The Whole Party should Pay Attention to Ideological and Theoretical Work

Mao Zedong's idea on the importance of ideological and theoretical work which was comprehensively expounded in his work "Talks at a Conference of Secretaries of Provincial, Municipal and Autonomous Region Party Committees" which was realized in January 1957. Ideological and theoretical work is one of the basic contents of the Party's leadership practice and concept, and it is the basic content of the Party's work. In January 1940, Mao Zedong pointed out: " Beyond all doubt, now is the time to spread communist ideas more widely and put more energy into the study of Marxism-Leninism, or otherwise we shall not only be unable to lead the Chinese revolution forward to the future stage of socialism, but shall also be unable to guide the present democratic revolution to victory.” In September 1954, Mao Zedong clearly stated in the opening speech of the First Session of the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China: "The core force leading our cause is the Communist Party of China. The theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism.” After the establishment of socialist system, Mao Zedong called on the whole Party to strengthen the army of Marxist theorists, firmly establish a correct world views, master the Marxist methodology, and comprehensively consolidate and build socialism. On January 27, 1957, Mao Zedong put forward in his speech at the Conference of Party Secretaries of Provincial, Municipal and Autonomous Region that “In my opinion, the whole Party should study dialectics and advocate acting in accordance with dialectics. The whole Party should pay attention to ideological and theoretical work, build up contingents of Marxist theoretical workers and devote greater efforts to studying and propagating Marxist theory”.

For Mao Zedong, ideology and politics are the commander-in-chief and soul, he said: “Not to have a correct political point of view is like having no soul.” "In case our ideological and political work weakens, our economic and technological work will certainly go astray, therefore, we must pay constant attention to ideological and political work”. “All departments and organizations should shoulder their responsibilities in ideological and political work. This applies to the Communist Party, the Youth League, government departments in charge of this work, and especially to heads of educational institutions and teachers.” Efforts should be made to create a favorable situation in which Party committees attach great importance to ideological and political work, and cadres at all levels should work together for it and the masses at all levels can actively participate, and in order to strengthen the Party's ideological and theoretical work, we must form a strong contingent of Marxist theorists who can always stand the test.

Mao Zedong's above judgments and ideas are the summarization of the experience of the ideological and theoretical work of the Communist Party of China and, it has important leading significance for upholding the guiding position of Marxism, strengthening the research and publicity of the Marxist theories, so as to give full play to the role of theory in guiding practice and arming the masses, and training new successors for the cause of proletarian revolution.