Marxism Research Network
Unofficial English Translation

Luo Yongkuan, Feng Jiao, et al.: Connotation, Correlation, and Value: A Three-Dimensional Interpretation of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party

CPC History & Party Building

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China: "A hundred years ago, the pioneers of the Communist Party of China founded the Party and formed the great founding spirit of the Party: upholding truth and ideals, fulfilling our original aspiration and founding mission, fighting bravely without fear of sacrifice, and remaining loyal to the Party and faithful to the people. This is the Party’s source of spirit" [1]. The emergence and deepening of the great founding spirit of the Party is a historical necessity forged by great practice through great faith; it also represents a new leap in our Party's understanding of the nature and patterns of its own development. Clerifying the scientific connotation of the great founding spirit of the Party, thoroughly explaining its genealogical connections, and understanding its contemporary value are essential tasks and the inevitable path for creatively transforming the value orientation and ideological support functions of the great founding spirit of the Party into a profound driving force for entrepreneurship and action.

I. Focusing on Scientific Connotation: Grasping the Principles of Condensation and Logical Thinking of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party

"A person cannot stand without spirit, and a nation cannot be strong without spirit. Only when a nation stands firm and steady spiritually can it remain upright and at the forefront of the historical tide without falling" [2]. Through the accumulation of history and the baptism of the times, the great founding spirit of the Party has tempered its core, enriched its system, and transformed its forms, demonstrating vigorous vitality and exuberant life force. With distinct characteristic orientations, profound internal connections, and concise linguistic expressions, it constitutes a logical discourse and conceptual system characterized by scientific rigor, political nature, and hierarchical structure.

  1. The great founding spirit of the Party marks its scientific connotation through a unique core essence and rigorous internal connections. Understanding the concept of the great founding spirit of the Party requires penetrating through phenomena to achieve a more fundamental, profound, and comprehensive realization. "Upholding truth and ideals, fulfilling our original aspiration and founding mission, fighting bravely without fear of sacrifice, and remaining loyal to the Party and faithful to the people" [3] condenses the ideological core of the great founding spirit. It points toward the great founding spirit’s firm belief in Marxism, its adherence to the duties of people’s happiness and national rejuvenation, its persistence in revolutionary will and the spirit of struggle, and its steadfastness regarding Party leadership and the people's standpoint. It centrally embodies the scientific, ideological, and political advantages of the great founding spirit. Understanding this connotation requires grasping the following relationships:

First, one must grasp the relationship between the great founding spirit and the practical process of the CPC. Marxism holds that practice is the source of knowledge, and knowledge has a counter-effect on practice. The great founding spirit was conceived, nurtured, and condensed within the practical process of the CPC leading the Chinese people to achieve national independence and prosperity. At the same time, once formed, it in turn leads the practice of Chinese revolution, construction, and reform to develop in depth, forming a two-way interaction between the practical process and theoretical guidance.

Second, one must grasp the internal relationship between the core elements of the great founding spirit. Based on the triple dimensions of historical requirements, realistic needs, and future pursuits, the core of the spirit has been refined and summarized, highlighting the qualities of truth, practice, struggle, and the people-centered nature. Its four aspects are rich and closely linked, forming a complete and rigorous logical system that collectively reveals the spiritual outlook, political pursuits, and moral principles of Chinese Communists.

Third, one must grasp the relationship between the great founding spirit of the Party, the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists [1], and the specific spiritual forms therein. One must pay attention both to the generative role of the great founding spirit as the "source" and to its pervasive qualities. Its connotation should be grasped through both its internal connections and clear distinctions from other specific spiritual forms, and it must be interpreted within the overall spiritual pedigree. On this basis, one can grasp the mainstream, themes, and main line of the Party's history from the perspective of Party and national history, fully excavating and accurately understanding its core essence.

  1. The great founding spirit of the Party follows scientific principles of condensation and a profound logical progression. The concept and connotation of the great founding spirit are not a simple arrangement of words or a mere addition of characteristics, but have their own internal logical grounds. As a landmark achievement of ideological innovation and theoretical sublimation for the CPC over the past century, the construction of the great founding spirit originated from the subject's self-awareness and formed a value system with clear political orientations and internal mechanisms during the practice of founding the Party. From holistic and macroscopic perspectives, it demonstrates a grasp of the laws governing the construction of a governing party, a persistence in Marxist faith, and adherence to historical materialism.

This is specifically reflected in: First, adhering to the value orientation and goal pursuit of governing party building. The great founding spirit profoundly reflects the requirements placed on the Party’s own construction by the laws of governing party building; it is the ideological basis and spiritual origin for establishing, developing, and strengthening the Party. Whether the CPC, as the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, can win the trust, recognition, and support of the masses depends on whether the Party can temper its own firm faith, hone its character, and stimulate its potential for practical work—conducting the Great Struggle, building the Great Project, advancing the Great Cause, and realizing the Great Dream [2], and leading the great social revolution through a great self-revolution.

Second, adhering to the fundamental standpoint and "soul-flag" of Marxism. Embedding the Party’s political, advanced, and leading nature into the connotation of the great founding spirit centrally embodies and scientifically follows Marxist standpoints, viewpoints, and methods. As General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "Faith in Marxism and belief in socialism and communism are the political soul of Communists and the spiritual pillar that enables them to withstand any test" [4]. The fact that "Marxism works" [3] is the fundamental basis for why the CPC can succeed and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good.

Third, adhering to the principle of "basing theory on history, deriving theory from history, and ensuring theory is rigorous." The great founding spirit is a fruitful spiritual result condensed and precipitated from the history of the Party’s founding. The condensation of its spiritual connotation must follow the original appearance and conditions of history. Interpreting the spiritual outlook and great character displayed by Chinese Communists as the subjects of spiritual creation within the history of the Party’s practical advancement, spiritual development, and self-construction—and their coordinated grasp of historical responsibility and the mission of the era—can enhance the scientificity, authenticity, and reliability of the great founding spirit’s connotation and expression. On this basis, one can further grasp its high degree of conceptual abstraction, the internal connectivity of its content, the relative stability of its spiritual form, and the exemplary leading nature of its spiritual value.

II. Examining Genealogical Connections: Deepening the Source Positioning and Pervasive Characteristics of the Great Founding Spirit

"The Communist Party of China has carried forward the great founding spirit and built up a spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists through long-term struggle" [5]. To accurately position the great founding spirit, the key is to grasp where it comes from, what its characteristics and values are within the overall spiritual pedigree, and to clarify the difference between the great founding spirit and the Red Boat Spirit [4].

  1. Accurately grasping the source positioning of the great founding spirit. Engels pointed out: "Where history begins, the train of thought should also begin, and the further progress of the train of thought is nothing but the reflection of the historical process in an abstract and theoretically consistent form; this reflection is corrected, but corrected according to laws provided by the actual historical process itself" [6]. The great founding spirit originates from the starting point of the CPC’s history and acts throughout the entire process of the Party’s development; it is the Party’s source of spirit. This "source" (源, yuán), understood from the perspective of "headwaters," carries the orientations of being a source of spirit, a source of power, and a source of quality.

Clarifying the relationship between the great founding spirit and the Red Boat Spirit is particularly important for deepening the understanding of the source of the former. On one hand, the great founding spirit and the Red Boat Spirit share the same root and origin; the two are consistent. In 1921, a small "Red Boat" carried the CPC toward steady and long-term progress, giving rise to the Red Boat Spirit—with its scientific connotation of "the pioneering spirit of creating a new world and daring to be the first, the struggling spirit of firm ideals and unyielding perseverance, and the dedicated spirit of building the Party for the public and loyalty to the people." It also nurtured the great founding spirit with its core essence of "upholding truth and ideals, fulfilling our original aspiration and founding mission, fighting bravely without fear of sacrifice, and remaining loyal to the Party and faithful to the people." Thus, both spirits were nurtured and born in the historical process of founding and establishing the Party, possessing "cosanguinity" (同源性) and "isomorphism" (同构性) in expressing the Party’s value goals and political pursuits. They are essentially the same—both are spiritual expressions and ideological sublimations of the CPC's founding practice.

On the other hand, the Red Boat Spirit is not identical to the great founding spirit; the two possess differences. On June 21, 2005, Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, pointed out: "The 'Red Boat Spirit' is precisely the source of the Chinese revolutionary spirit: the fine traditions and revolutionary spirit formed in the history of the CPC all have a direct ancestral relationship with it" [7]. What, specifically, are the differences?

First, the key characteristics of their connotations differ; there are clear boundaries in their conceptual expressions. The Red Boat Spirit uses the vivid image of the "Red Boat" to descriptively express the founding practice, while the great founding spirit condenses the founding practice abstractly in a theoretical sense. Second, the great founding spirit emerged from and permeates the entire process of the Party’s founding activities, while the Red Boat Spirit was sublimated from specific aspects of those activities and is an important manifestation of the great founding spirit. As a spiritual form nurtured during the revolutionary period, the Red Boat Spirit contains the cultural "genes" of the great founding spirit and centrally embodies it; it is a manifestation of the initial spiritual form of the great founding spirit. In comparison, while the Red Boat Spirit is a specific spiritual form formed in a particular period, the great founding spirit permeates the hundred-plus years of CPC history; the formation of specific spiritual forms in every historical period reflects the great founding spirit. Moving from the "Red Boat Spirit" to the "great founding spirit" indicates that the Chinese Communists’ understanding of the practice of founding the Party and spiritual leadership has reached a new historical height. Only by accurately grasping these issues can one fundamentally and profoundly understand the source positioning of the great founding spirit.

  1. Deepening the understanding of the genealogical connections of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party. In the historical process of leading the people through revolution, construction, and reform, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has taken the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as its source. Over a century of struggle, it has formed a series of great spirits, including the Jinggangshan Spirit, the Long March Spirit, the Zunyi Conference Spirit, the Yan'an Spirit, the Xibaipo Spirit, the Hongyan Spirit, the Special Economic Zone Spirit, the Flood Control Spirit, the Earthquake Relief Spirit, and the Anti-Epidemic Spirit [5]. These spirits are not isolated, one-sided, or mechanical; rather, they are interconnected, mutually reinforcing, and integrated within the practical application of combining Marxism with China’s specific realities, within the mission and responsibility of Chinese Communists to remain true to their original aspiration and press ahead, and within the great dream of the Chinese people to unite as one to achieve national rejuvenation. They have accumulated and constructed the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists, which embodies rich contemporary connotations and distinct national characteristics.

What, then, is the intrinsic connection between the Great Founding Spirit of the Party, the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists, and its specific spiritual forms? First, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party and the specific spiritual forms embody the relationship between universality and particularity. As a holistic spiritual form, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party serves as the "source code" and "root directory" of the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists. It intrinsically contains the patriotic and innovative elements of the national spirit and the spirit of the times. Through the combination with concrete practice amidst the gunfire of the Chinese revolution, the projects of construction, and the tempering of reform, it has given birth to and nurtured new spiritual forms presented in different modes. Every specific spiritual form is derived from the Great Founding Spirit of the Party; they are vivid manifestations of it across different historical periods and stages, constituting its dynamic extension. Second, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party provides the spiritual guidance, foundational basis, and value cipher for specific spiritual forms, highly condensing the overall spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists. The series of spiritual lineages composed of specific spiritual forms represent the expansion, enrichment, inheritance, development, interpretation, and elaboration of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party. In this process, the specific spiritual forms and their spiritual carriers are constantly changing, presenting different conceptual expressions according to the characteristics of historical stages and distinct spiritual orientations. However, the spiritual values within them are penetrative, ever-enriching, and eternal. It is particularly noteworthy that although the themes of the times and historical tasks of the Party and the country differed across various stages over the past century—and each spiritual form has its specific stage of origin, prominent characteristic orientation, and core connotation—they do not constitute a relationship of substitution or transcendence. The value and function of each specific spiritual form are not limited to a particular historical period; universal spiritual values are contained within these particular spiritual forms and symbolic expressions.

III. Clarifying the Value of the Era: Perpetuating the Red Bloodline and Kinetic Genes of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party

"History flows on unceasingly, and spirit is passed down from generation to generation. We must continue to promote our glorious traditions, carry forward the Red bloodline, and forever inherit and enhance the Great Founding Spirit of the Party!" [12] A more thorough, profound, and comprehensive understanding of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party is ultimately intended to maximize the value, utility, and momentum of this spirit within the field of social practice.

  1. The Great Founding Spirit of the Party continues the Red bloodline. Restoring the generative and developmental field and internal logic of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party within its historical context—and deepening the study of CPC history to link the spiritual threads of a century of Party history—is crucial for maintaining the "Red" attribute of the cause of the Party and the state. This is specifically manifested in the creation of three "Reds." First, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party forges a Red Party. Deeply rooted in the practice of founding the CPC, this spirit is a true portrayal of the Chinese Communists' perseverance. It engraves and carries the spiritual outlook and moral qualities of great revolutionary martyrs, heroes, and role models. In the process of its formation and tempering, it carries both historical weight and spiritual freshness, guiding generations of Communists to fight heroically for the cause of the Party and the people, thereby creating a strong and powerful Red Party. Second, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party consolidates Red political power. The path for the CPC to seize power—"winning the country" [6]—was full of hardships, and the path to stabilize power—"guarding the country"—is even more full of risks and challenges. The Red blood of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party must be used to cultivate and nourish the lifeblood of the legitimacy, rationality, and scientific nature of the CPC's governance. We must remain firm in the belief that the leadership of the CPC is the choice of history, the people, and the times, thereby building a stable and consolidated Red political power. Third, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party drives the Red cause. Marx noted: "Theory also becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses." [13] The great leap of the Chinese people from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong, led by the CPC, cannot be separated from the guidance of scientific theory, the leadership of the Red spirit, and the promotion of advanced culture. Under the guidance of the Great Founding Spirit of the Party, we must earnestly perform substantive deeds, solve difficulties, and do good for the masses. We must promote the continuous development of socialism with Chinese characteristics toward the front, the heights, and the better, creating a magnificent and vast Red cause. Extracted from the historical vein, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party shapes the backbone of the nation and inspires the revolutionary cause. By creating a Red Party, Red political power, and a Red cause, it continues and develops spiritual power and ideological value, using Red genes to spur the rhythmic pace of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

  2. The Great Founding Spirit of the Party stimulates the motivation for practical action. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To achieve our developmental goals, we must become strong not only materially but also spiritually." [14] As the spiritual guide, ideological leader, and value benchmark for the development of the Party and the country, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party embodies the unity of truth and value, science and practice, and idealism and reality, stimulating the practical momentum of the CPC. This is specifically reflected in winning three "battles." First, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party helps win the battle in the ideological field. Marx said: "If we consider this from the perspective of ideas, then the disintegration of a certain form of consciousness is enough to bring down an entire epoch." [15] What kind of spiritual guidance, theoretical direction, and faith support are used is crucial for the Party and the state to deeply understand the past, comprehensively grasp the present, and correctly comprehend the future at a new historical starting point. It is vital for resisting cultural aggression and ideological infiltration from international and domestic sources, as well as from outside and within the Party. Unhealthy social trends and fashions will hinder the role of mainstream ideology, the cultivation of core socialist values, and the construction of a strong socialist culture. We must use the Great Founding Spirit of the Party and the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists to pool strength and educate people, providing support for overcoming external risks and challenges and shaping the foundations of our own cultural development. Second, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party helps win the battle of self-revolution. The CPC is advanced in its essential attributes, powerful in its concrete actions, and proactive in its self-construction. We must remain true to our original aspiration and founding mission, adhere to comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, purify the internal political ecosystem, and replenish the "calcium" [7] of the spirit for Party members and officials. We must continuously advance self-renewal with the courage of self-revolution "turning the blade inward" [8], ensuring that the Chinese Communists never change their nature, hue, or character, building a stronger and more powerful core of leadership and providing endogenous power and internal support for development. Third, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party helps win the battle to protect the people. The "shanshui" (mountains and rivers) are the people, and the people are the "shanshui" [9]. How we perceive the role of the masses, how we view their status, and how we treat their interests is related to the success or failure of the cause of the Party and the state. Since the day of its founding, the CPC has always placed the interests of the masses at the core, most critical, and most important position. Taking the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as a guide for action, the Party has repeatedly met tests during extraordinary periods and critical moments—such as disaster relief, the nationwide fight against the epidemic, and all-out flood control—deploying in an orderly manner, making precise and scientific decisions, and steadily advancing measures, always thinking and working together with the people in the same boat. In short, the Great Founding Spirit of the Party remains fresh over time, inheriting the Red bloodline and kinetic genes of the CPC, tempering the revolutionary will and determination to struggle, and stimulating the spiritual and practical consciousness of the Chinese Communists.