Marxism Research Network
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Research on Marxist Methodology

Book Reviews

Content Summary

Reviewing the history of the Communist Party of China, there is a fundamental reason why the Party was able to gradually grow and strengthen from such a weak initial position, why it was able to be reborn from desperate situations time and again amidst "storms of wind and blood" [1], and why it has been able to continuously move from victory to victory while overcoming the most difficult challenges: that reason is its adherence to the scientific worldview and methodology of Marxism. This book provides a profound academic analysis of the primary contents of essential Marxist methodologies, including the concrete analysis of concrete conditions, class analysis, the analysis of basic social contradictions, analysis of laws, trend analysis, analysis of links [2], spatio-temporal analysis, and the method of seeking truth from facts. Furthermore, it provides a systematic elaboration on how these methodologies are applied in close integration with China’s actual conditions.

Author Biography

Xin Xiangyang, born in March 1965, is a member of the CPC and a Doctor of Laws. He graduated from Renmin University of China in 1991 with a doctoral degree in Law. He previously served as the Deputy Director of the Institute of Information Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and currently serves as the Deputy Director of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies. He is also the Deputy Director of the Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Executive Deputy Director of the Research Center for Xi Jinping New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and Deputy Director of the World Socialism Research Center. He is a Level-2 Researcher and doctoral supervisor. In 2012, he was awarded the State Council Special Government Allowance; in 2015, he was selected as one of the "Four Batches of Talents" [3] in the propaganda and cultural system by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee; and in 2016, he was selected as a leading talent in the "Ten Thousand Talents Program" [4] by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. He serves as a judge for the National Social Science Fund and the National Publication Foundation. His social appointments include positions as a special researcher for the China Ideological and Political Work Research Association, a specially invited researcher for the National Association for Party Building Studies, and Vice President of the Beijing Political Science and Administrative Science Society.

Table of Contents

Preface: The Marxist Worldview and Methodology

I. The Method of Analyzing Basic Social Contradictions

  1. The Scientific Connotation of the Method of Analyzing Basic Social Contradictions
  2. The Basic Contradictions of Capitalist Society
  3. The Basic Contradictions and the Principal Contradiction [5] of Socialist Society

II. The Method of Class Analysis

  1. Class Analysis is a Scientific Method Proven by Countless Historical Facts
  2. The Method of Class Analysis is Not Outdated in Contemporary Society
  3. The Value of Class Analysis Also Lies in Its Development of Stratum Analysis

III. The Method of Analyzing Laws

  1. The Basic Connotation of the Method of Analyzing Laws
  2. The Modes and Methods Used by the Founders of Marxism to Reveal Laws
  3. The Understanding of Objective Laws in New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

IV. The Method of Trend Analysis

  1. The Method of Trend Analysis and Classic Case Studies from the Writers of the Marxist Classics
  2. Types of Trends in Economic and Social Development
  3. How to Grasp Trends and Foresee the Future

V. Concrete Analysis of Concrete Problems

  1. Concrete Analysis of Concrete Conditions is the Living Soul of Marxism
  2. Chinese Communists Have Always Attached Importance to "Concrete Analysis of Concrete Problems"
  3. The Basic Connotation of Concrete Analysis of Concrete Problems
  4. Several Issues to Note When Applying This Method

VI. The Method of Link Analysis

  1. Lenin’s Analysis of Key Links from 1917–1923
  2. Three Aspects of Links Grasped by Lenin
  3. The Practical Significance of the Method of Link Analysis

VII. The Method of the Unity of the Logical and the Historical

  1. Current Major Views in Chinese Academic Circles Regarding This Methodology
  2. The Basic Meaning of the Methodology of "Consistency Between the Logical and the Historical" in the Writers of the Marxist Classics
  3. The Practical Significance of the Methodology of "Consistency Between the Logical and the Historical"

VIII. The Method of Spatio-Temporal Analysis

  1. The Method of Spatio-Temporal Analysis of the Movement of Capital
  2. Spatio-Temporal Analysis of the Free and Comprehensive Development of Individuals
  3. The Spatio-Temporal Dialectics of Marxist Parties in Practice

IX. The Method of Seeking Truth from Facts

  1. The Method of Seeking Truth from Facts Possesses Deep Traditions in Fine Traditional Chinese Culture
  2. The Interpretation of "Seeking Truth from Facts" by Communists
  3. Several Methods for Success in Seeking Truth from Facts

Bibliography Postscript