Library:Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles - Revision history

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	{{Library work\|title=Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles\|author=Deng Xiaoping\|published_date=1979\|~~source_url~~=[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/deng-xiaoping/1979/115.htm Marxists Internet Archive]}}		{{Library work\|title=Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles\|author=Deng Xiaoping\|published_date=1979\|source=[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/deng-xiaoping/1979/115.htm Marxists Internet Archive]}}

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	{{Library work\|title=Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles\|author=Deng Xiaoping\|published_date=1979\|~~source~~=[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/deng-xiaoping/1979/115.htm Marxists Internet Archive]}}		{{Library work\|title=Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles\|author=Deng Xiaoping\|published_date=1979\|source_url=[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/deng-xiaoping/1979/115.htm Marxists Internet Archive]}}

	Comrades,		Comrades,

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	This forum on the principles for the Party’s theoretical work has been in session for some time. With the meeting drawing to an end, the Central Committee has asked me to set forth a few views on the subject.		This forum on the principles for the Party’s theoretical work has been in session for some time. With the meeting drawing to an end, the Central Committee has asked me to set forth a few views on the subject.

	~~I. THE PRESENT SITUATION AND OUR TASKS~~		== The present situation and our tasks ==

	This meeting is being held in accordance with a decision of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. That session and the Central Working Conference prior to it confirmed the important work of the Central Committee since the smashing of the Gang of Four. Those two meetings decided that the nationwide mass movement to expose and criticize Lin Biao and the Gang of Four could be considered successfully completed and that, beginning from this year, the Party must shift the focus of its work to socialist modernization. The Third Plenary Session solved a series of major problems left over from the recent history of the Party in order to rally the whole Party and army and our people of all nationalities to march forward towards the grand objective — the four modernizations. Both meetings were of great significance in the history of the Party. At this forum on the principles for theoretical work convened after the Third Plenary Session, the participants have spoken frankly and put forward a number of questions deserving our attention and study. On the whole, the meeting has been fruitful. As I said at the Central Working Conference, it is essential that we emancipate our minds, use our heads, seek truth from facts and unite as one and look to the future. We must continue to follow these principles unswervingly. The important thing now is to go a step further in popularizing and applying them by proceeding from reality and linking them closely with the present situation and our tasks.		This meeting is being held in accordance with a decision of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. That session and the Central Working Conference prior to it confirmed the important work of the Central Committee since the smashing of the Gang of Four. Those two meetings decided that the nationwide mass movement to expose and criticize Lin Biao and the Gang of Four could be considered successfully completed and that, beginning from this year, the Party must shift the focus of its work to socialist modernization. The Third Plenary Session solved a series of major problems left over from the recent history of the Party in order to rally the whole Party and army and our people of all nationalities to march forward towards the grand objective — the four modernizations. Both meetings were of great significance in the history of the Party. At this forum on the principles for theoretical work convened after the Third Plenary Session, the participants have spoken frankly and put forward a number of questions deserving our attention and study. On the whole, the meeting has been fruitful. As I said at the Central Working Conference, it is essential that we emancipate our minds, use our heads, seek truth from facts and unite as one and look to the future. We must continue to follow these principles unswervingly. The important thing now is to go a step further in popularizing and applying them by proceeding from reality and linking them closely with the present situation and our tasks.

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	What is our main task at present and for a fairly long time to come? To put it briefly, it is to carry out the modernization programme. The destiny of our country and people hinges on its success. Given our present conditions, it will be precisely by succeeding in the four modernizations that we will be adhering to Marxism and holding high the great banner of Mao Zedong Thought. And if we fail to proceed from this reality and to concentrate on the four modernizations, it will mean that we are departing from Marxism while indulging in empty talk about it. At the present time, socialist modernization is of supreme political importance for us, because it represents the most fundamental interest of our people. Today every member of the Communist Party and the Communist Youth League and every patriotic citizen must devote all his energies to the modernization drive and do all he can to overcome every difficulty under the unified leadership of the Party and government.		What is our main task at present and for a fairly long time to come? To put it briefly, it is to carry out the modernization programme. The destiny of our country and people hinges on its success. Given our present conditions, it will be precisely by succeeding in the four modernizations that we will be adhering to Marxism and holding high the great banner of Mao Zedong Thought. And if we fail to proceed from this reality and to concentrate on the four modernizations, it will mean that we are departing from Marxism while indulging in empty talk about it. At the present time, socialist modernization is of supreme political importance for us, because it represents the most fundamental interest of our people. Today every member of the Communist Party and the Communist Youth League and every patriotic citizen must devote all his energies to the modernization drive and do all he can to overcome every difficulty under the unified leadership of the Party and government.

	~~II. THE NECESSITY OF UPHOLDING THE FOUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES IN THE DRIVE FOR THE FOUR MODERNIZATIONS~~		== The necessity of upholding the Four Cardinal Principles in the drive for the Four Modernizations ==

	To achieve the four modernizations and make China a powerful socialist country before the end of this century will be a gigantic task.		To achieve the four modernizations and make China a powerful socialist country before the end of this century will be a gigantic task.

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	What I want to talk about now is ideological and political questions. The Central Committee maintains that, to carry out China’s four modernizations, we must uphold the Four Cardinal Principles ideologically and politically. This is the basic prerequisite for achieving modernization. The four principles are:		What I want to talk about now is ideological and political questions. The Central Committee maintains that, to carry out China’s four modernizations, we must uphold the Four Cardinal Principles ideologically and politically. This is the basic prerequisite for achieving modernization. The four principles are:

	1. We must keep to the socialist road.		# We must keep to the socialist road.
			# We must uphold the dictatorship of the proletariat.
	2. We must uphold the dictatorship of the proletariat.		# We must uphold the leadership of the Communist Party.
			# We must uphold Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.
	3. We must uphold the leadership of the Communist Party.

	4. We must uphold Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

	As we all know, far from being new, these Four Cardinal Principles have long been upheld by our Party. The Central Committee has been adhering to these principles in all its guidelines and policies adopted since the smashing of the Gang of Four, and especially since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee.		As we all know, far from being new, these Four Cardinal Principles have long been upheld by our Party. The Central Committee has been adhering to these principles in all its guidelines and policies adopted since the smashing of the Gang of Four, and especially since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee.
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	Is anything I have said here out of keeping with the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the Party’s Eleventh Central Committee? No, everything I have said relates to measures that must be taken to carry out the principles and policies laid down at that session. Let me repeat: If we fail to adopt these measures, these principles and policies will come to naught. So will our effort to shift the focus of our work, so will our modernization programme, and so will the promotion of democracy inside and outside the Party. Therefore, it is entirely wrong to say, as some have said, that the Central Committee has decided on a “tightening up” policy, or that it has changed its policy of promoting democracy. Only by upholding the four cardinal principles to which our Party has always adhered, and by firmly correcting the unhealthy tendencies which hamper the implementation of the principles and policies set forth at the Third Plenary Session can we advance steadfastly and victoriously towards our great objective.		Is anything I have said here out of keeping with the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the Party’s Eleventh Central Committee? No, everything I have said relates to measures that must be taken to carry out the principles and policies laid down at that session. Let me repeat: If we fail to adopt these measures, these principles and policies will come to naught. So will our effort to shift the focus of our work, so will our modernization programme, and so will the promotion of democracy inside and outside the Party. Therefore, it is entirely wrong to say, as some have said, that the Central Committee has decided on a “tightening up” policy, or that it has changed its policy of promoting democracy. Only by upholding the four cardinal principles to which our Party has always adhered, and by firmly correcting the unhealthy tendencies which hamper the implementation of the principles and policies set forth at the Third Plenary Session can we advance steadfastly and victoriously towards our great objective.

	~~III. TASKS OF OUR IDEOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL WORKERS~~		== Tasks of our ideological and theoretical workers ==

	At the forums organized by the Central Committee and the various provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions to discuss the principles for the Party’s theoretical work, many questions have been raised. I cannot address them all now. But today I would like to discuss two matters related to the tasks of our ideological and theoretical workers. Since I am not thoroughly familiar with the situation, and particularly with local conditions, I ask you to decide whether what I say is entirely correct or not.		At the forums organized by the Central Committee and the various provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions to discuss the principles for the Party’s theoretical work, many questions have been raised. I cannot address them all now. But today I would like to discuss two matters related to the tasks of our ideological and theoretical workers. Since I am not thoroughly familiar with the situation, and particularly with local conditions, I ask you to decide whether what I say is entirely correct or not.

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	A lot of questions have been raised in the discussions among theoretical workers in the last few months. Many of them need continued study. Here I would like to express my views on a few of the more pressing ones.		A lot of questions have been raised in the discussions among theoretical workers in the last few months. Many of them need continued study. Here I would like to express my views on a few of the more pressing ones.

	1. On the basic contradictions of socialist society and the principal contradiction in the current period. In regard to basic contradictions, I think it is still best to put the question the way Comrade Mao Zedong did in his “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People”. He wrote: “In socialist society the basic contradictions are still those between the relations of production and the productive forces and between the superstructure and the economic base.” He made a long statement in this connection which I shall not repeat here. Of course, pointing out the basic contradictions does not automatically solve the problem, and deep-going, concrete study is still required. But judging from practice over the past 20 years or so, Comrade Mao’s formulation is more accurate than others. As for the question of what is the principal contradiction in the current period — what is the main issue or central task confronting the Party and the people in the current period — actually this question was answered by the decision of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee to shift the focus of our work to socialist modernization. The level of our productive forces is very low and is far from meeting the needs of our people and country. This is the principal contradiction in the current period, and to resolve it is our central task.		# On the basic contradictions of socialist society and the principal contradiction in the current period. In regard to basic contradictions, I think it is still best to put the question the way Comrade Mao Zedong did in his “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People”. He wrote: “In socialist society the basic contradictions are still those between the relations of production and the productive forces and between the superstructure and the economic base.” He made a long statement in this connection which I shall not repeat here. Of course, pointing out the basic contradictions does not automatically solve the problem, and deep-going, concrete study is still required. But judging from practice over the past 20 years or so, Comrade Mao’s formulation is more accurate than others. As for the question of what is the principal contradiction in the current period — what is the main issue or central task confronting the Party and the people in the current period — actually this question was answered by the decision of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee to shift the focus of our work to socialist modernization. The level of our productive forces is very low and is far from meeting the needs of our people and country. This is the principal contradiction in the current period, and to resolve it is our central task.
			# On class struggle in socialist society. I touched on this question earlier when discussing the dictatorship of the proletariat. Class struggle exists objectively in socialist society. It should be neither underestimated nor exaggerated. Otherwise, as practice has shown, we shall make serious mistakes. The problem of whether or not class struggle of one kind or another always exists throughout the entire historical period of socialism involves many complicated and difficult questions both of theory and practice, and they cannot be answered merely by quoting from books by our predecessors. We should continue to study these questions. But, to put it briefly, the class struggle in socialist society at present is, and will continue to be, clearly different from that in historical class societies. This, too, is an objective fact we cannot deny if we want to avoid serious mistakes.
	2. On class struggle in socialist society. I touched on this question earlier when discussing the dictatorship of the proletariat. Class struggle exists objectively in socialist society. It should be neither underestimated nor exaggerated. Otherwise, as practice has shown, we shall make serious mistakes. The problem of whether or not class struggle of one kind or another always exists throughout the entire historical period of socialism involves many complicated and difficult questions both of theory and practice, and they cannot be answered merely by quoting from books by our predecessors. We should continue to study these questions. But, to put it briefly, the class struggle in socialist society at present is, and will continue to be, clearly different from that in historical class societies. This, too, is an objective fact we cannot deny if we want to avoid serious mistakes.		# On continued revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat. Practice has proved that this formulation is wrong if it is construed — as it was when it was advanced — to mean “seizing power from the capitalist roaders”, or making revolution by kicking aside the Party committees and toppling everything. As for making a new interpretation, that is something we can continue to study within the Party.
			# On whether there can be further discussion of certain formulations involving the line of the Party’s Eleventh Congress. The Party’s line, like its resolutions, should always be tested in practice. This is a principle repeatedly expounded by Comrade Mao Zedong. It should never be said that once a formulation has been adopted by a Party congress, there can be no further discussion of its correctness. If that were so, how could new formulations be put forward at a subsequent Party congress? It often happens that because of a change in the actual situation, the Central Committee has to amend the resolution of one Party congress before the next. Owing to the changes in the actual situation and in our own understanding of it, the line formulated by the Party’s Eleventh Congress underwent necessary readjustment at the successive plenary sessions of the Central Committee, and particularly at the Third Plenary Session. Further readjustments may also be required in the future. This is entirely normal. But according to Party discipline, discussion of formulations involving the line of the Eleventh Congress (except for those on which the Central Committee has made formal decisions) should be confined to appropriate Party meetings.
	3. On continued revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat. Practice has proved that this formulation is wrong if it is construed — as it was when it was advanced — to mean “seizing power from the capitalist roaders”, or making revolution by kicking aside the Party committees and toppling everything. As for making a new interpretation, that is something we can continue to study within the Party.

	4. On whether there can be further discussion of certain formulations involving the line of the Party’s Eleventh Congress. The Party’s line, like its resolutions, should always be tested in practice. This is a principle repeatedly expounded by Comrade Mao Zedong. It should never be said that once a formulation has been adopted by a Party congress, there can be no further discussion of its correctness. If that were so, how could new formulations be put forward at a subsequent Party congress? It often happens that because of a change in the actual situation, the Central Committee has to amend the resolution of one Party congress before the next. Owing to the changes in the actual situation and in our own understanding of it, the line formulated by the Party’s Eleventh Congress underwent necessary readjustment at the successive plenary sessions of the Central Committee, and particularly at the Third Plenary Session. Further readjustments may also be required in the future. This is entirely normal. But according to Party discipline, discussion of formulations involving the line of the Eleventh Congress (except for those on which the Central Committee has made formal decisions) should be confined to appropriate Party meetings.

	However, in the study and discussion of ideological and theoretical questions, we must always resolutely follow the policy of “letting a hundred flowers bloom, a hundred schools of thought contend”, the principle of the “three don’ts” (don’t pick on others for their faults, don’t put labels on people, and don’t use a big stick), and the principle of emancipating our minds, abandoning blind faith and proceeding from reality in everything. All this was decided upon by the Third Plenary Session, and we reaffirm them here. We cannot allow the slightest deviation from these principles.		However, in the study and discussion of ideological and theoretical questions, we must always resolutely follow the policy of “letting a hundred flowers bloom, a hundred schools of thought contend”, the principle of the “three don’ts” (don’t pick on others for their faults, don’t put labels on people, and don’t use a big stick), and the principle of emancipating our minds, abandoning blind faith and proceeding from reality in everything. All this was decided upon by the Third Plenary Session, and we reaffirm them here. We cannot allow the slightest deviation from these principles.

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2023-09-28T01:16:50Z

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	{{Library work\|title=[[Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles]]\|author=[[Deng Xiaoping]]\|published_date=1979\|source=[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/deng-xiaoping/1979/115.htm Marxists Internet Archive]}}		{{Library work\|title=Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles\|author=Deng Xiaoping\|published_date=1979\|source=[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/deng-xiaoping/1979/115.htm Marxists Internet Archive]}}

	Comrades,		Comrades,

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	Comrades! The current period represents a momentous turning point in the history of our Party and state. The Party has led the Chinese people in surmounting the many difficulties created by the Gang of Four and in transforming a country that had been reduced to chaos into one of order and rapid progress. The magnificent prospect of the accomplishment of the four modernizations is inspiring our Party, army and people, and drawing them forward. Our cadres and masses are vying with one another to contribute to the realization of this bright future. In this period our ideological and theoretical workers have a particularly heavy responsibility. They have scored major successes since the downfall of the Gang of Four and significant achievements since the Third Plenary Session. It would be wrong to underestimate their achievements. However, the situation is developing very rapidly and our work must keep pace with it. I hope that this important meeting will help the Party’s ideological and theoretical workers to a better understanding of the current situation and our tasks, of the Party’s principles and policies and of their own work. I hope that it will inspire them to rally more closely around the Central Committee, and that they in turn, through their effective work, will inspire the whole people to rally more closely around the Communist Party. Let us work with one heart and one mind to firmly implement the principles of the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee, to shift the focus of the Party’s work and to surmount all difficulties so as to win great victories in China’s four modernizations.		Comrades! The current period represents a momentous turning point in the history of our Party and state. The Party has led the Chinese people in surmounting the many difficulties created by the Gang of Four and in transforming a country that had been reduced to chaos into one of order and rapid progress. The magnificent prospect of the accomplishment of the four modernizations is inspiring our Party, army and people, and drawing them forward. Our cadres and masses are vying with one another to contribute to the realization of this bright future. In this period our ideological and theoretical workers have a particularly heavy responsibility. They have scored major successes since the downfall of the Gang of Four and significant achievements since the Third Plenary Session. It would be wrong to underestimate their achievements. However, the situation is developing very rapidly and our work must keep pace with it. I hope that this important meeting will help the Party’s ideological and theoretical workers to a better understanding of the current situation and our tasks, of the Party’s principles and policies and of their own work. I hope that it will inspire them to rally more closely around the Central Committee, and that they in turn, through their effective work, will inspire the whole people to rally more closely around the Communist Party. Let us work with one heart and one mind to firmly implement the principles of the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee, to shift the focus of the Party’s work and to surmount all difficulties so as to win great victories in China’s four modernizations.

			[[Category:Library works by Deng Xiaoping]]

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