A Historical and Realistic Examination of the 40 Years Since the Establishment of the Discipline of Ideological and Political Education

The discipline of ideological and political education has traversed a 40-year journey since its establishment in 1984, a period of rapid rise and continuous improvement. Regarding the history of the development of the discipline of ideological and political education, one veteran comrade emphasized: “The construction of ideological and political education as a system of disciplinary theory was placed on an important agenda in the early 1980s. However, in terms of the development of ideological and political education itself, as early as in the historical process of the Communist Party of China, rich practical experience had been accumulated, providing a profound and solid theoretical origin, which offered an important basis for the construction of this disciplinary theoretical system.”[1]1 The “Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China” was adopted by the Sixth Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC in 1981. It is a key Party document that evaluates Mao Zedong’s role and the history of the PRC up to that point.(P420) This provides us with a line of thought for examining the development of the discipline of ideological and political education from historical and realistic dimensions.

思想政治教育学科从1984年设立至今已走过40年的历程，这40年是其快速兴起、不断提升的40年。关于思想政治教育学科的发展史，一位老同志强调：“思想政治教育作为一门学科理论体系的建设，是20世纪80年代初提上重要日程的。但从思想政治教育自身的发展来讲，早在中国共产党的历史进程中，就积累了丰富的实践经验，具有深厚、坚实的理论渊源，为这一学科理论体系建设提供了重要的依据。”[1](P420)这为我们提供了一个从历史和现实维度考察思想政治教育学科发展的思路。

I. The Ideological and Theoretical Achievements Created by the Party’s First Historic Leap in Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context Became the Theoretical Cornerstone Laying the Foundation for the Discipline of Ideological and Political Education in the New Period

一、党的马克思主义中国化第一次历史性飞跃创造的思想理论成果，成为奠基新时期思想政治教育学科的理论基石

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has stood in the East with the posture of a proletarian party. On the basis of absorbing the essence of Marxist-Leninist party-building theory, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core created the glorious tradition of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Under the guidance of this innovative thought, in the revolutionary practice of Party building, army building, and nation building, rich experience in ideological and political education was accumulated. These valuable experiences have long ensured that the cause of the Communist Party of China advances from victory to victory, endowing the socialist system of New China with infinite vitality, and laying a solid theoretical cornerstone for the establishment of the discipline of ideological and political education.

中国共产党自建党之日起，就以无产阶级政党姿态屹立于东方。在吸收马克思列宁主义建党学说精髓基础上，以毛泽东同志为核心的党中央创立了马克思主义中国化时代化的光荣传统。在这一创新思想指导下，在建党、建军、建国的革命实践中，积累了思想政治教育的丰富经验。这些宝贵的经验，长期保障中国共产党的事业从胜利走向胜利，使得新中国社会主义制度具有无限生命活力，为思想政治教育学科的建立奠定了坚实的理论基石。

These valuable ideological and theoretical achievements were clearly articulated in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China’s “Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China”: “Ideological and political work is the lifeline of economic work and all other work; it is necessary to implement the policy of the unity of politics and economy, the unity of politics and technology, and being both red and expert.” Mao Zedong “particularly emphasized building the Party ideologically, proposing that Party members should not only join the Party organizationally but also join it ideologically, and should constantly pay attention to using proletarian ideology to transform and overcome various non-proletarian ideologies.” “He created the form of rectification campaigns for conducting Marxist-Leninist ideological education throughout the Party through criticism and self-criticism.”

这些宝贵的思想理论成果，在中共中央《关于建国以来党的若干历史问题的决议》中得到了明确的表述，“思想政治工作是经济工作和其他一切工作的生命线，要实行政治和经济的统一、政治和技术的统一、又红又专的方针”。毛泽东“特别着重于从思想上建设党，提出党员不但要在组织上入党，而且要在思想上入党，经常注意以无产阶级思想改造和克服各种非无产阶级思想”，“他创造了在全党通过批评与自我批评进行马克思列宁主义思想教育的整风形式。”

In February 1957, in his article “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People,” Mao Zedong pointed out: “All departments and organizations should take responsibility for ideological and political work. The Communist Party should take charge, the Communist Youth League should take charge, the government departments in charge should take charge, and the school principals and teachers should take even more charge.” He also emphasized that “the entire Party must strengthen political and ideological work.”

1957年2月，毛泽东在《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》一文中指出：“思想政治工作，各个部门都要负责任。共产党应该管，青年团应该管，政府主管部门应该管，学校的校长教师更应该管。”他还强调“全党都要加强政治思想工作”。

This constitutes the fundamental legacy left to posterity by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core in the realm of ideological and political education. Regarding this spiritual wealth, the academic circles studying Mao Zedong Thought have also made a systematic summary: First, ideological and political work is the lifeline of all work, and the entire Party and the whole society must strengthen it. Second, the methods of ideological and political work include adopting the method of persuasion and education, opposing coercive orders and suppression; conducting criticism and self-criticism; integrating ideological and political work with economic work, combining the solution of practical problems with the solution of ideological problems; and grasping typical examples and commending advanced models. Third, strengthen education in patriotism, collectivism, socialism, and communism, including promoting patriotism and carrying forward the national spirit; educating the masses to correctly handle the relationship between current, partial, and individual interests and long-term, overall, and collective interests; conducting propaganda and education on socialism and communism for the people, and properly handling the relationship between lofty ideals and current policies. Fourth, strengthen education on the Party’s line, principles, and policies so that they are grasped by the broad masses of Party members and the people. Fifth, strengthen class education to enhance the class consciousness and ideological awareness of the masses. Sixth, strengthen education in materialism, advocate science, and replace theism with atheism.

这就是以毛泽东同志为核心的党中央在思想政治教育方面留给后人的基本财富。关于这笔精神财富，毛泽东思想研究的学术界也做了系统的归纳：一是思想政治工作是一切工作的生命线，全党全社会都要加强思想政治工作。二是思想政治工作的方法，包括采取说服教育的方法，反对强迫命令和压服；开展批评与自我批评；思想政治工作要结合经济工作一道去做，将解决实际问题同解决思想问题结合起来；抓好典型，表彰先进。三是加强爱国主义、集体主义、社会主义和共产主义的教育，包括提倡爱国主义，弘扬民族精神；教育群众正确处理当前的、局部的、个人的利益同长远的、全局性的、集体的利益之间的关系；对人民进行社会主义和共产主义的宣传教育，并处理好远大理想和现行政策的关系。四是加强党的路线方针政策教育，使之为广大党员、群众所掌握。五是加强阶级教育，提高人民群众的阶级觉悟和思想觉悟。六是加强唯物主义教育，崇尚科学，用无神论代替有神论。

The spiritual wealth of ideological and political education left by the first historic leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context gave birth to the discourse on the disciplinary process of ideological and political education in the New Period. This spiritual wealth is our original aspiration and starting point.

马克思主义中国化第一次历史性飞跃所留下来的思想政治教育的精神财富，孕育了新时期思想政治教育学科化进程的论说。这笔精神财富就是我们的初心和起点。

II. The Discourses of the Older Generation of Revolutionaries in the New Period on Ideological and Political Education and Ideological and Political Work Embody the Basic Content of the Achievements of the First Historic Leap in Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context

二、新时期老一辈革命家对思想政治教育和思想政治工作的论说，体现了马克思主义中国化第一次历史性飞跃成果的基本内容

In the New Period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party’s focus of work shifted to economic construction. Along with China’s rapid economic and social development and profound changes, various social trends of thought, including those entering from abroad, became active. Deng Xiaoping and other older generation revolutionaries, in the practice of reform and opening up, put forward upholding the Four Cardinal Principles of the Party, correctly evaluating Mao Zedong’s historical achievements, and adhering to the guiding position of Mao Zedong Thought. At the same time, they increasingly clearly proposed the strategic task of strengthening the Party’s ideological and political work. They provided arguments for ideological and political education, all of which reflected a close connection with the content of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context initiated by Mao Zedong.

改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党的工作重心转移到经济建设，伴随我国经济社会快速发展和深刻变革，各种社会思潮包括从国外进来的各种思潮都活跃起来。邓小平等老一辈革命家，在改革开放实践中提出了坚持党的四项基本原则、正确评价毛泽东的历史功绩和坚持毛泽东思想的指导地位，同时也越来越明确地提出了加强党的思想政治工作的战略任务。他们对思想政治教育工作进行了论证，这些论证都体现了与毛泽东开创的马克思主义中国化内容的密切联系。

On May 29, 1978, Ye Jianying, speaking from the perspective of military ideological and political work at the All-Army Political Work Conference, stated: “Chairman Mao’s theory on political work in the revolutionary army is an important component of proletarian military science and a major development of Marxist military doctrine. It is unprecedented and unparalleled in the world. We must completely and accurately study Chairman Mao’s theories and instructions on political work, comprehensively and systematically inherit them, and apply and develop them under new historical conditions.”

1978年5月29日，叶剑英在全军政治工作会议上从军队思想政治工作的角度出发，提出：“毛主席关于革命军队政治工作的学说，是无产阶级军事科学的一个重要组成部分，是马克思主义军事学说的重大发展。它是前无古人、举世无双的。我们一定要完整准确地学习毛主席关于政治工作的理论和指示，全面系统地把它继承下来，并在新的历史条件下加以运用和发展。”

From May 27 to June 6, 1980, the First Ministry of Machine Building and the National Machinery Trade Union jointly convened a symposium on ideological and political work. The theme of the meeting was to study how to strengthen enterprise ideological and political work in the New Period to better serve socialist modernization. Sun Youyu, Vice Minister of the First Ministry of Machine Building, stated at the meeting: “I once proposed calling this science of studying how to stimulate people’s initiative under the socialist system ‘the study of ideological and political work.’ We should focus on ourselves, conscientiously summarize our inherent successful experiences, systematize and theorize them, absorb foreign scientific elements with universal regularity, and form a new discipline for doing people’s ideological work with our own social and national characteristics.”

1980年5月27日至6月6日，第一机械工业部和全国机械工会联合召开了思想政治工作座谈会。会议的主题是研究在新时期加强企业思想政治工作，更好地为社会主义现代化建设服务。第一机械工业部副部长孙友余在会上说：“我曾提议，把社会主义制度下研究发挥人的积极性的这门科学叫做思想政治工作学”，“要以我为主，认真总结我们固有的成功经验，使之系统化、理论化，吸收国外科学的、具有普遍规律性的东西，形成带有我们自己社会和民族特点的做人的思想工作的新学科。”

In September 1980, the renowned scientist Qian Xuesen participated in discussions on establishing the discipline of ideological and political education. In an article published in *Wenhui Daily*, he pointed out: “An extremely important task in socialist construction is to carry out political and ideological work among the broad masses and cadres. This is because we do not exist in a vacuum; our masses and cadres are influenced by the remnants of our country’s two-thousand-year feudal ideology and also by bourgeois ideology. Especially now, as our country’s exchanges with other nations increase daily, there are many opportunities to come into contact with so-called products of Western civilization. Through subtle and gradual influence, the impact cannot be ignored. The existence of these non-proletarian ideologies will inevitably interfere with or even undermine our socialist construction. We must resist them, seriously criticize erroneous ideas, and eliminate them. This is a long-term and arduous task.” “In recent years, we once thought that since the focus of the Party and the state had shifted to achieving the Four Modernizations, the main task was economic construction, and thus we relaxed ideological and political work. Some political workers even wanted to change careers. Last year, social atmosphere and social thought experienced three waves, which made everyone realize anew the importance of ideological and political work.” “In fact, like any other thing, the ideological activities of the masses and cadres are one aspect of social activity, a social phenomenon, and they must have their own laws. As long as we strive to understand the laws of ideological and political activity and grasp them, we can do a good job of political and ideological work. This means treating ideological and political work as a science and carrying it out scientifically.” “Thus, the science of ideology and politics can become Marxist moral education. It is guided by Marxist philosophy, dialectical materialism, and historical materialism. … We must also absorb what can be used from history. We must establish this moral education science, a social science, as soon as possible. Moral education science belongs to modern social science and is naturally one of the contents of the modernization of social science.” [5]5 Qian Xuesen (1911–2009) was a leading Chinese aerospace engineer and cybernetician, often called the “father of Chinese rocketry.” His 1980 article argued that ideological and political work should be treated as a scientific discipline. Qian Xuesen not only stated that ideological and political education is a science but also proposed the disciplinary name “Marxist moral education science,” which is commendable.

1980年9月，著名科学家钱学森参加了建立思想政治教育学科的讨论。他在《文汇报》发文指出：“在社会主义建设中的一项非常重要工作是对广大群众和干部做政治思想工作。这是因为我们并不生存于真空中，我们的群众和干部受我国两千年封建主义思想残余的影响，又受到资产阶级思想的影响。尤其在现在，我国同各国交往日增，接触所谓西方文明产物的机会很多，潜移默化，影响不可忽视，这些非无产阶级思想的存在必然对我国社会主义建设起干扰甚至破坏作用，我们一定要对其抵制，对错误思想进行认真的批判，并肃清它们。这是一件长期而又艰巨的任务。”“几年来，我们曾以为党和国家的着重点转移到实现四个现代化方面来，主要是做经济建设工作了，从而放松了思想政治工作，甚至有些政工人员想转业了。去年社会风气和社会思潮经历了三个风浪，使大家重新认识到思想政治工作的重要性。”“其实正和任何事物一样，群众、干部的思想活动也是社会活动的一个方面，也是一种社会现象，也必然有它自己的规律。只要我们努力去认识思想政治活动的规律，掌握它，我们就能做好政治思想工作。这也就是说要把思想政治工作作为一门科学，科学地做思想政治工作。”“这样说来，思想政治的科学可以成为马克思主义德育学。它是以马克思主义哲学、辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义为指导的。……我们也要吸收历史上的可以为我们所用的东西。我们一定要早日建立这门德育学，一门社会科学。德育学属于现代化社会科学，也当然是社会科学现代化内容之一。”钱学森不但讲了思想政治教育是一门科学，而且提出了“马克思主义德育学”学科名称，难能可贵。

III. The Establishment of the Discipline of Ideological and Political Education Inherited the Experience of Ideological and Political Education in the First 30 Years of New China

三、思想政治教育学科的建立承继了新中国最初30年思想政治教育经验

In the new period, after deliberation and preparation, on July 1, 1983, the Central Committee, in its approved document *Outline of the Ideological and Political Work of Employees in State-Owned Enterprises (Trial Implementation)*, proposed: “The central and local authorities should prepare to establish political colleges aimed at training leading cadres for ideological and political work. Existing comprehensive national universities, liberal arts colleges, and colleges and universities under various ministries, commissions, and general bureaus, where conditions permit, should add political work majors.” In April 1984, the *Opinion of the Ministry of Education on Setting Up Ideological and Political Education Majors in Twelve Institutions* decided to establish ideological and political education majors in twelve institutions and began recruiting undergraduate and second bachelor’s degree students in 1984. This emerging discipline was officially named “Ideological and Political Education Science,” and the corresponding major was named “Ideological and Political Education Major.” The above important content is also reflected in the *Opinion of the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Education on Strengthening the Construction of the Ideological and Political Work Team in Higher Education Institutions* (November 13, 1984).

新时期，经过酝酿和筹备，1983年7月1日，中央在批转的《国营企业职工思想政治工作纲要（试行）》文件中提出：“中央和地方要筹办以培养思想政治工作的领导干部为目标的政治院校。现有的全国综合大学、文科院校，各部、委、总局所属的大专院校，有条件的都要增设政治工作专业。”1984年4月，《教育部关于在十二所院校设置思想政治教育专业的意见》决定在十二所院校设立思想政治教育专业，并于1984年开始招收本科和第二学士学位学生。这门新兴的学科正式命名为“思想政治教育学”，相应的专业名称为“思想政治教育专业”。关于上述重要内容，也反映在《中央宣传部、教育部关于加强高等学校思想政治工作队伍建设的意见》（1984年11月13日）中。

In fact, the smooth establishment of the discipline of ideological and political education is inseparable from the practical experience accumulated by our Party in the development and progress of ideological and political education during the revolutionary war period and the first 30 years of New China.

其实，思想政治教育学科的顺利建立，与我们党在革命战争时期和新中国最初30年积累的思想政治教育事业发展进步的实践经验分不开。

Xi Jinping systematically elaborated on this issue. He pointed out: “Our Party has always attached great importance to the construction of ideological and political courses. In various historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has made important deployments for the construction of ideological and political courses. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, our Party offered courses such as ‘Party Building,’ ‘History of the Chinese Revolutionary Movement,’ ‘Marxism-Leninism,’ ‘Dialectical Materialism,’ and ‘Scientific Socialism’ in institutions of higher learning such as the Red Army University, the Soviet University, the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University, and the Northern Shaanxi Public School; offered ‘Social Work’ courses in Lenin Primary Schools; and offered ‘Political Common Sense’ courses in primary schools in the liberated areas and middle schools in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. After the founding of New China, our Party included ‘Common Knowledge of the Chinese Revolution’ and ‘Common Program’ in middle school teaching plans, and offered courses such as ‘History of the Chinese Revolution,’ ‘Foundations of Marxism-Leninism,’ ‘Political Economy,’ and ‘Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism’ in higher education institutions, emphasizing that the task of political theory courses in middle and higher education institutions was to arm youth with Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought and cultivate strong revolutionary successors. When I was in middle school, the political textbook I studied was called *Be a Revolutionary Successor*. What the book said—‘Love productive labor and hard struggle, use your own hands to build a prosperous and strong socialist motherland,’ ‘Set lofty ambitions and be a revolutionary successor’—influenced the ideals, beliefs, and life choices of our generation. Since reform and opening up, the Party Central Committee has successively issued more than ten documents on school ideological and political work, putting forward clear requirements for the construction of ideological and political courses and continuously promoting the reform of ideological and political courses.” [6]6 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at a symposium on school ideological and political theory courses, held on March 18, 2019. These words objectively express the main theme, main line, and mainstream essence of the development of the Party’s ideological and political education cause.

习近平系统地阐释了这一问题。他指出：“我们党历来高度重视思政课建设。在革命、建设、改革各个历史时期，我们党对思政课建设都作出过重要部署。新民主主义革命时期，我们党在红军大学、苏维埃大学、抗日军政大学、陕北公学等高校开设‘党的建设’、‘中国革命运动史’、‘马列主义’、‘辩证唯物主义’、‘科学社会主义’等课程，在列宁小学开设‘社会工作’课程，在解放区的小学、陕甘宁边区的中学开设‘政治常识’课程。新中国成立后，我们党就把‘中国革命常识’、‘共同纲领’列入中学教学计划，在高校开设‘中国革命史’、‘马列主义基础’、‘政治经济学’、‘辩证唯物论与历史唯物论’等课程，强调中高等学校政治理论课的任务是用马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想武装青年，培养坚强的革命接班人。我上中学时，学的政治课本叫《做革命的接班人》，书上讲的‘热爱生产劳动，艰苦奋斗，用自己的双手建设富强的社会主义祖国’，‘立雄心壮志，做革命的接班人’等，影响了我们这一代人的理想信念和人生选择。改革开放以来，党中央先后出台10多个关于学校思想政治工作的文件，对思政课建设提出明确要求，不断推动思政课改革。”这番话语客观地表述了党的思想政治教育事业发展的主题主线和主流本质。

Some scholars have commented: Since the founding of New China, “China’s higher education institutions have cultivated a large number of talents who are both red and expert. Some laws of ideological and political education have been recognized by people and have been proven correct through practical testing. We have also made many mistakes in our work, and these mistakes have deepened our understanding of these laws from the negative side. The field of ideological and political education is not an uncultivated virgin land; it is a garden that thousands of ideological and political workers have diligently cultivated for many years. The positive and negative experiences they have gained are very precious and have created favorable conditions for us to further carry out research on ideological and political education.” This is a realistic evaluation.

有学者评价说：新中国成立以来，“我国高等学校培养了大批又红又专的人才。思想政治教育的一些规律已为人们所认识，并且经过实践检验证明是正确的。我们在工作中也犯过不少错误，这些错误使我们从反面加深了对这些规律的认识。思想政治教育这一领域，并不是一块未被开垦的处女地，它是成千上万思想政治工作者辛勤耕耘了多年的园地。他们取得的正反两方面的经验是十分宝贵的，为我们进一步开展思想政治教育的研究，创造了有利条件”。这是符合实际的一个评价。

On September 29, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference adopted the Common Programme, which clearly stipulated: “The culture and education of the People’s Republic of China are of a new-democratic nature, that is, national, scientific, and popular. The cultural and educational work of the people’s government shall take as its main tasks the raising of the people’s cultural level, the training of personnel for national construction, the elimination of feudal, comprador, and fascist ideology, and the development of an ideology of serving the people.” It also stipulated: “The people’s government shall reform the old educational system, educational content, and teaching methods in a planned and step-by-step manner,” and “shall provide young intellectuals and old intellectuals with revolutionary political education to meet the extensive needs of revolutionary work and national construction.” On October 8 of the same year, the provisional measures for compulsory public courses in institutions of higher learning for that academic year, stipulated by the Higher Education Committee of the North China People’s Government, also clearly stated that students in all grades—first, second, third, and fourth—were required to take dialectical materialism and historical materialism (including the history of social development) and the theory of new democracy (including the history of modern Chinese revolutionary movements), and that graduating students in the arts, law, education, and normal colleges for that academic year were required to take political economy. This reflected the brand-new political complexion of New China. On December 30 of the same year, Comrade Qian Junrui, then director of the Cultural Management Committee of the Beijing Military Control Commission, in his concluding report at the First National Conference on Educational Work, also emphasized the purpose and requirements of ideological and political education in New China’s institutions of higher learning. He pointed out: “In order to establish and consolidate the ideology of serving the people, the study of the Marxist-Leninist worldview and Mao Zedong Thought should be advocated and encouraged.” “According to the experience of various localities, in order to effectively carry out political and ideological education, first, theoretical study must be closely integrated with the actual thinking of students, that is, theoretical study should be used as a weapon to transform thought, and the transformation of thought should be the direct goal of theoretical study. Second, it is necessary to grasp the key points and solve the main ideological problems. The curriculum should follow the principle of ‘fewer but better,’ and the basic point of ideological transformation is to establish a revolutionary outlook on life. Third, free thinking should be encouraged, democratic inspiration should be skillfully used, and criticism and self-criticism should be correctly applied.” Facts have proven that the learning content of these ideological and political education efforts achieved positive results; the study of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought by university students was established and maintained as a tradition of New China.

1949年9月29日，中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议通过《共同纲领》，明确规定：“中华人民共和国的文化教育为新民主主义的，即民族的、科学的、大众的文化教育。人民政府的文化教育工作，应以提高人民文化水平、培养国家建设人才、肃清封建的、买办的、法西斯主义的思想、发展为人民服务的思想为主要任务。”还规定：“人民政府应有计划有步骤地改革旧的教育制度、教育内容和教学法”，“给青年知识分子和旧知识分子以革命的政治教育，以应革命工作和国家建设工作的广泛需要”。同年10月8日，华北人民政府高等教育委员会规定的大专院校本年度公共必修课的暂行办法，也明确指出：本年度1、2、3、4等各年级的学生均必修辩证唯物论与历史唯物论（包括社会发展史）、新民主主义论（包括近代中国革命运动史），本年度文、法、教育、师范类学院毕业班的学生，必须修政治经济学。这体现了新中国的崭新政治面貌。同年12月30日，当时任北平军管会文管会主任的钱俊瑞同志在第一次全国教育工作会议上的总结报告中，也强调了新中国高校思想政治教育的宗旨和要求。他指出：“为了建立和巩固为人民服务的思想，应当提倡和鼓励马克思列宁主义世界观和毛泽东思想的学习。”“根据各地经验，为了有效地进行政治思想教育，第一，理论学习必须密切结合学生的思想实际，即把理论学习作为改造思想的武器，改造思想作为理论学习的直接目的。第二，必须抓住重点，解决主要的思想问题。课程以少而精为原则，思想改造的基本点，在确立革命的人生观。第三，发扬自由思考，善于民主启发，正确运用批评与自我批评。”事实证明：这些思想政治教育的学习内容取得了积极的效果，大学生学习马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想作为新中国的传统被确立并保持下来了。

On September 1, 1952, the Central Committee of the CPC issued the “Directive on Cultivating Marxist-Leninist Theoretical Teaching Staff for Higher and Secondary Schools” (hereinafter referred to as the “Directive”), which stated: “After eliminating feudal, comprador, and fascist ideology and criticizing bourgeois ideology, it is extremely urgent to establish the ideological leadership of the working class and carry out the ideological construction of Marxism-Leninism. Raising the teaching level of Marxist-Leninist political theory courses is the central link in the ideological construction work of schools.” [10](P11) The “Directive” stipulated: “The Central Ministry of Education shall be responsible for planning and establishing a Marxist-Leninist research class at Renmin University of China to train a portion of political theory teaching staff for all higher education institutions nationwide.” It also stipulated: “Outstanding Party members and League members shall be selected from among teaching assistants in higher education institutions and senior students in higher and secondary schools to serve as teaching assistants or assistants for political theory courses in their own schools, and they shall be regularly guided to systematically study Marxist-Leninist theory in conjunction with their actual work, gradually cultivating them into new political theory teaching staff for higher and secondary schools.” [10](P11) The “Directive” required: “Each major administrative region shall select higher education institutions with suitable conditions to establish Marxist-Leninist research classes to train political theory teaching staff for higher education institutions; and shall establish political education departments or specialized political education courses to train political theory teaching staff for secondary schools.” The “Directive” also required: “The Central Bureaus, Sub-Bureaus, and relevant local Party committees shall strengthen their leadership over the cultivation of political theory teaching staff and school political education in their respective regions, designating the head or deputy head of the propaganda department at each level of the Party committee to personally and regularly lead this work; and shall select cadres with a relatively high level of political theory to teach (full-time or part-time) in the Marxist-Leninist research classes and political education departments or specialized political education courses, and to lead the political theory study of political teaching assistants.”

1952年9月1日，中共中央下达了《关于培养高等、中等学校马克思列宁主义理论师资的指示》（以下简称《指示》），指出：“肃清封建买办法西斯思想、批判资产阶级思想之后，极需树立工人阶级的思想领导，进行马克思列宁主义的思想建设。而提高马克思列宁主义的政治理论课程的教学水平，则是学校思想建设工作的中心环节。”[10](P11)《指示》规定：“由中央教育部负责筹划，在中国人民大学创设马克思列宁主义研究班，为全国各高等学校培养一部分政治理论师资。”还规定：“在高等学校的助教和高等、中等学校高年级学生中选拔优秀的党员、团员在本校担任政治理论课程的助教或助理，经常地指导他们结合自己的实际工作，有系统地学习马克思列宁主义的理论，逐渐培养他们成为高等、中等学校新的政治理论师资。”[10](P11)《指示》要求：“各大行政区应选择具备适当条件的高等学校，举办马克思列宁主义研究班，培养高等学校的政治理论师资；设立政治教育系或政治教育专修科，培养中等学校的政治理论师资。”《指示》还要求：“各中央局、分局及有关的地方党委应加强对各该地区培养政治理论师资和学校政治教育的领导，指定各级党委的宣传部长或副部长经常亲自领导这一方面的工作；并应选派政治理论水平较高的干部到马克思列宁主义研究班及政治教育系或政治教育专修科教课（专任或兼任），领导政治助教的政治理论学习。”

The above provisions of the “Directive” can be regarded as the precursor to the status of the “main channel” [7]7 “Main channel” (主渠道) refers to the formal, required political theory courses in Chinese higher education, which are considered the primary institutional mechanism for delivering ideological and political education. of ideological and political education in higher education institutions. It entrusted Renmin University of China with the glorious task of cultivating Marxist-Leninist theoretical teaching staff, it suggested the establishment of political education departments in higher education institutions as bases or carriers for cultivating ideological and political education teaching staff, and its emphasis on Party committees at all levels personally grasping the training of Marxist-Leninist theoretical teaching staff has also become a tradition that continues to this day.

《指示》上述规定可以视为高校思想政治教育“主渠道”地位的先声。它赋予了中国人民大学培养马克思列宁主义理论师资的光荣任务，它建议建立的高校政教系成为思想政治教育师资培养的基地或载体，它强调的各级党委要亲自抓马克思列宁主义理论师资培训也成为延续至今的传统。

On April 25, 1955, Comrade Liu Zizai, then Vice Minister of Higher Education, delivered a report titled “On Political and Ideological Education Work in Higher Education Institutions” at a symposium of presidents of national higher industrial schools and comprehensive universities. He proposed that the school’s ideological and political education work must be improved, and that students should be cultivated with patriotism, internationalism, and collectivism; with an independent, creative, brave, and tenacious spirit; with a communist attitude towards labor and public property; with excellent qualities such as discipline, respect for teachers, honesty, a simple and neat lifestyle; and with a high degree of political vigilance. He also proposed that strengthening students’ ideological and political education should achieve “four musts”: Marxist-Leninist theoretical education must be strengthened; the idea that teachers are fully responsible for students must be clearly established; in-class activities and extracurricular activities must complement each other and enhance ideological content; and communist moral education to resist the long-term erosion of bourgeois ideology on students must be persistently carried out. [10](P20-23) Jiang Nanxiang, President of Tsinghua University, vividly summarized the content of ideological and political education advocated by the Ministry of Higher Education at that time as “students’ thinking must ascend three floors,” that is, the three levels of patriotism, collectivism, and socialist ideology. This is also the main theme of ideological and political education that the Party Central Committee has adhered to to this day. The formulation of the “four musts” also contained the precursors of “all-staff education,” “curriculum-based ideological and political education,” [8]8 “Curriculum-based ideological and political education” (课程思政) is a policy requiring that all university courses, not just dedicated political theory classes, integrate ideological and political education content. “coordination of two classrooms,” and “the struggle for the education of youth,” which are of great significance.

1955年4月25日，时任高等教育部副部长刘子载在全国高等工业学校、综合大学校院长座谈会上作了《关于高等学校的政治思想教育工作》的报告，提出必须改进学校的思想政治教育工作，对学生要坚持培养他们的爱国主义、国际主义和集体主义思想，培养他们的独立创造、勇敢顽强的精神，培养他们对待劳动与公共财物的共产主义态度和遵守纪律、尊敬师长、忠诚老实、生活朴素整洁等优良品质及高度的政治警惕性。还提出加强学生的思想政治教育要做到“四个必须”：必须加强马克思列宁主义理论教育；必须明确树立教师对学生全面负责的思想；必须使课内活动与课外活动相互配合、提高思想性；必须坚持对学生进行长期抵制资产阶级思想侵蚀的共产主义道德教育。[10](P20-23)清华大学校长蒋南翔，把当时高等教育部提倡的思想政治教育内容形象地概括为“大学生思想要上三层楼”，即爱国主义、集体主义、社会主义思想的三层次。这也是党中央坚持至今的思想政治教育的主旋律。“四个必须的提法”，也蕴含了具有十分重要意义的“全员教育”、“课程思政”、“两个课堂配合”和“争夺青少年教育”的先声。

On this basis, it is not difficult for us to see the political confidence and historical trend of the rapidly developing discipline of ideological and political education in the New Era, to clearly see what we should adhere to, and to see the objective connection and inheritance between our contemporary generation and our predecessors.

在这个基础上，我们就不难看到在新时期迅速发展的思想政治教育学科的政治底气和历史趋势，就能够清晰地看到我们应该坚持的是什么，也能够看清我们当代人与前辈人的客观联系和传承。

IV. In the Baptism of Ideological and Political Education Practice, the Development of the Discipline of Ideological and Political Education Has Been Continuously Upgraded

四、在思想政治教育实践洗礼中，思想政治教育学科发展不断得到提升

The discipline of ideological and political education is an emerging discipline. The emergence and development of any emerging discipline often does not occur after a perfect systemic form has been established, but rather gradually manifests its form in the process of playing its historical role. Marx and Engels taught us that the theory of scientific socialism is not a perfect theory designed by some genius thinker, but an objective expression of the laws of the real proletarian revolutionary movement. After the establishment of the discipline of ideological and political education, the process of its growth has precisely embodied this truth. It has continuously developed and been upgraded in the baptism of ideological and political education practice.

思想政治教育学科是一个新兴的学科。任何一门新兴学科的产生和发展，往往不是有了完美的体系形式之后而产生，而是在发挥其历史作用的过程中，逐渐显现自己的形态。马克思、恩格斯教导我们，科学社会主义学说不是哪一个天才思想家设计的完美的学说，而是对现实无产阶级革命运动规律的客观表述。思想政治教育学科成立之后，其经历的成长过程正体现了这一真理。它是在思想政治教育的实践洗礼中不断发展和提升的。

The perfection of the discipline of ideological and political education’s own system, its connection with society, the scientization of its academic system and textbook system, and the popularization and modernization of its discourse system all still have certain shortcomings; it is still on the path of development, and it must continuously overcome one-sidedness and closure in struggles with many new historical characteristics in order to achieve further development. Its scientific research and academic level need to be further improved; new concepts, new categories, and new expressions with identifying features still require coordination and tackling from all sides. The effectiveness of ideological and political education still needs to be improved. The construction of “curriculum-based ideological and political education,” the combination of “two classrooms,” and the integrated construction of ideological and political education across universities, secondary schools, and primary schools need to be deepened and explored. The comprehensive quality construction of the teaching force needs to be enhanced.

思想政治教育学科自身体系的健全及其与社会的联系、其学术体系和教材体系的科学化、其话语体系的大众化和时代化，都还存在一定的短板，还在发展的路上，还要在具有许多新的历史特点的斗争中，不断克服片面性和封闭性，才能获得进一步的发展；其科研学术水平有待进一步提高，具有标识性的新概念、新范畴、新表述还需要方方面面的配合和攻关；思想政治教育的实效性还有待提高；课程思政、“两个课堂”相结合、大中小学思想政治教育一体化建设有待深化探索；教师队伍的全面素质建设有待提升。

The 12th National Congress of the CPC [9] completed the shift of the Party’s work focus to economic construction, while simultaneously warning against the one-sidedness that would neglect socialist cultural-ethical progress. However, this one-sidedness later emerged nonetheless. Deng Xiaoping criticized the errors in ideological and political education at that time. The fledgling discipline of ideological and political education underwent a severe test. As the Department of Ideological and Political Work of the State Education Commission summarized at the time: “Just as the scientific construction of ideological and political education was advancing toward a higher goal, bourgeois liberalization [10] intensified day by day. Following this, the ‘abolition theory,’ ‘dilution theory,’ and ‘reform theory,’ aimed at negating ideological and political education work, became clamorous for a time, and the scientific status of ideological education encountered unprecedented contempt and censure. However, the vast majority of ideological and political workers did not retreat; they withstood pressure, adhered to the direction, held their ground, and persisted in construction, finally enabling this discipline to stand firm and take on its present appearance.” The emergence of the 1989 political disturbance [11] caused the central authorities to place greater emphasis on the role of ideological and political education. On May 18, 1990, Li Ruihuan, then a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, expounded authoritatively on the role of ideological and political work in developing productive forces. He pointed out: “Human beings are the most active factor in productive forces”; “unlocking human potential, improving human quality, transforming human cognitive abilities, and stimulating human creative enthusiasm are all inseparable from education and from ideological and political work”; “emphasizing ideological and political work means emphasizing the immense subjective initiative of the masses of the people in the process of creating history.” In the process of summing up the lessons of the political disturbance, Higher Education Press successively published more than 20 specialized textbook series for the ideological and political education discipline, including *Principles of Ideological and Political Education*, *History of the Party’s Ideological and Political Work*, and *Social Trends and Youth Education*. The academic and political levels of these textbooks were also elevated on the original basis. In a certain sense, the use of textbooks from the “Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project” [12] for the ideological and political education specialty, the establishment of numerous doctoral programs in ideological and political education, the continuous advancement of the ideological and political theory course system in higher education institutions in keeping with the times, the convening of the 2000 Central Conference on Ideological and Political Work, the widespread establishment of Marxist colleges in higher education institutions nationwide, and the continuous clarification and elevation of the status of the ideological and political education discipline are all closely related to the serious summing up of the lessons of past errors.

党的十二大完成了党的工作重心向经济建设的转移，同时提醒要防止出现忽视社会主义精神文明的片面性。但是，后来这种片面性还是出现了。邓小平批评了当时思想政治教育的失误。产生不久的思想政治教育学科经受了一次严峻的考验。正如国家教委思想政治工作司当时总结的：“正当思想政治教育的科学化建设向着更高的目标迈进的时候，资产阶级自由化愈演愈烈。随之而来以否定思想政治教育工作为目的的‘取消论’、‘淡化论’和‘改造论’甚嚣一时，思想教育的科学地位遭到了前所未有的鄙薄和非议。然而，广大思想政治工作者没有退却，他们顶住压力，坚持方向，坚守阵地，坚持建设，终于使这个学科站住了脚，并有了今天的面貌。”1989年政治风波的出现使得中央更加重视思想政治教育的作用。1990年5月18日，时任中共中央政治局常委的李瑞环高屋建瓴地阐述思想政治工作对于发展生产力的作用。他指出：“人是生产力中最活跃的因素”，“开掘人的潜能，提高人的素质，改造人的认识能力，激发人的创造热情，都离不开教育，离不开思想政治工作”，“重视思想政治工作，就是重视人民群众在创造历史过程中的巨大主观能动作用”。在总结政治风波教训的过程中，高等教育出版社连续出版了《思想政治教育学原理》《党的思想政治工作史》《社会思潮与青年教育》等20多本思想政治教育专业系列教材，这些教材的学术水平和政治水平在原有基础上也有了提升。从某种意义上说，思想政治教育专业“马克思主义理论研究和建设工程”教材的使用，众多思想政治教育专业博士点的设立，高校思想政治理论课设置的不断与时俱进，2000年中央思想政治工作会议的召开，全国高校马克思主义学院的普遍设立，思想政治教育学科地位的不断明确和提高，都与认真总结失误的教训有着密切关系。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [13], under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and under the unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, the Party’s ideological work has been positioned as “extremely important work,” integrated together with ideological and political work into the system of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. “The continuous success of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times has presented Marxism to the world in a brand-new image, causing the historical evolution and contest between the two ideologies and two social systems of socialism and capitalism worldwide to undergo a major shift favorable to socialism.” The developmental environment for the ideological and political education discipline is unprecedentedly favorable. The ideological and political education discipline is explicitly established under the first-level discipline of Marxist theory, occupying a position that cannot be ignored; the establishment of the first-level discipline of Marxist theory has provided practitioners in the ideological and political education discipline with their own academic harbor for anchorage, maintaining the stable development of the workforce; undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students are numerous and talented, with talents emerging in every generation; the ideological and political education specialty has completed numerous national-level projects, with fruitful and commendable results; numerous Marxist colleges are like stars scattered across the sky, with major centers emerging one after another; disciplinary construction, academic construction, and discourse construction are racing ahead with one success after another; the ranks of ideological and political theory course teachers are well-organized, tirelessly transmitting the Way, imparting knowledge, and resolving doubts. In

党的十八大以来，在习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想指导下，在党中央集中统一领导下，党的意识形态工作被定位为“极端重要的工作”，与思想政治工作一起融入习近平文化思想的体系。“马克思主义中国化时代化不断取得成功，使马克思主义以崭新形象展现在世界上，使世界范围内社会主义和资本主义两种意识形态、两种社会制度的历史演进及其较量发生了有利于社会主义的重大转变。”思想政治教育学科发展环境空前优越。思想政治教育学科明确设在马克思主义理论一级学科之下，处于不容忽视的地位；马克思主义理论一级学科的设立，使得思想政治教育学科从业人员有了自己停泊的学术港湾，保持了队伍的稳定发展；本、硕、博莘莘学子人才济济、代有英才；思想政治教育专业完成国家课题众多、成果缤纷、可圈可点；众多马院宛如满天星斗、重镇迭出；学科建设、学术建设、话语建设争先恐后、捷报频传；思政课教师阵容齐整，传道授业解惑不止。特别是习近平号召推进马克思主义中国化时代化的“两个结合”，马克思主义理论及其思想政治教育学科的师生掀起新的学习研究风气，努力学习和研读中华优秀传统文化的遗产，努力学习和研读马克思主义经典著作和中国化时代化的马克思主义经典著作，争做马克思主义基本原理与中国实际和中华优秀传统文化相结合的理论工作者。马克思主义学科的成长发展遇到了大好的时机。

The 40 years of the discipline of ideological and political education constitute a new starting point, and its experience guides the direction of future progress.

思想政治教育学科40年是一个新起点，其经验指引着未来前进方向。

(Author’s bio: Liu Shulin, Academic Advisor, Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor of the Higher Education Moral Education Research Center at Tsinghua University)

（作者简介：刘书林，清华大学高校德育研究中心学术顾问、教授、博士生导师）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心