Zhang Guoyu: The Internal Mechanism via which the Guiding Ideology of the Communist Party of China Leads Self-Revolution and Social Revolution
The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out: "Why the Communist Party of China works and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good is, in the final analysis, because Marxism works, and especially because Marxism that has been Sinicized and adapted to our times works." Having traversed a century-long journey and weathered various storms and trials, the CPC has consistently pressed forward. The fundamental source of this resilience lies in the fact that the CPC is a proletarian political party guided by Marxism. CPC leadership is the most defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This leadership is first and foremost an ideological leadership [1], constantly emphasizing the scientific leading role and concrete guidance of Marxism and its Sinicized and modernized forms throughout the processes of China's revolution, construction, and reform. This has enabled the continuous realization of the great leap of New China from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong. This is the ideological power of the CPC's guiding ideology.
In the report to the 19th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping first proposed the important proposition of the "ideological leading power [2] of the Communist Party of China" regarding the building of the governing party and the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In recent years, research on the CPC’s ideological leading power has emerged rapidly, focusing primarily on its connotation, significance, function, composition, difficulties, processes, and enhancement. These results have provided a rich theoretical foundation for understanding the phenomenon. Research on the CPC’s ideological leading power can be approached from two angles: first, focusing on the characteristics of the "object" of leadership, as well as the leading process and methods—that is, focusing on the mechanism by which ideological leadership acts upon its targets; second, emphasizing the "subject" of leadership—namely, the intrinsic influence of the ideology itself. This focuses on how the internal characteristics of a system of thought generate attraction and influence from the inside out. On the whole, current research leans more toward the object and process of leadership, while fewer results elucidate how the ideology itself generates influence over its targets. The influence, leadership, and leading power of an ideology are, fundamentally, generated from within the ideology itself and determined by its essential attributes. This article focuses on exploring the core components and essential meanings of the CPC’s guiding ideology, as well as the internal mechanism by which it forms a broad attraction and sustained leading power among the vast number of Party members, officials, and the masses.
I. The Three Core Kernels of the CPC’s Guiding Ideology
Many studies have defined the connotation and concept of the CPC’s ideological leading power, but most have not explicitly stated what the "ideology" in this leading power actually refers to, generally describing it only as the CPC’s theories and thoughts. The CPC’s theories and thoughts constitute a vast scientific system that is constantly enriched and innovated alongside the development of objective practice. Every river has its source, and every tree its roots. Taken together, the source and essence of the CPC’s theories and thoughts are the CPC’s guiding ideology; this is the invariant ideological cornerstone for understanding the CPC and its century-long historical practice of leading revolution, construction, and reform. "The guiding ideology is the spiritual banner of a political party." It defines the fundamental questions of what a party is, what it does, and how it does it; it is the concentrated expression of a party’s political program and propositions, and the theoretical foundation determining a party's creation and effective operation. By grasping the key of the stable kernels contained within the CPC’s guiding ideology, one can, to a large extent, grasp the formation mechanism, core essence, and practical requirements of the CPC’s ideological leading power.
As the fundamental law of the CPC, the Constitution of the Communist Party of China explicitly stipulates: "The Communist Party of China takes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide to action." The CPC's ideological leading power originates from Marxism-Leninism as stipulated in the Party Constitution. Marxism-Leninism is a complete scientific system composed of Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism. Although its content is extremely rich, it can be summarized into three major ideological kernels.
First, the inevitability of human society entering communism and the mission of the Communist Party to lead the people in striving for the realization of communism—or the realization of the free and well-rounded development of every individual. Second, the political position of the Communist Party to seek interests for the vast majority of people. Third, the use of a scientific worldview and methodology as the fundamental guarantee for realizing that political position and the mission of free and well-rounded development. The scientific truths revealed by these three kernels of Marxism clarify the ultimate goal of human social development and the inevitability of its realization, its reliable guarantee of strength, and its scientific methods and paths. They shine with the power of being scientific, people-centered, value-oriented, ethical, and practical. This is precisely the internal foundation capable of producing broad and far-reaching influence over the greatest number of people.
The "mission" within these three kernels not only directly stipulates the CPC’s lofty ideals but also allows for the timely proposal of scientific, periodic objectives, constantly defining specific goals for different stages of development. From national independence, a moderately prosperous society [3], and common prosperity to Chinese-path modernization, it continuously guides the thoughts, understanding, and actions of the vast number of Party members, officials, and the masses. The "political position" within these kernels consistently adheres to serving the people whole-heartedly, maintaining a people-centered approach, and upholding the supremacy of the people. It insists that everything is for the people, everything relies on the people, and the fruits of development are shared by the people, ensuring the maximum attraction of hearts and minds and the consolidation of strength. The "scientific worldview and methodology" provide a powerful practical weapon for correctly understanding and effectively transforming the world, continuously realizing the people’s aspirations for a better life, and moving steadily toward common prosperity and communism. The political position dictates the mission, and it dictates the generation of the scientific worldview and methodology; in turn, the scientific worldview and methodology guarantee the continuous realization of the political position and mission. These three—political position, mission, and scientific worldview and methodology—are relatively independent yet form an organic whole with an internal scientific logic. Integrated together, they function to lay the foundation for the CPC’s long-term governance and enduring success.
Although these three core kernels were not expressed in specific, explicit texts or discourse during the party’s founding and early development, they began to generate internally and manifest in the CPC’s leading thoughts and practices from the day of its creation. They are rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture, embedded in the CPC’s "life genes" and historical bloodline, and have been continuously enriched and perfected through "upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground" during the practices of revolution, construction, and reform. The continuity of these three kernels demonstrates to the whole Party, the people of the country, and the world the CPC's profound historical perspective, high degree of historical self-awareness, and lofty credit and honor.
Possessing these three kernels, the CPC’s guiding ideology gains insight into the historical laws of human social development and the basic trends of world movement. It can always lead society in the correct direction of progress, win the heartfelt active recognition and conscious action of the people, and guide the development of human society toward a better and happier life. The CPC's guiding ideology provides both the objective laws for understanding the world and the methodology for effectively transforming it. It provides the vast number of Party members, officials, and the masses with scientific guidance for their direction, a "unifying of the soul" [4] for their ideological understanding, and an inexhaustible driving force for moving forward.
The leading power of the CPC's guiding ideology is, fundamentally, the powerful force inherent in the ideology itself—an internal charisma that exerts a broad, strong, and lasting influence. For over a century since its founding, it is precisely under the continuous guidance of such an ideology that the CPC has led the Chinese people from standing up to becoming prosperous, and from becoming prosperous to beginning to grow strong, while making increasing contributions to world peace, development, and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
The CPC's ideological leading power is a directional, positive, and non-coercive influence exerted by the CPC's guiding ideology on the thoughts, understanding, and actions of Party members, officials, and the masses. This influence aims to win people's active following and conscious action toward the CPC and its correct propositions. Here, the "subject" generating this leading power is the CPC, particularly its guiding ideology; the "objects" of this power are the thoughts, understanding, and actions of the masses and cadres; and the "content" emphasizes the broad and lasting impact generated by the ideology across political and practical dimensions.
II. Upholding the Fundamentals and Breaking New Ground in the Three Kernels
The CPC has always adhered to the theoretical guidance of Marxism for the Chinese revolution. Through arduous exploration during the New Democratic Revolution period, it gradually formed the first great theoretical achievement of the Sinicization of Marxism—Mao Zedong Thought. This realized the first historical leap in combining Marxism with China's concrete reality and fine traditional Chinese culture. This created Sinicized Marxism, formed a historical self-awareness of combining the guiding position of Marxism with the Party's theoretical innovation, and established the guiding status of Marxism and its Sinicized and modernized forms. Entering the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist construction, and subsequently the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Party formed the socialist system of honors—the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics (composed of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development)—and the latest theoretical achievement: Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. These achievements represent the CPC’s response to urgent challenges and major problems across different periods. While the specific content of each guiding ideology differs, their spiritual essence and ideological kernels are completely consistent with the three core kernels and essential requirements of Marxism. The "upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground" of the CPC’s guiding ideology focuses on the following three aspects:
First, the mission and tasks of the CPC. Since the day of its founding, the CPC has clarified its highest political program: the realization of communism as its ultimate goal. Starting from its ultimate historical mission, the CPC has consistently combined the realization of that mission with the completion of stage-specific tasks, using the mission to reverse-engineer the tasks and using the realization of tasks to approach the mission. Throughout the series of theoretical achievements in Sinicizing and modernizing Marxism, although the stage-specific tasks in revolution, construction, and reform have been dynamically adjusted, the main thread and essence running through them remains the unwavering advancement of the CPC’s mission. This mission provides the fundamental correct direction, the objective standard for testing, and the source of power for unremitting struggle.
From striving for the victory of the New Democratic Revolution to realize national independence and people's liberation, to the "four modernizations" goal and the "two-step" vision proposed after the completion of socialist transformation; from the late 20th-century goal of reaching a "moderately prosperous" level and the "three-step" development strategy proposed at the start of reform and opening up, to the higher-level "moderately prosperous society" for over a billion people in the early 21st century. In the New Era, the 18th National Congress proposed completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the Party's centenary; the 19th National Congress proposed basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035 and building a great modern socialist country by the mid-21st century. The 20th National Congress further specified: "From this day forward, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization." These goals and deployments in various periods are all concrete requirements of the Party's mission at different historical stages.
The mission and tasks of the Communist Party of China (CPC) emphasize the integration of a grand mission with stage-specific tasks. This combination maintains the continuity and stability of the historical mission while allowing for timely adjustments to specific tasks based on actual conditions, thereby better adapting to new situations and requirements as they develop. It avoids both the empty talk that arises from discussing grand goals without specific actions, and the short-sightedness of "pulling the cart with one's head down without looking up at the road" [5]. This ability to organically integrate and continuously connect the Party's historical mission with its stage-specific tasks constitutes the scientific vanguard strength of the Party’s historical mission.
Second is the political position of the CPC. The CPC's political position firmly and clearly answers the fundamental questions concerning the essential attributes of a political party: "for whom," "on whom to rely," and "who am I." The CPC consistently adheres to a people-centered political position, directly manifesting the Party's ideals, convictions, firm faith, and political pursuits in both theory and practice. This allows the broad ranks of Party members, officials, and the masses to truly feel that the CPC is the people's own party, which naturally enhances the extensive appeal and sustained attraction of the CPC’s guiding ideology and the organization itself among them.
From Mao Zedong's proposal that "the highest criterion for all speeches and actions of Communists must be that they conform to the maximum interests of the broadest masses of the people and are supported by the broadest masses," the Party Constitution of the Seventh National Congress stipulated for the first time that "Chinese Communists must possess the spirit of serving the Chinese people whole-heartedly and must establish extensive ties with the masses of workers, peasants, and other revolutionary people." This commitment continued through Deng Xiaoping's advocacy that whether the people support, approve, be happy with, or consent to a policy should be the starting point and ultimate goal of formulating principles and making decisions. It extended to the prominent expression of "representing the fundamental interests of the broadest possible transition of the Chinese people" in the Theory of Three Represents, and the "people-oriented" [6] approach of the Scientific Outlook on Development—all of which embody the fundamental people-centered political position. Furthermore, General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Seeking happiness for the Chinese people is the original aspiration of Chinese Communists. We must never forget this original aspiration and always take the people's yearning for a better life as our goal." The CPC’s adherence to a people-centered political position has been consistent across different historical periods, while continuously being endowed with new connotations and tasks according to the requirements of the times.
The realization of the lofty ideal of communism defines the Party’s mission and tasks, and simultaneously defines its political position. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Realizing the free and well-rounded development of every individual is, in the final analysis, for the sake of the broad masses of the people; this defines the CPC’s people-centered political position. The Party’s political position dictates the fundamental purpose of serving the people whole-heartedly, manifesting the scientific thinking method of Chinese Communists in looking at the internal from the external. The Party determines its political position based on the objective requirements for realizing the lofty ideal and the actual needs of the masses. The fundamental purpose of serving the people whole-heartedly is the concrete and vivid manifestation of the Party's lofty ideals and mission-tasks in the present; it is also the CPC’s political position, methodological goal, and ultimate destination. This further connects the Party's mission-tasks, political position, and scientific worldview and methodology. It bridges lofty ideals with concrete actions and closely links the realization of the Party's correct propositions with meeting the specific needs of the masses, thereby manifesting the sustained attraction of the CPC’s guiding ideology for the broad ranks of Party members, officials, and the masses.
Third is the scientific worldview and methodology of the CPC. Marxist dialectical materialism and historical materialism, as the scientific worldview and methodology of the CPC, ensure that the Party is not only capable of understanding the world scientifically but also of transforming it effectively. Motives and intentions involving a beautiful mission or a benevolent political position are not enough; there must also be the literacy, capacity, and competence centered on a scientific worldview and methodology capable of effectively transforming the world. Good intentions require superb capabilities as support and guarantee. Without the guarantee of capability, it is difficult for good intentions to sustain ideological leadership over Party members, officials, and the masses. The unification of the good motives and intentions continuously declared to the public with the tangible, practical results continuously delivered to the people is the direct driver for generating the CPC’s power of ideological leadership.
This trajectory spans from the "living soul" of Mao Zedong Thought—"seeking truth from facts, the mass line, and independence"—to Deng Xiaoping’s explicit proposals to "emancipate the mind," "take reform as the driving force for advancing the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics," "proceed from reality," "respect the pioneering spirit of the masses," and "correctly handle the relationship between reform, development, and stability." It continues through Jiang Zemin's insistence on being realistic and pragmatic—"promoting institutional, scientific, technological, cultural, and other innovations through theoretical innovation, continuously exploring and advancing in practice, and never becoming self-satisfied or lax"—while adhering to the combination of "bringing in" and "going out" [7] to promote reform and development through opening up. It moves through the Scientific Outlook on Development’s emphasis on the basic requirements of "comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development," the fundamental method of "giving holistic consideration to all factors," and the coordination of the domestic and international situations. Finally, it reaches the "Six Persistences" [8]—persisting in putting the people first, persisting in self-confidence and self-reliance, persisting in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, persisting in a problem-oriented approach, persisting in systems thinking, and persisting in maintaining a global perspective—worldview and methodology that permeate Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. These worldviews and methodologies, which radiate the essence of Marxist philosophy, provide guidance for scientifically understanding and accurately analyzing major issues and effectively solving major difficulties. They also provide strong support and power guarantees for the superb capabilities required to maintain a firm political position and fulfill the Party's mission and tasks.
In summary, Sinicized and modernized Marxism is essentially the organic combination of Chinese Communists’ consistent adherence to the guiding position of Marxism with the continuous promotion of theoretical innovation. It represents theoretical achievements that consistently "uphold the fundamentals while breaking new ground." No matter how theory is innovated, the guiding position of Marxism remains steadfast. "Upholding the fundamentals" emphasizes unswervingly adhering to the basic principles of Marxism, the comprehensive leadership of the Party, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Essentially, it means ensuring that the guiding status of Marxist ideology and the CPC do not change in quality, color, or flavor—this is the theoretical foundation and political character of Chinese Communists. "Breaking new ground" refers to the creative transformation and innovative development of the Party's theory by continuously integrating the CPC’s guiding ideology with China’s fine traditional culture, the requirements of the times, and the expectations of the people. This continuously advances the Party's theoretical innovation and forms Sinicized and modernized Marxism, thereby continuously generating the CPC’s power of ideological leadership.
III. The Internal Mechanism of the CPC’s Guiding Ideology Leading Self-Revolution
The leadership power of the CPC's guiding ideology is, fundamentally, the inherent power of the ideas themselves. The CPC’s ideological leadership mainly includes the leadership over the Party's organizations at all levels and its members and officials, as well as the leadership over the broad masses of the people. The power of ideological leadership over the Party organizations and members—that is, the power to lead the Party's self-revolution—plays a foundational, guiding, and guaranteeing role in the formation of the CPC’s overall ideological leadership. Self-confidence precedes the confidence of others. The reason the CPC’s guiding ideology is able to generate the power to lead social revolution lies in the fact that this ideology can first continuously lead the Party's self-revolution from within, allowing the broad masses to "believe because they see." Conversely, the power of the CPC’s guiding ideology in leading self-revolution provides an exemplary model and fundamental impetus for the guiding ideology to form its leadership over social revolution.
The reason the CPC’s guiding ideology can exert a broad, profound, and lasting influence on Party members and officials is, in the final analysis, because it scientifically answers three basic questions regarding the nature of the organization and clarifies the fundamental principles for handling three basic relationships. First, regarding the spatial dimension, the relationship between the organization and the society beyond it: this addresses why an organization is created and the purpose and meaning of its existence. Second, regarding the temporal dimension, the relationship between the organization’s short-term goals and its long-term mission: this addresses the continuous creation of the long-term mission. Third, regarding the internal dimension, the relationship between the organization’s own intentions and its capability guarantees: this addresses the capacity and motivation for organizational purposes and sustained value creation. The three core components of Marxism [9] provide theoretical answers to these three questions and offer standards for resolving these three relationships in practice. Under the guidance of Marxism, the CPC has continuously answered these three questions in the context of China’s reality, which is centrally expressed through the discourse of Party building theory, such as the Party's nature, purpose, original aspiration, mission, faith, and convictions. The CPC’s guiding ideology provides continuous scientific guidance for maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, ensuring the Party continuously improves its leadership and governance levels, and consistently serves as the leadership core of the great cause. This has formed the internal mechanism through which the CPC’s guiding ideology leads the Party’s own building and its self-revolution.
First, the purpose of establishing the organization—that is, why an organization is founded—concerns the organization's core philosophy. The core philosophy defines the enduring characteristics of an organization; it defines the unchanging "what we represent and why we exist." Like any political party organization in a general sense, the CPC as a political party also faces the issue of a founding core philosophy. This is the CPC's original aspiration, which answers why the CPC set out in the first place, what the political position of Chinese Communists is, who I am, and for whom I exist. Once the CPC was born, it established the core philosophy of its own creation and development according to Marxist theory and gradually prioritized the Sinicization and modernization of this Marxist core philosophy, "establishing the pursuit of happiness for the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as its original aspiration and mission." The CPC never forgets its original aspiration and keeps its mission firmly in mind; it always adheres to the people’s position, puts the people first, insists that everything is for the people and relies on the people, ensures that the fruits of development are shared by the people, and persists in taking the people's yearning for a better life as its eternal goal. This is the purpose and original aspiration for the creation of the CPC.
The core philosophy of the CPC’s founding determines the Party's political position; the Party's original aspiration must always reflect and manifest this position. The CPC’s fundamental purpose is to serve the people whole-heartedly, highlighting the Party's "people-oriented" nature and value. Moreover, the CPC focuses on meeting and realizing the urgent needs and fundamental interests of the broad masses at any given time, based on the situation and tasks of different historical periods. From meeting the peasants' demand for land during the revolutionary period, to meeting the people's needs for an ever-growing material and cultural life during the period of construction, to meeting the broadest masses' yearning for a better life in the New Era, the Party has always been of one heart with the people and insisted on advancing with the times. At the same time, the CPC maintains a global perspective, consistently committing itself to the noble cause of human peace and development, demonstrating the lofty spiritual realm and high moral character of Chinese Communists, which possesses infinity in the spatial dimension.
Second, the ultimate goal of the organization–that is, what the final objective the organization seeks to achieve is—essentially concerns the organization's mission. An organization's mission is built upon its core philosophy and represents "what we aspire to become, what realm we seek to reach, and what we want to create (the future prospect)." What kind of organization is created is defined not from within the organization, but from without—defined by the long-term satisfaction of the needs of the organization’s service targets. For the CPC, there is likewise the question of a mission. From its birth, the CPC established its grand mission based on Marxist theory: realizing the lofty ideal of communism and the free and well-rounded development of every individual, and moving toward the current goals of realizing the people's yearning for a better life and achieving common prosperity. It can be seen that the CPC’s historical mission is not defined from the perspective of the CPC itself, but from the external perspective of the people's needs and the requirements of national development. Furthermore, it defines its own mission from the perspective of the long-term fulfillment of the people's needs. The historical mission of the CPC defines its enduring characteristics and establishes an internal mechanism of never being satisfied and never being lax to effectively combat the internal "chronic disease" of arrogance and complacency. It allows the Party to continuously renew itself through endogenous strength and the direction provided by its mission, thereby achieving long-lasting success for the organization.
The fundamental nature of a mission is reflected in its role as directional guidance for an organization's ultimate developmental goals. A scientific mission positioning provides continuous forward guidance for organizational development, ensuring all members consistently remain at the forefront of the times. The CPC’s supreme political program—realizing communism and the free and comprehensive development of every individual—concentratedly manifests the CPC’s scientific methodology of "beginning with the end in mind" [10]; it scientifically establishes the final objective and fundamental source of the CPC’s ideological leading power. This lofty ideal, based on the scientific truths of Marxism, stipulates the Party’s ultimate mission and its specific tasks. This allows the CPC to promptly propose key tasks based on the characteristics of the situation in different historical periods, decomposing them through development plans, phased goals, and policies, and realizing them through a powerful organizational system and the practical work of the vast numbers of Party members, cadres, and the masses. The CPC’s historical mission ensures it can always stand at the forefront of the times, employing the Party’s missions and tasks to achieve continuous, scientific guidance for the cause of the Party and the state, possessing an infinity in the temporal dimension.
Third, the core of organizational capacity building lies in the organization’s values and methodology—that is, the behavioral norms and standards for its members. This concerns how organizational capacity should be built to ensure the organization’s original aspiration and the continuous realization of its mission; the key is how to ensure the organization is continuously empowered. For the CPC, ensuring the fundamental purpose and political stance of wholeheartedly serving the people, and realizing the historical mission of common prosperity and the free and comprehensive development of every individual, must rely on the CPC’s scientific worldview and methodology for implementation and guarantee. The CPC has no special interests of its own aside from the interests of the people. The Party’s lack of selfish interest determines that it can master a scientific worldview and methodology, possess the courage for self-revolution, persist in the truth, correct errors, constantly transcend itself, and consistently pursue excellence.
To ensure that its political character as a Party—defined by its nature and fundamental purpose—remains perpetual and unchanged, the CPC emphasizes that Party members and cadres have no special private interests beyond the official functions and personal interests prescribed by laws and regulations. The CPC’s lack of selfish interest requires that Party members and cadres, on the one hand, focus on ideological arming and political building [11], identifying with and remaining loyal to the Party's political stance and missions; on the other hand, they must master a scientific worldview and methodology, constantly improving their abilities and competence to realize the Party's political stance and missions. The scientific worldview and methodology determine the behavioral standards of the organization and its members, as well as the criteria for measuring results during the implementation of the Party’s political stance and missions. A scientific worldview and methodology are, firstly, the specification and operationalization of the behavioral requirements the Party's political stance and missions place on organization members—they are the objective requirements for realizing these goals. Secondly, they largely guarantee the consistency between the behavior of members and the Party’s political stance and missions, forging the core competencies of the organization and ensuring the continuous realization of the Party's goals. In short, in the process of realizing the organization's original aspiration, stance, and mission, a scientific worldview and methodology play a fundamental role in guiding the direction of organizational development, rectifying behavioral deviations of members and cadres, winning the continuous recognition of the people, and ensuring the healthy development of the organization.
Precisely because Marxism scientifically answers the fundamental criteria for handling these three basic relationships in organizational theory, it inevitably leads the CPC, under the guidance of Marxism, to continuously lead and promote the theory and practice of Party building. It allows the Party to continuously advance its self-revolution, consistently maintain the Party’s advanced nature and purity, ensure the Party’s leadership and governing capabilities adapt to the requirements of the cause's development, always gather the spirit and soul of the whole Party, continuously consolidate the Party's unity and unification, and ensure the Party remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
IV. The Internal Mechanism of the CPC's Guiding Ideology in Leading Social Revolution
The powerful strength inherent in the CPC's guiding ideology acts upon both the Party organization and its cadres, as well as upon society and the masses; it leads social revolution while simultaneously leading Party building and the Party’s self-revolution. Ideological leading power, especially toward the society and people outside the organization, always radiates from the inside out; it cannot be coerced and can only rely on people’s conscious willingness. If a leading subject can continuously satisfy and realize the current needs and long-term interests of the led objects, it will naturally generate and form a sustained influence over them. Marxism is, in final analysis, a theory for seeking the interests of the people. Every one of its three "inner cores" serves to realize, protect, and continuously achieve the people’s interests. This is the fundamental prerequisite and ideological foundation upon which the CPC's guiding ideology can continuously attract and unite the masses to unceasingly carry out social revolution.
First, the CPC’s political stance and its original aspiration and founding mission determine that everything the CPC struggles for is always aimed at satisfying the people’s aspirations for a better life. The handling of the relationship between an organization and the groups outside of it determines the nature and external influence of that organization. Corporate organizations handle this through transactions and exchanges based on contracts; government organizations handle it through rule and management based on coercive power; bourgeois political parties handle it by exchanging interests for votes, which is essentially similar to a corporate organization. Guided by Marxism, the CPC defines the basic relationship between the organization and the people as service, fundamentally upending the long-standing essential relationship between the leader and the led. In this new type of leadership relationship, the CPC, as the leading subject, must naturally play a leadership role, but its fundamental positioning is to serve the people, organically combining serving the masses with leading them. The people, as the led objects, are the subjects in this leadership relationship. Whatever service the people need, whenever they need it, and however it should be provided, the CPC provides appropriate services according to the actual requirements of the people. Furthermore, through such service, the Party guides the people's thoughts and understanding to a higher stage, continuously raising their level of consciousness. The CPC’s leadership motivation is for the interests of the people, for their long-term and fundamental interests, and it is realized through "serving the people"—a method that is acceptable to the public.
Second, the CPC’s missions, tasks, and developmental goals determine that everything for which the Party struggles is consistently aimed at satisfying the people's aspirations for a better life. The faith and belief of organization members in the long-term mission determine how far an organization can ultimately go. Marxism revealed the basic laws of human social development, pointed out that the direction of human society is the realization of communism, and clarified that the subjects for realizing this historical task are the proletariat and its political party. The CPC is a party armed with Marxist theory. At different historical stages, it has persisted in taking the realization of communism as its fundamental mission and task, using this to "back-derive" current specific policies and actions, pushing and leading the social revolution to march toward this lofty ideal. It should be especially noted that in the Manifesto of the Communist Party, Marx and Engels described communism as: "In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an association, in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all." Later, in Capital, they pointed out that the future society would be "a form of society in which the full and free development of every individual forms the ruling principle." In the context of Marx and Engels, realizing the free and comprehensive development of every person is consistent with communism; it is the fundamental goal pursued by Marxism. This determines that everything the CPC strives for is always for the masses—that is, to continuously satisfy the people's aspirations for a better life. Since communism, as the realization of every person's free and comprehensive development, is only the direction of travel, Marxism merely opens and points out the path to the truth. As for how to truly realize the road to this truth, it inevitably relies on the CPC—a collection of advanced elements—to conduct practical exploration under the guidance of Marxism. It must continuously propose policies and tasks suited to the characteristics of specific stages, leading the masses to execute policy propositions, complete phased tasks, and realize phased goals, continuously pushing forward the cause of satisfying the people’s aspirations for a better life, and finally achieving the lofty ideal of Every individual's free and comprehensive development.
Third, the CPC’s scientific worldview and methodology determine that the Party's abilities and competence are always enhanced and improved toward the goal of continuously realizing the people’s aspirations for a better life. The scientific worldview and methodology that the CPC consistently adheres to and practices can scientifically perceive and effectively transform the world. These can be transformed into the political cultivation, theoretical literacy, and moral character of the vast numbers of Party members and cadres, as well as the abilities and competencies required for fulfilling their duties. The CPC consistently maintains the theoretical "base color" of Marxism's status as the guiding ideology while simultaneously focusing on combining it with China’s reality to continuously promote the Party’s theoretical innovation. It persists in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, using the latest achievements of the Party’s theoretical innovation—especially the scientific worldview and methodology contained therein—to arm the mind, guide practice, and promote work. This has advanced the cause of the Party and the state to continuously achieve practical results, allowing the masses to continuously obtain tangible benefits.
In summary, Marxism—this theory for seeking the interests of the people—stipulates the characteristics of the CPC in all aspects. As the Constitution of the Communist Party of China clearly states: "The Party has no special interests of its own apart from the interests of the working class and the broadest possible masses of the people." As Mao Zedong pointed out: "The Communist Party is a political party which works for the interests of the nation and the people, and has no private ends to serve." Deng Xiaoping also emphasized: "The reason why it [the Party] can lead the masses of the people is because, and only because, it is the wholehearted servant of the masses, reflecting their interests and will, and striving to help them organize themselves to fight for their own interests and will." "Impartiality breeds clarity; integrity breeds authority" [12]. Impartiality and integrity essentially stipulate the fundamental criteria for the CPC in handling the relationship between itself and the people, as well as the relationship between the people's current needs and long-term interests. These are the core values of Chinese Communists and the general requirement for all actions. It is precisely because the CPC has no private interests of its own that it can truly and thoroughly serve the people wholeheartedly, rather than serving itself or a minority. It is because the Party has no private interests that it can always seek the long-term interests of the people rather than just focusing on short-term gains. It is because the Party has no private interests that it can remain true to its lofty ideals, remain true to its original aspiration and founding mission, and always move forward. It is because the Party has no private interests that it has the courage for self-revolution, persists in the truth, corrects errors, masters a scientific worldview and methodology, and always stands at the forefront of the times—winning the heartfelt support of the people, withstanding various tests, and ensuring long-term governance. Such a party, and such a guiding ideology, can naturally generate a broad, profound, and sustained ideological leading power over the masses, forming a majestic force to continuously advance social revolution.
The three core elements of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) guiding ideology define the internal mechanism for the Party to lead social revolution from the dimensions of relationship, task, and path, respectively. These elements continuously generate a powerful ideological leading power [13] that ensures the CPC remains at the forefront of social revolution.
The relationship dimension concerns the essential relationship between the leading subject and the objects of leadership; this is the essence or core issue of the Party’s political position. The CPC’s political position establishes the essence of a Party that is "for the people and reliant on the people," stipulating that both the founding and the development of the Party are for the sake of the people, without any private interests to pursue. This fundamental political position provides the foundation for the Party to win the recognition and allegiance of the people.
The task dimension is centrally reflected in the goals and missions to be realized by the leading subject and the objects of leadership. Acting for the interests of the people cannot be an empty phrase; it must have direction and objectives. The CPC’s mission and tasks clarify the direction and the highest realm of the realization of the people’s interests. Furthermore, the Party is adept at proposing targeted tasks, policies, and strategies according to specific stages, playing a vanguard and exemplary role in leading the people to realize their own interests. This mission and task-set enables the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security [14] to be continuously realized, consolidating the historical and practical basis for the Party to win the people's recognition and allegiance.
The path dimension refers to how to effectively advance and ultimately realize the missions and tasks that reflect the interests and will of the people. A scientific worldview and methodology handle the relationship between one's own will and the guarantee of capability, providing the assurance of capacity for the continuous realization of the CPC's political position and mission, thereby securing the people's recognition and allegiance. These three dimensions are indispensable to the generation of the CPC's ideological leading power. Without the task dimension—that is, without the concrete realization of the masses' interests—influence over the masses is impossible. With only the relationship dimension but no leadership performance, ideological leading power over the masses cannot be generated. Furthermore, both the relationship and task dimensions rely on the path dimension: without the scientific worldview and methodology of the path dimension, the continuous realization of the CPC's political position and mission is impossible, and influence over the masses would consequently weaken or even be lost.
"The CPC comes from the people and is rooted in the people. It has always persisted in doing everything for the people and relying on the people in all things, winning the heartfelt support and firm backing of the broadest masses of the people. This is the broad and deep foundation of the CPC's leadership and governing capacity." The fundamental, holistic, and long-term nature of the CPC’s representation and realization of the people’s interests is the ideological source of the Party’s incomparably strong leadership; it is also the essential characteristic of the CPC's ideological leading power, inherently generating influence over the broad masses. Centered on the fundamental question of acting for and realizing the interests of the people, the CPC continuously provides theoretical answers and solutions. These are centrally manifested in the discourse expressions of the Party’s theories, lines, principles, and policies, thereby attracting and coalescing a majestic force. This forms the internal mechanism by which the CPC’s guiding ideology leads social revolution, ensuring the Party's cause moves continuously from victory to victory.
For an organization to achieve longevity and sustainable development, it needs to continuously and scientifically handle three basic relationships: the spatial relationship between the organization and the society outside it; the temporal relationship between the organization’s short-term tasks and its long-term mission; and the internal relationship between the "small self" of the organization and the "large self" of the objective world. At the cognitive level, the scientific handling of these three basic relationships follows a method of thinking that moves from the distant to the near, and from the outside to the inside. That is, the temporal relationship defines the spatial relationship, and the spatial relationship defines the internal relationship. Starting from the organization's mission and tasks, one reasons backward to establish the norms for the relationship between the organization and the external society; then, from the establishment of those norms, one further reasons backward to establish the norms for the relationship between the organization's "small self" and the objective "large self."
At the practical level, the worldview and methodology the organization should follow are the opposite of this theoretical backward-reasoning; it is a forward-directed action, moving from the inside out and from the near to the far. Specifically, one starts from a rational understanding and conscious identification with the norms for handling the relationship between the "small self" and the objective "large self," transforming one's own subjective world and reshaping one's worldview and methodology to establish codes of conduct. Then, one scientifically handles the relationship between the organization and external society, thereby effectively completing the organization's short-term tasks. Finally, in the process of realizing short-term tasks, one must always keep the organization’s long-term mission in mind, continuously using the long-term mission to lead short-term tasks, and ultimately moving closer to the organization’s long-term mission. The methodology of the CPC’s ideological leading power is an organic combination and continuous integration of two methods: the backward-reasoning method (from time to space, and space to self) and the forward-action method (from self to space, and space to time). Together, they form the internal mechanism by which the CPC’s guiding ideology leads self-revolution and social revolution.
V. Conclusion
"Having the guidance of scientific Marxist theory is the fundamental basis for our Party to firm up its ideals and convictions and grasp historical initiative." The political position, missions and tasks, and the scientific worldview and methodology established by Marxism constitute the three core elements of the CPC’s ideological leading power. Through upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, the CPC integrates these three core elements throughout the entire process of governing the Party and the country. This fundamentally establishes the internal logic for the generation and continuous tempering of the CPC's ideological leading power, determining that the CPC will always be the leading force guiding the Chinese people and the Chinese nation toward the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the lofty ideal of Communism. For the CPC, the essential requirement for solving the unique challenges facing a large party [15] is to always remain clear-headed and firm in adhering to and practicing the Party’s guiding ideology.
"Just as the 'final goal' is not simply waiting for us somewhere outside the process, but is inherent in every specific stage within the process, the Communist Party, as a revolutionary form of proletarian consciousness, is by its nature also a process." [16] The scientific theory and great practice of the trinity of the CPC’s political position, mission, and scientific worldview and methodology are essentially a leadership process. This dictates that the CPC must head toward the "final goal" of Communism, always persisting in ideological Party building and strengthening the Party through theory. It must continuously generate ideological leading power, push forward self-revolution toward the organization’s "final goal," and always use self-revolution to drive and lead social revolution. Only by continuously achieving practical results and embarking on new historical journeys can the Party gradually approach the "final goal."
(The author is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor in the Department of Party Building at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance)).
Online Editor: Ma Jingren Source: Journal of China Jinggangshan Leadership Academy, Issue 1, 2025.