Practice is the standard of truth, and the standard of practice should be viewed from the perspective of development. I sorted out why practice is the only standard for testing truth. Welcome to learn from it.
Why is practice the only criterion for testing truth
Practice is the only criterion for testing truth
Special commentator of Guangming Daily
What is the criterion for testing truth? This is a problem that has long been solved by proletarian revolutionary instructors. However, over the past few years, this issue has been confused due to the destruction of the gang of four and a large number of distorted propaganda by the public opinion tools under their control. In order to thoroughly criticize the gang of four and eliminate its pernicious influence, it is very necessary to bring order out of chaos on this issue.
★ the standard for testing truth can only be social practice
How to distinguish truth from falsehood? In 1845, Marx put forward the standard question of testing truth: "whether human thinking has objective truth is not a theoretical problem, but a practical problem. People should prove the truth of their thinking in practice, that is, the reality and strength of their thinking, that is, the shore of their thinking. The debate on whether thinking without practice has reality is a purely scholastic issue." (selected works of Marx and Engels, Volume 1, page 16)
This tells us very clearly that whether a theory correctly reflects objective reality and whether it is truth can only be tested by social practice. This is a basic principle of Marxist epistemology.
Practice is not only the standard for testing truth, but also the only standard. Chairman Mao said: "there is only one truth, and who discovered the truth depends not on subjective exaggeration, but on objective practice. Only the revolutionary practice of millions of people is the yardstick to test the truth." (on New Democracy) "the standard of truth can only be social practice." (on practice)
Here, "only" and "only", that is to say, there is only one standard and no second. This is because the truth of dialectical materialism is objective truth and the correct reflection of human thought on the objective world and its laws. Therefore, as the standard for testing truth, we can't find it in the subjective field or in the theoretical field. Thought, theory and itself can't become the standard for testing whether they meet the objective reality, just as whether the plaintiff is true in law can't be based on his own prosecution.
As the standard for testing truth, it must have the characteristics of connecting people's thoughts with the objective world, otherwise it can't be tested. The transformation of human beings is the objective activity of social practice. Practice has the characteristic of connecting thought with objective reality. Therefore, it is practice, and only practice, that can complete the task of testing truth. Countless facts in the history of science fully illustrate this problem.
Mendeletev formulated the periodic table of elements according to the change of atomic weight. Some people agreed, others doubted and argued endlessly. After that, several elements were found according to the periodic table, and their chemical properties were just in line with the prediction of the periodic table. In this way, the periodic table of elements is proved to be true.
Copernicus' solar system theory has been a hypothesis for 300 years. When leville calculated from the data provided by this solar system theory that there must be an unknown planet, but also calculated the position of the planet in space, Copernicus' solar system theory was confirmed and became a recognized truth when Caleb did discover Neptune in 1846.
The reason why Marxism is recognized as truth is the result of the long-term practice of millions of people. Chairman Mao said: "the reason why Marxism Leninism is called truth lies not only in the time when Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and others scientifically constitute these theories, but also in the time when it is confirmed by the practice of class struggle and national struggle in the subsequent revolution." (on practice)
Marxism was originally a faction of the workers' movement. At first, it was not famous. The reactionaries besieged it, bourgeois scholars opposed it, and other socialist schools attacked it. However, the long-term revolutionary practice proved that Marxism is the truth and finally became the guiding ideology of the international communist movement.
This is also the case to test the correctness of the route. When formulating their own line, Marxist political parties should, of course, proceed from the actual class relations and class struggle, and demonstrate it under the guidance of revolutionary theory. However, the correctness of the line of the international communist movement and various revolutionary political parties must also be tested by social practice. At the beginning of the 20th century, fierce struggles took place between Lenin's Marxist line and the second international revisionist line in both the international communist movement and the Russian workers' movement. At that time, Kautsky was the leading figure of the second international and Leninists were a minority. The struggle lasted for a long time. The practice of the October Revolution in Russia and the proletarian revolution in various countries proved that Leninism was the truth and declared the bankruptcy of the second international revisionist line.
Mao Zedong thought is the product of the combination of the universal truth of Marxism Leninism and the specific practice of revolution. Chairman Mao's revolutionary line waged a long-term struggle with the "left" and Right opportunist lines. For a period of time, Chairman Mao's revolutionary line did not dominate. The long-term revolutionary struggle, the successful experience and the lessons of failure have proved that Chairman Mao's revolutionary line is correct from both positive and negative aspects, while the "left" and Right opportunist lines are wrong. What is the standard? There is only one: the social practice of millions of people.
★ the unity of theory and practice is one of the most basic principles of Marxism
Some comrades worry that adhering to practice as the only criterion for testing truth will weaken the significance of theory. This fear is superfluous. All scientific theories are not afraid of being tested by practice. On the contrary, only by insisting that practice is the only standard for testing truth, can pseudo science and pseudo theory show their original form, so as to defend real science and theory. This is of special significance for clarifying the theoretical problems that have been very confused by the gang of four.
Out of the counter revolutionary need of usurping the party and power, the gang of four advocated planting seeds It is an idealistic transcendentalism. Opposing practice is the standard to test truth. For example, they concocted the "theory of genius", fabricated the theory of "black line dictatorship" on various fronts such as literature, art and education, forged the "law" that veteran cadres are Democrats and Democrats will inevitably become capitalist roaders, lied about the fallacy that socialist production relations "are the economic basis for the emergence of new bourgeois elements", and fabricated the nonsense that the struggle between Confucianism and law continues to the present, and so on. All these were once regarded as sacred and inviolable so-called "theories". Whoever opposed them would be labeled as opposing Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought.
However, these various fallacies could not stand the test of revolutionary practice at all. Together with the "truth standard" set by the gang of four, they all burst like soap bubbles. This fact eloquently shows that their boasting can not prove the truth, large-scale propaganda can not prove the truth, and power can not prove the truth. They regard themselves as the "authority" of Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought. Practice has proved that they are political swindlers against Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought.
Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought are powerful precisely because they are objective truths tested by practice, and because they highly summarize practical experience, make it rise to theory and guide practice. Because we attach great importance to revolution theory.
Lenin pointed out: "without revolutionary theory, there would be no revolutionary movement." (selected works of Lenin, Vol. 1, P. 241) the importance of theory lies in that it comes from practice and can correctly guide practice. Whether theory correctly guides practice and how to correctly guide practice are inseparable from the test of practice. Without mastering this spiritual essence, it is impossible to really play the role of theory.
Some comrades said that when we criticize revisionism, don't we measure it with Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought, so as to prove that revisionism is wrong? We say, yes, Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought are our sharp weapons for criticizing revisionism and the basis of our argument.
We use the basic principles of Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought to criticize revisionism. These basic principles are summarized by Ma, en, lie, Si and Chairman Mao from the practical experience of revolutionary struggle. They have been proved to be difficult truths by long-term practice; But at the same time, when we use these principles to criticize revisionism, we still cannot leave the current (and past) practice at all. Only starting from practical experience can these principles show great vitality; Our criticism can only be persuasive if it is combined with a large number of factual analysis. Revisionism cannot be refuted without studying practical experience and starting from practical experience.
The objective world is constantly developing, and practice is constantly developing. New things and new problems emerge one after another, which requires studying new things and new problems under the guidance of the general principles of Marxism, constantly making new generalizations and pushing the theory forward. Whether these new theoretical generalizations are correct is tested by what? It can only be tested by practice.
For example, Lenin's theory that individual countries or a few countries can win the socialist revolution in the era of imperialism is a new conclusion. Whether this conclusion is correct or not can not be tested by the general Marxist theory of capitalism. Only the practice of the era of imperialism, the first World War and the October Revolution can prove the truth of Lenin's theory.
Chairman Mao said: "the unity of theory and practice is one of the most basic principles of Marxism". (selected works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 5, P. 297) adhering to practice is the only criterion for testing truth, that is, adhering to Marxism and dialectical materialism.
★ the revolutionary mentor is an example of persisting in testing truth with practice
The revolutionary mentors not only put forward that practice is the only standard for testing truth, but also set a brilliant example of testing all theories, including their own theories, with practice. The attitude of Marx and Engels towards the famous Marxist scientific document "Communist Manifesto" jointly created by them is a vivid example among many examples.
After the declaration was published in 1848, Marx and Engels have been testing it with practice for 45 years. The seven preambles of the declaration record this fact in detail. First of all, Marx and Engels pointed out: "no matter how much changes have taken place in the past 25 years, the general basic principles played in this declaration are still completely correct." At the same time, they also pointed out that "the practical application of these basic principles, as stated in the declaration, should be transferred according to the historical conditions at that time anytime and anywhere." (selected works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 1, page 228)
Marx and Engels revised the individual arguments of the declaration according to the continuous test of new practice, including the discovery of new historical facts. For example, the first sentence of Chapter I of the declaration reads: "the history of all societies so far is the history of class struggle". Engels added a note to the English version of the declaration in 1888, "to be exact, this refers to the written history." (selected works of Marx and Engels, Volume I, page 251)
This is because after the publication of the declaration, people have a further understanding of the prehistoric history of society, especially Morgan's investigation and research shows that there was a long classless society before the class society; Class is the product of social development to a certain historical stage, which is not always there. It can be seen that it is not accurate to say that "the history of all societies is the history of class struggle". Engels made this explanation based on the newly discovered historical facts and revised the old formulation of the declaration.
There is another saying in the declaration that the proletariat wants to seize power by violent revolution in order to overthrow the bourgeoisie. In 1872, in the last preface they signed, Clearly states: "In the past 25 years, the great industry has developed greatly, and the political party organizations of the working class have also developed. First, due to the practical experience of the February Revolution, and later, especially the practical experience of the Paris Commune, where the proletariat took power for the first time for two months, this program is now outdated in some places. In particular, the commune has proved that: 'the working class cannot simply grasp the ready-made state opportunity And use it to achieve their own goals. " (selected works of Marx and Engels, Vol. I, page 229)
Lenin attached great importance to this explanation by Marx and Engels. He believed that it was an "important revision" to the Communist Manifesto. (selected works of Lenin, Vol. III, page 201)
As Chairman Hua pointed out: "Chairman Mao has always taken an extremely serious and cautious attitude towards ideological and theoretical issues. He always wants to let his works pass the test of practice for a period of time before compiling his anthology".
Chairman Mao has always been strict in demanding that he constantly test his theory and line with revolutionary practice. In 1955, Chairman Mao wrote 104 notes while editing the book "the climax of socialism in rural China". At that time, we did not anticipate the new situation of class struggle at home and abroad after 1956. Therefore, when reprinting some of the notes in 1958, Chairman Mao wrote a special note, pointing out that "some of these notes have not lost their meaning.
It is not appropriate to say that the decisive battle between socialism and capitalism was won in 1951. It should be said that 1955 was a year of basic victory in the ownership of production relations. In other aspects of production relations and some aspects of the superstructure, namely, the ideological front and the political front, either there was no basic victory or no complete victory, which remains to be done in the future. " (selected works of Mao Zedong, Volume V, page 225)
This serious scientific attitude of respecting practice by revolutionary instructors has given us great education. They do not think that the theory they put forward is the absolute truth or "peak" that has been completed and can not be tested by practice; I don't think that as long as it is their conclusion, no matter what the actual situation is, it can't be changed; Let alone those individual judgments made on the basis of individual circumstances. They always use practice to test their theories, judgments and instructions, adhere to the truth, correct mistakes, respect practice, respect the masses and have no prejudice. They never allow others to worship their words as "Bible".
There is no doubt that the basic principles of Marxism, Marxist positions, viewpoints and methods must be adhered to and must not be shaken; However, the theoretical treasure house of Marxism is not a pile of rigid dogmas. It should constantly add new viewpoints and conclusions in practice and abandon individual old viewpoints and conclusions that are no longer suitable for the new situation.
On philosophy, Chairman Mao once said: now that we have entered the socialist era, a series of new problems have emerged. If only a few original philosophical works do not meet the new needs, write new works and form new theories, it will not work.
The viewpoint of practice and life is the primary and basic viewpoint of epistemology. The tree of practice and life is evergreen. It is the dialectical materialist position of the revolutionary tutor that upholding practice is the only standard for testing truth that ensures the continuous development of Marxism and maintains its youth forever.
★ any theory should be constantly tested by practice
We should not only recognize that practice is the standard of truth, but also look at the standard of practice from the perspective of development. Practice is constantly developing, so as the standard of testing truth, it has both absolute and relative significance.
As far as all thoughts and theories must be tested by practice, it is absolute and unconditional; As far as practice has its limitations at a certain stage of its development and cannot unconditionally and completely prove or refute all thoughts and theories, it is relative and conditional; However, today's practice can not answer the question, and future practice will eventually answer it. In this regard, it is absolute.
Lenin said: "of course, don't forget here: the standard of practice can never completely prove or refute any appearance of human beings. This standard is also such 'uncertainty' so as not to make human knowledge 'absolute'. At the same time, it is such certainty so as to wage a ruthless struggle against all variants of idealism and agnosticism." (selected works of Lenin, Vol. II, page 142)
The viewpoint of dialectical materialism epistemology on the dialectical unity of the absoluteness and relativity of practical standards is that any thought and theory must be tested by practice without exception, forever and continuously, that is, the viewpoint of truth development. Any thought or theory, even if it has been proved to be true at a certain stage of practice, should still be tested by new practice and supplemented, enriched or corrected in the process of its development.
Chairman Mao pointed out: "the history of human cognition tells us that the truth of many theories is incomplete, and their incompleteness has been corrected through the test of practice. Many theories are wrong, and their mistakes have been corrected through the test of practice." He also pointed out: "the movement of change in the objective real world will never end, and people's understanding of truth in practice will never end. Marxism Leninism does not end truth, but constantly opens up the road of understanding truth in practice." (on practice)
Marxism emphasizes that practice is the standard for testing truth, and emphasizes that the understanding of truth in practice is never finished. That is to admit that our understanding can not be completed at one time or finally. That is to admit that due to the limitations of history and class, our understanding may make mistakes and need to be tested by practice. Anything proved to be wrong or inconsistent with reality should be changed and should not be adhered to.
In fact, such changes are common. Chairman Mao said, "the real guide of revolution lies not only in being good at correcting mistakes in one's ideas, theories, plans and plans.", "It is necessary to adapt our work to the new stage of revolution and development, that is, to adapt our subjective understanding to the new stage of revolution and development." (on practice)
In order to usurp the party and power, Lin Biao and the gang of four made nonsense about "one sentence is worth ten thousand sentences" and "every sentence is truth". Practice has proved that what they said is by no means the truth of Mao Zedong thought, but the fallacy of pretending to be Mao Zedong thought.
At present, the gang of four and its bourgeois Gang system have been destroyed, but the spiritual shackles imposed on people by the gang of four are far from being completely smashed. The tendency of "what is right in the Bible" (on strategies against Japanese imperialism), which Chairman Mao criticized during the second domestic revolutionary war, still exists.
Whether in theory or in practical work, the gang of four has set up many "forbidden areas" that imprison people's thoughts. For these "forbidden areas", we should dare to touch and clarify right and wrong. Science has no forbidden zone. Where there is a place beyond practice and regarded as an absolute "forbidden zone", there is no science, there is no real Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought, but only obscurantism, idealism and cultural autocracy.
The Eleventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Fifth National People's Congress set the general tasks of the whole Party and the people of the whole country in the new development period of socialist revolution and socialist construction. For us, socialism is still an unrecognized kingdom of necessity in many places.
In order to accomplish this great task, we are faced with many new problems, which need us to understand and study, lie on the ready-made provisions of Marxism Leninism and Mao Zedong thought, and even use ready-made formulas to limit, slaughter and cut infinitely rich and rapidly developing revolutionary practice. This attitude is wrong.
We should have the sense of responsibility and courage of Communists, have the courage to study vivid real life, study the exact facts of reality, and study the new problems raised in new practice. Only in this way can we have a correct attitude towards Marxism, gradually move forward from the kingdom of necessity to the kingdom of freedom, and smoothly carry out the new great Long March.
(this article was originally published in Guangming Daily on May 11, 1978)