Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 279
Adhere to the mass line and mass work methods.
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic style and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
The people are the creators of history and the driving force behind reform and opening-up. How should we understand the concept of “the people”? And how exactly do the people create social history? Marx and Engels scientifically elucidated the principle that the people are the creators of history. The mass line and mass viewpoint, which Chinese communists developed by combining this principle with China’s specific realities, have become our Party’s fundamental working line and method. Studying the mass line and mass viewpoint is of great significance for strengthening the Party’s close ties with the people, adhering to the political philosophy of putting people first and governing for the people, rallying strength to overcome difficulties, and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization.
The people are the creators of history.
Marx and Engels scientifically elucidated the role of the masses in history, correctly answered the long-debated theoretical and practical question of who the creators of history are, and provided fundamental theoretical guidance for the practical activities of the proletariat and its political parties.
In their work "The German Ideology," Marx and Engels pointed out: "In order to 'make history,' people must first be able to live. But to live, one must first have food, drink, shelter, clothing, and various other necessities. Thus, the very first historical activity is the production of the means necessary to satisfy these needs—the production of material life itself. Moreover, this is a historical activity that people have been engaged in daily and hourly from thousands of years ago until today, simply to sustain their lives; it is the fundamental condition underlying all history." By grounding human social history in materialism, Marx and Engels comprehensively elaborated the idea that the masses of the people are the creators of history.
The people are the creators of history, a concept that encompasses three layers of meaning.
The broad masses of the people are the creators of society’s material wealth. For humanity to survive, it must first satisfy its basic needs—food, drink, clothing, and shelter—and possess certain material resources. All of these things are created by the broad masses of the people. The masses are both the creators and users of the means of production, driving the continuous advancement of social productive forces. The ever-growing social material wealth created by the masses sustains all members of society and forms the foundation upon which people engage in all other activities, such as politics, science, and culture and the arts. If any nation were to cease labor—even if only for a few weeks, let alone a whole year—it would inevitably perish. As Engels put it: “Without a producing class, society cannot survive.”
The broad masses of the people are the creators of society’s spiritual wealth. The social practice activities of the masses are the sole source of scientific and cultural development, providing an inexhaustible and boundless supply of raw materials for scientific and cultural creation. The needs of the masses serve as a powerful driving force and a vast market for the development of science and culture. At the same time, the masses themselves directly create much of this spiritual wealth; many great thinkers, writers, artists, and poets were themselves members of the working class. It is precisely the daily production and life practices of the masses—coupled with their diligence and wisdom—that have given rise to a brilliant and splendid cultural heritage. As Engels pointed out, workers, as proletarians, consistently demonstrate their intellectual and moral superiority, proving that they are highly cultured individuals. “In seventeenth-century England and eighteenth-century France, even the most glorious achievements of the bourgeoisie were not won by the bourgeoisie itself, but rather by the common people—the workers and peasants—who fought for them.”
The people are the decisive force behind social transformation. The profound root of social institutional change lies in the demands of productive forces’ development. As the embodiment of these demands, the people themselves become the principal driving force behind social institutional change. The historical development of humanity has amply demonstrated that the depth and breadth of the mobilization initiated by the people determine both the depth and breadth of a given social institutional transformation—and ultimately decide whether such a transformation will succeed or fail. Marx and Engels particularly emphasized that the liberation of the working class must be the task of the working class itself. “The liberation of the working class must be achieved by the working class itself; the struggle for the liberation of the working class is not about striving for class privileges and monopolies, but rather about securing equal rights and obligations,” thereby achieving the liberation of all humanity.
Marx and Engels theoretically addressed the issue of the driving force behind social development, comprehensively expounding the idea that the people are the creators of history. Lenin, on the other hand, elaborated on the creative role of the masses by integrating theory with practice. He argued that the Communist Party, as the vanguard of the working class, must closely rely on the working class and the broad masses of the people, drawing upon their wisdom and intelligence, summarizing their experiences and insights, and placing trust in their courage and capabilities, thereby leading them together to fulfill the historical mission entrusted to it by the times. He repeatedly emphasized: “Among the masses of the people, we are but a tiny grain in the vast ocean. Only when we accurately express the thoughts of the people can we effectively govern. Otherwise, the Communist Party will be unable to lead the proletariat, the proletariat will be unable to lead the masses, and the entire machinery will fall apart.” Lenin’s exposition on the historical role of the masses not only summarized and generalized the unprecedented experiences gained from the Russian socialist revolution and construction, but also provided practical examples and theoretical guidance for proletarian political parties around the world.
The mass line is the Party’s fundamental working method and ideological approach.
The Communist Party of China has applied the Marxist principle that the people are the creators of history to all its activities, thereby forming a mass viewpoint and a mass line that guide all the Party’s work. The mass viewpoint is a fundamental tenet of Marxism, while the mass line is the Party’s fundamental method of work and mode of thinking. In all our Party’s practical endeavors, any leadership that is truly correct must originate from the masses and return to them. In other words, we must gather the opinions of the masses—opinions that are scattered and unsystematic—and, after careful study and refinement, transform them into concentrated, systematic views. Then, we must go back to the masses again to carry out publicity and explanation, turning these views into the masses’ own opinions, enabling the masses to uphold them, put them into practice, and test their correctness through the masses’ actual actions. Only then can we once more gather these views from the masses and continue to carry them forward among them. This process repeats endlessly, becoming more accurate, more vivid, and richer with each iteration. It can be said that transforming the Party’s policies into concrete actions taken by the masses is an art of leadership rooted in Marxism-Leninism.
The concrete application of the mass viewpoint in reality is the mass line—“Everything for the masses, everything依靠 the masses, coming from the masses and going to the masses.” The phrase “Everything for the masses, everything依靠 the masses” constitutes the core of the mass line and represents the expression and extension of the Party’s mass viewpoint within the framework of the mass line. “Everything for the masses” refers to the ultimate purpose of all the Party’s work: wholeheartedly serving the people. “Everything依靠 the masses” addresses the question of means—the how and the methods by which we should carry out our work. “Coming from the masses and going to the masses” describes the Communist Party of China’s leadership and working methods. This leadership method of “coming from the masses and going to the masses” is entirely consistent with the cognitive process of “coming from practice and going to practice”; it is a creative application of Marxist epistemology to leadership work.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The people are the greatest source of confidence for our Party’s governance, the solid foundation of our republic, and the very essence of strengthening our Party and rejuvenating our country.” To continue advancing theoretical innovation based on practice, we must deeply appreciate the fundamental significance of the word “people” in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and always uphold the fundamental value orientation of putting the people first. We must firmly bear in mind that the country belongs to the people, and the people are the country; we must stand firmly on the people’s position, accurately grasp their aspirations, keep the people at the very center of our hearts, and take enhancing the well-being of the people, promoting their all-round development, and achieving common prosperity for all as both our starting point and ultimate goal. In this way, we can ensure that our Party’s theories, lines, principles, and policies truly reflect the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people. The people’s creative practices are an inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation. We must deeply root ourselves in the vibrant practices of hundreds of millions of people, learn from them, regard them as our teachers, respect their creativity, draw upon their collective wisdom, and promptly summarize and refine their fresh experiences into theories that are loved, recognized, and embraced by the people themselves—thus turning these theories into powerful ideological weapons that guide the people in understanding and transforming the world.
Rely on the people to advance the development of reform endeavors.
Upholding the people’s central role and fully mobilizing their enthusiasm have always been the powerful foundation that enables our Party to remain invincible. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Before the people, we will always be novices. We must consciously regard the people as our teachers, seek advice from those who are capable, and consult the wise. We must fully respect the will expressed by the people, the experience they have created, the rights they possess, and the role they play. We must cherish the power entrusted to us by the people, make good use of that power, consciously subject ourselves to the people’s oversight, and closely rely on the people to accomplish great historical achievements—thus ensuring that the foundations of our Party remain as solid as a rock.” The broad masses of the people are the practical agents, value bearers, and evaluators of reform. Only by relying on the people can we overcome the development challenges facing our country.
The people are the main actors in the practice of reform. Reform is driven by problems that emerge from pressing needs. The expectations and aspirations of the masses constitute the goals of socialist reform, and the explorations undertaken by the people in practice serve as the driving force behind the continuous development of reform. In the great cause of reform, the broad masses of the people have demonstrated their wisdom and creativity, making inventions and innovations and accumulating fresh experiences in various fields—including the economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology. As our country’s theory of socialist construction continues to mature, the path we take in practice grows ever broader. Today, China’s economic and social development has entered a stage of high-quality growth characterized by accelerated green transformation and low-carbon development. We must build a large workforce that is knowledge-based, skill-oriented, and innovation-driven, and rely on promoting the spirit of model workers and the spirit of craftsmanship among all workers, thereby fostering a social ethos that honors labor and an atmosphere of dedication to excellence and continuous improvement.
The people are the primary agents of value in reform. The starting point and ultimate goal of reform is to uphold, safeguard, and promote the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people. This is determined by the nature of a socialist state and also represents the fundamental requirement of the Communist Party of China’s governing philosophy—governing for the people, putting people first, and centering everything on the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward the development philosophy centered on the people, emphasizing that all our work must be aimed at achieving the all-round development of individuals and the common prosperity of all the people. The all-round development of individuals means that every individual has the opportunity to grow together with the motherland and can cultivate and unleash their own agency in the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, thereby enabling each person’s value to be fully realized. The common prosperity of all the people means that the fruits of reform and opening-up should be shared collectively by all the people. The all-round development of individuals and the common prosperity of all the people represent the genuine realization of the fundamental interests of the people and constitute the contemporary expression of the Marxist theory of the people as the principal agent.
The people are the primary evaluators of reform. When it comes to whether China’s reform and opening-up policies have been effectively implemented and whether they have achieved the intended outcomes, the people themselves are best positioned to speak on the matter. In regard to every aspect and every link of the relations of production and the superstructure—what needs to be reformed under the new circumstances, and what still requires further refinement—the broad masses of the people have firsthand experience from their daily lives and work. We must take whether the people support or oppose, approve or disapprove, are happy or unhappy, and agree or disagree as the fundamental yardstick for measuring the success or failure of all our endeavors. Reform is an indispensable path for developing productive forces, and it is also in the best interest of the entire nation. Reform is carried out for the sake of the people; only when the interests of the people are genuinely protected will they wholeheartedly support the Party’s policies. No matter what difficulties or challenges we may face, as long as we have the support and participation of the people, there will be no difficulty we cannot overcome and no obstacle we cannot surmount.
Reform is meaningful only when it is carried out for the people; reform gains momentum only when it relies on the people. Drawing on and applying the valuable experiences gained since the reform and opening-up, especially the profound and comprehensive deepening of reform in the new era, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has put forward six major principles that must be upheld in further comprehensively deepening reform. Among these, “adhering to a people-centered approach” is a crucial one. We must deeply recognize that further comprehensively deepening reform requires fully mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the entire Party and all the Chinese people—uniting our hearts and pooling our efforts toward a common goal. We must vigorously promote investigation and research, stay true to the mass line, solicit needs and seek advice from the people, respect the pioneering spirit of the grassroots and the masses, and focus on identifying key areas and breakthroughs for reform precisely by addressing the urgent, difficult, and troubling issues faced by ordinary people. This will enhance the people’s sense of gain and their identification with the reforms. By firmly anchoring ourselves to the overarching goal of further comprehensively deepening reform, staying true to our value orientation, and prioritizing the interests of the people in planning and advancing reform, and by using tangible results and the satisfaction of the people as the yardstick for evaluating our reforms, we will surely deliver a new and outstanding performance to history and to the people on our new journey of testing and striving.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 280: Firmly Grasp the Starting Point and Focal Point of Further Deepening Comprehensive Reform.
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 278: Promoting a Culture of Pragmatism, Integrity, and Simplicity in Daxing
