Mao Zedong Thought
From the very beginning, the Communist Party of China (CPC) used Marxism and Leninism to guide its struggle in the Chinese revolution. For many years the Party in its inexperience simply applied the tenets of the proletarian revolution and imitated the Russian experience of the October Revolution, launching armed uprisings in Chinese cities which failed to make any progress.
In search of a new solution, many Chinese Communists, principally represented by Mao Zedong (1893-1976), tried to apply the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism to the Chinese context. Based on a summary of the unique experience gained in their long endeavor in revolution, they established a set of scientific guiding ideas that were more applicable to China's situation: Mao Zedong Thought.
Mao Zedong Thought took shape in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Based on an in-depth analysis of China's society and class structure, Mao and his colleagues developed a theory on establishing and consolidating a revolutionary regime, encircling the cities from the countryside, and seizing power by armed force. They also formulated a number of principles regarding how to build the Party and an army under its leadership, all based on China's own conditions. Throughout his fight against the erroneous "leftist" tendency to focus on ideology and Soviet dogma, Mao Zedong always followed the principle of integrating Marxism with the revolutionary situation in China. One of his best-known axioms – "No investigation, no right to speak" – was coined during this period.
Mao's leadership over the whole Party was established at the Zunyi Meeting held in January 1935. The thought named after him matured after much reflection in theory and exposure to practice between the late Agrarian Revolution and during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. During this period, Mao led the whole Party in studying Marxist theories and conducting a party-wide rectification campaign to free their minds. They reviewed the experience and lessons of the Chinese revolution and gained a full understanding of the dynamics of the democratic revolution, which resulted in a complete set of views on philosophy, the military, the united front and the Party development. Mao Zedong, in particular, conducted a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the basic theory, guidelines and program for the new democratic revolution, and of the policies and strategies the CPC should adopt.
The Seventh CPC National Congress in 1945 established Mao Zedong Thought as a guiding thought and incorporated it into the CPC's Constitution.
Mao Zedong Thought continued to develop during the War of Liberation (1946-1949) and after the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949. In addition to enriching the theory on the new democratic revolution, there was new content such as a summary of China's experience in socialist revolution and development. It included theories on socialist transformation, on people's democratic dictatorship, on distinguishing contradictions among the people from those between ourselves and the enemy and on the correct handling of contradictions among the people, on exploring a path of economic development suitable to the actual conditions in China, on reinforcing the CPC as the governing party, and on foreign policies of independence and peaceful coexistence.
After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in late 1978, the Party, under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997), made a correct appraisal of Mao Zedong's historical status and of Mao Zedong Thought, and established the correct path toward socialist modernization based on China's new conditions. The solution of these two interconnected issues set a correct direction for the Party and the country.
The soul of Mao Zedong Thought refers to its stances, viewpoints and methods, which are crystallized in three basic tenets – seeking truth from facts, the mass line and independence.
Seeking truth from facts is a basic tenet of Marxism and a basic requirement for the CPC to understand and change the world. It explains how the Party thinks, works, and leads: It has to proceed from reality in everything its does, integrate theory with practice, and test and develop truth in practice.
The mass line is the CPC's lifeline and a basic principle for all its work. This tradition enables the Party to maintain its vitality and combat capability. Pursuing the mass line means that the CPC goes to the grassroots, finds out what ordinary people need and want, and structures its policies accordingly, which become their conscious actions in the governance of the country.
Independence is the natural path followed by the CPC based on China's realities and through the process of revolution, development and reform by relying on itself and the Chinese people. It is an important principle for building the CPC and the PRC. Sticking to this principle, the Party has prioritized development of the country and nation, safeguarded national dignity and confidence, and followed a path of its own.
These stances, viewpoints and methods have enabled the CPC to develop Marxism in a creative way and push Chinese society forward.
Mao Zedong Thought is a summary of the unique Chinese experience and the fruit of the collective wisdom of the CPC. Many outstanding Communists contributed to it, and many of the works authored by Mao Zedong reflected it. It represents the first historic step in adapting Marxism to China's conditions, and proves invaluable to the CPC and the Chinese people. It provides scientific guidance to China's revolution and development, and ideological support to the Chinese nation.
毛泽东思想
中国共产党自成立起，就以马克思列宁主义为指导，开始了全新的中国革命。但是，一段时期内，年轻的中国共产党曾简单套用马克思列宁主义关于无产阶级革命的一般原理、照搬俄国十月革命城市武装起义的经验，中国革命遭受到严重挫折。面对中国的特殊国情，以毛泽东为主要代表的中国共产党人，根据马克思列宁主义基本原理，从中国实际出发，把中国革命和建设实践中的一系列独创性经验作了理论概括，形成了适合中国情况的科学指导思想——毛泽东思想。
毛泽东思想主要产生于20世纪20年代后期和30年代前期。在这期间，以毛泽东为主要代表的中国共产党人深刻分析中国社会形态和阶级状况，创造了善于建立和发展红色政权的理论，开辟了农村包围城市、武装夺取政权的革命道路，并在建军和建党等问题上，创造性地提出了一系列适合中国国情的原则。在同“左”倾错误的艰苦斗争中，毛泽东始终坚持马克思主义与中国革命实际相结合的原则，提出了“没有调查，就没有发言权”等著名论断。
1935年召开的遵义会议确立了毛泽东在全党的领导地位。在土地革命战争后期和中国人民抗日战争时期，毛泽东思想得到系统总结和多方面展开而达到成熟。在这期间，毛泽东引导全党学习和研究马克思主义理论，开展意在解放思想的整风运动，系统总结中国革命的经验教训，正确认识了中国民主革命的规律，形成了比较系统的哲学思想、军事思想、统一战线思想和党的建设思想。特别是毛泽东系统而完整阐述的新民主主义革命的基本理论、基本路线和基本纲领，精辟论证的党在民主革命时期的政策和策略，对指导中国革命具有特别重大的意义。1945年召开的中共七大将毛泽东思想确立为中国共产党的指导思想并写入党章。
解放战争时期和中华人民共和国成立以后，毛泽东思想继续发展，既有对已经形成的新民主主义革命理论的丰富和完善，更有在新的实践基础上形成的关于社会主义革命和社会主义建设的正确理论原则和经验总结。主要包括：关于社会主义改造的理论；关于人民民主专政的理论；关于两类矛盾学说和正确处理人民内部矛盾的理论；关于探索适合中国国情的经济建设道路的思想；关于加强执政党建设的思想；关于独立自主、和平共处的外交政策等。中共十一届三中全会后，在邓小平的领导下，中国共产党解决了正确评价毛泽东同志的历史地位和毛泽东思想科学体系、根据新的实际和历史经验确立中国实现社会主义现代化的正确道路这两个相互联系的重大历史课题，为党和国家发展确定了正确方向。在新的历史条件下，毛泽东思想的科学体系不断得到丰富和发展。
毛泽东思想活的灵魂是贯穿其中的立场、观点、方法，其三个基本方面就是实事求是、群众路线、独立自主。实事求是是马克思主义的根本观点，是中国共产党人认识世界、改造世界的根本要求，是中国共产党的基本思想方法、工作方法、领导方法。坚持实事求是，就是坚持一切从实际出发，理论联系实际，在实践中检验真理和发展真理。群众路线是中国共产党的生命线和根本工作路线，是党永葆青春活力和战斗力的重要传家宝。坚持群众路线，就是坚持一切为了群众，一切依靠群众，从群众中来，到群众中去，把党的正确主张变为群众的自觉行动，把群众路线贯彻到治国理政全部活动之中。独立自主是中国共产党从中国实际出发、依靠党和人民力量进行革命、建设、改革的必然结论，是中国共产党、中华人民共和国立党立国的重要原则。坚持独立自主，就是始终把国家和民族发展放在自己力量的基点上，坚持民族自尊心和自信心，坚定不移走自己的路。正是坚持了这些立场、观点和方法，中国共产党才能创造性地发展马克思主义，不断推动中国社会的发展进步。
毛泽东思想是中国革命独创性经验的总结，是中国共产党集体智慧的结晶，党的许多卓越领导人对它的形成和发展作出了重要贡献，毛泽东的科学著作是它的集中概括。这一重要思想是马克思主义中国化第一次历史性飞跃的理论成果，是中国共产党和中国人民历尽艰辛获得的宝贵的精神财富，是中国革命和建设的科学指南，是中华民族的精神支柱。
