was one imbued with a strong flavor of "seeking truth from facts."

其次，我们可以从当时筹办者制定的《章程》中看到“实事求是”的具体要求。《章程》共24条，其要旨主要体现在以下三个方面：一是提出要“学宜崇实，学练结合”。《章程》指出，“学业以讲求而成，人才以摩厉而出”，为了做到“学宜崇实”，学校在购买西方自然科学方面书籍的同时，“购泰西仪器及格致制造各学器具，以资考验”。为了做到学练结合，《章程》还提出，“精舍诸生，会友讲习以辅仁，而追随乎文正”，也就是说要像曾国藩那样把“实事求是”与“即物穷理”、“讲学于京师”与“讲练于湖湘”统一起来，做到学习与实践、求学与救国相结合。二是提出要“立足现实，虚心求是”。《章程》要求学生要“务其大者、远者，不争汉、宋，不分中、外，虚心以求是，敬业乐群，则学必有成”。要求学生立足实际，“勿固勿必，博学审问，讲明其理而切究之”。三是提出“中西兼通，明体达用”。《章程》提出，师者要“品学俱优、中西兼通”，“学者期于明体达用”，“是乃昌明中国实学，将以西学化为中学，非弃其学而从西学也”。目的就是要培养学贯中西、明体达用的实用型人才。对此，当时湖南巡抚在批复中说：“东山精舍讲求实学，所见甚为远大。所议章程，以义理为体，以格致为用，亦均周妥有法。”总的说来，这个章程是一个具有很浓的“实事求是”味道的章程。

Thirdly, we can feel the profound influence of "seeking truth from facts" from the inscription of the *Record of Dongshan Academy* [8]8 Dongshan Academy (Dongshan Shuyuan), later Dongshan School, was a new-style academy founded in Xiangxiang County, Hunan, in the 1890s, which combined traditional Confucian learning with Western subjects. embedded in the corridor wall on the left side of the main hall of the academy. This "stele record," still hanging on the wall today, was written in 1897 (the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign) by Chen Wucui, then the magistrate of Xiangxiang County. It recounts the founding process, educational purpose, and expectations for nurturing talent of the academy. In this 600-character inscription, there is this passage: "In the various Western countries, whether in agriculture, industry, commerce, or military preparedness, there is no field without learning, and for scholars it is particularly detailed. They are able to seek truth from facts, and thus dominate the five continents. Our nation is revitalizing culture and education, establishing various primary and secondary schools in all provinces, prefectures, departments, and counties to cultivate talent. The intention is profound and far-reaching." The meaning of this passage is that the strength of Western countries stems from universal education and the cultivation of talent, and the education in these countries emphasizes "seeking truth from facts." This is the reason they could become strong and dominate the world. Its purpose was to say that for our country to escape backwardness and become strong, we should emulate Western countries and cultivate specialized, useful talents according to the method of "seeking truth from facts."

再次，我们可以从嵌刻在书院正厅左侧廊壁上的《东山书院记》碑文中感受到“实事求是”的深刻影响力。这块至今还挂在墙上的“碑记”是1897年（光绪二十三年）由时任湘乡县知县陈吴萃撰写的，记述了书院的创办过程、办学宗旨和育人期望。在这篇600字的碑文中，有这么一段话：“泰西诸国，若农、若工、若商、若兵备，莫不有学，而于士尤详，用能实事求是，以称雄于五大洲。我国家振兴文教，凡直省、府、厅、州、县，创设大小蒙养各学堂，所以培植人材者，意深远矣。”这段话的意思是说，西方各国的强盛，是因为普及教育、培养人才的缘故，而这些国家的教育讲求的是“实事求是”，这就是他们能够强大起来并称雄于世界的原因。其目的是说，我们国家要摆脱落后走向强大，就应当效仿西方国家，按照“实事求是”的办法培养学有专长的有用人才。

Finally, when discussing the influence of "seeking truth from facts" on Mao Zedong during his studies at Dongshan School, one more thing must be mentioned: his borrowing and reading of *Xinmin Congbao* [The New Citizen] from his cousin Wen Yunchang. *Xinmin Congbao*, a semimonthly reformist publication with significant influence, was founded by Liang Qichao in Japan in February 1902. From its inception, Liang Qichao, using the pen name "Zhongguo zhi Xinmin" [The New Citizen of China], published his *Xinmin Shuo* [On the New Citizen] and *On the General Trend of Chinese Academic Thought Changes*, among others. In *On the General Trend of Chinese Academic Thought Changes*, when discussing modern academic thought, Liang Qichao said: "Scholars of our dynasty took seeking truth from facts as the goal of learning, possessing a considerable spirit of science... What is this spirit of science? It is being good at doubting, good at seeking questions, unwilling to blindly follow the established theories of the ancients or one's own subjective conjectures, but must strive to find where true right and wrong lie." When discussing the academic thought of Yan Xizhai, [9]9 Yan Xizhai (Yan Yuan, 1635-1704), a Qing dynasty Confucian philosopher who criticized the abstract speculation of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism and advocated a return to practical, hands-on learning and moral action. a representative figure of the practical learning school in the early Qing dynasty, Liang Qichao said: "He said: To regard lecturing and reading as seeking the Way is a thousand *li* off; to regard books as the Way is ten thousand *li* off. His learning somewhat resembles the school of skepticism, personally engaging in every matter, practicing every thing, to seek the truth... To apply the phrase 'seeking truth from facts' only to books, which Xizhai considered ten thousand *li* off from the Way, how pained Xizhai would be!" At that time, *Xinmin Congbao* had a tremendous influence on Mao Zedong. Mao said that regarding *Xinmin Congbao*, "I read it over and over until I could recite it," and stated, "I worshipped Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao." [10]10 Kang Youwei (1858-1927) and Liang Qichao (1873-1929) were leading Chinese reformist intellectuals and political figures in the late Qing dynasty, advocating for constitutional monarchy and modernization. It was precisely out of admiration for Liang Qichao's (styled Rengong) clear-cut propositions and sharp writing style that Mao Zedong specifically adopted the pen name "Ziren" [Son of Ren], to express his ambition of taking the world as his responsibility. Then, for Mao Zedong, who "read it over and over" and could "recite" Liang Qichao's articles, it was impossible for the "seeking truth from facts" mentioned in Liang Qichao's articles not to leave an ideological imprint.

最后，在讲毛泽东在东山学校学习期间受到实事求是的影响时，还有一件事不能不说，那就是他从表兄文运昌那里借来阅读《新民丛报》这件事。《新民丛报》半月刊是梁启超1902年2月在日本创办的影响颇巨的改良派刊物，从创刊开始，梁启超就以“中国之新民”的笔名，发表了他的《新民说》和《论中国学术思想变迁之大势》等。其中梁启超在《论中国学术思想变迁之大势》中讲到近世学术思想时说：“本朝学者以实事求是为学鹄，颇饶有科学的精神……。所谓科学的精神何也?善怀疑，善寻间，不肯妄徇古人之成说与一己之臆见，而必力求真是真非之所存。”在讲到清初实学派的代表人物颜习斋的学术思想时，梁启超说：“其言曰：以讲读为求道，其距千里也；以书为道，其距万里也。盖其学颇有类于怀疑派，而事事而躬之，物物而肄之，以求其是。……以‘实事求是’一语，而仅用之于习斋所谓其距万里之书，习斋其恫矣。”当时，《新民丛报》对毛泽东的影响是巨大的。毛泽东说，对于《新民丛报》“我读而又读，一直等到我能背诵”，并说“我崇拜康有为和梁启超”。当时正是基于对梁启超（号任公）鲜明主张和犀利文笔的敬慕，毛泽东还特别用了“子任”的笔名，以表达他以天下为己任的志向。那么，“读而又读”和“能背诵”下来梁启超文章的毛泽东，对梁启超文章中讲到的“实事求是”，不可能不留下思想上的印迹。

Thus, we can clearly see that Mao Zedong was influenced by the educational philosophy of seeking truth from facts and the ethos of the times at Dongshan School. From its inception, Dongshan School had the concepts of "seeking truth from facts, investigating things to exhaust their principles," "teaching with real matters, assessing with real achievements," and "humbly seeking truth." It was precisely the concept of "seeking truth from facts," the requirement to "specialize in one skill," and the school motto of "public-spiritedness, integrity, diligence, and frugality" that enabled Dongshan School to break away from the old model of Confucian classics reading and the traditional path of old-style academies from the very beginning, presenting a completely new atmosphere of seeking truth and reality. As Mao Zedong said: "There, the classics were not given much attention, and much Western 'new knowledge' was taught. The educational methods were also very 'radical.'" "In this new school, I could study natural sciences and new Western courses." Although Mao Zedong studied at Dongshan School for only half a year, he was deeply influenced by the school's ethos of "seeking truth from facts" and "valuing practicality in learning." In particular, the *Record of Dongshan Academy* embedded in the wall of the academy hall explicitly attributed the reason for Western countries "dominating the five continents" to the four characters "seeking truth from facts." For Mao Zedong, who was eagerly searching for the truth of the universe and a way out for the nation, this undoubtedly left a deep impression.

由此，我们可以清楚地看到，毛泽东在东山学校是受到实事求是办学理念和时代风气影响的。东山学校创办伊始就有了“实事以求是，即物而穷理”“教之以实事，程之以实功”和“虚心以求是”的“实事求是”理念。正是“实事求是”的观念、“专精于一技”的要求和“公诚勤俭”的校训，使东山学校从一开始就打破了旧式传统书院的读经模式和办学老路，呈现出一派崭新的求真求实气象。正如毛泽东所说：“那里经书是不大被注意的，西方的‘新知识’教授得很多。教育方法又是很‘激进’的。”“在这个新学校，我能够读自然科学和新西学课程。”毛泽东在东山学校读书的时间虽然只有半年，但深受学校“实事求是”“学宜崇实”风气的影响。特别是嵌刻在书院大厅墙壁上的《东山书院记》，赫然把西方各国“称雄于五大洲”的原因归结为“实事求是”四个字，这对正在如饥似渴地追寻宇宙真理和国家出路的毛泽东来说，无疑会留下深刻印象。

Later, when talking about his learning experiences with his old classmate Zhou Shizhao, Mao Zedong said with deep feeling: "Although I am a native of Xiangtan, I received the education of the people of Xiangxiang." The "education of the people of Xiangxiang" mentioned here has profound connotations. We can at least feel the deep implications and rich meaning of this statement from the following three aspects.

后来，毛泽东在与老同学周世钊谈到自己的学习经历时深有感触地说：“我虽然是湘潭人，但受的湘乡人的教育。”这里所说的“湘乡人的教育”是有深刻内涵的，我们至少可以从以下三个方面感受到这句话的深刻蕴含及丰富意味。

First, Mao Zedong was influenced at Dongshan School by the spirit of "enthusiastic educators" embodied in the people of Xiangxiang. The fact that Mao Zedong could smoothly enter a school founded by "people of Xiangxiang" with his identity as a "person of Xiangtan," and receive high praise and enthusiastic encouragement from the principal and teachers, was linked to the school's ethos of seeking truth from facts and cherishing talent. In 1955, Mao Zedong said affectionately to Tan Shiying, his former classmate at Dongshan School: "Mr. Li Yuanfu, Mr. He Langang, and your father were all enthusiastic educators. They cherished talent!... Without them, I could not have entered Dongshan School, nor could I have gone to Changsha. I might not even have been able to leave Shaoshan Chong!" From this conversation, we can deeply feel the profound influence of Dongshan School on Mao Zedong.

一是毛泽东在东山学校受到了湘乡人身上所体现出的“热心的教育家”精神的影响。毛泽东之所以能够顺利地以“湘潭人”的身份进入“湘乡人”创办的学校学习，并受到从校长到老师们的高度评价和热情鼓励，是与学校实事求是、爱惜人才的风气联系在一起的。1955年，毛泽东深情地对当年东山学校的同班同学谭世瑛说：“李元甫先生、贺岚岗先生，还有你父亲，都是热心的教育家，他们是爱惜人才的!……没有他们，我进不了东山学堂，也到不了长沙，只怕还出不了韶山冲呢!”从这个谈话中，我们可以深切地感受到东山学校对毛泽东的深刻影响。

Second, Mao Zedong was influenced at Dongshan School by the character of daring to lead the trend, as embodied in the people of Xiangxiang. The people of Xiangxiang dared to lead the trend. From the very beginning, the founders of Dongshan School broke through the constraints of traditional educational concepts, integrating new learning with old learning, Western learning with Chinese learning. They explicitly linked "seeking truth from facts" with "investigating things to exhaust their principles," advocated the unity of learning and application, opposed the separation of learning and application, insisted on facing reality and "taking moral principles as the substance and the investigation of things as the function," and encouraged students to "not be stubborn or dogmatic, to learn broadly and inquire carefully." These concepts and methods were all pioneering for their time. It can be said that these "radical" concepts and methods were highly compatible with Mao Zedong's own character of not being confined to one pattern and being adept at seeking truth and innovation, as well as his spiritual aspirations.

二是毛泽东在东山学校受到了湘乡人身上所体现出来的那种敢于领风气之先品格的影响。湘乡人是敢于领风气之先的，东山学校的创办者从一开始就突破了传统教育理念的束缚，把新学与旧学、西学与中学相贯通，明确地把“实事以求是”与“即物而穷理”联系在一起，主张学用统一，反对学用分离，坚持面向实际和“以义理为体，以格致为用”，鼓励学生“勿固勿必，博学审问”，这些观念和方法都是领时代之先风的。可以说，这种“激进”的观念和方法，与毛泽东身上所具有的那种不拘泥于一格、善于求实求新的性格特点和精神向往是高度契合的。

Third, at the Dongshan School Mao Zedong was influenced by Zeng Guofan, a native of Xiangxiang who at that time possessed the greatest power of appeal. Zeng Guofan’s influence on Huxiang culture, and especially on the regional culture of Xiangxiang, was enormous. In fact, Liu Jintang, who advocated the establishment of the Dongshan Academy, was a former subordinate of Zeng Guofan, and most of those who donated funds for study were Hunan Army officers and soldiers. They founded the Dongshan Academy in connection with their reverence for Zeng Guofan’s spirit of unifying scholarship and governance. As the “Regulations” state, “In the past, our fellow townsman, the late Duke Wenzheng Zeng Guofan … ultimately accomplished the task of quelling chaos. Is benevolence so distant? … The students of the Academy will gather with friends to discuss and learn in order to assist benevolence, and to follow in the footsteps of Duke Wenzheng.” [11]11 Zeng Guofan (1811–1872) was a prominent Confucian official, military leader, and scholar of the late Qing dynasty, best known for suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and for his advocacy of practical statecraft. “Duke Wenzheng” is his posthumous honorific title. An important theoretical contribution of Zeng Guofan was to link “seeking truth from facts” (shishi qiushi) with “investigating things to exhaust principle” (jiwu qiongli), emphasizing: “What is called ‘things’—are they not objects? What is called ‘truth’—is it not principle? Seeking truth from facts—is this not what Master Zhu called investigating things to exhaust principle?” [12]12 “Master Zhu” refers to Zhu Xi (1130–1200), the leading Neo-Confucian philosopher of the Song dynasty, who emphasized “investigating things to exhaust principle” as a method of moral self-cultivation. In this way, Zeng Guofan transcended the long-standing dispute between Han Learning and Song Learning, [13]13 Han Learning (Hanxue) refers to the school of textual criticism and empirical scholarship that flourished in the Qing dynasty, while Song Learning (Songxue) refers to the Neo-Confucian tradition of the Song dynasty, which focused on metaphysical and moral principles. The two schools were often in conflict. bridged the gap between “seeking truth from facts” and “investigating things to exhaust principle,” and caused seeking truth from facts, which had long been oriented toward “texts,” to move toward seeking truth from facts oriented toward “reality.” Thus, in the history of thought, he made his unique contribution to completing the transformation of “seeking truth from facts” from a traditional empirical proposition of textual criticism into a philosophical epistemological proposition. Zeng Guofan’s influence on the young Mao Zedong was very great. As Mao Zedong said in a letter to Li Jinxi in 1917: “Among recent people, I alone admire Duke Wenzheng Zeng.” [14]14 Li Jinxi (1890–1978) was a Chinese linguist and educator, and a friend of Mao Zedong during his youth. Mao Zedong’s “sole admiration” for Zeng Guofan was related both to the school’s requirement to “follow in the footsteps of Duke Wenzheng” and, even more, to his understanding of Zeng Guofan’s thought and achievements in “forbidding grand talk and emphasizing practical work.” “What he particularly admired was precisely the spirit of ‘seeking truth from facts’ that Zeng had championed.”

三是毛泽东在东山学校受到了当时最具感召力的湘乡人曾国藩的影响。曾国藩对湖湘文化特别是湘乡地域文化的影响是巨大的。其实，东山精舍的倡修者刘锦棠就是曾国藩的老部下，捐资修学者也大多是湘军将士，他们创办东山精舍是与推崇曾国藩把治学与治国统一起来的精神联系在一起的。正如《章程》所说的那样，“昔我乡先正曾文正公……卒定拨乱之功，仁远乎哉!……精舍诸生，会友讲习以辅仁，而追随乎文正”。而曾国藩在理论上的一个重要贡献就是把“实事求是”与“即物穷理”衔接起来，强调：“夫所谓事者，非物乎?是者，非理乎?实事求是，非即朱子所称即物穷理者乎?”就这样，曾国藩超越了长期以来的汉学与宋学之争，打通了“实事求是”与“即物穷理”的隔膜，使长期面向“文本”的实事求是走向了面向“现实”的实事求是，从而在思想史上为完成“实事求是”从一个传统的考据学实证性命题最终转化为哲学的认识论命题作出了自己的独特贡献。曾国藩对早年毛泽东的影响是很大的，正如毛泽东在1917年致黎锦熙的信中所说：“愚于近人，独服曾文正。”毛泽东对曾国藩的“独服”，既与学校“追随乎文正”的要求有关，更与他对曾国藩“禁大言以务实”的思想和功业的认识有关。“其所特为赞服的正是曾氏所标举的‘实事求是’精神”。

It can be said that at the Dongshan School Mao Zedong experienced a new atmosphere of “ideological emancipation” and was imbued with the ethos of “seeking truth from facts.” At the Dongshan School, his thoughts and will were free and unconstrained, and this had a profound impact on his later development.

可以说，毛泽东在东山学校感受到了“思想解放”的新气象，受到了“实事求是”之风的熏染。在东山学校，他的思想和意志是自由的，是没有受到束缚的，这对他后来的影响是深远的。

III. Mao Zedong’s Understanding of Seeking Truth from Facts Was Inseparable from His Student Years in Changsha

三、毛泽东对实事求是的认识是同他在长沙的求学生涯密不可分的

From the spring of 1911 (age 18), when Mao Zedong left the Dongshan School to study in Changsha, to the summer of 1920 (age 27), when he became a steadfast Marxist, during more than nine years of study and exploration, the influence of “seeking truth from facts” on Mao Zedong was directly reflected in the tradition and concepts of practical statecraft and seeking truth from facts embodied by the Hunan Provincial First Normal School (hereinafter “the First Normal School”), the Yuelu Academy, and educators such as Yang Changji and Xu Teli.

毛泽东从1911年春（18岁）离开东山学校来到长沙求学，到1920年夏（27岁）成为一个坚定的马克思主义者，在9年多的学习与探索期间，“实事求是”对毛泽东的影响，直接体现在湖南省立第一师范学校（以下简称“一师”）、岳麓书院以及杨昌济、徐特立等教育家身上所体现的经世致用、实事求是的传统和观念方面。

First, let us examine the influence of the First Normal School’s tradition of practical statecraft and seeking truth from facts on Mao Zedong.

首先，我们看看一师经世致用、实事求是的办学传统对毛泽东的影响。

The First Normal School was established on the site of the Southern Song Dynasty Chengnan Academy. The academy’s founder, Zhang Shi, was a representative figure of the Huxiang school of thought. From the academy’s inception, he put forward the educational policy of “cultivating talent to transmit the Way and benefit the people” and “valuing practice in learning,” thereby initiating a thousand-year tradition of practical statecraft and seeking truth from facts in scholarship. In December 1912, the school issued the “Regulations for Normal Schools,” whose first chapter, “Key Points for Educating Students,” clearly stipulated: “National education should emphasize practicality; students should be made to understand the major trends of the present, observe the conditions of society, seek truth from facts, and become people who produce benefits rather than people who consume benefits.” [15]15 This is a quotation from the school regulations of the Hunan Provincial First Normal School, reflecting its educational philosophy. At the same time, this “Key Points,” proceeding from concepts such as “a sound spirit resides in a sound body,” “cultivate temperament, temper the will,” “love the country, abide by the constitution,” “independence and universal love,” and “worldview and outlook on life are the foundation of spiritual education,” put forward requirements such as: “students should be careful about health, diligent in physical education,” “be rich in aesthetic sense, brave in moral conduct,” “understand the founding purpose of the nation, fulfill the duties of citizens,” “respect character and emphasize self-governance, love humanity and uphold the public good,” and “engage in keen research, cultivate the ability for self-directed action.” This “Key Points” for cultivating students had two distinctive features: first, it emphasized seeking truth from facts, combining learning with application, and attaching importance to the cultivation of students’ practical abilities, so as to “meet the practical needs of students in the future.” Second, proceeding from the reality of national and social development, it cultivated talents with comprehensive development in morality, intellect, physique, and aesthetics, possessing the abilities of “self-awareness,” “self-governance,” and “self-directed action.”

一师是在宋代城南书院的基础上建立的。书院的创办者张栻是湖湘学派的代表人物，他从书院创办伊始就提出了“造就人才，以传道而济斯民”和“学贵力行”的办学方针，由此开始形成了千年一脉的经世致用、实事求是的治学传统。1912年12月，学校印发的《师范学校规程》第一章“教养学生之要旨”明确规定：“国民教育趋重实际，宜使学生明现今之大势，察社会之情状，实事求是，为生利之人而勿为分利之人。”同时，这个“要旨”还从“健全之精神宿于健全之身体”“陶冶性情，磨练意志”“爱国家，遵宪法”“独立博爱”“世界观与人生观为精神教育之本”的理念出发，提出“宜使学生谨于摄生，勤于体育”“富于美感，勇于德行”“明建国之本愿，践国民之职分”“尊品格而重自治，爱人道而尚大公”“锐意研究，养成自动之能力”等要求。这个培养学生的“要旨”有两个鲜明的特点：一是注重实事求是，把学与用结合起来，重视学生实践能力的培养，以“切于学生将来之实用”。二是从国家和社会发展实际出发，培养德、智、体、美全面发展的具有“自觉”“自治”“自动”能力的人才。

Proceeding from reality, seeking truth from facts, and emphasizing practical application were the basic tenets and prominent characteristics of the First Normal School’s educational philosophy. Kong Zhaoshou, the principal of the First Normal School during Mao Zedong’s studies there, was an outstanding educator with an open mind and a mastery of both Chinese and Western learning. He adhered to the concept of combining learning with application and seeking truth from facts, and vigorously promoted reform of the educational system. He believed that education “only values seeking truth from facts; one day of study brings one day of progress, and learning should advance with the times, without wasting time.” To correct the malady of “learning without application,” he proposed that students should “emphasize practice” and “also emphasize management.” Principal Kong Zhaoshou respected the students’ subject position, advocated student self-governance, and encouraged students’ free development and practical activities. It was under the influence of Principal Kong Zhaoshou’s “democratic style” that Mao Zedong abandoned the idea of dropping out of school midway. During his time at the First Normal School, while diligently studying, he also actively organized and participated in various forms of student organizations and social activities, accumulating knowledge and enhancing his abilities in the unity of learning and application, knowledge and action. In this regard, Mao Zedong later recalled that Kong Zhaoshou was an educational reformer. During his tenure as principal, he reorganized the student association, opened night schools for workers, established a student volunteer army, and implemented study tours, creating conditions for us to engage in activities of the school student association, the New People’s Study Society, the workers’ night school, and rural surveys. “Without Principal Kong’s reforms, these activities would not have been permitted.” He also said: “In the Hunan Normal School, many events occurred in my life. During this period, my political views began to take shape, and for the first time in school I gained experience in social action.”

从现实出发、实事求是、注重实用是一师办学的基本宗旨和突出特点。毛泽东在一师读书时的校长孔昭绶，是一位思想开放、学贯中西的杰出教育家，他秉持学用结合、实事求是的理念，力推教育制度的改革，认为教育“惟贵实事求是，是修业一日即有一日之进步，应学与时俱进，不至浪掷时光”。为了纠正“学非所用”的弊端，他提出要使学生“注重实习”“兼重管理”。孔昭绶校长尊重学生的主体地位，提倡学生自治，鼓励学生的自由发展和实践活动。正是在孔昭绶校长“民主作风”的影响下，毛泽东才改变了中途辍学的念头。在一师期间，他在认真读书学习的同时，还积极组织和参加了多种形式的学生组织和社会活动，在学与用、知与行的统一中积累了知识，增长了才干。对此，毛泽东后来回忆说，孔昭绶是一位教育改革家，在他任校长期间，改组学友会，开办工人夜校，创设学生志愿军，实行修学旅行等，为我们从事校学友会、新民学会、工人夜学、农村调查活动创造了条件。“没有孔校长的改革，就不会容许我们有这些活动”。他还说：“在湖南师范学校中，我的生活上发生许多事件。在这一时期，我的政治观念开始确定并且在校中初次得到了社会行动的经验。”

The five-and-a-half years of study at the First Normal School had a tremendous impact on the young Mao Zedong. In this regard, Mao Zedong once said: “I never formally attended university, nor did I study abroad. The place where I studied the longest was Hunan First Normal School. My knowledge, my learning, were built on a solid foundation at the First Normal School. The First Normal School was a good school.” The tradition of practical statecraft and seeking truth from facts, formed over deep historical accumulation at the First Normal School, had a very profound influence on Mao Zedong.

在一师五年半的读书生涯，对青年毛泽东的影响是巨大的。对此毛泽东曾说：“我没有正式进过大学，也没有到外国留过学。我读书最久的地方就是湖南第一师范，我的知识，我的学问，是在一师打好了基础。一师是个好学校。”一师所形成的具有深厚历史积淀的经世致用、实事求是传统，对毛泽东所产生的影响是相当深刻的。

Second, let us examine the influence of the teachers who emphasized practical statecraft and seeking truth from facts on Mao Zedong during his studies at the First Normal School.

其次，我们看看毛泽东在一师求学期间，讲求经世致用、实事求是的老师们对他的影响。

During Mao Zedong’s studies at the First Normal School, it was a golden period for the school’s development. There was a group of outstanding teachers with high moral character, profound learning, and open minds. Xu Teli, Yang Changji, Fang Weixia, Wang Jifan, Yuan Zhongqian, and Li Jinxi were outstanding representatives among them. These individuals deeply grasped the essence of traditional Chinese culture, especially Huxiang culture, and advocated practical learning for statecraft. The ideas, concepts, and personal styles they embodied all had a profound impact on Mao Zedong’s growth. For example, in the “Self-Cultivation” and “Chinese Language” classes taught by Yang Changji and Yuan Zhongqian, Mao Zedong wrote in his notebook the following words: “Studying behind closed doors makes learning useless,” “In ancient times, learning emphasized action,” “Act with practical intent, study with a sincere heart,” “Bite the bitter root, and all things can be done,” “If one does not attend to farming, one does not know the hardships of sowing and reaping; if one stops weaving, one does not know the source of clothing,” “Ideals are the mother of facts,” “To seek survival, one must struggle,” and so on.

毛泽东在一师读书期间，正值学校发展的黄金时期，有一批道德高尚、学养深厚和思想开放的杰出教师，徐特立、杨昌济、方维夏、王季范、袁仲谦、黎锦熙就是他们中的杰出代表。这些人深得中国传统文化特别是湖湘文化的精髓，提倡经世致用的实学，他们身上所体现的思想观念和人格风范都对毛泽东的成长产生了深刻影响。比如，在杨昌济和袁仲谦的“修身”“国文”课上，毛泽东就在自己的笔记上写下了这样的话：“闭门求学，其学无用”“古者为学，重在行事”“实意做事，真心求学”“咬得菜根，百事可做”“农事不理则不知稼穑之艰难，休其蚕织则不知衣服之所自”“理想者，事实之母也”“欲图存，非奋斗不可”等等。

Yang Changji, who thought highly of Mao Zedong, not only greatly admired Zeng Guofan and Liang Qichao himself, but also, in his own home, in Mao’s presence, “cited the examples of Zeng Disheng and Liang Rengong to encourage him.” [16]16 Zeng Disheng is the courtesy name of Zeng Guofan (1811–1872), a prominent Qing official and military leader; Liang Rengong is the courtesy name of Liang Qichao (1873–1929), a reformist scholar and journalist. When Yang taught the “self-cultivation” course, Mao recorded the following passage in his *Lecture Notes*: “Disheng’s diary says that a scholar-official who wants to transform the customs of the age should value two things: thickness and solidity. Thickness means not envying others; solidity means not speaking big words, not liking empty fame, not doing groundless things, and not discussing overly lofty principles.” Flipping through Mao’s *Lecture Notes*, one can clearly feel a particularly prominent concept, namely “solidity” (shi). The notes are consistently threaded with the main line of “solid principles,” “solid learning,” “solid application,” and “solid practice.” For example, when discussing figures from the Ming Dynasty, he focused on the practical learning and truth-seeking style of Tang Jingchuan, one of the “Six Great Masters of the Ming,” Zheng Xiao, a “famous minister of the age,” and Gu Yanwu, who “illuminated the Way to save the world.” He stated, “People of the Song and Yuan dynasties valued solid learning; the Ming Dynasty produced talents in abundance.” Tang Jingchuan and Zheng Xiao “pursued only useful learning and were able to put it into practice in facts.” Gu Yanwu “was especially attentive to the affairs of his time; he personally transcribed memorials and reports, investigating every essential matter of statecraft. … On matters concerning the people’s livelihood and the nation’s plans, he would trace them to their origins and discuss their underlying reasons. He traveled half the empire, befriending worthy and virtuous elders wherever he went, examining the mountains, rivers, customs, hardships, and benefits, as clearly as pointing to the palm of his hand.” From this, we can not only clearly perceive the value orientation of statecraft and seeking truth from facts under the influence of the practical learning trend among the instructor, but also clearly feel its profound impact on the learner.

十分器重毛泽东的杨昌济，不仅自己非常推崇曾国藩和梁启超，而且还在自己家里当着毛泽东的面“引曾涤生、梁任公之例以勉之”。在杨昌济讲“修身”课时，毛泽东在《讲堂录》上还记下了这样一段话：“涤生日记，言士要转移世风，当重两义：曰厚曰实。厚者勿忌人；实则不说大话，不好虚名，不行架空之事，不谈过高之理。”翻阅毛泽东的《讲堂录》笔记，可以清晰地感受到一个特别突出的理念，那就是“实”，笔记始终贯穿着“实理”“实学”“实用”和“实行”的主线。比如，在讲到明代人物的时候，他关注的是“明六大家”之一的唐荆川、“一代名臣”的郑晓和“明道救世”的顾炎武的实用之学和求实之风，称“宋、元二代人尚实学，明代人才辈出”，唐荆川、郑晓“所讲求皆有用之学，而能见之于事实者”。顾炎武“尤留心当世之故，实录奏报，手自钞节，经世要务，一一讲求。……事关民生国计者，必穷源溯本，讨论其所以然。足迹半天下，所至交其贤豪长者，考其山川风俗，疾苦利病，如指诸掌”。由此，我们不仅可以清晰地感受到在实学思潮影响下授课者经世致用、实事求是的价值导向，而且可以明确地感受到其对受教者所产生的深刻影响。

Xu Teli was an educator who placed great importance on the unity of learning, thinking, and application. In 1913, he inscribed the school motto “Diligence, Frugality, Public Spirit, and Solidity” for a school, saying, “This character ‘solidity’ means being honest, truthful, and genuine. In our studies and labor, we must always be honest and diligent, not engage in fraud, not lie, and not deceive others.” At that time, at the gate of the First Normal School, there were the four large characters “Seeking Truth from Facts” inscribed by Xu Teli. After the founding of New China, at Mao Zedong’s invitation, Xu Teli again inscribed the school ethos for the school: “Seek Truth from Facts, Do Not Be Complacent.” It can be said that the school ethos of the First Normal School was always “seeking truth from facts.” Mao Zedong once said, “During my studies at Hunan First Normal School, the two teachers I most admired were Mr. Yang Huaizhong (i.e., Yang Changji) and Mr. Xu Teli.” And these two gentlemen were precisely the great teachers who consistently advocated and practiced statecraft and seeking truth from facts.

徐特立是一位非常重视学、思、用统一的教育家。1913年，他给一所学校题写的校训是“勤、俭、公、实”，说道：“这实字，就是老实、诚实、真实。我们在读书劳动的时候，都要老老实实，勤勤恳恳，不弄虚作假，不说谎，不欺人。”当年一师大门口就有徐特立题写的“实事求是”四个大字。新中国成立后，徐特立又应毛泽东之邀为学校题写了“实事求是，不自以为是”的校风。可以说，一师的校风始终就是“实事求是”。毛泽东曾说：“我在湖南第一师范求学时，最敬佩的两位老师，一位是杨怀忠（即杨昌济）先生，一位是徐特立先生。”而这两位先生就是一以贯之地主张和践行经世致用、实事求是的大先生。

Third, let us examine the influence of the Yuelu Academy’s tradition of statecraft and seeking truth from facts on Mao Zedong.

再次，我们来看看岳麓书院经世致用、实事求是传统对毛泽东的影响。

The Yuelu Academy, located across the river from the First Normal School, is one of the four great ancient academies in China. Zhang Shi, the founder of the Chengnan Academy and the head of the Yuelu Academy, advocated “simultaneously advancing learning and thinking” and “simultaneously developing knowledge and action,” promoted “statecraft,” “self-discipline through practical affairs,” and “the aim of cultivating talent to transmit the Way and save the people,” and opposed training students to become “pedantic Confucians” divorced from reality. Nurtured by this atmosphere, the Yuelu Academy student Wang Chuanshan insisted that “practice is more important than knowledge,” opposed “separating practice from knowledge” to escape reality, advocated that “knowledge and practice mutually support each other for use,” “approach things to exhaust their principles without establishing principles to limit things,” “the unity of principle and circumstances,” and “promote the new by pushing forward from the old,” thereby advancing the understanding of “statecraft” to a new height. It was under the influence of the tradition of statecraft and the unity of knowledge and action that, in modern times, the Yuelu Academy produced a cohort of talents like Wei Yuan, Zeng Guofan, and Guo Songtao, who managed state affairs and brought peace and order to the country, advancing the understanding of statecraft and seeking truth from facts to a new stage. Wei Yuan advocated “using practical affairs to measure practical results, and using practical results to measure practical affairs,” unifying “doing practical things” with “seeking practical results.” Zeng Guofan transcended the debate between Han Learning and Song Learning, unifying “investigating things to exhaust principles” with “seeking truth from facts.” Guo Songtao, with the understanding that “seeking truth from facts is the foundation of the Western nations,” unified China’s “seeking truth from facts” with the Western “scientific spirit.” Their insights were quite novel and held an important place in the history of Chinese thought. From this, we can clearly see the profound heritage and cultural tradition of the Yuelu Academy, consistently maintained over a millennium: transmitting the Way to save the people, statecraft, seeking truth from facts, and inclusiveness.

与一师隔江相望的岳麓书院，是中国古代四大著名书院之一。张栻作为城南书院的创办者和岳麓书院的山长，主张“学思并进”“知行并发”，倡导“经世致用”“以实事自律”“盖欲成就人才以传道而济斯民也”，反对把学生培养成为脱离实际的“腐儒”。正是在这种风气熏陶下，岳麓书院学子王船山坚持“行重于知”，反对逃避现实的“离行以为知”，主张“知行相资以为用”“有即事以穷理，无立理以限事”“理势合一”“推故致新”，从而把对“经世致用”的认识推进到了一个新的高度。正是在经世致用、知行合一传统的熏陶下，近代以来从岳麓书院走出了一批以魏源、曾国藩、郭嵩焘为代表的经纶济世、治国安邦之才，并把对经世致用、实事求是的认识推进到了一个新的阶段。魏源主张“以实事程实功，以实功程实事”，把“做实事”与“求实功”统一起来了。曾国藩超越汉学、宋学之争，把“即物穷理”与“实事求是”统一起来了。郭嵩焘以“实事求是，西洋之本也”的认识，把中国的“实事求是”与西方的“科学精神”统一起来了。他们的这些认识都是颇有新意的，也是在中国思想史上有自己重要地位的。由此，我们可以清晰地看到，岳麓书院千年来一以贯之的传道济民、经世致用、实事求是、兼容并蓄的深厚底蕴和文化传统。

In the late Qing Dynasty, during the process of abolishing academies and establishing schools, the Yuelu Academy was successively renamed the Changsha School of Current Affairs, the Qiushi (Seeking Truth) Academy, the Hunan Provincial University Hall, the Hunan Provincial Higher School, and the Hunan Provincial Higher Normal School. Although the academy’s name changed constantly, the tradition of “seeking truth from facts” never changed or was interrupted. In 1917, after the Hunan Provincial Public Industrial Higher Specialized School moved into the Yuelu Academy to operate, the then-principal Bin Bucheng inscribed the plaque “Seeking Truth from Facts” and hung it high in the lecture hall of the Yuelu Academy.

清朝末年，在废书院兴学堂的过程中，岳麓书院先后更名为长沙时务学堂、求实书院、湖南省城大学堂、湖南省高等学堂、湖南省高等师范学校。书院的名称虽然不断变更，但“实事求是”的传统却从未改变和中断。1917年湖南公立工业高等专门学校迁入岳麓书院办学后，时任校长宾步程就为学校题写了“实事求是”的匾额，并高高地悬挂于岳麓书院的讲堂之上。

During his student years in Changsha, Mao Zedong frequently visited the Yuelu Academy. According to verifiable sources, in 1915, Mao, using the pseudonym “Twenty-eight Stroke Student,” issued a call for friends and met respondents at the Aiwan Pavilion of the Yuelu Academy. During the summer vacation of 1916, through Yang Changji’s introduction, Mao lodged at the Banxue Studio of the Yuelu Academy. In September 1917, Mao, together with Cai Hesen, Zhang Kundi, and others, experienced “air baths” and “wind baths” on Yuelu Mountain. In 1918–1919, Mao twice lived for extended periods at the Banxue Studio of the Yuelu Academy. At that time, the Banxue Studio, serving as Yang Changji’s office and residence for preparing the establishment of Hunan University, became a place Mao frequently visited. Simultaneously, he implemented the “Yuelu New Village Plan” on Yuelu Mountain. According to statistics, Mao Zedong lived at the Yuelu Academy for a cumulative period of about a year. The Yuelu Academy’s tradition of statecraft and seeking truth from facts could not but profoundly influence Mao Zedong, who tirelessly sought truth.

毛泽东在长沙求学期间，岳麓书院是他常去的地方。从有据可查的资料来看，1915年毛泽东就以“二十八画生”的化名发布征友启事后与应征者相约在岳麓书院的爱晚亭见面。1916年暑假期间，毛泽东通过杨昌济的介绍，寄居于岳麓书院半学斋。1917年9月，毛泽东与蔡和森、张昆弟等在岳麓山体验“空气浴”“大风浴”。毛泽东在1918—1919年先后两次长时间寓居岳麓书院半学斋。当时，岳麓书院半学斋作为杨昌济筹备湖南大学的办公和生活之地，成了毛泽东经常拜访的地方。同时，他还在岳麓山实施了“岳麓新村计划”。据统计，毛泽东先后居住在岳麓书院的时间累计有一年之久。岳麓书院的经世致用、实事求是传统不可能不深深地影响到不懈探求真理的毛泽东。

The “Seeking Truth from Facts” plaque, inscribed by Bin Bucheng and hung in the lecture hall of the Yuelu Academy, possesses profound historical heritage and distinct cultural significance. Today, this plaque has far exceeded the cognitive scope of rigorous scholarship and the unity of learning and application emphasized by its inscriber at the time; it has become a historical witness and cultural symbol of the integration of Marxist scientific truth with fine traditional Chinese culture over more than a century. It carries the consistent educational purpose of the Yuelu Academy over a thousand years and condenses the spiritual core of Huxiang culture with its long history; it manifests the ideological essence of several thousand years of traditional Chinese culture and embodies the theoretical essence of Marxism; it influenced Mao Zedong and wave after wave of passionate strugglers, and it illuminates the direction of the era for building a vibrant, culturally strong socialist country. It is precisely based on the thought charm, value orientation, and spiritual penetrating power of “seeking truth from facts” that transcends time and space that Xi Jinping put forward the important assertion at the Yuelu Academy: “Chairman Mao was nurtured right here back then; seeking truth from facts originates from here.”

由宾步程题写并悬挂于岳麓书院讲堂之上的“实事求是”牌匾，是具有深厚历史底蕴和鲜明文化意义的。今天，这块“实事求是”匾额，已远远超出了当年题写者所讲求的严谨治学、学用统一的认识范畴，成了100多年来马克思主义科学真理与中华优秀传统文化相结合的历史见证和文化象征。它既承载了千余年来岳麓书院一以贯之的办学宗旨，又凝练了湖湘文化源远流长的精神内核；既显示了几千年来中华传统文化的思想精华，又体现了马克思主义的理论精髓；既影响了毛泽东等一批又一批的热血奋斗者，又昭示了建设充满活力的社会主义文化强国的时代方向。正是基于“实事求是”这种超越时空的思想魅力、价值导向和精神穿透力，习近平才在岳麓书院提出了“毛主席当年就是在这里熏陶出来的，实事求是就来源于这里”的重要论断。

4. Mao Zedong’s Understanding of Seeking Truth from Facts Was Linked to His Own Pursuits and Explorations

四、毛泽东对实事求是的认识是与他自身的追求和探索联系在一起的

Mao Zedong’s early understanding of seeking truth from facts was closely linked not only to the influence of the external environment but also, more importantly, to his own independent thinking and unremitting exploration. To date, although no explicit use of the term “seeking truth from facts” by Mao in his early years has been seen, the concept of seeking truth from facts was consistently reflected in his thoughts and actions, like a shadow following its form. Only by deeply understanding the concept of “seeking truth from facts” that germinated in Mao’s early years can we better grasp the profound foundation and historical inevitability of his revolutionary transformation of “seeking truth from facts” after he became a steadfast Marxist.

毛泽东早年对实事求是的认识，既与外部环境的影响紧密地联系在一起，更与他自己的独立思考和不懈探索紧密地联系在一起。到目前为止，虽然还没有看到毛泽东早年明确地使用过“实事求是”这个词，但实事求是的观念一直如影随形般地体现在他的思想和行为之中。只有深刻地认识了毛泽东早年萌动的“实事求是”理念，才能更好地理解他成为一个坚定的马克思主义者之后对“实事求是”进行革命性改造的深厚基础和历史必然。

First, Mao Zedong loved reading but never blindly believed in books.

首先，毛泽东酷爱读书，但从不迷信书本。

Mao Zedong often said: “My greatest hobby in life is reading,” and “I can go without food for a day, without sleep for a day, but I cannot go without books for a day.” His habit of loving books and being obsessed with reading began in his youth. However, from the very start of his reading, he cultivated the good habit of not blindly believing in books and being good at independent thinking. For example, while reading books such as *The Biography of Yue Fei*, *The Sui and Tang Dynasties*, *The Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, and *Journey to the West* in Shaoshan, he “discovered a peculiar thing: there were no farmers tilling the fields in these stories. … There had never been a peasant hero.” For this, he pondered hard for two years and finally “discovered that these stories all praised the rulers of the people,” and from this he began to seriously consider the major issue of the status and role of peasants in China’s social development.

毛泽东曾多次说过这样的话：“我一生最大的爱好是读书”，“饭可以一日不吃，觉可以一日不睡，书不可以一日不读”。他酷爱读书、嗜书如命的习惯是从青少年时期就开始了的。但是，从一开始读书，他就养成了不迷信书本、善于独立思考的好习惯。比如，他在韶山读《精忠传》《隋唐》《三国》《西游记》等书时，“发现一件特殊的事，即这些故事中没有耕种田地的乡下人。……从未有过一个农民英雄”。为此，他苦苦思索了两年，最终“发现这些故事都是赞美人民的统治者的”，由此他开始认真地思考农民在中国社会发展中的地位和作用这个大问题。

Mao Zedong was well-read in the classics, but after reading a large number of traditional Chinese texts, he believed that “the flaw of our country’s ancient learning lies in its confusion and lack of order; classification is by classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, with politics and religion combined, and the profound and the mundane indistinct—this is why it has accumulated for thousands of years without progress.” He also said: “The scholars of our country for two thousand years can all be described as learning without thinking.” Through a comparison of Chinese and Western cultures, he believed that the greatest defect of our country’s traditional thought and morality was “untruthfulness and unreality.” He said: “The thought and morality of our country can be summed up in two phrases: false but not true, empty but not real. For five thousand years it has been passed down to the present, its roots deep and its knots firm; without great force it is difficult to uproot and clear away.” Mao Zedong was neither superstitious about ancient Chinese books nor about Western ideas, believing that “Eastern thought is all impractical for real life. … Western thought is not necessarily entirely correct either; many parts of it should also be reformed together with Eastern thought.” When reading the book *Principles of Ethics*, he made about 12,000 characters of annotations on this 120,000-character book, including expressions of agreement such as “pertinent discussion,” “indeed, indeed,” “this statement is very true,” and “this statement greatly accords with me,” as well as critical comments such as “this is not so,” “this statement is unclear,” “this passage is inappropriate,” “it is by no means necessarily so,” “this statement ultimately feels incomplete,” “here it makes me doubt again,” and “I think it should not be said this way,” to express his differing opinions.

毛泽东饱读经典，但他在阅读了大量中国传统典籍之后认为，“吾国古学之弊，在于混杂而无章，分类则以经、史、子、集，政教合一，玄著不分，此所以累数千年而无进也”。他还说：“吾国二千年来之学者，皆可谓之学而不思。”他通过对中西文化的比较，认为我国传统思想和道德的最大弊端就是“不真不实”。他说：“吾国思想与道德，可以伪而不真、虚而不实之两言括之，五千年流传到今，种根甚深，结蒂甚固，非有大力不易摧陷廓清。”毛泽东既不迷信中国古书，也不迷信西方人的观念，认为“东方思想均不切于实际生活。……西方思想亦未必尽是，几多之部分，亦应与东方思想同时改造也”。他在读《伦理学原理》一书时，对这本12万字的书作了约12000字的批注，其中除用“切论”“诚然，诚然”“此说甚然”“此说与吾大合”等表达自己的赞同之外，更有“此不然”“此语不详”“此节不当”“殊未必然”“此说终觉说不完满”“此处又使余怀疑”“吾意不应以此为说”等批语，以表达自己的不同意见。

Mao Zedong also believed that reading and setting aspirations were closely linked; whether reading or setting aspirations, both were for seeking truth and establishing true will, and neither could be done by echoing others or following blindly. He said: “People today are fond of teaching their children to set aspirations, and they say that so-and-so has aspirations. In my opinion, this is most unreasonable. Aspirations mean that I see the truth of the universe and, according to this, determine where my heart goes. … Only such aspirations can be called true aspirations, not blind aspirations.” “If one has not found the truth for ten years, then one has had no aspirations for ten years; if one never finds it in a lifetime, then one has had no aspirations for a lifetime.” Only those who establish “true aspirations” can “act according to their own true convictions and not blindly follow the right and wrong of others.”

毛泽东还认为读书与立志是紧密联系在一起的，不论是读书还是立志都是为了寻求真理、确立真志，都不能随声附和、亦步亦趋。他说：“今人动教子弟宜立志，又曰某君有志，愚意此最不通。志者，吾有见夫宇宙之真理，照此以定吾人心之所之之谓也。……如此之志，方为真志，而非盲从之志。”“十年未得真理，即十年无志；终身未得，即终身无志。”只有确立“真志”的人，才能“依自己真正主张以行，不盲从他人是非”。

Proceeding from reality rather than from books, not being superstitious, not blindly following, not going with the flow, and engaging in independent thinking, independent analysis, and independent judgment—these were the distinctive styles Mao Zedong had from his early years of reading, and this style is precisely the inherent requirement and vivid embodiment of seeking truth from facts.

一切从实际出发而不是从书本出发，不迷信、不盲从、不跟风，独立思考、独立分析、独立判断，是毛泽东早年读书时就有的鲜明风格，而这种风格正是实事求是的内在要求和生动体现。

Second, Mao Zedong valued “study tours” and investigation, consciously combining the reading of “books with words” with the reading of “books without words.”

其次，毛泽东重视“游学”和调研，自觉把读“有字之书”与读“无字之书”相结合。

During his studies, Mao Zedong was never satisfied with campus life and book knowledge. Claiming that his “nature does not like restraint,” Mao Zedong greatly yearned for and valued “study tours” as a form of field investigation and learning, believing that one should not only read “books with words” but also “books without words.” In 1913, while studying in the preparatory course at Hunan Provincial Fourth Normal School, Mao Zedong wrote: “Studying behind closed doors makes learning useless. To learn from all things under heaven and on earth, one must roam the nine heavens and travel the four corners of the world.” “The benefits of travel are great indeed! … By touring famous mountains and great rivers, one’s mind becomes broader.” “Does the traveler merely view mountains and waters? He should get to know famous figures, great men, and virtuous scholars—what is called befriending the good people of the world.” He said that when he saw an article in the *People’s Daily* at the First Normal School about two students traveling through China, “it greatly moved me. I wanted to follow their example, but I had no money, so I thought I would first travel through Hunan.”

毛泽东在求学的过程中，从来不满足于校园里的生活和书本上的知识，自称“性不好束缚”的毛泽东，非常向往和看重“游学”这种实地调研式的学习，不仅要读“有字之书”，也要读“无字之书”。1913年在湖南省立第四师范学校读预科时，毛泽东写下了这样的话：“闭门求学，其学无用。欲从天下国家万事万物而学之，则汗漫九垓，遍游四宇尚已。”“游之为益大矣哉!……周览名山大川，而其襟怀乃益广。”“游者岂徒观览山水而已哉，当识得其名人巨子贤士大夫，所谓友天下之善士也”。他说，在一师看到《民报》上关于两个学生漫游中国的文章时，“使我大为感动。我要学他们的榜样，不过我没有钱，想我还是先游历湖南”。

In the summer of 1916, Mao Zedong walked to the home of Yang Changji in Banshi, more than 100 li from Changsha, to visit him and discuss academic and social issues. When he learned from Yang Changji’s conversation that there was a Mr. Liu Wuting, a sports enthusiast who had studied in Japan, living in Gaochiao Tangchong, more than 40 li from Banshi, he made a special trip to visit him. In the summer of 1917, Mao Zedong, using the summer vacation and with no money on him, traveled with his classmate Xiao Zisheng through five counties—Changsha, Ningxiang, Anhua, Yiyang, and Yuanjiang—for over a month, covering more than 900 li. During the study tour, he extensively contacted people from all walks of life in urban and rural society, gaining much fresh knowledge that could not be obtained from books. In the winter of 1917, he walked to the home of his classmate Chen Zanzhou in Tieluchong, Wenjiashi, Liuyang County, to visit him and had heart-to-heart talks with nearby peasants. In the spring of 1918, Mao Zedong, together with Cai Hesen, conducted a field investigation of more than half a month along the southern and eastern shores of Dongting Lake, passing through Xiangyin, Yueyang, Pingjiang, and Liuyang counties. Through continuous field investigation-style visits and studies, Mao Zedong gained a deeper understanding of all aspects of rural society, honed his ability to carry out social activities in the countryside, and laid a solid foundation for correctly understanding and solving rural problems.

1916年暑期，毛泽东步行来到距长沙100多里以外的板仓杨昌济家访问，同其探讨学术和社会问题。当他从杨昌济谈话中得知，距离板仓40多里的高桥塘冲有一位曾经留学日本的体育运动爱好者柳午亭先生时，又专程前去拜访。1917年夏，毛泽东利用暑假时间，和同学萧子升在身无分文的情况下，先后游历了长沙、宁乡、安化、益阳、沅江等5县，历时一个多月，行程900多里。在游学过程中，他广泛接触城乡社会各阶层人士，获得了许多书本上得不到的新鲜知识。1917年冬天，他又步行到浏阳县文家市铁炉冲陈赞周同学家中探访，并与附近农民促膝谈心。1918年春天，毛泽东又和蔡和森沿洞庭湖南岸和东岸，经湘阴、岳阳、平江、浏阳等县，进行了半个多月的实地考察。通过不断的实地调研式探访和学习，毛泽东更加深刻地了解了农村社会的方方面面，锻炼了他深入农村开展社会活动的能力，也奠定了他正确认识和解决农村问题的坚实基础。

Mao Zedong not only conducted rural investigations through study tours many times but also contacted urban workers through multiple channels. During his studies at the First Normal School, he visited the mint and the electric light company near the school, extensively contacting ordinary laborers, including workers and peddlers. He also participated in founding a night school for workers, teaching them to read and write and communicating ideas. In the winter of 1918 and March 1919, Mao Zedong twice went to the Changxindian Railway Factory in the suburbs of Beijing to investigate the conditions and demands of workers, gaining direct knowledge and personal experience of the living conditions of China’s working class.

毛泽东不仅多次以游学方式到农村调研，而且还多渠道地同城市工人接触。在一师读书期间，他遍访学校附近的造币厂、电灯公司等，与包括工人、小贩等普通劳动者广泛接触。他还参与创办了工人夜校，教工人们读书写字，沟通思想。1918年冬天和1919年3月，毛泽东两次到北京近郊长辛店铁路工厂调查研究工人的现状和要求，对我国工人阶级的生存状况有了直接认识和亲身感受。

Born into a peasant family, Mao Zedong had cultivated from childhood the habit of being down-to-earth, not aiming too high, and not speaking empty or boastful words, believing that “empty words are useless” and “learning all arises from practical problems.” Therefore, he was able to consciously combine the reading of “books with words” with the reading of “books without words,” clearly proposing to “speak based on the reality of human society” and “lead people into reality to study facts and truth.” The “speaking based on the reality of human society” mentioned here refers to opposing empty fantasies and detachment from reality, that is, what he later called no investigation, no right to speak. The so-called “leading people into reality to study facts and truth” means proceeding from reality and combining theory with practice in order to understand and grasp truth. It was precisely such concepts and understandings that not only laid the foundation for his acceptance of Marxism but also prepared the necessary groundwork for his proposal of the ideological line of seeking truth from facts.

出身农家的毛泽东，从小就养成了脚踏实地、不好高骛远、不说空话大话的习性，认为“空言无益”“学皆起于实践问题”。所以，他能够自觉地把读“有字之书”与读“无字之书”紧密地结合起来，明确提出要“踏着人生社会的实际说话”，“引入实际去研究实事和真理”。这里所说的“踏着人生社会的实际说话”，指的就是反对空虚妄想、脱离实际，即他后来所说的没有调查就没有发言权。所谓“要引入实际去研究实事和真理”，就是要从实际出发，把理论与实践结合起来，才能认识和把握真理。正是这样的观念和认识，既为他接受马克思主义奠定了基础，也为他提出实事求是的思想路线作了必要的准备。

Third, Mao Zedong advocated that in learning one should “put China first and the West second,” and first clarify the situation of one’s own country.

再次，毛泽东主张为学应“先中而后西”，要首先把自己国家的情况搞清楚。

From the beginning of the 20th century, a wave of studying abroad emerged in China, with large numbers of young people successively going to Japan, the United States, France, Russia, and other countries to study. Mao Zedong was always an active supporter and enthusiastic organizer of study-abroad activities, yet he had deeper considerations about whether he himself should go abroad.

从20世纪初开始，中国形成了一股出国留学的浪潮，大批青年先后赴日本、美国、法国、俄国等国家求学。毛泽东始终是出国留学活动的积极拥护者和热心组织者，然而他对自己是否出国留学却有着更深刻的考虑。

In June 1915, in a letter to a friend, he already had a clear plan for his approach to learning. Given that “the China of the future will be a hundred times more difficult than the past,” he decided that “the way of learning is first broad then specialized, first Chinese then Western, first general then specialized,” expressing his intention to emulate Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao: “before the age of forty, learn all of China’s learning; after forty, absorb the essence of Western learning,” and “first master literary composition, then govern all subjects.” [25]25 Kang Youwei (1858–1927) and Liang Qichao (1873–1929) were leading reformist intellectuals of the late Qing dynasty who advocated for constitutional monarchy and modernizing Chinese learning. In August 1917, in a letter to Li Jinxi, he stated that after four years of deep reflection, he planned to combine the strengths of ancient private schools and modern schools to educate people, with the curriculum “based on a general grasp of the essentials of Chinese learning. Beyond this, one must go abroad to study, seeking the essentials of Western learning.” [26]26 Li Jinxi (1890–1978) was a Chinese linguist and educator, then a teacher at the Hunan First Normal School. Regarding the fact that in the spring of 1919 he went through great hardships to organize the first group of Hunan students for the work-study program in France but did not go himself, he explained: “I think I do not yet have a sufficient understanding of my own country, and I believe I can spend my time more beneficially in China.” [27]27 The work-study program (勤工俭学) was a movement in the early 20th century where Chinese students went to France to work in factories while studying, often associated with anarchist and socialist ideas. In March 1920, he said to Zhou Shizhao: “If we want to do a little for the world today, we cannot escape the ‘China’ arena. The situation within this arena seems to require on-the-spot investigation and research. If this work is left until after returning from abroad, due to personal and livelihood difficulties, it might be somewhat problematic. It is better to do it now: first, to avoid the difficulties just mentioned; second, to bring some experience to the West, so that when investigating, we can use it for comparison.” [28]28 Zhou Shizhao (1897–1976) was a close friend and classmate of Mao Zedong at the Hunan First Normal School, later a Communist Party member and educator.

1915年6月，他在给朋友的信中就对自己的为学之道有了明确的打算。鉴于“来日之中国，艰难百倍于昔”，“决定为学之道，先博而后约，先中而后西，先普通而后专门”，表示要效仿康有为、梁启超，“四十岁以前，学遍中国学问；四十年以后，又吸收西国学问之精华”，“先业词章，后治各科”。1917年8月，他在给黎锦熙的信中表示，自己经过4年的深思，拟结合古之私塾与今之学校两者之长来办学育人，“课程则以略通国学大要为准。过此即需出洋求学，乃求西学大要”。对于1919年春他千辛万苦组织湖南第一批留法勤工俭学学生赴法而自己没去这件事，他是这样解释的———“我认为我对于本国还未能充分了解，而且我以为在中国可以更有益地化去我的时间”。1920年3月，他对周世钊表示：“吾人如果要在现今的世界稍为尽一点力，当然脱不开‘中国’这个地盘。关于这地盘内的情形，似不可不加以实地的调查，及研究。这层工夫，如果留在出洋回来的时候做，因人事及生活的关系，恐怕有些困难。不如在现在做了，一来无方才所说的困难；二来又可携带些经验到西洋去，考察时可以借资比较。”

Thus, Mao Zedong’s not going abroad to study did not mean he opposed studying abroad. As he himself said, “I am not absolutely opposed to studying abroad; on the contrary, I am a proponent of a broad policy of studying abroad. I think we should all have the experience of ‘going abroad’.” The reason he was not in a hurry to go abroad was linked to his consistent style of being down-to-earth and not seeking empty fame. “He felt that there were still many things in China that needed to be studied and done; spending time in China was more beneficial than studying abroad.” He was unwilling to blindly join the tide of studying abroad while still “having no clear views on the universe, on life, on the country, or on education.” He believed that the purpose of studying abroad was to find a way to solve China’s problems, and that one must first understand the situation within the China arena. Only after better understanding China’s national conditions could one go abroad with a basis for comparison and discrimination, reduce blindness, and find solutions that fit China’s reality. As he himself said, “Our study is not without purpose; our purpose is to transform the existing society. Our study is the pursuit of knowledge to achieve this purpose.”

由此可见，毛泽东没有出国留学，并不意味着他对出国留学不赞成。正如他自己所说的那样，“我不是绝对反对留学的人，而且是一个主张大留学政策的人。我觉得我们一些人都要过一回‘出洋’的瘾才对”。他之所以暂时不急于出国，是与他脚踏实地、不务空名的一贯作风联系在一起的。“他觉得，中国还有许多事物需要研究，需要作；把时间花在国内，比出洋留学等等更为有益。”他不愿意在“对于宇宙，对于人生，对于国家，对于教育，作何主张，均茫乎未定”的情况下，盲目地卷入留学的大潮之中。他认为出国留学的目的是寻求解决中国问题的办法，那首先就必须把中国这个地盘内的情形弄明白，只有在更好地了解了中国的国情之后再出国，才有可资比较和鉴别的基础，才能减少盲目性，才能找到契合中国实际的解决问题的办法。正如他自己所说的那样，“我们求学不是没有目的的，我们的目的在改造现社会。我们的求学，是求实现这个目的的学问”。

From Mao Zedong’s approach and practice of “first Chinese then Western,” we can deeply feel his sentiment of seeking truth from facts, starting from reality, and not blindly following trends. At the same time, this is consistent with his later criticism of “always speaking of Greece” and his proposition that “the victory of the Chinese revolution depends on Chinese comrades understanding China’s conditions.” [29]29 “Always speaking of Greece” (言必称希腊) is a phrase Mao used to criticize those who blindly worshipped Western theories without understanding China’s actual conditions, from his 1941 essay “Reform Our Study.”

从毛泽东“先中而后西”的求学主张和实践中，我们可以深切地感受到他一切从实际出发、不盲从跟风的实事求是情怀。同时，这与他后来所批评的“言必称希腊”和所提出来的“中国革命斗争的胜利要靠中国同志了解中国情况”的观念是一脉相承的。

Finally, Mao Zedong had a strong “problem consciousness” and held unique and profound insights into the relationship between “problems” and “isms.”

最后，毛泽东具有强烈的“问题意识”，对“问题”与“主义”的关系有着自己独到而深刻的见解。

What are the problems of humanity? What is to be done about China’s problems? These were always the big questions in young Mao Zedong’s mind. In the inaugural declaration of the *Xiang River Review*, he said: “What is the biggest problem in the world? The problem of eating is the biggest. What force is the strongest? The strength of the united masses is the strongest.” “‘How should humanity live?’ has become an enormous problem.” Facing the currents of “world revolution” and “human liberation,” “how to receive it? How to spread it? How to study it? How to implement it? These are the most urgent and important problems for all of us Hunanese.” [30]30 The *Xiang River Review* (湘江评论) was a weekly journal founded and edited by Mao Zedong in Changsha in July 1919, advocating for progressive and anti-imperialist ideas.

人类的问题是什么?中国的问题怎么办?这始终是青年毛泽东思考的大问题。他在《湘江评论》创刊宣言中说：“世界什么问题最大?吃饭问题最大。什么力量最强?民众联合的力量最强。”“‘人类应如何生活?’成了一个绝大的问题。”面对“世界革命”和“人类解放”的潮流，“如何承受他?如何传播他?如何研究他?如何施行他?这是我们全体湘人最切最要的大问题”。

To advance the study of problems, in September 1919, Mao Zedong planned to establish a “Problem Research Society” in Changsha and personally drafted a “Charter of the Problem Research Society,” which stated at the outset: “All matters or principles that are necessary for modern life, or not necessary, but have not yet been properly resolved, thus affecting the progress of modern life, become problems. Our association is now established to focus on solving such problems.” This charter very clearly proposed 71 major and minor problems totaling 144 that China needed to study at the time, such as “the problem of universal education,” “the problem of women’s participation in politics,” “the problem of free love and the sanctity of love,” “the problem of abolishing prostitution,” “the problem of establishing public nurseries,” “the problem of the treatment of illegitimate children,” “the problem of the convergence of Eastern and Western civilizations,” “the problem of religious reform and whether religion should be abolished,” “the problem of working hours,” “the problem of labor education,” “the problem of dealing with unemployed workers,” “the problem of equal pay for men and women,” “the problem of public ownership of the means of production,” “the problem of national self-determination,” “the problem of economic freedom,” “the problem of the League of Nations,” “the problem of whether socialism can be implemented,” “the problem of how to carry out the union of the masses,” and so on. It should be said that these problems were not only numerous and wide-ranging but also touched on China’s concrete reality and a series of major issues related to China’s social development. After this charter was published in the *Peking University Daily*, “friends in Beijing read it and all said it was very good and worth studying.”

为了推进问题的研究，1919年9月，毛泽东打算在长沙成立一个“问题研究会”，并亲自撰写了一个《问题研究会章程》，开宗明义地指出：“凡事或理之为现代人生所必需，或不必需，而均尚未得适当之解决，致影响于现代人生之进步者，成为问题。同人今设一会，注重解决如斯之问题。”这个章程非常明确地提出当时中国需要研究的71项大大小小共144个问题，如“教育普及问题”“女子参政问题”“恋爱自由及恋爱神圣问题”“废娼问题”“公共蒙养院设置问题”“私生儿待遇问题”“东西文明会合问题”“宗教改良及宗教应否废弃问题”“劳动时间问题”“劳动教育问题”“劳工失职处置问题”“男女工值平等问题”“生产机关公有问题”“民族自决问题”“经济自由问题”“国际联盟问题”“社会主义能否实施问题”“民众的联合如何进行问题”等等。应当说，这些问题不仅数量众多、覆盖面甚广，而且都是切中中国具体实际和关系中国社会发展的一系列重大问题。这个章程在《北京大学日刊》登载以后，“在北京的朋友看了，都说狠好，有研究的必要”。

Problems are the voice of the times and the reflection of reality. Discovering and raising problems, in the final analysis, is about solving them. Facing a series of problems confronting Chinese society, whether to adopt “piecemeal solutions” or a “fundamental solution” was a major issue that could not be taken lightly. In fact, the solution of “problems” is closely linked to the choice of “isms.” Mao Zedong believed that to fundamentally solve the series of problems facing Chinese society, the key was to have an “ism” that everyone jointly believed in. He had his own profound insights into the existing “problems” and the “isms” for solving them. He said: “Although I do not oppose piecemeal solutions, I do not approve of solving problems without an ism, like treating a headache when the head hurts and treating a foot when the foot hurts. The bad air in China is too deep and too thick. We must indeed create a new air with power to exchange it. I think this kind of air certainly requires a group of hardworking and determined ‘people,’ but even more so, it requires an ‘ism’ that everyone jointly believes in. Without an ism, air cannot be created… An ism is like a flag; once the flag is raised, everyone has something to look to and knows where to go.”

问题是时代的声音和现实的反映，发现问题和提出问题，说到底是为了解决问题。面对中国社会所面临的一系列问题，是“零碎解决”还是“根本解决”，是不能不认真对待的大问题。其实，“问题”的解决与“主义”的选择又是紧密联系在一起的。毛泽东认为，要从根本上解决中国社会所面临的一系列问题，关键是要有大家共同信守的“主义”。对于存在的“问题”与解决问题的“主义”，毛泽东是有着自己深刻见解的。他说：“我虽然不反对零碎解决，但我不赞成没有主义头痛医头脚痛医脚的解决。”“中国坏空气太深太厚，吾们诚哉要造成一种有势力的新空气，才可以将他斢换过来。我想这种空气，固然要有一班刻苦励志的‘人’，尤其要有一种为大家共同信守的‘主义’，没有主义，是造不成空气的。……主义譬如一面旗子，旗子立起了，大家才有所指望，才知所趋赴。”

Mao Zedong’s strong problem consciousness, especially his profound insights into the relationship between “problems” and “isms,” not only shows his pragmatic attitude and realistic style of never engaging in empty talk but also reveals his broad vision and lofty ideal of seeking to “transform China and the world.”

毛泽东强烈的问题意识特别是对“问题”与“主义”关系的深刻见解，既表明他从来不纸上谈兵的务实态度和求实作风，也表明了他寻求“改造中国与世界”的宏阔视野和远大理想。

V. Correctly Understanding the Course and Characteristics of Mao Zedong’s Early Understanding and Practice of “Seeking Truth from Facts”

五、正确理解毛泽东早年认识和践行“实事求是”的历程和特点

Looking at the entire course of Mao Zedong’s early understanding and practice of seeking truth from facts, it can be seen that his early understanding and practice of “seeking truth from facts” were continuous, complex, diverse, concrete, and vivid. Only by correctly grasping the course and characteristics of Mao Zedong’s early understanding and practice of seeking truth from facts can we gain a comprehensive and profound understanding of the situation as a whole.

纵观毛泽东早年对实事求是的认识和践行历程可以看出，毛泽东早年对“实事求是”的认识和实践是持续不断、复杂多样和具体生动的。只有正确把握毛泽东早年认识和践行实事求是的历程和特点，才能从总体上对毛泽东早年认识和践行实事求是的情况获得全面而深刻的认识。

First, Mao Zedong’s early understanding of “seeking truth from facts” was a continuous “line” (or rather, an unbroken “line” closely connected by individual “points”), not isolated and scattered “points.” From the trajectory of Mao Zedong’s early thought and action, “seeking truth from facts” was like a red thread running through Mao Zedong’s thought and action. It not only profoundly influenced the direction and path of the evolution of Mao Zedong’s worldview and outlook on life but also became the main ideological thread and behavioral coordinate of his study and action. Therefore, when exploring the course of Mao Zedong’s early understanding of seeking truth from facts, one must look at it comprehensively and systematically, not one-sidedly and in isolation, and not focus on one “point” while ignoring the rest. Because each “point” does not exist in isolation; only by closely connecting each concrete “point” can we fully grasp the course of Mao Zedong’s early understanding of seeking truth from facts.

一是毛泽东早年对“实事求是”的认识是一条持续不断的“线”（或者说是由一个个“点”紧密连接起来的不中断的“线”），而不是一个个孤立和分散的“点”。从毛泽东早年思想和行动的演变轨迹看，“实事求是”就像一根红线始终贯穿于毛泽东的思想与行动之中，既深刻地影响着毛泽东世界观人生观的演变方向和行进路径，又成为他学习与行动的思想主线和行为坐标。所以，探讨毛泽东早年对实事求是的认识历程，要全面而系统地看，不能片面孤立地看，不能只顾一“点”而不计其余。因为每个“点”都不是孤立存在的，只有把每一个具体的“点”紧密地连接起来，才能完整地把握毛泽东早年对实事求是的认识历程。

Second, Mao Zedong’s early understanding of seeking truth from facts was complex and multi-dimensional, rather than simple and one-dimensional. In the process of understanding and practicing seeking truth from facts, Mao was influenced not only by the “practical learning” [31]31 “Practical learning” (实学) refers to a school of thought in late imperial China that emphasized concrete, practical knowledge and statecraft over abstract philosophical speculation. thought of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, but also by the reformist trend represented by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao [32]32 Kang Youwei (1858–1927) and Liang Qichao (1873–1929) were leading reformist intellectuals in the late Qing who advocated for constitutional monarchy and modernization. in the late Qing dynasty; not only by the tradition of the unity of knowledge and action [33]33 “Unity of knowledge and action” (知行合一) is a key concept in the philosophy of Wang Yangming (1472–1529), emphasizing that genuine knowledge must be expressed in practice. in several thousand years of Chinese culture, but also by the long-standing tradition of practical statecraft [34]34 “Practical statecraft” (经世致用) is a Confucian tradition stressing the application of learning to governance and social improvement. in Huxiang culture [35]35 Huxiang culture refers to the intellectual tradition of Hunan province, known for its emphasis on practical learning and moral integrity.; not only by the “Four Books and Five Classics” [36]36 The “Four Books and Five Classics” are the canonical texts of Confucianism, forming the core of traditional Chinese education., but also by Western thought; not only by his school and teachers, but also by the trends and social currents of the era. Therefore, we must not only see the influence of external factors on Mao, but even more so Mao’s own unremitting exploration and pursuit of seeking truth from facts. Only by comprehensively exploring the course of Mao’s understanding of seeking truth from facts can we more deeply grasp the profound foundation and historical inevitability of Mao’s understanding and practice of seeking truth from facts.

二是毛泽东早年对实事求是的认识是复杂的、多向度的，而不是简易的、单向度的。毛泽东在认识和践行实事求是的过程中，既受到了明末清初“实学”思想的影响，又受到了清朝末年以康有为、梁启超为代表的改良思潮的影响；既受到了几千年中国文化知行合一传统的影响，又受到了源远流长的湖湘文化经世致用传统的影响；既受到了“四书五经”的影响，又受到了西方思想的影响；既受到了学校及老师的影响，又受到了时代和社会潮流的影响。因此，既要看到来自外部因素对毛泽东的影响，更要看到毛泽东自身对实事求是的不懈探索与追求。只有全方位探讨毛泽东对实事求是的认识历程，才能更深刻地理解毛泽东认识和践行实事求是的深厚基础和历史必然。

Third, Mao Zedong’s early understanding of “seeking truth from facts” was concrete and vivid, rather than abstract and hollow. On the question of Mao’s early understanding and practice of seeking truth from facts, we cannot simply limit ourselves to whether he used the term “seeking truth from facts”; rather, we must see whether in practice he adopted the correct attitude of seeking truth from facts, whether he grasped the spiritual essence of seeking truth from facts, and whether he practiced the basic requirements of seeking truth from facts. Only by deeply grasping the course of Mao’s early conscious acceptance and practice of seeking truth from facts and his vivid practice can we more deeply understand the profound connotation and directional goal of Xi Jinping’s assertion at Yuelu Academy [37]37 Yuelu Academy, located in Changsha, Hunan, is a historic Confucian academy where Xi Jinping in 2020 discussed Mao Zedong’s connection to the principle of seeking truth from facts. concerning the relationship between Mao Zedong and seeking truth from facts.

三是毛泽东早年对“实事求是”的认识是具体的、生动的，而不是抽象的、空洞的。对毛泽东早年认识和践行实事求是的问题，不能简单地局限于他是否使用过“实事求是”这个词，而要看他在实践中是否具有实事求是的正确态度，是否把握了实事求是的精神实质，是否践行了实事求是的基本要求。只有深刻把握毛泽东早年自觉接受和践行实事求是的认识历程和生动实践，才能更深刻地理解习近平在岳麓书院关于毛泽东与实事求是关系论断的深刻内涵和目标指向。

(Author’s bio: Liu Jianwu, former Party Secretary and President of the Hunan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, Distinguished Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Marxism, Hunan University of Science and Technology)

（作者简介：刘建武，湖南省社会科学院原党组书记、院长，湖南科技大学马克思主义学院特聘教授、博士生导师）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心