A Major Debate on What Constitutes Truth
A major debate on what constitutes truth, initiated over 40 years ago under Deng Xiaoping and other revolutionary leaders of his generation, unfolded among Party members and the general public. It was about whether China should abide by every decision and instruction made by Chairman Mao, or whether the people should now seek truth from facts.
In the mid- and late-1970s, blind obedience to the words of Mao effectively blocked China's progress. To break free of these shackles, Deng championed a clear breakaway from dogma-driven thinking, which – as he pointed out on many occasions – ran counter to Marxism. He also highlighted the importance of a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of Mao Zedong Thought.
Theoretical Trends, an in-house journal of the Party School of the Central Committee, published an article on May 10, 1978, entitled "Only Practice Leads to Truth." The article categorically rejected any dogmatic approach to following Mao's instructions. It unequivocally pointed out that according to basic Marxist principles, the only test for truth is practice, and that a theory must be tested continuously through practice in order to prove its validity.
The article was published in Guangming Daily the next day, and was released nationwide through Xinhua News Agency. On May 12, People's Daily and PLA Daily both carried the article in full. As the article rejected blind adherence to the words of Mao, it sparked a heated debate within the Party and among the general public on what constitutes truth.
Naturally, the article met with opposition from those stuck in the old mindset. At this point, Deng made a number of speeches in which he affirmed the need to seek truth from facts and proceed from reality in everything done. He also criticized personality cults, dogmatism and unrealistic idealism, and called on the whole Party to free their minds and abandon stereotypical thinking. This inspired a nationwide debate, with scholars and theoreticians to the fore supported by the media and public engagement.
This debate helped the CPC correct existing erroneous tendencies in ideology and theory, and encouraged people to free their minds. It laid the ground for the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee and led directly to a historic turnaround in China.
真理标准问题的大讨论
真理标准问题的讨论，是40多年前在邓小平等老一辈无产阶级革命家的领导和支持下，在全党全国范围内开展的一场大讨论，主要表现为实事求是和“两个凡是”的争论。
20世纪70年代中后期，中国面临着“两个凡是”（即：凡是毛主席做出的决策，我们都坚决维护；凡是毛主席的指示，我们都始终不渝地遵循）错误方针的严重阻碍。针对这种状况，邓小平多次旗帜鲜明地提出，“两个凡是”不符合马克思主义，我们要完整准确地理解毛泽东思想。1978年5月10日，中央党校内部刊物《理论动态》发表了《实践是检验真理的唯一标准》一文，鲜明指出，社会实践是检验真理的唯一标准，任何理论都要不断接受实践的检验等马克思主义的基本原理。这就从根本理论上否定了“两个凡是”。5月11日，这篇文章在《光明日报》公开发表，新华社向全国转发。12日，《人民日报》《解放军报》等同时全文转载。由于这篇文章从根本理论上否定了“两个凡是”的错误方针，因而立即引发了一场全国性的关于真理标准问题的热烈讨论。
《实践是检验真理的唯一标准》发表后，受到了坚持“两个凡是”观点的人的压制。关键时刻，邓小平发表重要讲话，深刻阐述了实事求是、一切从实际出发的基本观点，尖锐地批评了个人崇拜、教条主义和唯心论，号召全体党员解放思想、打破僵化，有力推动了以理论界为主、新闻界积极推动、社会各界广泛参与的理论问题大讨论。
真理标准问题的讨论，是中国共产党在思想上、理论上最根本的拨乱反正，是一场伟大的思想解放运动，为中共十一届三中全会的召开做了思想理论准备，直接推动了中国实现伟大历史转折。
