Liang Dawei, Wang Zhuo: An Analysis of the Rationale for Socialist Ideological Self-Confidence Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China
Ideological confidence refers to the profound conviction and full identification of a political party, country, nation, or people with its own ideology. In class societies, ideology, as the concentrated manifestation of the ruling class's will, does not merely exist as a "derivative" or "secretion" of the socio-economic structure, but also exerts a profound influence back upon that structure. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) became the governing party across the country. The "socialist ideology guided by Marxism-Leninism" to which it adheres follows the fundamental law that "the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas," and began to ascend as the National mainstream ideology. Over the 70-plus years since the founding of the PRC, the Party and the state have attached great importance to the vital role of ideology in governance. They have led the construction of socialist ideology by holding high the banner of Marxist theory, drawing nourishment from the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, basing efforts on the achievements of socialist construction, and fully utilizing the experience of ideological construction, thereby cultivating a powerful force of confidence. Embarking on the new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal, we must strengthen our socialist ideological confidence and clarify the soul, root, basis, and strength of this confidence, thereby converging a powerful ideological force to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
I. The Soul of Confidence: Marxist Theory Supports Socialist Ideological Confidence
Adhering to Marxism as the banner and soul is the core support for socialist ideological confidence. As the core content of socialist ideology, Marxism's scientific nature and objective truth at three levels—cognition-explanation, value-belief, and goal-strategy—lay the theoretical foundation for the Party and the people to remain firm in their socialist ideological confidence.
(1) From the perspective of cognition-explanation, Marxism shines with scientific brilliance
The birth of Marxism was undoubtedly a great revolution in the history of human thought. Its original historical materialism and the theory of surplus value "revealed the general laws of the development of human society and the specific laws of the operation of capitalism," providing a powerful intellectual weapon for people to pierce the mists of history, explain reality’s dilemmas, and foresee future trends.
On the one hand, Marx revealed the general laws of human social development by creating and elucidating historical materialism. Before the birth of Marxism, many theories and doctrines sought to reveal the laws of human social development, but these theories either proceeded from illusory divine will or from abstract human nature. Ultimately, being detached from the actual foundations of human society, they would "languish under the yoke of illusions, ideas, dogmas, and imaginary beings," [1] making it impossible to correctly understand the laws of social development. Marxism opened a new chapter in history, breaking the previous idealist mold that explored human historical evolution purely in the realm of ideas. It constructed a brand-new cognitive approach—that of historical materialism—which "explains all conceptual forms from the starting point of material practice." Applying this new cognitive approach to examine the process of human social evolution, Marx discovered that the interaction between the two pairs of basic social contradictions—the productive forces and the relations of production, and the economic base and the superstructure—is the fundamental driving force for human progress. He divided the course of human social development into five stages—primitive society, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society, and communist society—stripping away the veil of mystery from human historical evolution. It is precisely through this revelation of the general laws of social development that Marxism won the conviction of the people, laying the foundation for their identification with and confidence in socialist ideology.
On the other hand, Marx revealed the specific laws of capitalist operation by creating and elucidating the theory of surplus value. Since the British Industrial Revolution, countries around the world have successively entered the track of capitalist development based on private ownership of the means of production, ushering in a new era of rapid economic and social development. Marx fully affirmed the revolutionary role of the bourgeoisie in the course of human development, noting: "The bourgeoisie, during its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together." At the same time, Marx profoundly revealed the secret of why the bourgeoisie could create such immense productive forces—namely, that "the production of surplus value or the making of profit is the absolute law of this mode of production." Capital accumulation achieved through the extraction of surplus value created by workers leads to an increasing aggravation of the contradiction between socialized production and private ownership of the means of production. The final outcome will be as Marx predicted: "The knell of capitalist private property sounds. The expropriators are expropriated." Based on this, Marx arrived at the historic conclusion that "the downfall of the bourgeoisie and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable." This scientific conclusion strengthened the confidence and courage of the Party and the masses to continue their efforts and devoted struggle, providing an important theoretical basis for the Party and the people to remain firm in their socialist ideological confidence.
(2) From the perspective of value-belief, Marxism upholds the people's standpoint
As a system of value concepts, an ideology necessarily contains specific value beliefs. Marxism is the "science concerning real individuals and their historical development" [2] and is deeply concerned with the development of human society. From its inception, its theoretical foothold has been placed on the masses; while revealing the laws of social development, it also revealed that the essence of such development is "human development."
First, it clarified the positioning of the individual as the primary premise. Thinking and answering the question of the premise of human history is an important clue to revealing the mysteries of history. Marx and Engels pointed out: "The first premise of all human history is, of course, the existence of living human individuals." These "living individuals" are not abstract individuals who "exist in some imaginary state of seclusion and fixity," but "real individuals"—that is, individuals who are "active and engaged in material production." As an important part of the human social structure, socialist ideology follows the basic prescription of taking the "real individual" as its starting point.
Second, it established the status of people as the subjects of history. Before Marx, previous philosophers' examinations of human history often "ignored the real person." Marx grounded the examination of human history in the most fundamental human being, believing that "history is nothing but the activity of man pursuing his aims." In the course of historical evolution, people act as both the "playwrights" and the "actors"; they are the absolute "protagonists" who create history and promote social development. Socialist ideology inherits this Marxist understanding of people’s status as historical subjects, viewing the people as the creators and recipients of socialist ideology, thereby demonstrating profound concern and respect for them.
Third, it anchored the ultimate goal of human liberation. History and practice have repeatedly proven that the question of "for whom the ideology speaks" is the key factor determining its influence. General Secretary Xi Jinping has also pointed out: "The question of for whom one creates and for whom one speaks is a fundamental question." From its birth, Marxism has contained the value-pursuit of seeking liberation for humanity, with its fundamental goal being to "seek and realize the free and comprehensive development of every individual." At the same time, Marxism not only concerns itself with "human liberation" at the ultimate level of meaning, but also points out that those who urgently need liberation in real life are the vast masses of people who are exploited, oppressed, and enslaved. This determines that, compared with previous false ideologies, Marxism can obtain more solid moral support, thereby ensuring that socialist ideology firmly occupies the moral high ground of all humanity.
(3) From the perspective of goal-strategy, Marxism highlights a practice-orientation
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Practicality is a prominent feature that distinguishes Marxist theory from other theories." Following the principle of practicality, Marxism occupies the high ground of truth and morality while depicting the ideal vision of communism and pointing out the practical path to achieving communist goals.
On the one hand, it depicts the ideal vision of communism. Marxism deeply examined the entire history of human development, revealed the general trends of social development, described the basic features of a future communist society, and outlined a beautiful communist future for humanity. In the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Marx indicated that the primary feature of communism is "the return of man to himself as a social (i.e., human) being—a return accomplished consciously and embracing the entire wealth of previous development." In The German Ideology, Marx and Engels gave the theory of human alienation a historical materialist significance, believing that the realization of the cause of communism must take "the universal development of productive forces and the world-wide intercourse linked with them" as its premise. In the Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels further summarized the feature of communism as the "abolition of private property." In summary, under communist conditions, united individuals achieve the appropriation of the total productive forces, achieve the coincidence of self-activity with material life, and achieve the transformation of labor into self-activity. Socialist ideology, with Marxism as its core, takes the "realization of communism" as its ideal pursuit and possesses the inherent conditions to lead the masses to work with one heart and mind and pursue communism with unswerving determination.
On the other hand, it points out the practical path for communism. Marxism is not a "theory for the study cabinet"; it was born and bred in the practical struggle of the proletariat and working people against capitalist exploitation and oppression. Its creation was itself intended to serve the needs of the vast exploited and oppressed people to change their historical destiny. Marx clearly stated: "All social life is essentially practical. All mysteries which lead theory to mysticism find their rational solution in human practice and in the comprehension of this practice." This is a vivid expression of the practical character of Marxism. As an important component of Marxism, communist theory has a profound practical basis; it is generated from practice, applied in practice, and can only be enriched and developed in practice. Marx and Engels pointed out: "Communism is the most practical movement pursuing practical ends by practical means." This important statement elucidates the practical nature of communism and points out the fundamental way to turn the communist ideal into reality through practice. Socialist ideology, with Marxism as its core, emphasizes its own practical transformation, requiring its own gestation and growth to be practice-oriented and to remain in a long-term state of practice.
II. The Root of Confidence: Culture of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Deeply Plants Socialist Ideological Confidence
The culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the foundation of strength for socialist ideological confidence. No ideology can exist in isolation from a specific historical and cultural soil; our socialist ideology is a "skyscraper" built upon the foundation of the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture provide the cultural "matrix" resources for socialist ideology and are the cultural roots for the Party and the people to remain firm in their socialist ideological confidence.
(1) Fine traditional Chinese culture nurtures socialist ideological confidence
Fine traditional Chinese culture is the "root" and "source" of Chinese culture, the identity marker of the Chinese nation, and a powerful manifestation of the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Fine traditional Chinese culture has already become the DNA of the Chinese nation, rooted in the hearts of Chinese people, subtly influencing their ways of thinking and behaving." The reason the Party and the people can establish socialist ideological confidence is that fine traditional Chinese culture, accumulated over more than 5,000 years of history, has "performed great feats." The report to the 20th CPC National Congress also clearly pointed out: "To uphold and develop Marxism, we must integrate it with fine traditional Chinese culture. Only by taking root in the rich historical and cultural soil of our own country and nation can the tree of Marxist truth flourish and remain evergreen." This highlights the significant value of fine traditional Chinese culture for our socialist ideological confidence. In fact, compared to socialist ideology, fine traditional Chinese culture exists in the hearts of the Chinese people as a pre-existing force. Its essence—such as "benevolence, people-as-the-foundation, integrity, justice, harmony, and the Great Unity" [3]—is an important source for nurturing socialist ideology. Over the 70-plus years since the founding of the PRC, the Party and the state have rooted themselves in Chinese reality during the process of constructing socialist ideology, fully absorbing the political wisdom and value concepts in fine traditional Chinese culture, thereby casting a sturdy foundation of fine traditional culture for socialist ideology.
(2) Revolutionary culture inspires socialist ideological confidence
Revolutionary culture, nurtured and grown during the years of revolution, is a magnificent cultural landscape formed by the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) through arduous revolutionary struggle and tortuous, painstaking exploration. It represents a unique and brand-new cultural form of the Chinese Communists and possesses fundamental value within socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. Mao Zedong pointed out: "Revolutionary culture is a powerful revolutionary weapon for the broad masses of the people. Before the revolution, it is ideological preparation for the revolution; during the revolution, it is a necessary and important front within the general revolutionary front." It can be said that revolutionary culture upholds ideals and beliefs and overflows with revolutionary passion. The spiritual elements it contains—such as tenacious struggle, hard pioneering work, and united endeavor—are precious spiritual nutrients that inspire the Party and the people to maintain vigorous vitality, high-spirited fortitude, and a sense of moral integrity [4]. They are an important source of confidence in socialist ideology. Revolutionary culture and socialist ideology share a high degree of similarity; both are guided by Marxist theory, both pursue communism as their industrial ideal, and the rise of revolutionary culture adds new support to confidence in socialist ideology. Specifically: First, revolutionary culture possesses distinct "red" characteristics. Greatly promoting revolutionary culture can inject "red genes" into socialist ideology and construct a "red master-copy" for it, thereby infusing new vitality into the firming of confidence in socialist ideology. Second, revolutionary culture possesses an outstanding character of struggle. For over 70 years since the founding of New China, socialist ideology has been constantly subjected to the impact and erosion of various anti-Marxist and anti-socialist trends of thought. Persisting in and promoting revolutionary culture can strengthen the will of socialist ideology to struggle against these trends, clearing away obstacles to firming ideological confidence. Third, revolutionary culture possesses powerful mobilization capabilities. From its inception, revolutionary culture was generated to adapt to revolutionary needs and mobilize the masses to devote themselves to the revolution. For over 70 years, the Party and the state have been committed to ensuring that revolutionary culture remains in a "fresh" state, actively employing it to guide the masses to unite and forge ahead for their ideals and beliefs, thereby gathering a powerful force of the people to firm up confidence in socialist ideology.
(3) Advanced socialist culture leads confidence in socialist ideology
Culture can be divided into that which is active and advanced and that which is backward and decadent. Active and advanced culture promotes social progress, while backward and decadent culture hinders social development. Advanced socialist culture inherits the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture, absorbs the marrow of revolutionary culture, represents the orientation of advanced social culture, represents the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, and represents the development requirements of advanced productive forces. it is a socialist culture oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future. Engels pointed out: "Every step forward in culture was a step towards freedom." As a socialist country, developing advanced socialist culture is an inherent requirement for building a strong socialist cultural power and an inevitable requirement for promoting the progress of human civilization. It must be noted that an intimate internal link exists between advanced socialist culture and socialist ideology; they possess "a high degree of internal consistency in terms of guiding ideology and ideal goals, value orientation and the direction of the times, and educational functions and practical paths." After the founding of New China, advanced socialist culture and socialist ideology were launched and developed simultaneously, running through the entire process of China's socialist construction. One might say that the formation process of advanced socialist culture is the process by which the Party and the state occupy and consolidate ideological positions and continuously enrich confidence in socialist ideology. Over the past 70 years, the Party and the state have persisted in using advanced socialist culture to lead and integrate diverse cultures; this has not only enriched and developed advanced socialist culture but has also defended the dominant position of socialist ideology and consolidated the cultural bedrock of confidence in socialist ideology.
III. The Grounds for Confidence: The Great Achievements of Socialist Construction Fortify Confidence in Socialist Ideology
The achievements of socialist construction attained by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC constitute the factual basis for confidence in socialist ideology. For over 70 years since the founding of New China, the CPC, guided by Marxism, has led the people to achieve remarkable successes in ideological theory, material technology, institutional construction, and spiritual culture. These achievements fully demonstrate the power of truth and the practical might of socialist ideology, providing a realistic basis for the Party and the people to firm up their confidence in socialist ideology.
(1) Achievements in ideological theory "concentrate the soul" for confidence in socialist ideology
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Possessing the guidance of scientific Marxist theory is the fundamental basis for our Party to firm up its faith and belief and grasp historical initiative." As early as the process of preparing to establish the Party, the pioneers of the CPC repeatedly compared various "isms" and trends of thought, finally choosing Marxism. After the founding of New China, on the basis of summarizing the experience of local governance during the New Democratic Revolution [5], the CPC firmly chose Marxism as the guiding ideology for the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups nationwide and firmly embarked on the socialist road. For over 70 years, the Chinese Communists have deeply understood the law-like realization that "Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country are founded and through which they thrive." They have persisted in the scientific guidance of Marxism in their struggling practice, continuously advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, proposed the great historical task of the "second integration" of Marxism with the specific realities of China's socialist revolution and construction, based on the "first integration" of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's concrete reality. This further enriched and developed Mao Zedong Thought. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Chinese Communists, with Comrades Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao as their chief representatives, combined the basic tenets of Marxism with the specific reality of China's reform and opening up, creating, enriching, and developing the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have fully carried forward the spirit of historical initiative, promoted the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific reality and with fine traditional Chinese culture (the "Two Integrations"), and created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. It can be said that the 70-year history of socialist construction in New China is simultaneously a history of the innovative development of Marxist theory. During this time, the vigorous development of Marxism on Chinese soil has continuously endowed socialist ideology with new connotations, promoting its substantial development and coalescing a broad consensus and powerful momentum for the Party and the people to firm up their confidence in socialist ideology.
(2) Achievements in material technology "strengthen the bones" of confidence in socialist ideology
As a system of value concepts, ideology has no history of independent development; it undergoes latent transformation alongside changes in social existence. This dictates that the generation of confidence in socialist ideology cannot be detached from realistic material conditions. Marx pointed out: "With the change of the economic foundation, the entire immense superstructure is more or less rapidly transformed." This indicates that the prosperity of material technology and the economic base is the decisive factor driving the prosperity of ideology and culture. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress emphasized: "Without a solid material and technological foundation, it is impossible to build a great modern socialist country in all respects." By the same token, without a solid material and technological foundation, it is impossible to build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership. For over 70 years since the founding of New China, the Party has led the people of all ethnic groups to create the "two miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, established the world's most complete modern industrial system, accomplished the great feat of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, realized the millennial aspiration of eliminating absolute poverty, and successfully promoted and expanded Chinese-path modernization. This series of achievements fully reflects the superiority of the socialist system and the advanced nature of socialist ideology; they are the best interpretation of the effectiveness of socialist ideology and important evidence for firming up ideological confidence. Today, under the guidance of socialist ideology, socialism with Chinese characteristics is flourishing. China’s total economic volume ranks steadily second in the world, contributing more than 30% to global economic growth. "The Chinese people have welcomed a great leap from having insufficient food and clothing to moderate prosperity." The material and technological achievements of the past 70 years cannot be separated from the protection provided by socialist ideology, while the solid economic foundation and powerful national strength have transformed the ideal social state depicted by socialist ideology into a perceptible "social existence," greatly replenishing the "calcium" of the Party and the people's confidence in socialist ideology.
(3) Achievements in institutional construction "reinforce the sinews" of confidence in socialist ideology
Over the past 70 years, the achievements in the construction of China's socialist ideology have had deep institutional drivers. In 1956, with the basic completion of the socialist transformation of private ownership of the means of production, the basic socialist system was established nationwide, laying the fundamental political prerequisite and institutional foundation for the generation and development of socialist ideology. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party and the state deeply grasped the laws of socialist construction and, on the basis of restoring and streamlining the original socialist system, created and developed the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, providing strong institutional support for building the persuasive power and discourse power of socialist ideology. Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "The socialist system is much better than the capitalist system where the weak are the prey of the strong and people harm others to benefit themselves. Our system will improve day by day; it will absorb the progressive factors we can absorb from all countries in the world and become the best system in the world. This is something capitalism can absolutely never achieve." This important discourse emphasized the superiority of the socialist system compared to the capitalist system, providing ample reason for the Party and the people to firm up their confidence in socialist ideology. Since the New Era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has, with immense political courage and wisdom, comprehensively deepened reform, further improved and developed the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and accelerated the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. By the end of 2020, China's "basic institutional frameworks in various fields were essentially established, with many fields achieving historical transformations, systematic reshaping, and holistic reconstruction, laying a solid foundation for the formation of a system that is complete, scientifically standardized, and effective in operation, making the systems in all aspects more mature and defined." The increasing maturity and definition of the institutional system provide the fundamental institutional guarantee for the flourishing development of socialist ideology.
(4) Achievements in spiritual civilization "empower" confidence in socialist ideology
Since the founding of New China...
For over 70 years, the Communist Party of China has attached great importance to the vital role of spiritual civilization [10]. It has blazed a trail for building spiritual civilization with Chinese characteristics and created a new form of human civilization, gathering a vast amount of "positive energy" for the construction of socialist ideology. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong proposed the development principle of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" [11] regarding the question of "how to carry out socialist cultural construction." This propelled China's cultural undertakings into a brand-new stage of development and created a favorable cultural atmosphere for the prosperity of socialist ideology. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party Central Committee attached great importance to the construction of spiritual civilization. It adhered to the strategic principle of "grasping with both hands" (simultaneously pursuing material and spiritual civilization). Successively, it launched thematic education on the "Five Stresses, Four Beauties, and Three Loves" [12], proposed the major proposition and strategic task of "building a system of socialist core values," set the strategic goal of "building a culturally strong socialist country," and carried out publicity and education activities to practice the socialist concept of honor and disgrace [13]. This series of spiritual civilization creation activities allowed the masses to tangibly feel the value and charm of socialist spiritual civilization, promoted the renewal of people's concepts and the improvement of their quality, and strengthened and consolidated the construction of socialist ideology.
Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has elevated the construction of socialist spiritual civilization to the height of governance. On the one hand, it focuses on promoting the integration of existing spiritual civilization achievements into the daily lives of the people; on the other hand, it actively creates new spiritual civilization achievements. Concepts such as the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the sense of community for the Chinese nation, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists [14], and the common values of all humanity are all original spiritual achievements of the New Era. The creation of these achievements has deepened people's understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strengthened their identity with socialist ideology. The continuous enrichment and development of socialist spiritual civilization have not only met the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs but have also endowed socialist ideology with a weightier spiritual background, more profound spiritual connotations, and more majestic spiritual nourishment.
IV. The Power of Confidence: The Party's Experience in Ideological Construction Consolidates Confidence in Socialist Ideology
The experience in ideological construction accumulated by the CPC throughout its century-long struggle is the internal foundation for confidence in socialist ideology. For over a hundred years, the CPC has "insisted on establishing and maintaining the Party through ideology," driving ideological construction through a glorious journey of laying foundations, making starts, exploration and setbacks, and innovation and development, finally reaching perfection and elevation. It has summarized and refined a wealth of experience in ideological construction. While boosting the vigorous development of socialist ideology, these experiences have accumulated and formed rich factors for ideological confidence, injecting powerful momentum into the Party and the people's firm confidence in socialist ideology.
(i) Determining the "Direction" of Socialist Ideology through "Party Leadership"
The leadership of the Party is the fundamental guarantee for the steady and sustained progress of all undertakings of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As "an extremely important task of the Party," ideological work must be promoted steadily and deployed in an orderly manner under the Party's leadership. For over a century, the CPC has insisted on implementing Party leadership in all fields, aspects, and links of socialist ideological construction, fully exerting the Party's role in charting the course for socialist ideology. The "First Resolution of the Communist Party of China," adopted at the First National Congress of the Party, explicitly emphasized: "All publication work of books, daily newspapers, slogans, and leaflets must be subject to the supervision of the Central Executive Committee or the Provisional Central Executive Committee," reflecting the Party's high level of attention to ideological work. During the New Democratic Revolution period [15], Mao Zedong pointed out regarding the issue of ideological leadership: "We feel that the question of the ideological leadership of the proletariat is a very important issue." During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the CPC persisted, on the one hand, in taking "destruction" as a prerequisite—resolutely criticizing and clearing away the ideological remnants of the old society such as imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism—and on the other hand, taking "construction" as the goal—organizing large-scale Marxist theoretical study movements and publishing a large number of Marxist classics. This constructed a brand-new socialist ideological system throughout society, ensuring the socialist direction of ideological construction. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party Central Committee attached great importance to ideological work, actively strengthening and improving the Party's leadership over it, and guiding ideological work to serve the central task of economic construction, providing a powerful "spiritual engine" and ideological guarantee for reform and opening up. Since the New Era, our Party has "focused on solving the problem of weakened Party leadership in the ideological field," driving a "comprehensive and fundamental shift in the situation of our country's ideological field." In summary, adhering to the Party's leadership is the secret code for the prosperity and development of our socialist ideology and the prerequisite for the Party and the people to establish and enhance their confidence in socialist ideology.
(ii) Manifesting the "Superiority" of Socialist Ideology through "Putting People First"
The people-centered nature is a prominent characteristic and significant advantage of socialist ideology, as well as the core secret for socialist ideology to win the trust, support, and advocacy of the broad masses. Marx pointed out: "Whenever 'ideas' were separated from 'interests,' they invariably made themselves ridiculous." In other words, "interest-based prescription is a natural attribute of ideology," and the actual enjoyment and satisfaction of interests are the fundamental ways to enhance people's ideological confidence. For over a century, the CPC has understood that the coagulation of consensus cannot be separated from the protection of interests. It has always represented the interests of the people, actively responded to their demands, and strived to realize an effective connection between the "abstraction" of socialist ideological construction and the "reality" of the masses' daily lives, allowing socialist ideology to gain the support and identity of the people. From the day of its founding, the CPC has placed the people in the highest position in its heart; it has no special interests of its own and persists in seeking interests for the vast majority. During the New Democratic Revolution, the Party created the "mass line" work method of "from the masses, to the masses" in practice, clearly expressing the value concept of starting from the interests of the masses, relying on the masses, and working for the interests of the masses. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party rooted the promotion of socialist ideological construction in the masses, committing itself to "developing thoughts for serving the people." During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "Talking about socialism in the abstract will not do; the people will not believe it." To this end, our Party persisted in liberating and developing the productive forces, taking the development of productive forces as the fundamental task of socialism, thereby combining the theoretical propositions of socialist ideology with responses to the people's interest demands, highlighting the value aim of socialist ideology to "speak for the people" and "share the people's worries." Since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has regarded the people's advocacy and support as the prerequisite and foundation for the development of all Party and state undertakings, leading the Party's socialist ideological construction to follow the principle of putting the people first, always "maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the masses, and continuously realizing, safeguarding, and developing the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people." It is precisely through such protection of interests that the persuasiveness and centripetal force of socialist ideology have been significantly enhanced.
(iii) Strengthening the "Foundation" of Socialist Ideology through "Institutional Construction"
Institutions govern the fundamentals and ensure long-term results. As rigid constraints to be commonly observed by members within an organization, institutions have an inherent logical connection with the mainstream ideology. Specifically, the construction of social institutions takes a certain ideology as its theoretical precursor and value foundation; meanwhile, as a set of values, ideology cannot naturally remain fresh and pure—it may become obscured or fade if neglected, and it will dry up if not nourished for long. Therefore, institutional construction is needed to ensure that ideological construction proceeds steadily and remains evergreen. For over a century, the CPC has attached great importance to the institutionalized exploration of socialist ideological construction, emphasizing the use of institutional forms to ensure its long-term nature and stability. The "First Resolution of the Communist Party of China" listed "propaganda" alongside "workers' organizations," "workers' schools," and "attitudes toward existing political parties," putting forward clear requirements and indicating an institutionalized tendency for ideological construction in the form of a resolution. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core incorporated the guiding status of Marxism into the first Constitution of the New China, establishing the guiding status of Marxism in the form of a "fundamental law" and accelerating the pace of the institutionalized construction of socialist ideology. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party corrected past wrongs [16], correctly positioned ideological work to serve the central task of economic construction, and explicitly proposed that the "Four Cardinal Principles" [17] must be upheld in ideological and political terms, driving the gradual maturation of institutionalized ideological construction. Since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the CPC has promoted ideological construction with institutionalized thinking, persisting in a "horizontal-to-the-edge, vertical-to-the-bottom" approach. It established adhering to the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field as a fundamental system and actively built an ideological institutional system with a "four beams and eight pillars" [18] nature—including "the ideological work responsibility system, the accountability and supervision system, the study system, and the normative system"—driving the institutionalized process of our country's socialist ideological construction into a new stage. In a century of institutionalized exploration and construction, our socialist ideology has firmly planted "institutional wings," building a solid institutional foundation led by the fundamental system, supported by specific laws and regulations, where national laws and internal Party regulations complement and reinforce each other.
(iv) Increasing the "Efficacy" of Socialist Ideology through "Innovation and Development"
The innovation and development of an ideology act as its hard shell; an ideology that is complacent and conservative will lose its innovative shell and expose its soft core, eventually falling into a position where it can be easily manipulated. For over a century, the CPC has grasped new trends, built new patterns, and explored new paths in ideological construction, continuously opening up new realms of "responding to changes as they arise" in socialist ideological construction. During the New Democratic Revolution, Mao Zedong proposed the requirement of combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's concrete reality at the Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee, leading the whole Party to form the original idea of the "First Integration" [19] in ideological construction, and founded the first theoretical achievement of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism—Mao Zedong Thought. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, Mao Zedong made the famous judgment that "the theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism" and called for the "Second Integration" of the basic principles of Marxism with China's concrete reality. This made an original contribution to the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, established the tone of "integrated" innovation and development for our socialist ideology, and enriched and developed Mao Zedong Thought. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party restored the "seek truth from facts" ideological line, scientifically revealed the essential characteristics of socialism, and promoted ideological construction to serve the overall situation of reform and opening up, forming the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics [20] and pushing socialist ideological construction a great step forward. Since the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has creatively proposed the major theoretical proposition of the "Two Integrations" [21], "opening up a vast space for theoretical and practical innovation" for socialist ideological construction. He founded Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, significantly enhancing the global influence and international communication power of socialist ideology. Both history and reality prove that innovation has always been a red thread running through the century-long history of our country's ideological construction and is the secret to ensuring that socialist ideology always maintains vigorous vitality and robust energy.
Ideology is an important component of national power and a foundational element concerning the people's spiritual wealth, the coagulation of social consensus, and the unification of national will. Guided by Marxism, socialist ideology is the mainstream ideology of socialist China. Since the founding of the New China...
Over the past 70-plus years, the Party and the state have continuously consolidated and developed socialist ideology, actively utilizing it to lead the development of national undertakings and guide the lived practice of the people. This has resulted in the great achievement of constantly enriching ideological theory, increasingly robust material and technical foundations, the gradual maturation of institutional construction, and the burgeoning prosperity of spiritual civilization. History eloquently proves that socialist ideology occupies the high ground of truth and morality; it is a powerful, practical force through which the Party and the people shape the "self" internally and distinguish it from the "other" externally. Presently, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century [22]. While the domestic and international ideological spheres may appear calm on the surface, they are in fact fraught with undercurrents; the slightest negligence could lead to the peril of political instability or regime change. At this critical juncture, it is all the more necessary for us to clarify the internal basis for the superiority of socialist ideology. We must ensure our confidence at the ideological level is well-founded and supported by reason, thereby building a secure ideological fortress and injecting the power of ideological confidence into the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
About the Authors: Liang Dawei is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Marxism, Dalian University of Technology. Wang Zhuo is a Doctoral Candidate at the School of Marxism, Dalian University of Technology.
Source: Social Science Front (Sixiang Zhanxian), Issue 1, 2026.