The Rich Connotation, Methodological Implications and Practical Requirements of “The Essence of Ideological and Political Theory Courses Is to Explain Principles”

On March 18, 2019, Xi Jinping presided over a symposium for teachers of ideological and political theory courses in schools and delivered an important speech. This important speech profoundly answered a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning the construction of ideological and political theory courses (hereinafter referred to as IPCs) in schools, put forward a series of new ideas, new viewpoints and new judgments, and serves as an important guideline for running school IPCs well in the New Era. On April 25, 2022, during an inspection and research visit to Renmin University of China, where he observed a smart classroom teaching session of an IPC and participated in the discussion, Xi Jinping emphasized: “The essence of IPCs is to explain principles. Attention must be paid to methods and approaches, to explain principles deeply, thoroughly and vividly. Teachers must teach with their hearts, and students must comprehend with their hearts, so as to achieve communication of minds, enlightenment of wisdom and stirring of aspirations.” This important judgment profoundly reveals the essence of IPCs and further deepens the understanding of the laws of IPC education and teaching. Standing at a new starting point, to promote the high-quality development of IPCs in higher education, it is necessary to deeply comprehend and comprehensively grasp the rich connotation, methodological implications and practical requirements of “the essence of IPCs is to explain principles,” and continuously enhance the effectiveness of IPC education and teaching.

2019年3月18日，习近平主持召开学校思想政治理论课教师座谈会并发表重要讲话。这一重要讲话，深刻回答了关于学校思想政治理论课（以下简称思政课）建设中的一系列重大理论和实践问题，提出了一系列新思想新观点新论断，是办好新时代学校思政课的重要遵循。2022年4月25日，在中国人民大学考察调研、观摩思政课智慧教室现场教学并参与讨论时，习近平强调：“思政课的本质是讲道理，要注重方式方法，把道理讲深、讲透、讲活，老师要用心教，学生要用心悟，达到沟通心灵、启智润心、激扬斗志。”这一重要论断，深刻揭示了思政课的本质，进一步深化了对思政课教育教学规律的认识。站在新起点上，推进高校思政课高质量发展，就要深刻领会、全面把握“思政课的本质是讲道理”的丰富内涵、方法论意蕴和实践要求，不断增强思政课教育教学的实效性。

I. Deepening the Understanding of the Laws of IPC Education and Teaching

一、对思政课教育教学规律认识的深化

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the construction of IPCs. Regarding how to run, teach and learn IPCs well, Xi Jinping has prescribed a series of “remedies.” In November 2013, in an important instruction on IPCs, Xi Jinping emphasized that IPCs must be run well, the textbooks must be compiled well, the team of teachers must be built well, and the courses must be taught well. In December 2016, at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities, Xi Jinping proposed: “Ideological and political theory courses must persist in improving through reform and enhancing through innovation, promptly update teaching content, enrich teaching methods, continuously improve the classroom teaching situation, and prevent formalization and superficiality, among other things.” In March 2019, at the symposium for teachers of ideological and political theory courses in schools, Xi Jinping emphasized that IPCs are the key courses for schools to implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, and the role of IPCs is irreplaceable. He also explicitly put forward the requirements of the “Eight Unifications” and the “Six Essentials.”[2]2 The “Four Confidences” (四个自信) refers to confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. On March 6, 2021, while visiting members of the medical, health and education sectors attending the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must make good use of the ‘grand IPCs,’ and they must be integrated with reality. Teaching IPCs cannot simply involve reading documents aloud, which is lifeless and dry.”[3]3 “Chinese-path modernization” (中国式现代化) is the official term for China’s model of modernization, distinct from Western models, as articulated under Xi Jinping. On April 25, 2022, during an inspection and research visit to Renmin University of China, Xi Jinping further emphasized: “The essence of IPCs is to explain principles.”[1]1 “Watered-down courses” (水课) is a colloquial term used by Chinese university students to describe courses perceived as lacking in substance, rigor, or academic value.

党的十八大以来，习近平高度重视思政课建设。针对怎样办好、讲好、学好思政课，习近平开出了一系列的“方子”。2013年11月，习近平在对思政课的重要批示中，强调思政课必须办好，要把教材编好、把教师队伍建好、把课讲好。2016年12月，在全国高校思想政治工作会议上，习近平提出：“思想政治理论课要坚持在改进中加强、在创新中提高，及时更新教学内容、丰富教学手段，不断改善课堂教学状况，防止形式化、表面化，等等。”2019年3月，在学校思想政治理论课教师座谈会上，习近平强调，思政课是学校落实立德树人的关键课程，思政课作用不可替代，并明确提出了“八个相统一”“六个要”的要求。[2]2021年3月6日，在看望参加全国政协会议的医药卫生界教育界委员时，习近平指出：“‘大思政课’我们要善用之，一定要跟现实结合起来。上思政课不能拿着文件宣读，没有生命、干巴巴的。”[3]2022年4月25日，在中国人民大学考察调研时，习近平进一步强调：“思政课的本质是讲道理。”[1]

“With reason, one can travel the world; without reason, one cannot take a single step.” This is a common saying known to all. Why has “explaining principles” been elevated to the level of the essence of IPCs?

有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行，这是人所熟知的常识。“讲道理”何以被提升到思政课的本质的高度？

First, this is determined by the nature of the IPC curriculum. Theoretical and scientific character are important features of Marxism. The important features of Marxist theory and our Party’s innovative theory are precisely their theoretical and scientific character. Therefore, IPCs must clearly and thoroughly explain the scientific and truthful nature of our Party’s innovative theory and Marxist theory. Theoretical character is an important hallmark of IPCs in higher education. IPCs in higher education differ from those in primary and secondary schools; a very important aspect is that they emphasize theoretical character and emphasize explaining principles. In his speech at the symposium for teachers of ideological and political theory courses in schools, Xi Jinping pointed out that running IPCs well means carrying out Marxist theoretical education, “using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge souls and educate people, guiding students to enhance their confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, cultivate deep patriotic feelings, and consciously integrate their love for the country, ambition to strengthen the country, and actions to serve the country into the struggle to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, build a modern socialist country, and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”[2]2 The “Four Confidences” (四个自信) refers to confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. IPCs in higher education are precisely about providing students with systematic Marxist theoretical education, disseminating the Party’s innovative theory, and using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge souls and educate people.

首先，这是由思政课的课程性质决定的。理论性和科学性是马克思主义的重要特征。马克思主义理论和我们党的创新理论所具有的重要特征就是理论性和科学性。因此，思政课要讲清讲透我们党的创新理论和马克思主义理论的科学性、真理性。理论性是高校思政课的重要标识。高校思政课不同于中小学思政课，其中很重要的方面，就是它注重理论性，注重讲道理。在学校思想政治理论课教师座谈会上的讲话中，习近平指出，办好思政课，就是要开展马克思主义理论教育，“用新时代中国特色社会主义思想铸魂育人，引导学生增强中国特色社会主义道路自信、理论自信、制度自信、文化自信，厚植爱国主义情怀，把爱国情、强国志、报国行自觉融入坚持和发展中国特色社会主义、建设社会主义现代化强国、实现中华民族伟大复兴的奋斗之中”。[2]高校思政课就是要对学生进行系统的马克思主义理论教育，传播党的创新理论，用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想铸魂育人。

Second, this is determined by the internal logic of achieving the objectives of the IPC curriculum. IPCs are the key courses for implementing the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, with the goal of cultivating builders and successors of socialism who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically and in labor. To achieve this goal, the key is to establish faith and conviction. But what logic should be followed to make faith and conviction enter the mind and heart? On this, Marx emphasized: “Theory can grasp the masses once it demonstrates ad hominem, and it demonstrates ad hominem once it becomes radical.”[4](P11) Mao Zedong proposed: “We must reason well. If reasoning is done well and appropriately, it will be effective.”[5](P833) It can be seen that here, the importance of explaining principles well and convincing people through reason is emphasized. Therefore, in the process of achieving the objectives of IPCs, moving people with emotion and inspiring people with beauty are certainly indispensable and very important, but the realization of the ideological and political nature of IPCs can, in the final analysis, only be achieved through explaining principles, only through convincing people through reason. Only in this way can entering the mind and heart be more lasting and solid.

其次，这是由思政课课程目标实现的内在逻辑决定的。思政课是落实立德树人根本任务的关键课程，目标是培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人。要实现这一目标，关键是确立信仰信念，而要使信仰信念入脑入心，该遵循什么样的逻辑？对此，马克思强调：“理论只要说服人，就能掌握群众；而理论只要彻底，就能说服人。”[4](P11)毛泽东提出：“要好好地说理。如果说理说得好，说得恰当，那是会有效力的。”[5](P833)可以看出，在这里，讲好道理、以理服人的重要性得到了强调。因此，在思政课目标实现过程中，以情动人、以美感人，固然不可或缺，非常重要，但思政课的思想性、政治性的实现，归根到底只能通过讲道理来实现，只能通过以理服人来实现，唯有如此，入脑入心才能更持久、更牢固。

Finally, this is an inevitable requirement for solving the current problems in IPC education and teaching. The proposition that “the essence of IPCs is to explain principles” has a strong targeted nature, but it is mainly directed not at “not explaining principles,” but at “not knowing how to explain principles” and “explaining principles poorly.” In IPC teaching, there indeed exist phenomena of “not knowing how to explain principles” and “explaining principles poorly.” For example, some teachers “explain principles” by mechanically following the textbook, not daring to deviate from it one step. Regarding this, Xi Jinping once pointed out: “In teaching, IPC teachers should use the unified textbooks as the basis to ensure the standardization, scientificity and authority of teaching, but at the same time, they cannot simply read the textbook mechanically.”[6] Some teachers only present conclusions without argumentation; explaining principles in this way easily turns into “preaching.” As Engels said: “Mere empty preaching, even the preaching of a highly authoritative figure, cannot produce such conviction in people.”[7](P277) Some teachers explain principles superficially, skimming the surface and stopping after a shallow attempt; explaining principles in this way easily slides into entertainment, or even vulgarization. Some teachers explain principles one-sidedly; explaining principles in this way easily leads to self-contradiction, reducing the effectiveness of explaining

最后，这是解决当下思政课教育教学问题的必然要求。“思政课的本质是讲道理”的提出，具有强烈的针对性，但主要不是针对“不讲道理”，而是针对“不会讲道理”“讲不好道理”。在思政课教学中，的确存在着“不会讲道理”“讲不好道理”的现象。例如，有的教师照本宣科“讲道理”，完全照着教材讲，不敢离开教材一步。对此，习近平曾指出：“思政课教师在教学中要把统编教材作为依据，确保教学的规范性、科学性、权威性，同时也不能简单照本宣科。”[6]有的教师只讲结论，没有论证，这样讲道理很容易变成“说教”。如恩格斯所言：“仅凭空洞的说教，哪怕是很高明的权威的说教，都不能使人产生这种信念。”[7](P277)有的教师表面化讲道理，浮于表面、浅尝辄止，这样讲道理很容易滑向娱乐化，甚至庸俗化；有的教师片面化讲道理，这样讲道理很容易导致自相矛盾，降低讲道理的效果。习近平提出“思政课的本质是讲道理”，就是针对这些问题，就是要着重解决这些问题。

“The essence of ideological-political courses is to expound principles” is a logical scientific judgment concerning ideological-political courses. This important thesis profoundly reveals the essence of ideological-political courses, deepens the understanding of the laws of education and teaching in ideological-political courses, and points the direction for further enhancing the scientific level and practical effectiveness of ideological-political course education and teaching.

“思政课的本质是讲道理”，是关于思政课合乎逻辑的科学判断，这一重要论断深刻揭示了思政课的本质，深化了对思政课教育教学规律的认识，为进一步提升思政课教育教学的科学化水平和实效性指明了方向。

II. The Rich Connotation of “The Essence of Ideological-Political Courses Is to Expound Principles”

二、“思政课的本质是讲道理”的丰富内涵

“The essence of ideological-political courses is to expound principles” possesses rich connotations. In fact, “expounding principles” is not unique to ideological-political courses; any course must “expound principles.” However, compared with other courses, the “principles” expounded in ideological-political courses are not ordinary principles. They embody the unity of truth and ethics, and of reason and sentiment; the unity of political principle and scholarly principle; and the unity of fundamental principle and concrete reasoning.

“思政课的本质是讲道理”，有着丰富的内涵。事实上，“讲道理”并不是思政课独有的，任何一门课程都要“讲道理”，但与其他课程相比，思政课讲的“道理”，不是一般的道理，它体现了真理与伦理、情理相统一，政理与学理相统一，原理与事理相统一。

First, the unity of truth with ethics and human sentiment. Teaching in ideological and political theory courses must uphold the unity of value and knowledge, which requires that the principles we explain embody the unity of truth with ethics and human sentiment—that is, the unity of the true, the good, and the beautiful. Marxism is a powerful ideological weapon for us to understand and transform the world, embodying the unity of the true, the good, and the beautiful. Marxism is a scientific theory that creatively reveals the laws of development of human society; scientificity and truth are its distinctive features. Marxism is a theory of the people, for the first time founding an ideological system through which the people can achieve their own liberation; affinity to the people is another distinctive feature of Marxism. Xi Jinping points out: “Marxism is profound and extensive, but in the final analysis it comes down to one sentence: to seek liberation for humanity.” [8](P424) Marx and Engels, throughout their lives, harbored a compassionate concern for humanity and had many beautiful visions of an ideal society without oppression, without exploitation, where everyone is equal and everyone is free. Marxism undoubtedly occupies the high ground of both truth and morality. “Explaining principles” is all-encompassing: it must explain not only the true but also the good and the beautiful, enabling students to understand principles more comprehensively. We must not only clarify the truth and value of Marxism, but also clarify Marxism’s pursuit of a better life and its pursuit of great love for humanity, and clarify the principles of loving the Party, loving the country, loving socialism, and loving the people. Only in this way can we truly “plant the seeds of the true, the good, and the beautiful in students’ hearts, and guide students to fasten the first button of their lives.” [6] Xi Jinping points out: “Our education must never cultivate socialist destroyers and gravediggers, and must never cultivate people who ‘have a Chinese face but not a Chinese heart, lack Chinese feeling, and are missing Chinese flavor’!” [8](P647)

一是真理与伦理、情理相统一。思政课教学必须坚持价值性和知识性相统一，这就要求我们讲的道理应该体现真理与伦理、情理相统一，也就是真善美相统一。马克思主义是我们认识世界、改造世界的强大思想武器，体现着真善美的统一。马克思主义是科学的理论，创造性地揭示了人类社会发展规律，科学性、真理性是马克思主义鲜明的特征。马克思主义是人民的理论，第一次创立了人民实现自身解放的思想体系，人民性是马克思主义又一鲜明特征。习近平指出：“马克思主义博大精深，归根到底就是一句话，为人类求解放。”[8](P424)马克思、恩格斯一生怀着悲天悯人的情怀，对建立一个没有压迫、没有剥削、人人平等、人人自由的理想社会有许多美好的设想。马克思主义无疑占据着真理和道义的制高点。“讲道理”是全方位的，既要讲真，还要讲善和美，使学生对道理的理解更全面。我们既要把马克思主义的真理性和价值性讲清楚，还要把马克思主义对美好生活的追求、对人间大爱的追求讲清楚，把爱党、爱国、爱社会主义、爱人民的道理讲清楚。只有这样，才能真正“给学生心灵埋下真善美的种子，引导学生扣好人生第一粒扣子”。[6]习近平指出：“我们的教育绝不能培养社会主义破坏者和掘墓人，绝不能培养出一些‘长着中国脸，不是中国心，没有中国情，缺少中国味’的人！”[8](P647)

Second, the unity of political principle with academic principle. Political nature and theoretical nature are the basic characteristics of ideological and political theory courses. These courses have a strong political attribute and ideological attribute; they must never engage in “de-politicization” or “de-ideologization,” nor engage in so-called “party neutrality,” but must always adhere to the original aspiration of “educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country.” This political attribute determines that ideological and political theory courses must take clarifying political principle as an important task: they must clarify the way the Chinese Communist Party governs the country, explain the principles of why Marxism works, why the Chinese Communist Party is capable, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, and elucidate the theoretical logic, historical logic, and practical logic of serving the people, serving the Chinese Communist Party’s governance of the country, serving the consolidation and development of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and serving reform and opening up and socialist modernization, thereby enhancing students’ political identification, ideological identification, and emotional identification with the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Ideological and political theory courses in higher education are highly theoretical courses; they must help students systematically master Marxist theory. Without theoretical clarity, it is difficult to achieve political firmness. To realize political nature, teachers of ideological and political theory courses must be adept at using scholarship to explain politics, clarifying Marxism’s rich knowledge system, clarifying Marxism’s inherent logical power and truth power, responding to students with thorough academic analysis, persuading students with complete ideological theory, and guiding students with the powerful force of truth.

二是政理与学理相统一。政治性和理论性是思政课的基本特征。思政课具有强烈的政治属性、意识形态属性，绝不能搞“去政治化”“去意识形态化”，绝不能搞所谓“党派中立”，而是始终要坚守“为党育人、为国育才”的初心。这种政治属性，决定了思政课要把讲清政理作为重要任务，要讲清中国共产党治国理政之道，讲好马克思主义为什么行、中国共产党为什么能、中国特色社会主义为什么好的道理，讲明为人民服务、为中国共产党治国理政服务、为巩固和发展中国特色社会主义制度服务、为改革开放和社会主义现代化建设服务的理论逻辑、历史逻辑和实践逻辑，增强学生对中国特色社会主义道路、理论、制度和文化的政治认同、思想认同、情感认同。高校思政课是理论性很强的课程，要帮助学生系统地掌握马克思主义理论。没有理论的清醒，就难有政治上的坚定。要实现政治性，思政课教师就要善于用学术讲政治，讲清楚马克思主义丰富的知识体系，讲清楚马克思主义内在的逻辑力量和真理力量，以透彻的学理分析回应学生，以彻底的思想理论说服学生，用真理的强大力量引导学生。

Third, the unity of fundamental principle with factual principle. This unity embodies the unity of universality and particularity, and the unity of “big” principles and “small” principles. Ideological and political theory courses must explain universal principles well—that is, the fundamental principles of Marxism—clarifying the basic categories, basic viewpoints, and basic methods of Marxism, and clarifying the fundamental principles of the Party’s innovative theory, guiding students to put genuine effort into studying Marxist classics and fundamental principles, so that students truly read original works, study original texts, and comprehend original principles. While explaining big principles well, ideological and political theory courses must also explain specific principles well—that is, factual principles—so that students can feel the utility of fundamental principles. Teaching ideological and political theory courses well cannot be done without presenting facts, citing cases, and so on, but facts are numerous and disorderly; if we do not explain the “principle” contained within them, the chaotic facts are merely a pile of ineffective material. Therefore, teachers of ideological and political theory courses must be adept at embedding principle in facts, discussing principle on the basis of facts, analyzing facts to illuminate principle, clarifying the essence of facts, the internal connections among facts, and the trends and direction of development of facts, thereby unifying fact and principle.

三是原理与事理相统一。这种统一体现了普遍性与特殊性的统一、“大”道理与“小”道理的统一。思政课要讲好普遍之理，也就是马克思主义基本原理，讲清楚马克思主义基本范畴、基本观点、基本方法等，讲清楚党的创新理论的基本原理，引导学生在马克思主义经典著作和基本原理上下真功夫，让学生真读原著、学原文、悟原理。思政课在讲好大道理的同时，也要讲好具体的道理，也就是事理，使学生感受到原理之用。讲好思政课，离不开摆事实、讲案例等，但事实是众多的，是杂乱的，如果我们不讲其中所蕴含的“理”，纷杂的事实只是一堆无效的材料。因此，思政课教师要善于寓理于事、就事论理、析事明理，讲清事实的本质、事实之间的内在联系、事实的发展趋势和发展走向，将事与理统一起来。

III. The Methodological Implications of “the Essence of Ideological and Political Theory Courses Is to Explain Principles”

三、“思政课的本质是讲道理”的方法论意蕴

Explaining principles well is no easy task for teachers of ideological and political theory courses. Regarding how to explain principles well, Xi Jinping has provided a “prescription,”

讲好道理，对思政课教师来讲很不容易。对于怎样讲好道理，习近平开出了“药方”，也就是“把道理讲深、讲透、讲活”，[1]这一重要论断蕴含着深刻的方法论意蕴。

First, effort must be made to “explain deeply.” “Explaining deeply” does not mean explaining in an abstruse way, nor does it mean explaining in a way that people cannot understand; rather, it means explaining principles with profundity. The more deeply, extensively, and solidly ideological-political course teachers explain principles, the better they can guide students to know deeply, think deeply, and believe deeply. To “explain principles deeply”: first, one must explain “what it is,” but even more so, explain “why it

首先，要在“讲深”上下功夫。“讲深”不是讲得玄奥，不是讲得让人听不懂，而是要把道理讲得深刻。思政课教师将道理讲得越深入、深广、深厚，就越能更好地引导学生深知、深思、深信。把道理“讲深”：一是要讲“是什么”，更要讲“为什么”。习近平指出：“思政课教师所讲的理论、观点、结论要经得起学生各种‘为什么’的追问，这样效果才能好。”[6]二是要讲知识，更要讲立场观点方法。习近平强调：“思政课教师给予学生的不应该只是一些抽象的概念，而应该是观察认识当代世界、当代中国的立场、观点、方法。”[6]三是既要讲现象，更要讲本质。现象是杂多的，甚至是相互对立的。要“讲深”道理，就不仅要看到现象和细节，还要把握本质和全局，抓住主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面，避免在杂多的现象中迷失方向、舍本逐末，捡了芝麻丢了西瓜。因此，思政课教师要把道理 “讲深”，就要由浅入深，由表及里，从现象到本质，从而克服教学的表面化、浅薄化。

Second, effort must be concentrated on “thorough explanation.” “Thorough explanation” means making the reasoning transparent and penetrating, so that students can achieve mastery through comprehensive understanding and experience a feeling of sudden enlightenment, a clearing of confusion, and a new vista opening up.[n] To “thoroughly explain” the reasoning: first, explain it within the whole. Only when one grasps things comprehensively, holistically, and systematically can one’s thinking be penetrating. Therefore, when ideological-political course teachers explain reasoning, they cannot look at things through a tube and see only a part, nor can they see only the trees but not the forest; they must be adept at moving from points to lines, to planes, and then to volumes, striving to overcome the fragmentation of knowledge. Second, explain it within problems. Xi Jinping points out: “The students’ doubts are

其次，要在“讲透”上下功夫。“讲透”，就是要把道理讲得透明、透彻，让学生融会贯通，感受到醍醐灌顶、豁然开朗、柳暗花明。把道理“讲透”：一是在整体中讲。对事物有全面性、整体性、系统性的把握，思想才能通透。因此，思政课教师讲道理，不能管中窥豹，不能只见树木、不见森林，要善于从点到线、到面、再到体，努力克服知识的碎片化。二是在问题中讲。习近平指出：“学生的疑惑就是思政课要讲清楚的重点。”[6]难题解开了，问题解决了，思想的难点、痛点、堵点打通了，心里自然就透亮了。思政课就是要在引导学生提出问题、分析问题、解决问题的过程中解疑释惑。三是在比较中讲。没有比较，就没有鉴别。习近平指出，“要善于利用国内外的事实、案例、素材，在比较中回答学生的疑惑”，[6]思政课教师要以广阔的世界眼光、宏大的历史视野，引导学生全面客观地认识中国和外部世界，正确看待当代和历史，不断增强讲道理的说服力与穿透力。四是在破立中讲。真理是在争论中确立的。思政课要“讲透”道理，就要破立结合。因此，在教学中，思政课教师既要理直气壮地讲清楚正确的观点，又要敢于直面各种错误观点和错误思潮，善于作出科学的分析和批判，引导学生明辨真假、善恶、美丑。

Finally, effort must be made in “making them come alive.” “Making them come alive” means making principles vivid. To “make them come alive” and enhance affinity, ideological and political courses must become courses with warmth. First, the language must be alive. Ideological and political courses have a strong ideological attribute; if principles are made abstract, difficult to understand, rigid and dogmatic, and lacking in content affinity, how can they enter people’s minds and hearts? Lenin pointed out: “The highest degree of Marxism = the highest degree of popularization and simplicity.” [9](P467-468) To “make principles come alive,” teachers of ideological and political courses must not adopt a condescending posture; they must set aside their status, make great efforts to study and become familiar with students’ modes of expression, fully employ language that students are pleased to hear, speak more in everyday language, and avoid overly academic or dogmatic preaching modes. Only when the principles taught are “down-to-earth” can they be fresh and vivid. Second, the means and methods must be alive. To “make principles come alive,” teachers of ideological and political courses must also continuously innovate teaching means and methods, combining theory with practice, combining in-class with out-of-class activities, and combining offline with online approaches, constantly improving the practicality, targetedness, and contemporaneity of teaching. Especially in the era of artificial intelligence, it is necessary to actively promote the deep integration of AI technology with ideological and political course education and teaching, constructing new teaching models for ideological and political courses under the background of AI, and injecting new vitality into ideological and political course education and teaching on the new journey of the New Era.

最后，要在“讲活”上下功夫。“讲活”，就是要把道理讲生动。要把道理“讲活”，增强亲和力，让思政课成为有温度的课。一是话语要活。思政课具有很强的意识形态属性，如果再把道理讲得抽象难懂、刻板教条、缺乏内容上的亲和力，怎么能让人入脑入心呢？列宁指出：“最高限度的马克思主义=最高限度的通俗和简单明了。”[9](P467-468)要“讲活”道理，思政课教师就不能居高临下，要放下身段、下大力气研究熟悉学生的话语表达，充分运用学生喜闻乐见的话语，多讲家常话，避免过于学术化、教条化的说教模式，讲的道理，只有“接地气”，才会鲜活生动。二是手段方法要活。要“讲活”道理，思政课教师还要不断创新教学手段和方法，把理论与实际相结合、课上与课下相结合、线下与线上相结合，不断提高教学的现实性、针对性和时代性。特别是在人工智能时代，要积极主动地推进人工智能技术和思政课教育教学的深度融合，构建人工智能背景下思政课新的教学模式，为新时代新征程思政课教育教学注入新的活力。

Of course, “making them deep,” “making them thorough,” and “making them come alive” are not separate from each other; they are an organic whole that supports and complements each other. “Making them come alive” is based on “making them deep” and “making them thorough.” Without “making them deep,” it is also impossible to “make them thorough.” Similarly, “making them deep” cannot be separated from “making them come alive.”

当然，“讲深”“讲透”“讲活”，不是截然分开的，而是相互支撑、相辅相成的有机整体。“讲活”，是以“讲深”“讲透”为基础的。而没有“讲深”，也不可能“讲透”。同样，“讲深”也不能离开“讲活”。

IV. Practical Requirements for “the Essence of Ideological and Political Courses Is to Explain Principles”

四、“思政课的本质是讲道理”的实践要求

Implementing “the essence of ideological and political courses is to explain principles” is not an easy task; it is a systematic project involving all aspects of ideological and political course education and teaching. Here, three aspects require sufficient attention.

落实好“思政课的本质是讲道理”，不是一件容易的事，是一个系统工程，涉及思政课教育教学的方方面面。在这里，有三个方面需要引起足够的重视。

First, teach every lesson with heart, feeling, and effort. Where students are, there ideological and political education is. But classroom teaching is undoubtedly the main channel for achieving the teaching goals of ideological and political courses, and also the main battlefield for explaining principles. Without classroom teaching, ideological and political courses would lose their foundation. “In ideological and political courses, students will raise some sharp and sensitive questions, often involving deep-level theoretical and practical issues; explaining these issues clearly and thoroughly is not easy.” [6] If teachers of ideological and political courses do not use their heart, feeling, and effort, they cannot teach ideological and political courses well. Teachers must return to the classroom, make full and good use of the classroom, revere the podium, cherish the podium, and love the podium, devoting more time and energy to classroom teaching, earnestly teaching every lesson well, and making every lesson outstanding. To make full and good use of classroom teaching, it is necessary to handle the contradiction between teaching and learning. This contradiction between teaching and learning is more prominent in ideological and political course teaching, mainly manifested as: the contradiction between why to teach and why to learn, the contradiction between what to teach and what to learn, the contradiction between how to teach and how to learn, and the contradiction between how well teaching is done and how well learning is done. Only by effectively resolving this contradiction and organically achieving the unity of the two can teaching goals be maximized.

一是用心用情用力讲好每一堂课。学生在哪里，思想政治教育就在哪里。但课堂教学，无疑是实现思政课教学目标的主渠道，也是讲道理的主阵地。离开了课堂教学，思政课就会失去基础。“思政课上学生会提一些尖锐敏感的问题，往往涉及深层次理论和实践问题，把这些问题讲清楚讲透彻并不容易。”[6]思政课教师不用心用情用力，是教不好思政课的。教师要回归课堂、用足用好课堂，要敬畏讲台、珍惜讲台、热爱讲台，把更多时间和精力投入课堂教学中，认认真真讲好每一堂课，让每堂课都出彩。用足用好课堂教学，就要处理好教与学的矛盾。教与学这对矛盾在思政课教学中表现得更加突出，这主要体现为：为什么教和为什么学的矛盾，教什么和学什么的矛盾，怎样教和怎样学的矛盾，教得怎样和学得怎样的矛盾。只有有效化解这种矛盾，有机地实现二者的统一，才能最大化地实现教学目标。

Second, continuously enhance the academic level and scholarly charisma of ideological and political course teachers. “Explaining principles” hinges on the teacher. Explaining “principles” well places very high demands on ideological and political course teachers. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The political nature, ideological nature, academic nature, and professional nature of ideological and political courses are closely linked; their academic depth, breadth, and academic value are no less than any philosophy and social science discipline!” [6] To “explain principles,” teachers must first study principles deeply and thoroughly, and effectively master them. Because ideological and political course teaching itself is scholarship; teaching without academic support, although it may sometimes achieve better teaching results, such results are not sustainable. Some ideological and political courses are regarded by some students as “watered-down courses”; an important reason is the lack of academic “value,” insufficient teacher academic literacy and academic level, and thus a lack of scholarly charisma. In recent years, with efforts from all sides, the quantity and quality of the ideological and political course teacher team have improved significantly, but it should also be noted that while the teacher team has expanded rapidly, a large number of doctoral graduates, master’s graduates, and counselors have entered the ideological and political course teacher team, and the problem of academic literacy and academic level needing improvement has become increasingly prominent. However, improving academic literacy and ability cannot be achieved overnight; it requires sustained and persistent effort. Ideological and political course teachers must strengthen their study of Marxist classics, classic Chinese excellent traditional culture, and classic foreign excellent culture, continuously consolidating their knowledge foundation. Ideological and political course teaching covers a very wide range, involving Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism; involving economics, politics, culture, society, ecological civilization, and Party building; involving reform, development, stability, domestic affairs, foreign affairs, national defense, and governance of the Party, the military, and the state; involving the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, the history of socialist development, and the history of the development of the Chinese nation; involving world history and the history of the international communist movement; involving world conditions, national conditions, Party conditions, and popular sentiment, and so on. Therefore, ideological and political course teachers “must also extensively draw on knowledge from other philosophy and social sciences as well as natural sciences,” [6] expanding their knowledge reserves to improve their overall quality and ability.

二是持续提升思政课教师的学术水平和学识魅力。“讲道理”，关键是教师。讲好“道理”，对思政课教师提出了很高的要求。习近平指出：“思政课的政治性、思想性、学术性、专业性是紧密联系在一起的，其学术深度广度和学术含金量不亚于任何一门哲学社会科学！”[6]“讲道理”，首先教师自己要研究深、研究透道理，切实掌握好道理。因为思政课教学本身就是学术，没有学术支撑的教学，虽然有时也会取得较好的教学效果，但这种效果不可持续。有些思政课被一些学生视为“水课”，一个重要原因，就是缺乏学术“含金量”，教师学术素养和学术水平不足，因而缺乏学识魅力。近些年，在各方努力下，思政课教师队伍数量和质量有了明显提升，但也应看到，在教师队伍迅速扩大的同时，大量博士毕业生、硕士毕业生以及辅导员进入思政课教师队伍，学术素养和学术水平有待提高的问题越发突出。但提升学术素养和能力不能急于求成，需要久久为功。思政课教师要加强对马克思主义经典、中华优秀传统文化经典和国外优秀文化经典的研学，不断夯实自己的知识根基。思政课教学涉及面非常广，涉及马克思主义哲学、政治经济学、科学社会主义，涉及经济、政治、文化、社会、生态文明和党的建设，涉及改革发展稳定、内政外交国防、治党治国治军，涉及党史、新中国史、改革开放史、社会主义发展史、中华民族发展史，涉及世界史、国际共运史，涉及世情、国情、党情、民情，等等，因而，思政课教师“还要广泛涉猎其他哲学社会科学以及自然科学的知识”，[6]扩展自己的知识储备，以提高自己的综合素质和能力。

Third, strengthen the disciplinary support for explaining principles. To continuously explain principles well, strong disciplinary support is indispensable. After nearly 20 years of development, the first-level doctoral programs in the discipline of Marxist theory have exceeded 110, ranking among the forefront of all disciplines, achieving remarkable results in talent cultivation, scientific research, social services, and foreign academic exchanges, especially providing solid disciplinary support for ideological and political course education and teaching. In September 2022, the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education issued the “Catalogue of Disciplines and Specialties for Graduate Education (2022),” adding the first-level discipline “History and Theory of the Communist Party of China and Party Building” to strengthen disciplinary support for ideological and political courses. Today, the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. The 2023 Central Economic Work Conference proposed that “advancing Chinese-path modernization must be taken as the greatest politics,” [10] which places new and higher demands on ideological and political courses in the New Era. Ideological and political course teachers must grasp the pulse of the times, explain well the changes in the world, the times, and history and their essence, tell well the stories of the New Era, tell well the stories of Chinese-path modernization, tell well the stories of China’s high-quality development, guide students to use correct standpoints, viewpoints, and methods to observe and understand the contemporary world and contemporary China, strengthen the Four Confidences, and more consciously devote themselves to comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization. On the new journey of the New Era, the high-quality development of ideological and political courses cannot be separated from more solid support from Marxist theory and related disciplines. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the awareness of the Marxist theory discipline among ideological and political course teachers, standardize disciplinary directions, straighten out the relationship between disciplinary directions and ideological and political courses, increase the support of major projects at all levels for ideological and political course teaching, establish more high-level scientific research platforms, strengthen research on Marxist classics and the Party’s innovative theories, strengthen research on major hot issues and key and difficult teaching issues, produce more high-level academic achievements, and provide more solid disciplinary and theoretical support for explaining “principles.”

三是强化讲道理的学科支撑。要持续讲好道理，离不开强有力的学科支持。马克思主义理论学科历经近20年的发展，一级学科博士点已突破110个，位居各学科前列，在人才培养、科学研究、社会服务、对外学术交流等方面取得了显著成绩，尤其是为思政课教育教学提供了坚实的学科支撑。2022年9月，国务院学位委员会、教育部印发了《研究生教育学科专业目录（2022年）》，增设“中共党史党建学”一级学科，以加强对思政课的学科支撑。当今，中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局同步交织、相互激荡，2023年中央经济工作会议提出，“必须把推进中国式现代化作为最大的政治”，[10]这对新时代的思政课提出了新的更高的要求。思政课教师要把握时代脉搏，讲好世界之变、时代之变、历史之变及其本质，讲好新时代的故事，讲好中国式现代化的故事，讲好中国高质量发展的故事，引导学生运用正确的立场、观点、方法观察认识当代世界、当代中国，坚定“四个自信”，更加自觉地投身于以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业之中。新时代新征程上，思政课的高质量发展，离不开马克思主义理论及其相关学科更为坚实的支撑。为此，要强化思政课教师的马克思主义理论学科意识，规范学科方向，理顺学科方向和思政课之间的关系，增加各级重大课题对思政课教学的支持力度，建立更多高层次科研平台，强化对马克思主义经典和党的创新理论的研究，加强对重大热点问题和教学重点难点问题的研究，产出更多高水平的学术成果，为讲好“道理”提供更为坚实的学科和学理支撑。

(Author’s brief introduction: Ai Silin, Dean of the Academy of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at Tsinghua University, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Marxism, Chairman of the General Teaching Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education’s Steering Committee for Ideological and Political Courses in Higher Education Institutions)

（作者简介：艾四林，清华大学习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究院院长，马克思主义学院教授、博士生导师，教育部高校思想政治理论课教学指导委员会总教指委主任委员）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心