An Analysis of the Rationale for Socialist Ideological Confidence since the Founding of New China

Ideological confidence refers to a political party, state, nation, or people’s deep conviction in and full identification with its own ideology. In class society, ideology, as the concentrated expression of the will of the ruling class, exists not only as a “derivative” and “secretion” of the socioeconomic structure but also exerts a profound influence on that structure. After the founding of New China, the Communist Party of China became the ruling party nationwide, and the “socialist ideology guided by Marxism-Leninism” it upheld, following the basic law that “the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas,” began to ascend as the national mainstream ideology. Over more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the Party and the state have attached great importance to the crucial role of ideology in governing the country, guiding the construction of socialist ideology to hold high the banner of Marxist theory, draw nourishment from the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, base itself on the achievements of socialist construction, and fully utilize the experience of ideological construction, thereby cultivating a powerful force of confidence. As we embark on the new journey toward the second centenary goal [1]1 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Marx," People's Daily, May 5, 2018., we must firmly establish socialist ideological confidence and clarify its soul, its root, its basis, and its strength, so as to gather the powerful ideological force needed to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

意识形态自信是指政党、国家、民族或人民对自身意识形态的深度确信和充分认同。在阶级社会中，意识形态作为统治阶级意志的集中体现，不仅是作为社会经济结构的“衍生体”和“分泌物”而存在，同时也能够对社会经济结构产生深刻影响。新中国成立后，中国共产党成为全国范围内的执政党，其坚持的“以马克思列宁主义为指导的社会主义意识形态”遵循“统治阶级的思想在每一时代都是占统治地位的思想”这一基本规律，开始上升为国家主流意识形态。新中国成立70多年来，党和国家高度重视意识形态在治国理政中的重要作用，引领社会主义意识形态建设高擎马克思主义理论旗帜、汲取中国特色社会主义文化滋养、立足社会主义建设成就、充分运用意识形态建设经验，培塑了强烈的自信力量。踏上向第二个百年奋斗目标奋进的新征程，我们必须坚定社会主义意识形态自信并厘清社会主义意识形态的自信之魂、自信之根、自信之据、自信之力，从而汇聚起实现中华民族伟大复兴的强大意识形态力量。

I. The Soul of Confidence: Marxist Theory Supports Socialist Ideological Confidence

一、自信之魂：马克思主义理论支撑社会主义意识形态自信

Adhering to Marxism as the banner and soul is the core support for socialist ideological confidence. Marxism, as the core content of socialist ideology, provides the theoretical foundation for the Party and the people to firmly establish socialist ideological confidence through its scientificity and objective truth at three levels: cognition-interpretation, value-belief, and goal-strategy.

坚持以马克思主义为旗帜和灵魂是社会主义意识形态自信的核心支撑。马克思主义作为社会主义意识形态的核心内容，其在认知—解释、价值—信仰、目标—策略三个层面的科学性和客观真理性奠定了党和人民坚定社会主义意识形态自信的理论基石。

(I) At the cognition-interpretation level, Marxism radiates scientific brilliance

(一)从认知—解释层面看，马克思主义闪耀着科学光芒

The birth of Marxism was undoubtedly a great revolution in the history of human thought. Its original creation of historical materialism and the theory of surplus value “revealed the general laws of the development of human society and the special laws of the operation of capitalism,” providing people with a powerful ideological weapon to penetrate the fog of history, explain real-world dilemmas, and foresee future trends.

马克思主义的诞生无疑是人类思想史上的一次伟大革命，其独创的唯物史观和剩余价值学说“揭示了人类社会发展的一般规律，揭示了资本主义运行的特殊规律”,为人们提供了穿透历史迷雾、解释现实困境、预见未来趋向的强大思想武器。

On the one hand, Marx revealed the general laws of the development of human society by creating and expounding historical materialism. Before the birth of Marxism, there were many theories and doctrines attempting to reveal the laws of human social development, but these either proceeded from illusory divine will or abstract human nature, ultimately withering away under the “yoke of phantoms, ideas, dogmas, and imaginary beings” [2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on the core socialist values, May 4, 2014. because they were detached from the real foundation of human society, and thus unable to correctly understand the laws of human social development. Marxism pioneered a new path in history, breaking the idealist mold of exploring human historical evolution purely within the realm of thought, and constructing a new mode of cognition that “explains all forms of consciousness from material practice” [3]3 A reference to the Chinese idiom “补钙” (supplementing calcium), commonly used in Party discourse to mean strengthening ideological conviction or moral backbone.—that is, the mode of cognition of historical materialism. Applying this new mode of cognition to examine the course of human social evolution, Marx discovered that the interaction between the two pairs of basic social contradictions—productive forces and relations of production, and economic base and superstructure—is the fundamental driving force propelling human society forward. He divided the course of human social development into five stages: primitive society, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society, and communist society, unveiling the mystery of human historical evolution. It is precisely through revealing the general laws of human social development that Marxism has won the conviction of the people, laying the foundation for people’s identification with and confidence in socialist ideology.

一方面，马克思通过创建和阐发唯物史观，揭示了人类社会发展的一般规律。在马克思主义诞生之前，试图揭示人类社会发展规律的理论和学说很多，但这些理论和学说要么从虚幻的神意出发、要么从抽象的人性出发，终归会因脱离人类社会的现实基础而在“幻象、观念、教条和臆想的存在物的枷锁下日渐委靡消沉”,无法正确认识人类社会发展规律。马克思主义开历史之先河，打破了以往纯粹在思想领域中探讨人类历史演进的唯心主义窠臼，建构了“从物质实践出发来解释各种观念形态”的全新认识方式，即历史唯物主义的认识方式。马克思运用这一全新的认识方式审视人类社会演进历程，发现了生产力与生产关系、经济基础与上层建筑这两对社会基本矛盾之间的交互作用是推动人类社会向前发展的根本动力，并将人类社会发展历程划分为原始社会、奴隶社会、封建社会、资本主义社会和共产主义社会五个阶段，揭开了人类历史演进的神秘面纱。正是通过对人类社会发展一般规律的揭示，马克思主义得到了人民的信服，为人们认同和确信社会主义意识形态打下了基础。

On the other hand, Marx revealed the special laws of the operation of capitalism by creating and expounding the theory of surplus value. Since the British Industrial Revolution, countries around the world have successively entered the track of capitalist development based on private ownership of the means of production, ushering in a new era of rapid economic and social development. Marx fully affirmed the revolutionary role of the bourgeoisie in the course of human development, pointing out: “The bourgeoisie, during its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together.” [4]4 “Letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend” (百花齐放、百家争鸣) was a policy for promoting progress in the arts and sciences, formally announced by Mao Zedong in 1956. At the same time, Marx profoundly revealed the secret of why the bourgeoisie was able to create such enormous productive forces, namely, “the production of surplus value, or the making of profit, is the absolute law of this mode of production.” [5]5 “Five stresses, four beauties, and three loves” (五讲、四美、三热爱) was a moral education campaign launched in the early 1980s, promoting civility, courtesy, hygiene, order, and morality; beauty of mind, language, behavior, and environment; and love of the motherland, socialism, and the CPC. This capital accumulation achieved by exploiting the surplus value created by workers leads to the intensification of the contradiction between the socialization of production and the private appropriation of the means of production. The ultimate outcome will be Marx’s prophecy: “The knell of capitalist private property sounds. The expropriators are expropriated.” [6]6 The socialist concept of honor and disgrace (社会主义荣辱观), also known as the “Eight Honors and Eight Disgraces,” was a set of moral guidelines promoted by Hu Jintao in 2006. Based on this, Marx reached the historic conclusion that “capitalism is inevitably doomed and socialism is inevitably victorious.” This scientific conclusion strengthened the confidence and courage of the Party and the masses to continue their efforts and strive with determination, providing an important theoretical basis for the Party and the people to firmly establish socialist ideological confidence.

另一方面，马克思通过创建和阐发剩余价值学说，揭示了资本主义运行的特殊规律。自英国工业革命以来，世界各国陆续步入以生产资料私有制为基础的资本主义发展轨道，开启了经济社会快速发展的新纪元。马克思充分肯定资产阶级在人类发展历程中的革命性作用，指出：“资产阶级在它的不到一百年的阶级统治中所创造的生产力，比过去一切世代创造的全部生产力还要多，还要大。”与此同时，马克思深刻揭示了资产阶级缘何能够创造如此巨大生产力的秘密，即“生产剩余价值或赚钱，是这个生产方式的绝对规律”。这种以榨取工人所创造的剩余价值而实现的资本积累会导致生产社会化和生产资料私人占有之间的矛盾日益加剧，最终结局将是马克思所预言的“资本主义私有制的丧钟就要响了。剥夺者就要被剥夺了”。基于此，马克思得出了“资本主义必然灭亡和社会主义必然胜利”的历史性论断。这一科学论断坚定了党和人民群众接续努力、矢志奋斗的信心与勇气，为党和人民坚定社会主义意识形态自信提供了重要理论依据。

(II) At the value-belief level, Marxism adheres to the people’s standpoint

(二)从价值—信仰层面看，马克思主义坚守了人民立场

As a system of value concepts, ideology necessarily contains specific value beliefs. Marxism is “the science of real people and their historical development,” [7]7 “Insisted on building the Party with ideology and relying on ideology as its foundation” (坚持以意识形态立党、以意识形态看家) is a formulation emphasizing the foundational role of ideology in the CPC’s self-construction. deeply concerned with the development of human society. From its inception, it placed its theoretical foothold on the masses of the people, revealing not only the laws of human social development but also that the essence of human social development is “the development of people.”

意识形态作为一种价值观念体系，必然蕴含着特定的价值信仰。马克思主义是“关于现实的人及其历史发展的科学”,十分关切人类社会发展，其从创立之初就将理论立足点置于人民群众身上，在揭示了人类社会发展规律的同时，也揭示了人类社会发展的实质是“人的发展”。

First, it clarifies the primary premise of the human being. Reflection on and resolution of the question of the premise of human history is a crucial clue to unveiling the mysteries of human history. Marx and Engels pointed out: “The first premise of all human history is, of course, the existence of living human individuals.” [8]8 The “First Resolution of the Communist Party of China” (中国共产党第一个决议) was adopted at the First National Congress of the CPC in 1921, outlining initial tasks for Party work, including propaganda and publishing. These “living human individuals” are not abstract individuals “in some imaginary state of isolation and fixity,” but “real individuals,” that is, individuals “who are engaged in activity, in material production.” [9]9 “From the masses, to the masses” is a formulation of the mass line, a core working method of the CPC, meaning that the Party gathers the scattered opinions of the masses, systematizes them, and then returns them to the masses for implementation. Socialist ideology, as an important component of the structure of human society, follows the basic stipulation of taking “real individuals” as its starting point.

其一，明晰了人的首要前提定位。关于人类历史前提问题的思考与解答是揭示人类历史奥秘的重要线索。马克思恩格斯指出：“全部人类历史的第一个前提无疑是有生命的个人的存在。”这种“有生命的个人”并非“处在某种虚幻的离群索居和固定不变状态中的”抽象的个人，而是“现实的个人”即“从事活动的，进行物质生产的”个人。社会主义意识形态作为人类社会结构的重要组成部分，遵从以“现实的个人”为原点的基本规定。

Second, it establishes the historical subject status of people. Before Marx, previous philosophers’ investigations of human history often “ignored real people.” [10]10 This is a quotation from Deng Xiaoping’s speech “Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles” (1979), emphasizing that socialism must deliver tangible benefits to the people. Marx grounded his investigation of human history in the most basic human beings, holding that “history is nothing but the activity of people pursuing their own ends,” [11]11 This is a standard formulation from Xi Jinping’s speeches, emphasizing the Party’s commitment to serving the people’s fundamental interests. and that people play the dual roles of “playwright” and “actor” in the process of historical evolution, serving as the absolute “protagonist” in creating history and driving social development. Socialist ideology inherits Marxism’s understanding of the historical subject status of people, regarding the people as both the creative subject and the receptive subject of socialist ideology, demonstrating deep concern and respect for the people.

其二，确立了人的历史主体地位。在马克思之前，以往的哲学家关于人类历史的考察往往“置现实的人于不顾”。马克思将关于人类历史的考察落脚到最基础的人，认为“历史不过是追求着自己目的的人的活动而已”,人在历史演进过程中充当着“剧作者”和“剧中人”的双重角色，是创造历史和推动社会发展的绝对“主角”。社会主义意识形态承继马克思主义对人的历史主体地位的认识，将人民视为社会主义意识形态的创造主体和接受主体，展现出了对人民的深切关注与尊重。

Third, it anchors the ultimate goal of human liberation. History and practice have repeatedly proven that the question of “on whose behalf does ideology speak” is a key factor determining its influence. General

其三，锚定了人类解放的终极旨归。历史和实践反复证明，意识形态“替谁说话”是决定意识形态影响力的关键因素。习近平总书记也指出：“为谁创作、为谁立言的问题，这是一个根本问题。”马克思主义从诞生之初，就内蕴着为人类求解放的价值追求，其根本目标在于“寻求和实现每个人的自由全面发展”。与此同时，马克思主义不仅关注终极意义层面的“人的解放”,同时也指明了现实生活中亟需获得解放的正是那些处于被剥削、被压迫、被奴役的广大人民群众。这决定了马克思主义与以往虚假的意识形态相比，能够获得更为坚实的道义支撑，从而确保社会主义意识形态牢牢占据全人类的道义制高点。

(3) From the goal-strategy level, Marxism highlights a practice orientation

(三)从目标—策略层面看，马克思主义突出了实践导向

General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: "Practicality is a distinctive feature that distinguishes Marxist theory from other theories." [1]1 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Marx," People's Daily, May 5, 2018. Marxism adheres to the principle of practicality; while occupying the commanding heights of truth and morality, it depicts the ideal prospect of communism and points out the practical direction for realizing the goal of communism.

习近平总书记指出：“实践性是马克思主义理论区别于其他理论的显著特征。”马克思主义遵循实践性原则，在占据真理和道义制高点的同时，描绘了共产主义的理想图景，指明了实现共产主义目标的实践路向。

On the one hand, it depicts the ideal prospect of communism. Marxism conducts an in-depth investigation of the entire history of human development, reveals the general trend of the development of human society, describes the basic features of future communist society, and outlines for humanity a bright communist future. In the *Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844*, Marx pointed out that the most important characteristic of communism is “the return of man to himself, the supersession of human self-alienation.” In *The German Ideology*, Marx and Engels endowed the theory of human alienation with the significance of historical materialism, holding that the realization of the communist cause must be premised on “the universal development of productive forces and the world intercourse that is bound up with this.” In the *Manifesto of the Communist Party*, Marx and Engels further summarized the characteristic of communism as “the abolition of private property.” In summary, under communist conditions, the united individuals achieve the appropriation of all productive forces, realize the consistency of autonomous activity with material life, and realize the transformation of labor into autonomous activity. Socialist ideology, with Marxism as its core, takes “the realization of communism” as its ideal pursuit and possesses the inherent conditions to lead the people to work with one heart and one mind and unswervingly pursue communism.

一方面，描绘了共产主义理想图景。马克思主义深入考察整个人类发展史，揭示了人类社会发展的总体趋势，描述了未来共产主义社会的基本特征，为人类勾勒了共产主义美好未来。马克思在《1844年经济学哲学手稿》中指明了共产主义最主要的特征是“人向自身的还原或复归，是人的自我异化的扬弃”。在《德意志意识形态》中，马克思恩格斯赋予人的异化理论以唯物史观意义，认为共产主义事业的实现必须以“生产力的普遍发展和与此相联系的世界交往”为前提。在《共产党宣言》中，马克思恩格斯进一步将共产主义的特征概括为“消灭私有制”。概括来讲，在共产主义条件下，联合起来的个人实现了对全部生产力的占有，实现了自主活动同物质生活的一致，实现了劳动向自主活动的转化。以马克思主义为内核的社会主义意识形态以“实现共产主义”为理想追求，具备引领民众勠力同心、矢志不渝追求共产主义的内在条件。

On the other hand, it points out the practical direction of communism. Marxism is not a “theory from the study”; it was born and developed in the practical struggle of the proletariat and working people against the exploitation and oppression of the bourgeoisie, and its very creation was to serve the need of the vast exploited and oppressed people to change their historical destiny. Marx clearly pointed out: “All social life is essentially practical. All mysteries which lead theory to mysticism find their rational solution in human practice and in the comprehension of this practice.” This is a clear expression of the practical character of Marxism. Communist theory, as an important component of Marxism, has a profound practical foundation; it is generated from practice, applied in practice, and can only be enriched and developed in practice. Marx and Engels pointed out: “Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality will have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things.” This important exposition clarifies the practical nature of communism and points out the fundamental path to turn the communist ideal into reality in practice. Socialist ideology, with Marxism as its core, emphasizes its own practical transformation, requiring that its own gestation and growth be guided by practice and remain in the process of practice over the long term.

另一方面，指明了共产主义的实践路向。马克思主义并非“书斋中的理论”,它是在无产阶级和劳动人民反抗资产阶级剥削和压迫的实践斗争中孕育生成的，其创立本身就是为了服务于广大被剥削、被压迫人民改变历史命运的需要。马克思明确指出：“全部社会生活在本质上是实践的。凡是把理论引向神秘主义的神秘东西，都能在人的实践中以及对这种实践的理解中得到合理的解决。”这是马克思主义实践品格的鲜明表达。共产主义理论作为马克思主义的重要内容，具有深厚的实践基础，其生成于实践，运用于实践，同时也只有在实践中才能得到丰富和发展。马克思恩格斯指出：“共产主义是用实际手段来追求实际目的的最实际的运动。”这一重要论述阐明了共产主义的实践本性，指明了在实践中化共产主义理想为现实的根本途径。以马克思主义为内核的社会主义意识形态注重自身的实践性转化，要求自身的孕育与滋长以实践为导向，并长期处于实践过程之中。

II. The Root of Confidence: Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics Nurtures Confidence in Socialist Ideology

二、自信之根：中国特色社会主义文化厚植社会主义意识形态自信

Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics is the foundation of strength for confidence in socialist ideology. No ideology can be separated from its specific historical and cultural soil; China’s socialist ideology is a “skyscraper” built on the foundation of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. Excellent traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture provide the cultural “matrix” resources for socialist ideology and are the cultural roots for the Party and the people to firmly establish confidence in socialist ideology.

中国特色社会主义文化是社会主义意识形态自信的力量根基。任何一种意识形态都无法脱离特定的历史文化土壤，我国的社会主义意识形态是建立在中国特色社会主义文化基础之上的“摩天大厦”。中华优秀传统文化、革命文化、社会主义先进文化为社会主义意识形态提供文化“母体”资源，是党和人民坚定社会主义意识形态自信的文化根脉。

(I) Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture Cultivates Confidence in Socialist Ideology

(一)中华优秀传统文化涵养社会主义意识形态自信

Excellent traditional Chinese culture is the “root” and “source” of Chinese culture, the identity marker of the Chinese nation, and a powerful manifestation of the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Excellent traditional Chinese culture has become the gene of the Chinese nation, rooted in the hearts of the Chinese people, and subtly influences their ways of thinking and behavior.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on the core socialist values, May 4, 2014. The reason why the Party and the people have been able to establish confidence in socialist ideology can be attributed in no small part to the excellent traditional Chinese culture accumulated over more than 5,000 years of history. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC also clearly pointed out: “To uphold and develop Marxism, it must be integrated with China’s excellent traditional culture. Only by taking root in the fertile soil of the country’s and the nation’s history and culture can the tree of Marxist truth flourish.” This highlights the important value of excellent traditional Chinese culture for China’s confidence in socialist ideology. In fact, compared with socialist ideology, excellent traditional Chinese culture exists as a pre-existing force in the hearts of the Chinese people. Its ideological essences, such as “advocating benevolence, valuing the people, keeping good faith, upholding justice, promoting harmony, and seeking common ground,” are important sources for cultivating socialist ideology. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the Party and the state, in the process of building socialist ideology, have taken root in China’s actual conditions, fully absorbed the political wisdom and value concepts from excellent traditional Chinese culture, and forged a solid foundation of excellent traditional culture for socialist ideology.

中华优秀传统文化是中华文化的“本”和“源”,是中华民族的身份标识，是中华民族文化主体性的有力体现。习近平总书记指出：“中华优秀传统文化已经成为中华民族的基因，植根在中国人内心，潜移默化影响着中国人的思想方式和行为方式。”党和人民之所以能够树立社会主义意识形态自信，经由5000多年历史积淀的中华优秀传统文化可谓“居功至伟”。党的二十大报告也明确指出：“坚持和发展马克思主义，必须同中华优秀传统文化相结合。只有植根本国、本民族历史文化沃土，马克思主义真理之树才能根深叶茂。”这突出强调了中华优秀传统文化对于我国社会主义意识形态自信的重要价值。事实上，中华优秀传统文化相较于社会主义意识形态而言，是作为一种先在的力量存在于中国人心中，其蕴含的“讲仁爱、重民本、守诚信、崇正义、尚和合、求大同”等思想精华，是涵养社会主义意识形态的重要源泉。新中国成立70多年来，党和国家在社会主义意识形态建设过程中扎根中国实际，充分汲取中华优秀传统文化中的政治智慧和价值理念，为社会主义意识形态铸就了厚实的优秀传统文化根基。

(II) Revolutionary Culture Inspires Confidence in Socialist Ideology

(二)革命文化激励社会主义意识形态自信

Revolutionary culture was nurtured and grew during the revolutionary years. It is a brilliant cultural landscape formed by the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people through arduous revolutionary struggles and tortuous explorations and practices. It is a unique and new cultural form of the Chinese Communists and has fundamental value within socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. Mao Zedong pointed out: “Revolutionary culture is a powerful revolutionary weapon for the masses of the people. Before the revolution, it is an ideological preparation for the revolution; during the revolution, it is a necessary and important front in the general revolutionary line.” It can be said that revolutionary culture adheres to ideals and convictions, brims with revolutionary passion, and its spiritual elements, such as tenacious struggle, hard work, and united endeavor, are valuable spiritual nourishment for inspiring the Party and the people to maintain vigor, high morale, and righteous spirit, and are an important source of confidence in socialist ideology. Revolutionary culture and socialist ideology are highly similar; both are guided by Marxist theory and both take communism as their ideal pursuit. The rise of revolutionary culture can add new support to confidence in socialist ideology. Specifically, first, revolutionary culture has distinct red characteristics. Vigorously promoting revolutionary culture can inject red genes into socialist ideology, build the “red foundation” of socialist ideology, and thus infuse new vitality into firmly establishing confidence in socialist ideology. Second, revolutionary culture has a prominent character of struggle. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, socialist ideology has been constantly impacted and eroded by various anti-Marxist and anti-socialist trends of thought. Adhering to and promoting revolutionary culture can strengthen the will of socialist ideology to struggle against various anti-Marxist and anti-socialist trends of thought, clearing obstacles for firmly establishing confidence in socialist ideology. Third, revolutionary culture has a powerful mobilizing capacity. From its inception, revolutionary culture was generated to meet the needs of the revolution and mobilize the masses to join the revolution. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the Party and the state have been committed to ensuring that revolutionary culture remains in a state of “freshness,” actively using revolutionary culture to guide the broad masses of the people to unite and strive for ideals and convictions, to forge ahead and break new ground, thereby gathering powerful popular strength for firmly establishing confidence in socialist ideology.

革命文化孕育和成长于革命岁月，是中国共产党领导中国人民在艰苦卓绝的革命斗争和曲折艰辛的探索实践中形成的璀璨文化景观，是中国共产党人独特的崭新文化形态，在中国特色社会主义文化中具有基础性价值。毛泽东指出：“革命文化，对于人民大众，是革命的有力武器。革命文化，在革命前，是革命的思想准备；在革命中，是革命总战线中的一条必要和重要的战线。”可以说，革命文化坚守理想信念、洋溢革命激情，其蕴含的顽强斗争、艰苦创业、团结奋斗等精神元素是激励党和人民保持蓬勃朝气、昂扬锐气、浩然正气的宝贵精神养料，是社会主义意识形态自信的重要源头。革命文化与社会主义意识形态具有高度相似性，二者均以马克思主义理论为指导，均以共产主义为理想追求，革命文化的兴起能够为社会主义意识形态自信增添新的支撑。具体来讲，一是革命文化具有鲜明的红色特征。大力弘扬革命文化能够为社会主义意识形态注入红色基因，构筑起社会主义意识形态的“红色底本”,从而为坚定社会主义意识形态自信灌注新的活力。二是革命文化具有突出的斗争品格。新中国成立70多年来，社会主义意识形态无时无刻不在遭受各类反马克思主义、反社会主义思潮的冲击与侵蚀，坚持和弘扬革命文化，能够坚定社会主义意识形态与各类反马克思主义、反社会主义思潮的斗争意志，为坚定社会主义意识形态自信扫除阻力。三是革命文化具有强大的动员能力。革命文化从诞生之初就是为了适应革命需要，动员人民群众投身革命而生成的。新中国成立70多年来，党和国家致力于确保革命文化始终处于“保鲜”状态，主动运用革命文化引导广大人民群众为理想信念而团结奋进、开拓进取，为坚定社会主义意识形态自信汇聚了强大的人民力量。

(III) Advanced Socialist Culture Leads Confidence in Socialist Ideology

(三)社会主义先进文化引领社会主义意识形态自信

Culture can be divided into the progressive and advanced versus the backward and decadent; progressive and advanced culture drives social progress, while backward and decadent culture hinders social development. Advanced socialist culture inherits the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture, absorbs the essence of revolutionary culture, represents the direction of advanced socialist culture, represents the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people, and represents the requirements for the development of advanced productive forces. It is a socialist culture oriented toward modernization, toward the world, and toward the future. Engels pointed out: “Every step forward in culture is a step toward freedom.” As a socialist country, developing advanced socialist culture is an inherent requirement of building a strong socialist culture and an inevitable necessity for advancing the progress of human civilization. It should be noted that there is a close internal connection between advanced socialist culture and socialist ideology; advanced socialist culture and socialist ideology “possess a high degree of internal consistency in terms of guiding ideology and ideal goals, value orientation and direction of the times, educational functions and practical paths.” After the founding of New China, advanced socialist culture and socialist ideology were launched and developed simultaneously, running through the entire process of China’s socialist construction. It can be said that the formation process of advanced socialist culture is the process by which the Party and the state occupy and consolidate the ideological front, continuously enriching socialist ideological confidence. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the Party and the state have adhered to using advanced socialist culture to lead and integrate diverse cultures, which has not only enriched and developed advanced socialist culture but also defended the dominant position of socialist ideology and consolidated the cultural cornerstone of socialist ideological confidence.

文化具有积极先进和落后腐朽之分，积极先进的文化推动社会进步，落后腐朽的文化阻碍社会发展。社会主义先进文化继承中华优秀传统文化精华，汲取革命文化精髓，代表了社会先进文化前进方向、代表了最广大人民群众的根本利益、代表了先进生产力的发展要求，是面向现代化、面向世界、面向未来的社会主义文化。恩格斯指出：“文化上的每一个进步，都是迈向自由的一步”。我国作为社会主义国家，发展社会主义先进文化是建设社会主义文化强国的题中之义，亦是推动人类社会文明进步的必然要求。需要指出的是，社会主义先进文化同社会主义意识形态存在密切的内在联系，社会主义先进文化同社会主义意识形态“在指导思想和理想目标、价值取向和时代方向、教化功能和实践路径等方面具有高度的内在一致性”。新中国成立后，社会主义先进文化同社会主义意识形态是同时启动、同步发展的，它们贯穿于我国社会主义建设全过程。可以说，社会主义先进文化的形成过程就是党和国家占领和巩固意识形态阵地、不断充实社会主义意识形态自信的过程。新中国成立70多年来，党和国家坚持以社会主义先进文化引领整合多元文化，不仅丰富和发展了社会主义先进文化，同时也捍卫了社会主义意识形态的主导地位、巩固了社会主义意识形态自信的文化基石。

III. The Basis of Confidence: The Great Achievements of Socialist Construction Consolidate Socialist Ideological Confidence

三、自信之据：社会主义建设伟大成就筑牢社会主义意识形态自信

The achievements of socialist construction led by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people constitute the factual basis for socialist ideological confidence. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, under the guidance of Marxism, the Communist Party of China has led the people to achieve remarkable accomplishments in ideological theory, material technology, institutional construction, and spiritual culture. These fully confirm the truth and practical power of socialist ideology, providing a realistic foundation for the Party and the people to firmly uphold socialist ideological confidence.

中国共产党领导中国人民取得的社会主义建设成就是社会主义意识形态自信的事实依据。新中国成立70多年来，中国共产党在马克思主义指引下，领导人民在思想理论、物质技术、制度建设、精神文化等方面取得了瞩目成就，充分证实了社会主义意识形态的真理力量和实践伟力，为党和人民坚定社会主义意识形态自信提供了现实凭依。

(I) Achievements in Ideological Theory “Coalesce the Mind” for Socialist Ideological Confidence

(一)思想理论成就为社会主义意识形态自信“凝心”

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Possessing the scientific theoretical guidance of Marxism is the fundamental basis for our Party to firmly believe in its faith and grasp the historical initiative.” As early as the process of the Party’s founding, the pioneers of the Communist Party of China repeatedly compared various doctrines and ideologies and ultimately chose Marxism. After the founding of New China, on the basis of summing up the experience of partial governance during the New Democratic Revolution, the Communist Party of China firmly chose Marxism as the guiding ideology for the entire Party and all ethnic groups across the country, and resolutely embarked on the socialist path. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, Chinese Communists have deeply understood the regularity that “Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for establishing the Party and the state, and for rejuvenating the Party and the state.” In their practical struggles, they have adhered to the scientific guidance of Marxism and continuously advanced the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Comrade Mao Zedong, on the basis of adhering to the “First Integration” of the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities, proposed the great historical task of a “Second Integration” of Marxism with the specific realities of China’s socialist revolution and construction, further enriching and developing Mao Zedong Thought. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by comrades Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao, integrated the basic principles of Marxism with the specific realities of China’s reform and opening up, creating and enriching the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieving a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a New Era, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Comrade Xi Jinping, fully carried forward the historical initiative, promoting the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, establishing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieving a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. It can be said that the 70-plus-year history of socialist construction in New China is also a history of the innovative development of Marxist theory. During this period, the vigorous development of Marxism on Chinese soil continuously endowed socialist ideology with new connotations, promoting substantial progress in socialist ideology, and coalescing broad consensus and powerful momentum for the Party and the people to firmly uphold socialist ideological confidence.

习近平总书记指出：“拥有马克思主义科学理论指导是我们党坚定信仰信念、把握历史主动的根本所在。”早在党的筹建过程中，中国共产党的先驱们就反复比较各种主义和思潮，最后选择了马克思主义。新中国成立后，中国共产党在总结新民主主义革命时期局部执政经验基础上，坚定地选择马克思主义作为全党全国各族人民的指导思想，并坚定地走上了社会主义道路。新中国成立70多年来，中国共产党人深刻理解“马克思主义是我们立党立国、兴党兴国的根本指导思想”这一规律性认识，在奋斗实践中坚持马克思主义的科学指导，不断推进马克思主义中国化时代化。社会主义革命和建设时期，以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人在坚持马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际“第一次结合”的基础上，提出要将马克思主义“第二次结合”于中国社会主义革命和建设具体实际的伟大历史任务，进一步丰富和发展了毛泽东思想。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，以邓小平、江泽民、胡锦涛同志为主要代表的中国共产党人将马克思主义基本原理同中国改革开放的具体实际相结合，创立并丰富和发展了中国特色社会主义理论体系，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人充分发扬历史主动精神，推动马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，创立了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。可以说，新中国70多年的社会主义建设史同时也是马克思主义理论的创新发展史。其间，马克思主义在中国大地的蓬勃发展不断为社会主义意识形态赋予新的内涵，推动社会主义意识形态获得了长足发展，凝聚起了党和人民坚定社会主义意识形态自信的广泛共识和强大动力。

(II) Achievements in Material Technology “Strengthen the Bones” for Socialist Ideological Confidence

(二)物质技术成就为社会主义意识形态自信“壮骨”

As a system of values, ideology has no history of independent development; it undergoes latent changes along with changes in social existence. This determines that the generation of socialist ideological confidence cannot be separated from real material conditions. Marx pointed out: “With the change of the economic foundation, the entire immense superstructure is more or less rapidly transformed.” This indicates that the prosperity of material technology and the economic base is the decisive factor in promoting the prosperity of ideology and culture. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasized: “Without a solid material and technological foundation, it is impossible to build a great modern socialist country in all respects.” Similarly, without a solid material and technological foundation, it is impossible to build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leading power. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the Party has led the people of all ethnic groups across the country to create the “two miracles” of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, establish the world’s most complete modern industrial system, accomplish the great feat of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, fulfill the millennia-old aspiration of completely eradicating absolute poverty, and successfully advance and expand Chinese-path modernization. These series of achievements fully demonstrate the superiority of the socialist system and the advanced nature of socialist ideology. They are the best interpretation of the effectiveness of socialist ideology and important evidence for firmly upholding socialist ideological confidence. Today, under the guidance of socialist ideology, socialism with Chinese characteristics is flourishing, China’s economic aggregate remains stable as the world’s second largest, contributing over 30% to global economic growth, and “the Chinese people have achieved a great leap from having insufficient food and clothing to being moderately prosperous and well-off.” The material and technological achievements of New China over more than 70 years are inseparable from the safeguarding role of socialist ideology, while the solid economic foundation and strong national power have transformed the ideal social state depicted by socialist ideology into a perceptible “social existence,” greatly supplementing the “calcium” of the Party and the people’s socialist ideological confidence. [3]3 A reference to the Chinese idiom “补钙” (supplementing calcium), commonly used in Party discourse to mean strengthening ideological conviction or moral backbone.

意识形态作为一种价值观念体系，其没有自身独立发展的历史，伴随社会存在的变化而潜然地发生变革。这决定了社会主义意识形态自信的生成无法脱离现实的物质条件。马克思指出：“随着经济基础的变更，全部庞大的上层建筑也或慢或快地发生变革。”这指明了物质技术、经济基础的繁荣兴盛是推动思想文化繁荣兴盛的决定性因素。党的二十大报告强调：“没有坚实的物质技术基础，就不可能全面建成社会主义现代化强国。”同理，没有坚实的物质技术基础，也不可能建成具有强大凝聚力和引领力的社会主义意识形态。新中国成立70多年来，党领导全国各族人民创造了经济快速发展和社会长期稳定的“两大奇迹”、建立了全世界最完整的现代工业体系、完成了全面建成小康社会的伟大壮举、实现了全面消除绝对贫困问题的千年夙愿、成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化，上述系列成就充分体现了社会主义制度的优越性和社会主义意识形态的先进性，是社会主义意识形态有效性的最好诠释，是坚定社会主义意识形态自信的重要佐证。如今，在社会主义意识形态的指引下，中国特色社会主义蓬勃发展，中国经济总量稳居全球第二，对全球经济增长的贡献率超过30%,“中国人民迎来了从温饱不足到小康富裕的伟大飞跃”。新中国70多年来的物质技术成就离不开社会主义意识形态的保驾护航，而雄厚的经济基础、强大的国家实力使得社会主义意识形态所描绘的理想社会状态转化为可感知的“社会存在”,极大地补足了党和人民的社会主义意识形态自信之“钙”。

(III) Achievements in Institutional Construction “Strengthen the Sinews” for Socialist Ideological Confidence

(三)制度建设成就为社会主义意识形态自信“强筋”

Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the achievements in the construction of China’s socialist ideology have had deep-seated institutional causes. In 1956, as China basically completed the socialist transformation of the private ownership of the means of production, the basic system of socialism was established nationwide, which provided the fundamental political prerequisite and institutional foundation for the generation and development of socialist ideology. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party and the state profoundly grasped the laws of socialist construction, and on the basis of restoring and rectifying the original socialist system, they created and developed the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, providing strong institutional support for building the powerful persuasive power and discursive power of socialist ideology. Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “The socialist system is far better than the capitalist system of the law of the jungle and harming others for one’s own benefit. Our system will improve day by day; it will absorb the progressive factors we can draw from all countries in the world and become the best system in the world. This is absolutely impossible for capitalism to achieve.” This important exposition emphasized the superiority of the socialist system over the capitalist system, providing ample reason for the Party and the people to firmly uphold socialist ideological confidence. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has comprehensively deepened reform with great political courage and wisdom, further improved and developed the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and accelerated the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. By the end of 2020, China had “basically established the basic institutional framework in various fields, achieving historic changes, systematic restructuring, and overall reconstruction in many areas, laying a solid foundation for forming a system of institutions that is complete, scientifically standardized, and effectively operational, and for making institutions in all respects more mature and more well-defined.” The increasing maturity and well-defined nature of the institutional system have provided a fundamental institutional guarantee for the flourishing development of socialist ideology.

新中国成立70多年来，我国社会主义意识形态建设成就的取得具有深层的制度动因。1956年，随着我国基本上完成了对生产资料私有制的社会主义改造，社会主义基本制度在全国范围内得到确立，这为社会主义意识形态的生成和发展奠定了根本政治前提和制度基础。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党和国家深刻把握社会主义建设规律，在恢复和整顿原有社会主义制度基础上，创立和发展了中国特色社会主义制度，为构建社会主义意识形态的强大说服力和话语权提供了强力制度支持。邓小平指出：“社会主义制度总比弱肉强食、损人利己的资本主义制度好得多。我们的制度将一天天完善起来，它将吸收我们可以从世界各国吸收的进步因素，成为世界上最好的制度。这是资本主义所绝对不可能做到的。”这一重要论述强调了社会主义制度相较于资本主义制度的优越性，为党和人民坚定社会主义意识形态自信提供了充分理由。新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央以巨大的政治勇气和智慧全面深化改革，进一步完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，加快推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。2020年底，我国“各领域基础性制度框架基本确立，许多领域实现历史性变革、系统性重塑、整体性重构，为推动形成系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的制度体系，使各方面制度更加成熟更加定型奠定了坚实基础”。制度体系的日益成熟、日益定型为社会主义意识形态的繁荣发展提供了根本制度保障。

(4) Achievements in Cultural-Ethical Progress “Empower” Socialist Ideological Confidence

(四)精神文明成就为社会主义意识形态自信“赋能”

Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the Communist Party of China has attached great importance to the important role of cultural-ethical progress, blazed a path of socialist cultural-ethical progress with Chinese characteristics, created a new form of human civilization, and gathered much positive energy for the construction of socialist ideology. After the founding of New China, Mao Zedong, on the question of “how to carry out the construction of socialist culture,” put forward the development policy of “letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend,” [4]4 “Letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend” (百花齐放、百家争鸣) was a policy for promoting progress in the arts and sciences, formally announced by Mao Zedong in 1956. pushing China’s cultural undertakings into a brand-new stage of development and creating a favorable cultural atmosphere for the flourishing development of socialist ideology. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party Central Committee attached great importance to cultural-ethical progress, adhered to the strategic policy of “grasping both” material civilization and cultural-ethical progress, successively carried out the thematic education of “five stresses, four beauties, and three loves,” [5]5 “Five stresses, four beauties, and three loves” (五讲、四美、三热爱) was a moral education campaign launched in the early 1980s, promoting civility, courtesy, hygiene, order, and morality; beauty of mind, language, behavior, and environment; and love of the motherland, socialism, and the CPC. put forward the major proposition and strategic task of “building a socialist core value system,” proposed the strategic goal of “building a socialist cultural power,” and carried out propaganda and education activities to practice the socialist concept of honor and disgrace. [6]6 The socialist concept of honor and disgrace (社会主义荣辱观), also known as the “Eight Honors and Eight Disgraces,” was a set of moral guidelines promoted by Hu Jintao in 2006. These series of activities to create cultural-ethical progress enabled the masses to truly feel the value and charm of socialist cultural-ethical progress, promoted the renewal of people’s concepts and the improvement of their quality, and strengthened and consolidated the construction of socialist ideology. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed the construction of socialist cultural-ethical progress at the height of national governance. On the one hand, it has focused on integrating existing cultural-ethical achievements into the daily lives of the people; on the other hand, it has actively created new cultural-ethical achievements. Concepts such as the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the sense of community for the Chinese nation, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists, and the common values of all mankind are all original spiritual achievements of the New Era. The creation of these cultural-ethical achievements has deepened people’s understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strengthened their identification with socialist ideology. The continuous enrichment and development of socialist cultural-ethical progress has not only satisfied the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs but also endowed socialist ideology with a thicker spiritual foundation, deeper spiritual connotations, and more powerful spiritual nourishment.

新中国成立70多年来，中国共产党高度重视精神文明的重要作用，开创了中国特色精神文明建设道路，创造了人类文明新形态，为社会主义意识形态建设汇聚了诸多正能量。新中国成立后，毛泽东就“如何开展社会主义文化建设”的问题提出了“百花齐放、百家争鸣”的发展方针，推动中国文化事业进入了一个崭新的发展阶段，为社会主义意识形态的繁荣发展营造了良好文化氛围。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党中央高度重视精神文明建设，坚持物质文明和精神文明“两手抓”的战略方针，先后开展“五讲、四美、三热爱”主题教育、提出“建设社会主义核心价值体系”重大命题和战略任务、提出“社会主义文化强国建设”战略目标、开展践行社会主义荣辱观宣传教育活动等，上述系列精神文明创建活动让人民群众切实感受到了社会主义精神文明的价值魅力，促进了人们的观念更新和素质提升，加强和巩固了社会主义意识形态建设。新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央将社会主义精神文明建设置于治国理政的高度，一方面注重推动已有精神文明成果融入民众日常生活，另一方面积极创建新的精神文明成果，如提出的中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦、中华民族共同体意识、中华民族现代文明、中国共产党人精神谱系、全人类共同价值等理念均是新时代的原创性精神成果，这些精神文明成果的创建深化了人们对中国特色社会主义的认识，强化了人们对社会主义意识形态的认同。社会主义精神文明的不断丰富和发展，既满足了人民日益增长的精神文化需求，又赋予了社会主义意识形态更厚重的精神底色、更深邃的精神内涵、更磅礴的精神滋养。

4. The Power of Confidence: The Party’s Experience in Ideological Construction Consolidates Socialist Ideological Confidence

四、自信之力：党的意识形态建设经验夯实社会主义意识形态自信

The experience in ideological construction accumulated by the Communist Party of China in its more than one hundred years of struggle is the inherent source of confidence for socialist ideology. Over the past century, the Communist Party of China has “insisted on building the Party with ideology and relying on ideology as its foundation,” [7]7 “Insisted on building the Party with ideology and relying on ideology as its foundation” (坚持以意识形态立党、以意识形态看家) is a formulation emphasizing the foundational role of ideology in the CPC’s self-construction. pushing ideological construction through a glorious course of foundation and start, exploration and setbacks, innovation and development, and perfection and enhancement, and has summarized and refined rich experience in ideological construction. While boosting the vigorous development of socialist ideology, this experience in ideological construction has accumulated and formed abundant factors of ideological confidence, injecting strong momentum for the Party and the people to firmly uphold socialist ideological confidence.

中国共产党在百余年奋斗实践中积累的意识形态建设经验是社会主义意识形态自信的内在底气。百余年来，中国共产党“坚持以意识形态立党、以意识形态看家”,推动意识形态建设经历了奠基与起步、探索与挫折、创新与发展、臻善与提升的光辉历程，概括提炼了丰富的意识形态建设经验。这些意识形态建设经验在助推社会主义意识形态蓬勃发展的同时，积蓄形成了丰富的意识形态自信因子，为党和人民坚定社会主义意识形态自信注入了强劲动力。

(1) Using “Party Leadership” to Set the “Direction” of Socialist Ideology

(一)以“党的领导”定社会主义意识形态之“向”

Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for the steady and enduring progress of all undertakings of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As “an extremely important task of the Party,” ideological work must be steadily advanced and effectively carried out under Party leadership. Over the past century, the Communist Party of China has insisted on implementing Party leadership in all fields, aspects, and links of the construction of socialist ideology, fully leveraging the role of Party leadership in setting the direction and guiding the course of socialist ideological construction. The First Congress of the CPC, in its “First Resolution of the Communist Party of China,” [8]8 The “First Resolution of the Communist Party of China” (中国共产党第一个决议) was adopted at the First National Congress of the CPC in 1921, outlining initial tasks for Party work, including propaganda and publishing. clearly emphasized: “All publications of books, daily newspapers, slogans, and leaflets shall be subject to the supervision of the Central Executive Committee or the Provisional Central Executive Committee,” reflecting the Party’s high regard for ideological work. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, Mao Zedong, addressing the question of ideological leadership, pointed out: “We feel that the question of proletarian ideological leadership is an extremely important one.” During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Communist Party of China insisted, on the one hand, on taking “destruction” as the prerequisite, resolutely criticizing and eliminating the remnants of old social ideologies such as imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism; on the other hand, taking “establishment” as the goal, it organized large-scale movements to study Marxist theory and printed and published a large number of classic Marxist works, thereby constructing a new socialist ideological system throughout society and ensuring the socialist direction of ideological construction. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party Central Committee attached great importance to ideological work, actively strengthened and improved the Party’s leadership over ideological work, guided ideological work to serve the central task of economic construction, and provided a powerful “spiritual engine” and ideological guarantee for reform and opening up. Since the New Era, our Party has “focused on solving the problem of weakened Party leadership in the ideological sphere,” promoting “an overall and fundamental transformation in the situation in China’s ideological sphere.” In summary, upholding Party leadership is the successful code for the flourishing development of China’s socialist ideology and the prerequisite for the Party and the people to establish and enhance socialist ideological confidence.

党的领导是中国特色社会主义各项事业行稳致远的根本保证。意识形态工作作为“党的一项极端重要的工作”,必须在党的领导下稳步推进、有序发力。百余年来，中国共产党坚持将党的领导落实到社会主义意识形态建设事业的各领域各方面各环节，充分发挥了党的领导对社会主义意识形态建设的把脉定向作用。党的一大通过的《中国共产党第一个决议》明确强调：“一切书籍、日报、标语和传单的出版工作，均应受中央执行委员会或临时中央执行委员会的监督”,体现了党对意识形态工作的高度重视。新民主主义革命时期，毛泽东针对意识形态领导权问题指出：“我们感觉无产阶级思想领导的问题，是一个非常重要的问题。”社会主义革命和建设时期，中国共产党坚持一方面以“破”为前提，坚决批判和清除帝国主义、封建主义和官僚资本主义等旧社会意识形态残余，另一方面以“立”为目的，组织大规模的马克思主义理论学习运动，印刷出版了大量马克思主义经典著作，从而在全社会建构起了崭新的社会主义思想体系，确保了意识形态建设的社会主义方向。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党中央高度重视意识形态工作，主动加强和改进党对意识形态工作的领导，引领意识形态工作服务于经济建设的中心任务，为改革开放提供了强大的“精神引擎”和思想保障。新时代以来，我们党“着力解决意识形态领域党的领导弱化问题”,推动“我国意识形态领域形势发生全局性、根本性转变”。综上所述，坚持党的领导是我国社会主义意识形态繁荣发展的成功密码，是党和人民树立和提升社会主义意识形态自信的先决条件。

(2) Using “Putting the People First” to Manifest the “Excellence” of Socialist Ideology

(二)以“人民至上”彰社会主义意识形态之“优”

The people’s character is a prominent feature and significant advantage of socialist ideology, and it is also the core secret for socialist ideology to win the trust, support, and endorsement of the broad masses of the people. Marx pointed out: “Once ‘ideas’ leave ‘interests,’ they will surely make themselves look ridiculous.” In other words, “interest stipulation is the natural endowment of ideology”; real enjoyment of interests and satisfaction of interests are the fundamental way to enhance people’s ideological confidence. For more than a hundred years, the Communist Party of China has deeply understood the principle that consensus building cannot be separated from the maintenance of interests. It has always represented the people’s interests, actively responded to the people’s demands, and strived to achieve an effective connection between the “abstract” nature of socialist ideological construction and the “concrete” reality of the people’s daily lives, thereby enabling socialist ideology to gain the support and recognition of the broad masses of the people. Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has placed the people in the highest position in its heart, has no special interests of its own, and insists on seeking interests for the overwhelming majority of the people. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the Party created in practice the working line of “from the masses, to the masses,” [9]9 “From the masses, to the masses” is a formulation of the mass line, a core working method of the CPC, meaning that the Party gathers the scattered opinions of the masses, systematizes them, and then returns them to the masses for implementation. which clearly expressed the value concept of the Party starting from the interests of the masses, relying on the masses, and thinking for the interests of the masses. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party rooted itself among the masses to advance the construction of socialist ideology, committing itself to “developing the thought of serving the people.” During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “It won’t do to talk about socialism emptily; the people won’t believe it.” [10]10 This is a quotation from Deng Xiaoping’s speech “Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles” (1979), emphasizing that socialism must deliver tangible benefits to the people. To this end, our Party insisted on liberating and developing the productive forces, making the development of productive forces the fundamental task of socialism, thereby combining the theoretical propositions of socialist ideology with responding to the interest demands of the people, demonstrating the value purport of socialist ideology to “speak for the people” and “share the worries of the people.” As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping regards the people’s support and endorsement as the prerequisite and foundation for the development of all Party and state undertakings, leading the Party’s socialist ideological construction to follow the principle of people-centeredness, always “maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the masses, and constantly realizing, safeguarding, and developing the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people.” [11]11 This is a standard formulation from Xi Jinping’s speeches, emphasizing the Party’s commitment to serving the people’s fundamental interests. It is precisely through this maintenance of interests that the persuasiveness and centripetal force of socialist ideology have been significantly enhanced.

人民性是社会主义意识形态的突出特性和显著优势，同时也是社会主义意识形态赢得广大人民群众信任、支持和拥护的核心秘诀。马克思指出：“‘思想’一旦离开‘利益’,就一定会使自己出丑”。换言之，“利益规定性为意识形态天然之禀赋”,真实的利益享受和利益满足是提升人们意识形态自信的根本之道。百余年来，中国共产党深谙共识凝聚离不开利益维护的道理，始终代表人民利益、积极回应人民诉求，着力实现社会主义意识形态建设之“虚”同人民群众现实生活之“实”的有效对接，使社会主义意识形态获得了广大人民群众的支持和认同。中国共产党从成立之日起就将人民置于心中最高位置，没有自身的特殊利益，坚持为绝大多数人谋利益。新民主主义革命时期，党在实践中开创了“从群众中来，到群众中去”的工作路线，鲜明表达了党从群众利益出发，依靠群众，并为群众的利益着想的价值理念。社会主义革命和建设时期，党扎根人民群众推进社会主义意识形态建设，致力于“发展为人民服务的思想”。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，邓小平指出：“空讲社会主义不行，人民不相信。”为此，我们党坚持解放和发展生产力，把发展生产力作为社会主义的根本任务，从而将社会主义意识形态的理论主张同回应人民群众的利益诉求相结合，彰显了社会主义意识形态“为民立言”“为民分忧”的价值旨趣。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，习近平总书记将人民的拥护和支持视为党和国家各项事业发展的前提和基础，引领党的社会主义意识形态建设事业遵循人民至上原则，始终“保持同人民群众的血肉联系，不断实现好、维护好、发展好最广大人民根本利益”。正是在这样的利益维护中，社会主义意识形态的说服力和向心力得到显著增强。

(3) Strengthen the “foundation” of socialist ideology through “institutional construction”

(三)以“制度建设”强社会主义意识形态之“基”

Institutions govern fundamentals and ensure long-term stability. As rigid constraints jointly observed by members within an organization, institutions have an inherent logical connection with mainstream ideology. Specifically, the construction of a social system takes a certain ideology as its theoretical guide and value foundation, while ideology, as a value concept, cannot naturally maintain its freshness and quality; if not carefully attended to, it may become tarnished and fade, and if not nourished for a long time, it will wither and dry up. It is necessary to ensure that ideological construction proceeds steadily and sustainably and achieves lasting success through institutional construction. For more than a hundred years, the Communist Party of China has attached great importance to the institutionalized exploration of socialist ideological construction, focusing on ensuring the long-term nature and stability of socialist ideological construction through institutional forms. The First Congress of the Communist Party of China adopted the “First Resolution of the Communist Party of China,” [12]12 The “First Resolution of the Communist Party of China” was adopted at the First National Congress of the CPC in 1921, outlining the Party’s initial organizational and propaganda tasks. which listed “propaganda” together with “workers’ organizations,” “workers’ schools,” “attitudes towards existing political parties,” and other contents, and put forward clear requirements, indicating the institutionalized tendency of ideological construction in the form of a “Resolution.” During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core incorporated upholding the guiding position of Marxism into the first Constitution of New China, [13]13 The first Constitution of New China was adopted in 1954, formally establishing the leadership of the working class and the guiding role of Marxism-Leninism. establishing the guiding position of Marxism in the form of a “fundamental law,” and accelerating the pace of institutionalized construction of socialist ideology. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party brought order out of chaos, corrected the positioning of ideological work to serve economic construction, and clearly proposed that it must “uphold the Four Cardinal Principles” [14]14 The Four Cardinal Principles are: upholding the socialist path, the people’s democratic dictatorship, the leadership of the CPC, and Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, proposed by Deng Xiaoping in 1979. in the ideological and political sphere, promoting the gradual maturation of institutionalized ideological construction. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Communist Party of China has advanced ideological construction with an institutionalized mindset, insisting on covering all areas horizontally and reaching all levels vertically, establishing upholding the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological domain as a fundamental system, and actively constructing an ideological domain institutional system with the nature of “four beams and eight pillars,” [15]15 “Four beams and eight pillars” is a Chinese architectural metaphor for a comprehensive and stable structural framework, used here to describe the institutional system. including “ideological work responsibility systems, accountability and supervision systems, learning systems, and normative systems,” pushing the institutionalization process of China’s socialist ideological construction into a new stage. Through more than a hundred years of institutionalized exploration and construction, China’s socialist ideology has firmly planted its institutional “wings,” building a solid institutional foundation with the fundamental system as the guide, supported by specialized laws and regulations, and with national laws and intra-Party regulations complementing and reinforcing each other.

制度管根本、保长远。制度作为组织内部成员共同遵守的刚性约束，与主流意识形态具有内在的逻辑关联。具体来说，社会制度的建构是以一定的意识形态为理论先导和价值根基，而意识形态作为一种价值观念，无法做到自然保质保鲜，稍不注意就可能蒙尘褪色，久不滋养就会干涸枯萎，需要通过制度构建来确保意识形态建设行稳致远、基业长青。百余年来，中国共产党高度重视对社会主义意识形态建设的制度化探索，注重以制度形式确保社会主义意识形态建设的长期性和稳定性。党的一大通过的《中国共产党第一个决议》将“宣传”同“工人组织”“工人学校”“对现有政党的态度”等内容共同列出并提出明确要求，以《决议》的形式指明了意识形态建设的制度化倾向。社会主义革命和建设时期，以毛泽东同志为核心的党中央将坚持马克思主义的指导地位纳入新中国第一部宪法中，以“根本大法”的形式确定了马克思主义的指导地位，加快了社会主义意识形态制度化建设的步伐。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党拨乱反正，摆正意识形态工作服务于经济建设的定位，明确提出必须在思想政治上“坚持四项基本原则”,推动意识形态制度化建设逐渐成熟。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，中国共产党以制度化思维推进意识形态建设，坚持横向到边、纵向到底，将坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位确立为根本制度，积极构筑包括“意识形态工作责任制度、问责与监督制度、学习制度、规范制度”在内的具有“四梁八柱”性质的意识形态领域制度体系，推动我国社会主义意识形态建设的制度化进程迈入了新阶段。在百余年的制度化探索和制度化建设中，我国社会主义意识形态插牢了制度之“翼”,构建起了以根本制度为统领，以专项法律法规为支撑，国家法律与党内法规相辅相成、相得益彰的坚实制度根基。

(4) Enhance the “effectiveness” of socialist ideology through “innovative development”

(四)以“创新发展”增社会主义意识形态之“效”

The innovative development of ideology is like the hard shell of ideology; an ideology that is complacent and stagnant will lose its innovative shell, exposing its soft core, and ultimately fall into a situation where it is at the mercy of others. For more than a hundred years, the Communist Party of China has grasped new trends in ideological construction, constructed new patterns of ideological construction, explored new paths for ideological construction, and continuously opened up new realms for socialist ideological construction to “adapt to changes.” During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, Mao Zedong, at the Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, [16]16 The Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee was held in 1938, where Mao Zedong called for the Sinicization of Marxism, a key step in the First Integration. put forward the requirement of integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities, leading the entire Party to form the original idea of “the First Integration” in ideological construction, and creating the first theoretical achievement of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times—Mao Zedong Thought. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, Mao Zedong made the famous assertion that “the theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism,” [17]17 This assertion was made by Mao Zedong at the First Session of the First National People’s Congress in 1954. requiring the initiation of a “second integration” of the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities, making an original contribution to adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, establishing the tone of “integrative” innovative development of China’s socialist ideology, and enriching and developing Mao Zedong Thought. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party restored the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, scientifically revealed the essential characteristics of socialism, promoted the construction of socialist ideology to serve the overall situation of reform and opening up, formed the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and pushed China’s socialist ideological construction forward a major step. Since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the major theoretical proposition of “the Two Integrations,” [18]18 The Two Integrations refer to integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, a concept formally proposed by Xi Jinping in 2021. opening up “broad space for theoretical and practical innovation” for socialist ideological construction, creating Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and greatly enhancing the global influence and international communication power of socialist ideology. Both history and reality have proven that innovation has always been a red thread running through China’s more than one hundred years of ideological construction history, and it is the secret to ensuring that socialist ideology always maintains vigorous vitality and exuberant energy.

意识形态的创新发展犹如意识形态的坚硬外壳，故步自封的意识形态会因丧失创新外壳而暴露柔软内核，最后只能落入任人宰割的境地。百余年来，中国共产党把握意识形态建设新趋势、构建意识形态建设新格局、探索意识形态建设新路径，不断开拓社会主义意识形态建设“应物变化”的新境界。新民主主义革命时期，毛泽东在党的扩大的六届六中全会上提出了将马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合的要求，引领全党形成了“第一个结合”的意识形态建设原创性思路，创立了马克思主义中国化时代化的第一个理论成果——毛泽东思想。社会主义革命和建设时期，毛泽东做出了“指导我们思想的理论基础是马克思列宁主义”的著名论断，要求开启马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际的“第二次结合”,对马克思主义中国化时代化作出了原创性贡献，确立了我国社会主义意识形态“结合”式创新发展的基调，丰富和发展了毛泽东思想。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，我们党重新恢复实事求是的思想路线，科学揭示社会主义的本质特征，推动社会主义意识形态建设服务于改革开放的发展大局，形成了中国特色社会主义理论体系，推动我国社会主义意识形态建设向前迈进了一大步。中国特色社会主义进入新时代以来，习近平总书记创造性提出“两个结合”的重大理论命题，为社会主义意识形态建设“开启了广阔的理论和实践创新空间”,创立了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，大幅提升了社会主义意识形态的世界影响力和国际传播力。历史和现实都证明，创新始终是贯穿我国百余年意识形态建设史的一根红线，是确保社会主义意识形态始终保持蓬勃生机和旺盛活力的奥秘所在。

Ideology is an important component of national strength, a foundational element concerning the spiritual enrichment of the people, the cohesion of social consensus, and the unification of the national will. Socialist ideology, guided by Marxism, is the mainstream ideology of socialist China. Over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the Party and the state have continuously consolidated and developed socialist ideology, actively employing it to lead the development of national undertakings and guide the practice of people's life, achieving great accomplishments in the continuous enrichment of ideological theory, the increasing solidity of material technology, the finalization of institutional construction, and the growing prosperity of cultural-ethical progress. History has eloquently proven that socialist ideology occupies the commanding heights of truth and morality, and is a powerful realistic force for the Party and the people to shape the "self" internally and distinguish the "other" externally. Currently, the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century; the ideological field at home and abroad appears calm on the surface but is in fact turbulent beneath, and the slightest misstep can lead to the perilous situation of political turmoil and regime change. At this critical juncture, we need to clarify even more the internal basis for the superiority of socialist ideology, ensuring that our confidence at the ideological level is well-founded and justified, thereby building a solid ideological security fortress for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and injecting the power of ideological confidence.

意识形态是国家实力的重要组成部分，是关乎人民精神富足、关乎社会共识凝聚、关乎国家意志统一的基础性要素。社会主义意识形态以马克思主义为指导，是社会主义中国的主流意识形态。新中国成立70多年来，党和国家不断巩固和发展社会主义意识形态，积极运用社会主义意识形态引领国家事业发展、指导人民生活实践，取得了思想理论不断丰富、物质技术日益厚实、制度建设臻于定型、精神文明愈发繁荣的伟大成就。历史雄辩地证明，社会主义意识形态占据着真理和道义的制高点，是党和人民对内形塑“自我”与对外区别“他我”强大现实性力量。当前，世界正经历百年未有之大变局，国内外意识形态领域看似风平浪静、实则暗流涌动，稍有不慎就会陷入政治动荡、政权更迭的危局。值此关键时期，我们更需要厘清社会主义意识形态优越性的内在依据，确保我们在意识形态层面自信的有理有据，从而为实现中华民族伟大复兴筑牢意识形态安全堡垒，注入意识形态自信力量。

Author Biographies: Liang Dawei, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, School of Marxism, Dalian University of Technology; Wang Zhuo, Doctoral Candidate, School of Marxism, Dalian University of Technology.

作者简介：梁大伟，大连理工大学马克思主义学院教授，博士生导师;王倬，大连理工大学马克思主义学院博士研究生。