Reform Our Study

The report made by Mao Zedong at the Yan'an cadre study meeting on May 19, 1941 is one of the basic documents of Yan'an Rectification Movement. It was included in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 3.

After the Zunyi Conference, the line of the Communist Party of China gradually shifted to the track of combining the basic principles of Marxism with the concrete reality of the Chinese revolution. However, due to the rapid changes in the war environment and situation, the roots of the “Left” deviationist erroneous thoughts in the Party had not been completely liquidated, and dogmatism, sectarianism, and the stereotypical Party writing still existed in the Party, plus a large number of people of petty bourgeois origin joined the Party after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, and they brought many non-proletarian ideas into the Party, resulting in impure ideology and impure style in the Party, which seriously affected the Party's cohesion and combat power. Therefore, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to carry out the Rectification Movement throughout the Party during the period of stalemate in the Anti-Japanese War.

"Reform Our Study" is the report of the Rectification Movement made by Mao Zedong at the cadres' meeting in Yan’an. This report focused on the issue of opposing subjectivism in order to rectify the style of study, profoundly clarified the policies, principles, and methods of studying Marxism, and called on the whole Party to reform the study methods and study style.

The report first summarized the study experience and application of Marxism within the Party and pointed out: the past 20 years of the CPC “was a period wherein the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism had become more and more integrated with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution". However, in the process of combining the two, "there are still great shortcomings”, that is, some comrades do not pay attention to the study of current conditions and do not pay due attention to the study of history and the application of Marxism-Leninism.

It criticized some of the Party's methods of studying Marxism as “a direct violation of Marxism”. They are not unifying theory and practice, but on the contrary, they are separating of theory and practice; they do not go to Marx and Engels, Lenin and Stalin to find their positions, opinions and methods in order to solve the theoretical and strategic problems of the Chinese revolution, but to study purely for the sake of study. This is a "subjectivist attitude". This subjectivism "is a formidable enemy of the Communist Party, the working class, the people and the nation; it is a manifestation of impurity in Party spirit. A formidable enemy stands before us, and we must overthrow him."

Then, the report analyzes that there are two fundamentally opposite attitudes about studying Marxism. One is the subjectivism attitude “without any aim”, which doesn’t study Marxism for solving the practical problems of the Chinese revolution, but implements an abstract and aimless way, separates theory and practice.

Another is the Marxist attitude “with a purpose” of uniting theory with practice. This is to proceed from reality, to "seek truth from facts", to study China's history and present situation with Marxist stand, viewpoint and method, to study international revolutionary experience, and to analyze and solve specific problems of Chinese revolution. Once again, the report points out the importance of overcoming subjectivism.

Mao Zedong argued that the study style of subjectivists was anti-scientific and non-Marxist. “Only when subjectivism is overthrown can the truth of Marxism-Leninism prevail, can Party spirit be strengthened, can the revolution be victorious.” The report put forward the task of investigation and research for the whole Party and pointed out “The fundamental link in changing the Party's style of work is to carry out plans for investigation and study throughout the Party.”

Finally, the report made three proposals: firstly, according to the theory and method of Marxism-Leninism, we should conduct a detailed investigation and study on the economic, financial, political, military, cultural, and  party activities of our enemies, our friends and ourselves; secondly, we should assemble qualified persons and work together to study nearly a hundred years of Chinese history; thirdly, it stipulates that a policy should be established of focusing such education on the study of the practical problems of the Chinese revolution and using the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism as the guide.

This report profoundly expounds the Marxist ideological line of integrating theory with practice and seeking truth from facts. Together with "Rectify the Party's Style of Work" and "Oppose Stereotyped Party Writing", this report has become the guiding document of the Yan'an Rectification Movement. These documents have important historical significance for strengthening the Party's construction.