On the Leading Force of Ideological and Political Education

From September 9 to 10, 2024, Xi Jinping put forward the emblematic concept of “the leading force of ideological and political education” at the National Education Conference. In January 2025, the *Outline for Building a Strong Education Country (2024–2035)*, issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, once again stressed that possessing a strong leading force of ideological and political education is an important attribute of a socialist education powerhouse with Chinese characteristics. This is a historical product of the Communist Party of China’s exploration of building a strong education country, a theoretical distillation of the Party’s historical practice and experience in ideological and political education, and it points out the realistic direction for the innovative development of the theory and practice of ideological and political education in the New Era. The leading force of ideological and political education is a real force generated in the practice of ideological and political education that guides educational objects to grow and develop into useful talents. Accurately understanding the theoretical connotation of the leading force of ideological and political education and scientifically grasping its practical requirements are inevitable necessities for advancing the building of a strong education country, promoting the high-quality development of ideological and political education, and strengthening the construction of mainstream ideology.

2024年9月9日至10日，习近平在全国教育大会上提出“思政引领力”这一标识性概念。2025年1月，中共中央、国务院印发的《教育强国建设规划纲要（2024—2035年）》再次强调，具有强大思政引领力是中国特色社会主义教育强国的重要属性。这是中国共产党探索建设教育强国的历史产物，是党的思想政治教育历史实践及其经验的理论升华，为新时代思想政治教育理论与实践的创新发展指明了现实方向。思政引领力是在思想政治教育实践中生成的引导教育对象成长成才的现实力量。准确理解思政引领力的理论内涵，科学把握其实践要求，是推进教育强国建设、推动思想政治教育高质量发展、加强主流意识形态建设的必然要求。

I. The Macro Level: Grasping the Leading Force of Ideological and Political Education from the Perspective of Building a Strong Education Country

一、宏观层面：从教育强国建设把握思政引领力

From the perspective of the global process of educational modernization, strong education countries share a series of common characteristics, reflecting the historical development trend of educational modernization. To advance the building of a strong education country, special attention must be paid to the questions of what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom to cultivate them. It is necessary to firmly grasp the nature, positioning, and direction of China’s efforts to build a strong education country, combine the common features of global educational modernization with the distinctive characteristics of China’s educational modernization, and promote the high-quality development of China’s education.

从世界教育现代化进程来看，教育强国具有一系列共性特征，反映出教育现代化的历史发展趋势。推进教育强国建设，需要特别关注培养什么人、怎样培养人、为谁培养人的问题，牢牢把握我国教育强国建设的性质、定位、方向，将世界教育现代化的共性特征与中国教育现代化的鲜明特色结合起来，推动我国教育高质量发展。

The leading force of ideological and political education occupies the primary position among the six types of forces that a strong education country should possess, highlighting its important status in both theory and practice. As Xi Jinping pointed out: “The strong education country we aim to build is a socialist education powerhouse with Chinese characteristics. It should possess a strong leading force of ideological and political education, talent competitiveness, scientific and technological support, people’s livelihood security, social synergy, and international influence, providing strong support for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, speech at the National Education Conference, September 9-10, 2024. “Serving high-quality development must be taken as an important task in building a strong education country. Building a strong country in education, science and technology, and talent are inherently consistent and mutually supportive. The three must be organically combined and promoted as a whole to create a multiplier effect for promoting high-quality development.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at the National Education Conference, September 9-10, 2024. Building a strong education country is a systematic project. It not only has a positive effect on the development of education itself but also exerts an important influence on economic and social development. It is a crucial support for advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization. Among these, the leading force of ideological and political education that a strong education country should possess is the unity of its actual state and its due effect, playing an important leading and promoting role in the generation of the other five forces. For example, the leading force of ideological and political education ensures that the cultivated talents possess good ideological literacy, political quality, and moral cultivation, have a broader knowledge horizon and more comprehensive abilities, and enhance the effect of educating people from the level of soul-forging, thereby promoting the improvement of talent competitiveness. For another example, the leading force of ideological and political education strives to consolidate the common ideological and moral foundation of the whole society, enabling all the people to unite closely in terms of ideals and beliefs, values, and moral concepts, thereby promoting the enhancement of social synergy. It can be seen that the leading force of ideological and political education is the lifeline running through the building of a strong education country. It has a deep-level guiding value for clarifying the goals and direction of building a strong education country and is the fundamental guarantee and support for this endeavor.

思政引领力在教育强国应当具有的六种力量中居于首要位置，凸显了其理论与实践上的重要地位。正如习近平所指出的：“我们要建成的教育强国，是中国特色社会主义教育强国，应当具有强大的思政引领力、人才竞争力、科技支撑力、民生保障力、社会协同力、国际影响力，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业提供有力支撑。” “要把服务高质量发展作为建设教育强国的重要任务。建设教育强国、科技强国、人才强国具有内在一致性和相互支撑性，要把三者有机结合起来、一体统筹推进，形成推动高质量发展的倍增效应。”建设教育强国是一项系统工程，不仅对教育发展本身具有积极作用，而且对经济社会发展也会产生重要影响，是推进和拓展中国式现代化的重要支撑。其中，教育强国所应具有的思政引领力是实然状态与应然成效的统一，对其他五种力量的生成具有重要的引领和促进作用。例如，思政引领力促使培养出来的人才具有良好的思想素养、政治素质、道德修养，拥有更宽广的知识视野、更全面的综合能力，从铸魂的层面增强育人的效果，从而促进人才竞争力的提升。又如，思政引领力着力夯实全社会共同的思想道德基础，使全体人民在理想信念、价值理念、道德观念上紧紧团结在一起，从而促进社会协同力的提升。由此可见，思政引领力是贯穿教育强国建设的生命线，对于明确教育强国建设的目标与方向具有深层次的引领价值，是教育强国建设的根本性保障与支撑。

The leading force of ideological and political education manifests the nature and positioning of a socialist education powerhouse with Chinese characteristics, containing the code of power for what kind of strong education country to build and how to build it. To accurately understand the nature and positioning of the strong education country we aim to build, we must delve into the essential requirements of socialism. Xi Jinping emphasized that we must “ensure that education serves the people, serves the governance of the country by the Communist Party of China, serves the consolidation and development of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and serves reform and opening up and socialist modernization.” [3]3 Xi Jinping, speech at a national conference on education, 2018. This profoundly explains the intrinsic attributes and practical requirements that distinguish China’s education from that of other countries. Our education is socialist education, and the strong education country we aim to build is a socialist education powerhouse with Chinese characteristics. Socialism is a unity of path, theory, system, and culture. It is the most distinctive foundation of a strong education country, pointing out the direction for us, drawing the blueprint, and prescribing the path. Deviating from the inherent stipulations and development direction of socialism, the building of a strong education country cannot proceed steadily and far. Precisely for this reason, building a strong education country must strengthen and improve ideological and political education, run ideological and political education through the entire process in a normalized, institutionalized, and systematic manner, comprehensively enhance the leading force of ideological and political education, and cultivate socialist builders and successors. Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: “In running socialist education with Chinese characteristics, we must confidently and assertively offer ideological and political theory courses well.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium for teachers of ideological and political theory courses, March 18, 2019. The leading force of ideological and political education does not arise out of thin air but is continuously generated and gradually strengthened in the systematic project of building a strong education country. Confidently and assertively offering ideological and political theory courses well, confidently and assertively doing a good job in ideological and political education work, and confidently and assertively consolidating and enhancing the leading force of ideological and political education are precisely the inevitable requirements for building a socialist education powerhouse with Chinese characteristics.

思政引领力彰显中国特色社会主义教育强国的性质定位，蕴含着建设什么样的教育强国、怎样建设教育强国的力量密码。对于我们要建成的教育强国的性质定位，要深入到社会主义的本质要求中予以准确理解。习近平强调，要“坚持教育为人民服务、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”。这深刻说明了我国教育区别于其他国家教育的内在属性和实践要求。我们的教育是社会主义教育，我们要建成的教育强国是中国特色社会主义教育强国。社会主义是道路、理论、制度、文化的统一体，是教育强国最为鲜明的底色，为我们指明了方向、擘画了蓝图、规定了进路。偏离了社会主义的内在规定和发展方向，教育强国建设就无以行稳致远。正因如此，建设教育强国必须加强和改进思想政治教育，以常态化制度化体系化的方式将思想政治教育贯穿始终，全面提升思政引领力，培养社会主义的建设者和接班人。习近平明确指出：“我们办中国特色社会主义教育，就是要理直气壮开好思政课。”思政引领力并不是凭空产生的，而是在教育强国建设的系统工程中不断生成、逐步强化的。理直气壮开好思政课，理直气壮做好思想政治教育工作，理直气壮巩固和提升思政引领力，正是中国特色社会主义教育强国建设的必然要求。

The leading force of ideological and political education embodies the value appeal of China’s educational modernization. As an objective force, the leading force of ideological and political education essentially reflects the national will for educational development and the value orientation of the state in promoting educational modernization. Educational modernization is an important component of Chinese-path modernization, occupying a foundational and priority position in the historical journey of comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping emphasized: “Building a strong education country is a foundational project for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must give priority to education, deepen educational reform, accelerate educational modernization, and run education that satisfies the people.” [5]5 Xi Jinping, report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, October 18 Educational modernization is a process of transformation from traditional educational forms to modern educational forms, involving innovations in educational concepts, content, methods, systems, and other aspects. The value orientation runs through it all. China’s educational modernization serves the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, serves the comprehensive development of individuals and the overall progress of society, and has distinct national, ethnic, social, and individual values, providing value-level stipulations for the connotation of the leading force of ideological and political education. *China’s Educational Modernization 2035* proposes eight basic concepts for advancing educational modernization: “pay more attention to putting morality first, pay more attention to comprehensive development, pay more attention to being oriented towards everyone, pay more attention to lifelong learning, pay more attention to teaching students according to their aptitude, pay more attention to the unity of knowledge and action, pay more attention to integrated development, and pay more attention to co-construction and sharing.” [6]6 Jiang Zemin, “On the Education of Youth and the Ideological and Political Work of Schools” (1999). These eight concepts embody the value appeal of China’s educational modernization and simultaneously constitute the value guide for enhancing the leading force of ideological and political education. It should be pointed out that the leading force of ideological and political education does not lead for the sake of leading; the content it leads has a deep-seated value pursuit, which is to serve the growth, development, and comprehensive development of students, closely combining students’ development with national development, social progress, and national rejuvenation, achieving value alignment and coordinated efforts, and promoting the vigorous development of building a modern socialist strong country.

思政引领力体现中国教育现代化的价值诉求。思政引领力作为一种客观的力量，本质上体现着教育发展的国家意志，体现着国家推进教育现代化的价值导向。教育现代化是中国式现代化的重要组成部分，在以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的历史征程中占据基础地位、优先位置。习近平强调：“建设教育强国是中华民族伟大复兴的基础工程，必须把教育事业放在优先位置，深化教育改革，加快教育现代化，办好人民满意的教育。”教育现代化是从传统教育形态转向现代教育形态的变革过程，涉及教育理念、教育内容、教育方式、教育体制等方方面面的革新，贯穿其中的就是价值取向。中国教育现代化服务于强国建设、民族复兴伟业，服务于人的全面发展与社会全面进步，具有鲜明的国家价值、民族价值、社会价值与个体价值，为思政引领力的内涵作了价值层面的规定。《中国教育现代化2035》提出了推进教育现代化的八大基本理念：“更加注重以德为先，更加注重全面发展，更加注重面向人人，更加注重终身学习，更加注重因材施教，更加注重知行合一，更加注重融合发展，更加注重共建共享。”这八大理念熔铸着中国教育现代化的价值诉求，同时构成提升思政引领力的价值先导。需要指出的是，思政引领力并不是为引领而引领，其所引领的内容具有深层次的价值追求，那就是要服务于学生的成长成才、全面发展，将学生的发展与国家的发展、社会的进步、民族的复兴紧密结合起来，实现价值上的同向同行、协同发力，推动社会主义现代化强国建设蓬勃发展。

II. The Meso Level: Grasping the Leading Force of Ideological and Political Education from the System of Ideological and Political Education

二、中观层面：从思想政治教育系统把握思政引领力

The leading force of ideological and political education not only leads the ideological concepts of educational objects but also leads their practical actions. It is an organic unity of subjective leadership and objective leadership. The leading force of ideological and political education is generated from the practice of ideological and political education and is embodied in many phenomena of ideological and political education. Ideological and political education is widely reflected in China’s economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, and ecological civilization construction. Among these, ideological and political theory courses are the main channel for ideological and political education. Xi Jinping emphasized: “Ideological and political theory courses should be explicit courses in ideological and political education.” [7]7 Xi Jinping, speech at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities (December 2016). The currently advocated “grand ideological and political courses” and “curriculum-based ideological and political education” both fall within the scope of ideological and political education. They are important manifestations of the deepening of the connotation, extension of the scope, and improvement of the quality of ideological and political education, and are also important carriers for the systematic generation of the leading force of ideological and political education.

思政引领力既引领教育对象的思想观念，又引领教育对象的现实行动，是主观引领与客观引领的有机统一体。思政引领力从思想政治教育实践中生成，体现在诸多思想政治教育现象之中。思想政治教育在我国经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设、生态文明建设中有着广泛的体现。其中，思政课是思想政治教育的主渠道。习近平强调：“思政课要做思想政治教育的显性课程。”如今提倡的“大思政课”与“课程思政”，都属于思想政治教育的范畴，都是思想政治教育内涵深化、范围延伸、质量提升的重要体现，也是思政引领力能够系统生成的重要载体。

The ideological and political leading force is a unity of forces in ideological leadership, political leadership, cultural leadership, value leadership, faith leadership, and moral leadership. The content of the ideological and political leading force is comprehensive and systematic, organically linked as a whole, exerting force in the same direction across different aspects, thereby forming an integrated and overarching leadership, so as to achieve the intended results of ideological and political education. Realizing ideological leadership means mastering the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism, and thoroughly studying and deeply comprehending the Party’s innovative theories; this is the worldview foundation for the formation of the ideological and political leading force. Realizing political leadership means firmly establishing the correct political stance, grasping the correct political direction, establishing correct political principles, and consciously maintaining a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core; this is the political outlook foundation for the formation of the ideological and political leading force. Realizing cultural leadership means strengthening confidence in revolutionary culture, advanced socialist culture, and fine traditional Chinese culture, and establishing a conscious awareness of cultural innovation and cultural creation; this is the cultural outlook foundation for the formation of the ideological and political leading force. Realizing value leadership means taking the core socialist values as the guide, clarifying national value goals, social value orientations, and civic value standards, and grasping the people-centered value stance running through them; this is the values foundation for the formation of the ideological and political leading force. Realizing faith leadership means taking the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the guide, continuously deepening the understanding of the laws governing the Communist Party’s governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of human social development; this is the faith outlook foundation for the formation of the ideological and political leading force. Realizing moral leadership means taking socialist moral norms as the guide, deepening the understanding of the socialist moral system with serving the people as its core and collectivism as its principle, strengthening moral identification, enhancing moral cultivation, and consciously observing social ethics, professional ethics, family virtues, and personal character; this is the moral outlook foundation for the formation of the ideological and political leading force. The six aspects mentioned above are the basic dimensions of the content system of ideological and political education, and also the content support for the generation of the ideological and political leading force. The content of the ideological and political leading force is deeply rooted in the content system of ideological and political education, reflecting the normative and practical efficacy of the content of ideological and political education in the dual sense of understanding and transforming the world.

思政引领力是思想引领、政治引领、文化引领、价值引领、信仰引领、道德引领的力量统一体。思政引领力的内容具有全面性、系统性，有机联结为一个整体，在不同方面同向发力，从而形成综合性、全局性的引领，以此取得思想政治教育的应然成效。实现思想引领，就是要掌握马克思主义的立场观点方法，学深悟透党的创新理论，这是思政引领力形成的世界观基础。实现政治引领，就是要坚定正确的政治立场，把握正确的政治方向，确立正确的政治原则，自觉同以习近平同志为核心的党中央保持高度一致，这是思政引领力形成的政治观基础。实现文化引领，就是要坚定对革命文化、社会主义先进文化、中华优秀传统文化的自信，树立文化创新与文化创造的自觉意识，这是思政引领力形成的文化观基础。实现价值引领，就是要以社会主义核心价值观为引领，明确国家价值目标、社会价值取向、公民价值准则，把握贯穿其中的以人民为中心的价值立场，这是思政引领力形成的价值观基础。实现信仰引领，就是要以共产主义远大理想和中国特色社会主义共同理想为引领，不断深化对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律的认识，这是思政引领力形成的信仰观基础。实现道德引领，就是要以社会主义道德规范为引领，深化对以为人民服务为核心、以集体主义为原则的社会主义道德体系的认识，强化道德认同，加强德性修养，自觉遵守社会公德、职业道德、家庭美德、个人品德，这是思政引领力形成的道德观基础。如上所述的六个方面内容是思想政治教育内容体系的基本面向，也是思政引领力得以生成的内容支撑。思政引领力的内容深深植根于思想政治教育的内容体系之中，体现出思想政治教育内容在认识世界和改造世界双重意义上所具有的规范效能、实践效能。

It should be pointed out that the six aspects of the content of the ideological and political leading force are organically linked and mutually reinforcing, and their interconnections cannot be artificially severed. Ideological leadership and political leadership occupy the primary position, consolidating the worldview and political outlook foundation of the ideological and political leading force, focusing more on solidifying the roots of the conceptual world; cultural leadership and value leadership occupy the core position, consolidating the cultural outlook and values foundation of the ideological and political leading force, focusing more on enriching the inner core of the conceptual world; faith leadership and moral leadership occupy a deeper level, consolidating the faith outlook and moral outlook foundation of the ideological and political leading force, focusing more on elevating the spiritual height of the conceptual world and acting on the shaping of personality. Precisely because the different components of the ideological and political leading force have their internal connections, the absence of any one aspect may negatively impact the overall generation of the efficacy of the ideological and political leading force. To enhance the ideological and political leading force, we must proceed from the overall situation, emphasize comprehensiveness and systematicity, and avoid fragmentation and atomization.

需要指出的是，思政引领力的六个方面内容之间是有机联系、相辅相成的，不能人为割裂其中的关联。思想引领与政治引领居于首要位置，筑牢思政引领力的世界观和政治观基础，更侧重于夯实观念世界的根柢；文化引领与价值引领居于核心地位，筑牢思政引领力的文化观和价值观基础，更侧重于充实观念世界的内核；信仰引领与道德引领居于更深层次，筑牢思政引领力的信仰观和道德观基础，更侧重于提升观念世界的精神高度，并作用于人格的塑造。正是因为思政引领力的不同组成部分有其内在联系，所以不论哪一方面内容缺位，都有可能给思政引领力效能的整体生成带来消极影响。提升思政引领力，必须从全局出发，注重全面性、系统性，不能搞碎片化、零散化。

Further analysis shows that the ideological and political leading force embodies the educational advantages aggregated by the ideological and political education system. To deepen the theoretical explanation of the ideological and political leading force, we must pay attention to the questions of who is to be led and what is to be led. Ideological and political education is a systematic project of forging souls and cultivating people, closely related to the comprehensive development of the educational subjects. “If we despise ideological and political education, historical knowledge education, and personality cultivation, then great one-sidedness will arise, and this one-sidedness often affects the trajectory of a person’s life.” [6]6 Jiang Zemin, “On the Education of Youth and the Ideological and Political Work of Schools” (1999). In ideological and political education activities, in the process of generating the ideological and political leading force, value rationality is the core element running through them. The value rationality of ideological and political education is centrally embodied in fostering virtue and nurturing people, in the cultivation of people. The practical effects produced by the ideological and political leading force concern the entire life development of the educational subjects. Xi Jinping emphasizes: “We must adhere to taking fostering virtue and nurturing people as the central link, run ideological and political work through the entire process of education and teaching, achieve whole-process education and all-round education, and strive to create a new situation for the development of higher education in our country.” [7]7 Xi Jinping, speech at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities (December 2016). Implementing the fundamental task of fostering virtue and nurturing people is the reason for the existence of ideological and political education and the most fundamental basis for enhancing the ideological and political leading force. What we want to cultivate are new-era individuals capable of undertaking the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, socialist builders and successors who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise. The enhancement of the ideological and political leading force must focus on the quality and efficacy of education. The ideological and political education of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a type of education with unique stipulations, and the ideological and political leading force it generates exerts significant educational advantages, highly aligning with the practical needs of building China into a leading country in education under socialism with Chinese characteristics.

进一步分析可知，思政引领力体现思想政治教育系统所聚合的育人优势。深化对思政引领力的学理阐释，必须要关注引领谁和引领什么的问题。思想政治教育是铸魂育人的系统工程，与教育对象的全面发展密切相关。“如果轻视思想政治教育、历史知识教育和人格培养，那就会产生很大的片面性，而这种片面性往往会影响人一生的轨迹。”在思想政治教育活动中，在思政引领力的生成过程中，价值理性是贯穿其中的核心要素。思想政治教育的价值理性集中体现在立德树人上，体现在对人的培养上。思政引领力所产生的现实效果，关涉教育对象的整个人生发展。习近平强调：“要坚持把立德树人作为中心环节，把思想政治工作贯穿教育教学全过程，实现全程育人、全方位育人，努力开创我国高等教育事业发展新局面。”贯彻落实立德树人根本任务，是思想政治教育存在的根由，是提升思政引领力的最根本的依据。我们要培养的是担当民族复兴大任的时代新人，是德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，而思政引领力的提升就是要聚焦到育人质量、育人效能上。中国特色社会主义的思想政治教育是一种具有独特规定性的教育类型，其所产生的思政引领力发挥着显著的育人优势，高度契合中国特色社会主义教育强国建设的现实需要。

The educational advantages shaped by the ideological and political leading force are a concentrated manifestation of the superiority of the socialist system in the field of education, and an important guarantee for achieving educational initiative and the initiative of economic and social development. First, the educational advantages shaped by the ideological and political leading force are advantages of a long cycle. Ideological and political education runs through the entire process of the educational subjects’ growth and development, including not only the stage of school education but also various educational stages in production and life. Wherever people’s practical activities extend, ideological and political education should follow, and the ideological and political leading force should take root. What is emphasized here is the practical soil and realistic foundation on which the ideological and political leading force depends. Second, the educational advantages shaped by the ideological and political leading force are advantages of consolidating the foundation. Once the ideological and political leading force is formed, it must achieve a stable, deep-level leadership over the educational subjects, rather than a simple, phenomenal-level leadership. Phenomena are prone to change, but mastering the perspective and analytical methods for understanding phenomena is more fundamental. The ideological and political leading force involves shaping the worldview, outlook on life, and values of the educational subjects, helping them master scientific analytical methods for social phenomena and social issues, thereby reaching a state of “not being blinded by floating clouds,” [8]8 A line from the Song-dynasty poet Wang Anshi’s poem “Climbing Feilai Peak,” often used metaphorically to mean not being misled by superficial appearances. and not losing inner faith, conviction, and confidence due to changes in external phenomena. Third, the educational advantages shaped by the ideological and political leading force are advantages of a broad scope. This advantage has a wide coverage; it can be said to run through the entire process and all aspects of advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization, exerting direct or indirect influence on production fields such as material production and spiritual production, and on life fields such as political life, economic life, and social life. This is actually related to the lifeline status of ideological and political education. [9]9 A reference to the Mao-era slogan that ideological and political work is the “lifeline” of all economic and other work. Grasping the ideological and political leading force from the ideological and political education system means clarifying the nature and positioning of ideological and political education, enabling different phenomena of ideological and political education to form a strong synergy in educational work, and continuously providing vital forces for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization.

思政引领力所形塑的育人优势，是社会主义制度优势在教育领域的集中体现，是实现教育主动与经济社会发展主动的重要保障。其一，思政引领力所形塑的育人优势是长周期的优势。思想政治教育贯穿教育对象成长成才的全过程，不仅包含学校教育的环节，而且包含生产生活中的各种教育环节。人的实践活动延伸到哪里，思想政治教育就应当跟进到哪里，思政引领力就应当落脚到哪里。这里强调的是思政引领力赖以依存的实践土壤与现实根基。其二，思政引领力所形塑的育人优势是固根本的优势。思政引领力一经形成，就要对教育对象实现一种稳定的、深层次的引领，而不是简单的、现象层面的引领。现象是容易变化的，而掌握对于现象的认识视角和分析方法则是更为根本的。思政引领力涉及对教育对象的世界观、人生观、价值观的塑造，能够帮助他们掌握对社会现象与社会问题的科学分析方法，从而达到“不畏浮云遮望眼”的境界，不因外在现象的变化而丧失内心的信仰、信念、信心。其三，思政引领力所形塑的育人优势是宽领域的优势。这种优势覆盖面很广，可以说贯穿于推进和拓展中国式现代化的全过程、各方面，对于物质生产、精神生产等生产领域，对于政治生活、经济生活、社会生活等生活领域，都起到直接或间接的影响，而这实际上是与思想政治教育所具有的生命线地位相关联的。从思想政治教育系统把握思政引领力，就是要明确思想政治教育的性质定位，使不同的思想政治教育现象在育人工作中形成强大的合力，为进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化不断提供有生力量。

III. Micro Level: Grasping the Ideological and Political Leading Force from Mainstream Ideology

三、微观层面：从主流意识形态把握思政引领力

The generation of the concept of the ideological and political leading force was not achieved overnight; it is established on the foundation of the Chinese Communist Party’s long-term exploration of educational development, and runs through the historical practice of the CPC. On this issue, it is necessary to make a brief examination from the evolutionary process of the concept. Before the concept of the ideological and political leading force was proposed, Xi Jinping had proposed the concept of the ideological leading force. He pointed out: “With unified will and action, maintain the Party’s unity and solidarity, and continuously enhance the Party’s political leadership, ideological leading force, mass organizational capability, and social appeal.” [10]10 Xi Jinping, report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC (October 2017). The ideological leading force mentioned here is mainly discussed in connection with Party building, concerning how to enhance the Party’s leadership and governance capabilities. The ideological and political leading force discussed today is mainly discussed in connection with building China into a leading country in education. However, although the theoretical contexts of these two concepts differ, there are common characteristics in practice, namely that both concern the construction of the socialist mainstream ideology.

思政引领力概念的生成并不是一蹴而就的，而是建立在中国共产党长期以来对于教育事业发展的探索基础之上的，是贯穿于中国共产党的历史实践之中的。在这一问题上，有必要从概念演化的历程中作一点考察。在思政引领力概念提出之前，习近平提出过思想引领力概念。他指出：“以统一的意志和行动维护党的团结统一，不断增强党的政治领导力、思想引领力、群众组织力、社会号召力。”这里所说的思想引领力，主要是结合党的建设来谈的，涉及的是如何增强党的领导能力和执政能力的问题。如今所说的思政引领力，则主要是结合教育强国建设来谈的。不过，虽然这两个概念关涉的理论语境有所差异，但是在实践中存在共性特征，那就是二者都关涉社会主义主流意识形态建设。

The leading power of ideological and political education is the manifestation of the power through which the mainstream ideology is widely disseminated. The leading power of ideological and political education is essentially an ideological force. Xi Jinping emphasized: “Ideological work is the work of establishing the heart for the nation and establishing the soul for the people.” [11]11 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work,” August 19, 2013. Particularly from the perspective of the interweaving of the overall strategy of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world, ideological work is of extreme importance, and the practical environment it faces is extremely complex, urgently requiring solid efforts. From the perspective of the nature and positioning of ideological work, it cannot be simply regarded as a tool or a means. The socialist mainstream ideology is a system of ideas and concepts that reflects the essential requirements of socialism. It has important theoretical value and practical significance for promoting the liberation and development of socialist productive forces, promoting the comprehensive progress of socialist society, and promoting the comprehensive development of people in socialist society. Precisely because of this, the leading power of ideological and political education, which is generated on the basis of the mainstream ideology, possesses a distinct ideological attribute. Educators should possess strong work ability and practical ability, and strive to enhance the scientific nature, targeted nature, and practical effectiveness of the leading power of ideological and political education. The generation of the leading power of ideological and political education and the exertion of its effectiveness, in the final analysis, is to transform the power of concepts into the power of practice, to objectify ideological concepts, value concepts, and moral concepts into material carriers, forming tangible and visible results of social development. In the historical journey of building a strong educational nation, to enhance the leading power of ideological and political education, it is necessary to firmly grasp the socialist ideological attributes and related work requirements of the leading power of ideological and political education, and promote the Marxist worldview, outlook on life, and values to take root in the hearts of the vast majority of educational objects. Only in this way can the leading power of ideological and political education be effectively generated and consolidated and enhanced.

思政引领力是主流意识形态得到广泛传播的力量表征。思政引领力本质上是一种意识形态力量。习近平强调：“意识形态工作是为国家立心、为民族立魂的工作。”特别是从中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局相互交织的背景来看，意识形态工作具有极端重要性，其所面临的现实环境极为复杂，迫切需要扎实做好。从意识形态工作的性质定位来看，不能将其简单地看作一种工具或手段。社会主义主流意识形态是反映社会主义本质要求的思想观念体系，对于推动社会主义生产力的解放和发展、推动社会主义社会的全面进步、推动社会主义社会中人的全面发展，具有重要的理论价值与实践意义。正因如此，以主流意识形态为基础内容而生成的思政引领力，是带有鲜明的意识形态属性的。教育者应具有较强的工作能力和实践能力，努力提升思政引领力的科学性、针对性、实效性。思政引领力的生成及其效能的发挥，归根到底是要将观念的力量转化为实践的力量，将思想观念、价值观念、道德观念对象化到物质载体当中，形成切实可见的社会发展成果。在建设教育强国的历史征程中提升思政引领力，必须牢牢把握思政引领力的社会主义意识形态属性和相关工作要求，推动马克思主义世界观、人生观、价值观在广大教育对象心中落地生根。只有这样，思政引领力才能够有效生成并得到巩固提升。

The leading power of ideological and political education reflects that the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field is maintained and consolidated. The leading power of ideological and political education has its temporal dimension; it must not only lead the past, but also lead the present, and even more so lead the future. So-called leading the past means leading educational objects in their understanding of history and establishing a correct view of history; so-called leading the present means leading educational objects in their understanding of the current economic and social development situation and establishing a correct view of reality; so-called leading the future means leading educational objects in their understanding of social development trends and the direction of civilizational progress and establishing a correct view of the future. Regardless of whether it is leading the past, leading the present, or leading the future, the common philosophical foundation lies in adhering to dialectical materialism and historical materialism, and consolidating the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field. The generation of the leading power of ideological and political education has a distinct problem orientation, especially targeting the problems existing in the construction of the mainstream ideology. These problems include, but are not limited to, the perplexities of the vast number of young students in terms of ideological concepts, ideals and beliefs, and value concepts. Taking the “theory of the remoteness of communism” and the “theory of the obsolescence of communism” existing in the field of ideals and beliefs as examples, Xi Jinping once pointed out: “Nowadays, some people advocate the so-called ‘theory of the remoteness of communism’ and ‘theory of the obsolescence of communism’. In the final analysis, this is either ideological prejudice or shortsightedness regarding history.” [12]12 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work,” August 19, 2013. The march towards communism is a scientific conclusion drawn from a profound analysis of the laws of social and historical development, and is an inevitable result of the development of human society. In the ideological field, the reason why the “theory of the remoteness of communism” and the “theory of the obsolescence of communism” still exert influence has its roots in ideological understanding; that is, people’s understanding of where communism comes from, how it is possible, and where it is going is not yet profound enough, and their understanding of the relationship between communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics is not yet deep enough. This puts forward new requirements of the times for enhancing the leading power of ideological and political education with ideals and beliefs education as the focal point. To enhance the leading power of ideological and political education, it is necessary to adhere to the organic unity of critique and constructiveness. It is necessary to both clarify erroneous understandings of the state of the nation and social development, and more actively promote the socialist mainstream ideology to take root.

思政引领力反映出马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位得到维护和巩固。思政引领力有其时间性维度，不仅要引领过去，还要引领现在，更要引领未来。所谓引领过去，就是要引领教育对象对于历史的认识，树立正确的历史观；所谓引领现在，就是要引领教育对象对于当前经济社会发展局面的认识，树立正确的现实观；所谓引领未来，就是要引领教育对象对于社会发展趋势、文明发展走向的认识，树立正确的未来观。而不论是引领过去，还是引领现在，亦或是引领未来，其共同的哲学基础都在于坚持辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，巩固马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位。思政引领力的生成具有鲜明的问题导向，特别是对准主流意识形态建设中存在的问题。这些问题包括但不限于广大青年学生思想观念、理想信念、价值理念上的困惑。以理想信念领域存在的“共产主义渺茫论”“共产主义过时论”为例，习近平就曾指出：“现在，一些人宣扬所谓‘共产主义渺茫论’、‘共产主义过时论’，说到底，不是意识形态偏见，就是历史短见。”走向共产主义是经由对社会历史发展规律进行深刻分析而得出的科学结论，是人类社会发展的必然结果。在意识形态领域中，“共产主义渺茫论”“共产主义过时论”之所以仍产生影响，有其思想认识上的根源，那就是人们对共产主义从何而来、何以可能、向何处去等问题的理解还不够深刻，对共产主义与中国特色社会主义关系的认识还不够深入，这就对以理想信念教育为着力点提升思政引领力提出新的时代要求。提升思政引领力，要坚持批判性与建构性的有机统一，既要澄清关于国家和社会发展状况的错误认识，又要更加主动地推动社会主义主流意识形态的落地生根。

Since the New Era, with the continuous consolidation of the fundamental system of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological field, the enhancement of the leading power of ideological and political education has also gained a more solid institutional foundation. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC [13]13 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, held in October 2019, focused on upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. made clear provisions on the construction requirements of this fundamental system. For example, it mentioned “strengthening and improving school ideological and political education, and establishing a mechanism for educating people with the participation of all personnel, throughout the entire process, and in all aspects.” [14]14 “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Upholding and Improving the System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Advancing the Modernization of the National Governance System and Governance Capacity,” adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, October 31, 2019. This is to ensure, in a normalized and institutionalized manner, that ideological and political education generates a continuous and positive effect in the practice of ideological work. The concept of the leading power of ideological and political education, proposed in the practice of building a strong educational nation, cannot be examined solely from the educational field. Instead, it must be accurately positioned and scientifically understood from the broad connections between education and the economy, politics, culture, and society. Establishing a mechanism for educating people with the participation of all personnel, throughout the entire process, and in all aspects is an important institutional guarantee for enhancing the leading power of ideological and political education. It is closely linked to the construction of the mainstream ideology and closely linked to promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.

新时代以来，随着马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度不断巩固，思政引领力的提升也有了更为坚实的制度基础。党的十九届四中全会对这一根本制度的建设要求作出了明确规定。例如，其中提到“加强和改进学校思想政治教育，建立全员、全程、全方位育人体制机制”。这是以常态化制度化的方式，确保思想政治教育在意识形态工作实践中产生源源不断的积极效能。对于在教育强国建设实践中提出的思政引领力概念，并不能仅从教育领域来加以考察，而要从教育与经济、政治、文化、社会的广泛联系中加以准确定位和科学理解。建立全员、全程、全方位育人体制机制，是提升思政引领力的重要制度保障，与主流意识形态建设紧密联系，与推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化紧密联系。

The proposal of the concept of the ideological and political leading force reflects the historic achievements made in the construction of mainstream ideology since the New Era. The generation of a new concept, especially one capable of guiding the development of a discipline, has a profound historical and practical foundation. The proposal of the concept of the ideological and political leading force holds significant academic value for the innovative development of ideological and political education theory in the New Era and for deepening research on the construction of mainstream ideology. Since the New Era, the situation in the ideological sphere has undergone a comprehensive and fundamental transformation, and the Chinese Communist Party’s understanding of the laws governing the ideological and political leading force has been continuously deepened. On this issue, the following key factors need to be grasped. First, the Party’s innovative theory in the New Era has taken deep root in the hearts of the people, forming a fundamental support for enhancing the ideological and political leading force. Since the New Era, authoritative textbooks such as *An Introduction to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era* and *Student Reader on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era* have been fully utilized in ideological and political course teaching, and the work of forging souls and educating people with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has achieved remarkable results. From the perspective of mainstream ideological construction, clearly explaining the principles, theories, and philosophies contained in the Party’s innovative theory, enabling the educational targets to truly learn, understand, believe, and apply it, to know not only what it is but also why it is so, and even why it must be so, is crucial for consolidating the foundation of the ideological and political leading force. Second, the widespread dissemination of core socialist values has formed a strong support for enhancing the ideological and political leading force. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasized the topic of “extensively practicing core socialist values,” clearly requiring “using core socialist values to forge souls and educate people, improving the ideological and political work system, and advancing the integrated construction of ideological and political education in universities, middle schools, and primary schools.” From a practical perspective, to promote the construction of core socialist values on the new journey of the New Era, it is necessary to grasp the penetrating role of the ideological and political leading force from the perspective of the entire ideological and political education system. The enhancement of the ideological and political leading force and the development of ideological and political education both have their era-oriented and reality-oriented directions, both aimed at solving the theoretical and practical issues encountered in the current era. The construction of core socialist values precisely injects the connotation of the times into the enhancement of the ideological and political leading force, while also putting forward practical requirements for the development of ideological and political education in the New Era. Third, the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture have formed an effective support for enhancing the ideological and political leading force. Fine traditional Chinese culture empowers the enhancement of the ideological and political leading force from the cultural level. Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must deeply excavate and elucidate the contemporary values of fine traditional Chinese culture, such as promoting benevolence, emphasizing the people, keeping good faith, upholding justice, advocating harmony, and seeking common ground, transforming them into rich nourishment for student value education, accumulating students’ cultural heritage, and enhancing their cultural literacy.” The creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture are not for the sake of transformation or development themselves, but to deeply serve the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. Looking further, enhancing the ideological and political leading force also requires handling the relationship between the soul vein and the root vein. “Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture have different origins, but there is a high degree of compatibility between them.” It is necessary to grasp both their compatibility and their differences, using the truth force of Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times to empower the enhancement of the ideological and political leading force.

思政引领力概念的提出，反映出新时代以来主流意识形态建设所取得的历史性成就。一个新概念，特别是一个能够引领一门学科发展的新概念的生成，背后有着深厚的历史基础和实践基础。思政引领力概念的提出，对于新时代思想政治教育理论的创新发展、对于深化主流意识形态建设的研究，具有重要的学术价值。新时代以来，意识形态领域形势发生全局性、根本性转变，中国共产党对于思政引领力的规律性认识也在不断深化。在这一问题上，有如下关键因素需要把握。一是新时代党的创新理论深入人心，对提升思政引领力形成根本支撑。新时代以来，《习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想概论》《习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想学生读本》等权威教材在思政课教学中得到充分运用，用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想铸魂育人工作取得显著成效。从主流意识形态建设的角度来看，讲清楚党的创新理论中蕴含的道理学理哲理，使教育对象真学真懂真信真用，既知其然，又知其所以然，并知其所以必然，对于筑牢思政引领力的根基至关重要。二是社会主义核心价值观广泛传播，对提升思政引领力形成有力支撑。党的二十大报告强调“广泛践行社会主义核心价值观”的课题，明确要求“用社会主义核心价值观铸魂育人，完善思想政治工作体系，推进大中小学思想政治教育一体化建设”。从实践的角度来看，在新时代新征程上推动社会主义核心价值观建设，要从思想政治教育系统的整体来把握思政引领力的渗透性作用。思政引领力的提升和思想政治教育的发展都有其时代导向、现实导向，都是要解决当前时代所遇到的理论和实践课题。社会主义核心价值观建设正是为思政引领力的提升注入了时代内涵，同时为新时代思想政治教育的发展提出了实践要求。三是中华优秀传统文化的创造性转化，创新性发展，对提升思政引领力形成有效支撑。中华优秀传统文化从文化层面赋能思政引领力的提升。习近平强调：“要深入挖掘和阐发中华优秀传统文化中讲仁爱、重民本、守诚信、崇正义、尚和合、求大同的时代价值，转化为学生价值观教育的丰富营养，积淀学生文化底蕴，提升学生文化素养。”中华优秀传统文化的创造性转化和创新性发展，并不是为转化而转化、为发展而发展，而是要深层次地服务于立德树人的根本任务。进一步看，提升思政引领力还要处理好魂脉与根脉的关系。“马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化来源不同，但彼此存在高度的契合性”，既要把握二者的契合性，又要明确二者的差异性，以中国化时代化的马克思主义的真理力量来赋能思政引领力的提升。

Conclusion

结 语

As an identifying concept, the ideological and political leading force encompasses three interrelated theoretical dimensions—macro, meso, and micro—and possesses deep scholarly implications. Among them, the macro level concerns the functional positioning of the ideological and political leading force in building a strong educational country, the meso level concerns the educational advantages of the ideological and political leading force within the ideological and political education system, and the micro level concerns the operational mechanism of the ideological and political leading force itself. These three are organically integrated, jointly demonstrating the rich theoretical connotation and powerful practical force of the ideological and political leading force.

思政引领力作为一个标识性概念，包含宏观、中观、微观三个相互联系的理论面向，具有深层的学理意涵。其中，宏观层面关涉思政引领力在教育强国建设中的功能定位，中观层面关涉思政引领力在思想政治教育系统中的育人优势，微观层面关涉思政引领力自身的作用机制，三者有机联结为一体，共同展现出思政引领力的丰富理论内涵与强大实践力量。

From the macro level, the ideological and political leading force occupies the primary position among the six forces that a strong educational country should possess, highlighting the fundamental nature and fundamental task of socialist education with Chinese characteristics, and reflecting the value purport of the overall strategy for building a strong educational country. The proposal of the concept of the ideological and political leading force reflects the call of the times for building a strong educational country, is closely linked to the requirements of implementing the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, and answers the questions of what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom to cultivate them. Our education must have a distinct value orientation, placing the cultivation of talent for the Party and the country in a prominent position, cultivating socialist builders and successors who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise, and cultivating new generations capable of undertaking the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This requires a strong ideological and political leading force to promote the construction of a strong educational country.

从宏观层面来看，思政引领力在教育强国应当具有的六种力量中居于首要位置，彰显中国特色社会主义教育的根本性质和根本任务，体现教育强国建设总体战略的价值旨趣。思政引领力概念的提出，反映了教育强国建设的时代呼唤，与贯彻落实立德树人根本任务的要求紧密联系在一起，回答了培养什么人、怎样培养人、为谁培养人的问题。我们的教育必须具有鲜明的价值导向，将为党育人、为国育才摆在突出位置，培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，培养担当民族复兴大任的时代新人，这就需要以强大的思政引领力助推教育强国建设。

From the meso level, ideological and political education is a large system, where different elements are interconnected, interact, and influence each other, forming an organic and unified whole. Within the ideological and political education system, ideological guidance, political guidance, cultural guidance, value guidance, belief guidance, and moral guidance together constitute a guidance matrix, forming a combined guiding force, namely the ideological and political leading force. The effectiveness of ideological and political education is directly reflected in the magnitude of the ideological and political leading force. Promoting the high-quality development of ideological and political education means taking the enhancement and strengthening of the ideological and political leading force as the goal orientation, following the inherent laws of ideological and political education, striving to solve deep-seated problems, and making sustained efforts over the long term.

从中观层面来看，思想政治教育是一个大的系统，不同元素之间相互联系、相互作用、相互影响，构成一个有机统一的整体。在思想政治教育系统中，思想引领、政治引领、文化引领、价值引领、信仰引领、道德引领共同构成一个引领的矩阵，形成一种引领的合力，亦即思政引领力。思想政治教育的实效性，直接体现在思政引领力的大小上。推动思想政治教育高质量发展，就是要以提升和强化思政引领力为目标导向，遵循思想政治教育的内在规律，努力破解深层次问题，持续发力、久久为功。

From the micro level, the ideological and political leading force is essentially an ideological force, that is, the real force formed by the dissemination of mainstream ideology. The generation of the ideological and political leading force is closely related to upholding Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological sphere, and what it reflects is actually the real impact of the Marxist worldview, outlook on life, and values on educational targets. A strong ideological and political leading force can guide educational targets to grow into steadfast Marxists, guiding them to consciously use Marxist standpoints, viewpoints, and methods to analyze and solve real problems. The proposal of the concept of the ideological and political leading force reflects the further deepening of the Chinese Communist Party’s understanding of the laws governing the construction of mainstream ideology, especially the further deepening of its understanding of the laws governing school ideological and political education.

从微观层面来看，思政引领力本质上是一种意识形态力量，亦即主流意识形态传播所形成的现实力量。思政引领力的生成与坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位紧密关联，其所反映的实际上就是马克思主义世界观、人生观、价值观对于教育对象所产生的现实影响。强大的思政引领力能够引导教育对象成长为坚定的马克思主义者，引导他们自觉运用马克思主义的立场观点方法分析和解决现实问题。思政引领力概念的提出，反映了中国共产党对于主流意识形态建设规律认识的进一步深化，特别是对于学校思想政治教育规律认识的进一步深化。

On the new journey of the New Era, it is necessary to closely integrate the requirements of the times, deepen the scholarly interpretation of the identifying concept of the ideological and political leading force, and further explore related academic propositions, forming important academic viewpoints, and accelerating the development of an ideological and political education disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner.

新时代新征程上，要紧密结合时代要求，深化对思政引领力这一标识性概念的学理阐释，并进一步挖掘与之相关的学术命题，形成重要的学术观点，加快发展具有中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的思想政治教育学科体系、学术体系、话语体系。

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心