High-level Socialist Thought Research

In the field of political science and Marxist theoretical research in our country,especially in the discipline of scientific socialism and the international communist movement,Gao Fang(1927-2018),known for his “high-level liberation of thought”,is definitely a dazzling star.This is not only because he has made outstanding contributions to the discipline,but also because he has written throughout his life with abundant works,leaving a valuable spiritual wealth for Marxism and scientific socialism scientists.Gao Fang accepted the enlightenment of Marxist ideology in high school,participated in the student democracy movement in college,and became a postgraduate in social science research after entering the liberated area.These experiences prompted Gao Fang to embark on the road of Marxist research.From1946 to 1949,Gao Fang was in college and postgraduate period.He took Marxism as his belief and gradually consolidated the theoretical foundation of Marxism.Since the anti-rightist movement in 1957,especially during the “Cultural Revolution”,Gao Fang was battered by many times,and could do nothing but dormant in the “turns and turns”.After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Party,our party corrected its ideological line,which made Gao Fang also usher in the“second youth of teaching and research”.He emancipated his mind,seeks truth from facts,and was dared to and good at thinking,speaking and writing.He mainly expounded a series of his new ideas: re-understanding and applying Marxism,and actively summarizing the history of the international communist movement and our party's experience and lessons in history;paying close attention to the challenges faced by socialism,study the direction of socialist reform and development;focusing on the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics,and promoting reform and opening up;continuing to study scientific socialism,to make outstanding contributions to the discipline construction of scientific socialism and the international communist movement.Gao Fang's theoretical exploration spans different periods of our country's socialist transformation,construction,and reforms,but mainly concentrated after the reform and opening up.He focused on discussing Marxism and socialism,the experience and lessons of the history of international communist movement,the new changes in contemporary capitalism,the reform and development strategy of world socialism,socialism with Chinese characteristics,and the construction of “socialism”,etc.,which essentially run through his in-depth thinking on what socialism is,what experience and lessons in the history of the international communist movement need to be summarized and used for reference,what new changes have taken place in contemporary capitalism,and how socialism can advance reforms and other issues on this basis,forming a more systematic ideological system.The main points of this ideological system are as follows: Marxism is the science of human liberation.In addition to philosophy,economics and socialism,it also includes more than a dozen components such as political science.Socialism is its end,so it is also the core;socialism is based on socialized labor and is a social form in which the working people are in power.It is the successor,antithesis,replacement,and innovation of capitalism;summarizing the experience and lessons of the history of the international communist movement,it is concluded that the twists and turns that underdeveloped countries have gone through in the process of building socialism are rooted in the failure to grasp the special laws of underdeveloped countries in building socialism:completely eliminating the remnants of feudalism,making good use of capitalism,and not rush to build socialism,not rush to transition to communism;judging from the experience and trends of the long-term development of capitalism and socialism,socialism needs to be developed more fully.The classic writer's thesis that socialism is the first stage of communism should be broken through,for socialism will be an independent social form that needs long-term development;the degree of socialization of contemporary capitalism is getting higher and higher,the social functions of the state are getting stronger and stronger,and there are more and more socialist factors.It has already broken through the “monopoly” and has now developed into the stage of social capitalism;to give full play to the superiority of the socialist system,it is necessary to reform specific systems that are out of date and develop democracy and science under the premise of adhering to the fundamental system,which is the key to reform;since China's political system reform has long lagged behind economic system reform,the correct handling of the relationship between centralization and decentralization is the core of political system reform.It is necessary to improve socialist democracy from three aspects: intra-party democracy,inter-party democracy and people's democracy;scientific socialism should be studied as an independent science;scientific socialism should be renamed “socialism”,which is conducive to expanding the scope of research and the standardization of disciplines;the general law of changing the capitalist world and building a socialist world is the research object of scientific socialism;the system of socialism can be constructed in accordance with the principles of the law of vertical historical development.Since mankind came up with the idea of replacing capitalism,it has run through the main line of socialism,along with social development,how mankind's understanding of socialism tends to be scientific,during which four major leaps have been experienced in ideological understanding,forming four societies: utopian socialism,scientific socialism,Stalin's model of socialism,and socialism in the process of deepening reforms,which correspondingly reflects the gestation,birth,growth and development of socialism.In addition,the multi-disciplinary classic textbooks written and edited by Gao Fang have effectively promoted the rapid development of the subject and influenced generations of scholars.Although he is a Marxist theorist who is committed to exploration and innovation,Gao Fang did not break away from or deviate from Marxism because of the “high degree of liberation of thought”.His writings all reflect the basic positions,viewpoints and methods of Marxism.Regarding every viewpoint of a classic writer,he never blindly believes in,clings to,or copies,instead,he always develops Marxism and puts forward new theories and understandings based on the changed objective reality.His academic spirit,philosophy and style embodied in political science have set an example for Marxist scholars and inspired more theorists to seek truth and be pragmatic,be determined to innovate,and effectively contribute to the new progress of socialism with Chinese characteristics.From Gao Fang's significant theoretical research on socialism,it can be found that his socialist thinking is the crystallization of multidisciplinary integration;the exploration of scientific socialism theory and practice is the main line and central content of his theoretical research activities;Marxism Philosophy provided a worldview and methodological basis for his research on socialist theory and practice;historical basis was a powerful weapon for him to analyze the past and present of socialism;at the same time,political knowledge was a magic weapon for him to explore how socialism promoted the reform of the political system.Inheriting the Marxist theories and the theoretical achievements of the localization of Marxism in China,Gao Fang's high-level theoretical research has effectively promoted the development of scientific socialism theory and practice,enrich and develop the relevant theories of scientific socialism,and build a relatively complete and unique scientific socialism disciplinary system,which provides constructive suggestions for the reform and development of world socialism.In conducting socialist research,the methods adopted by Gao Fang should be taken as an example by Marxist scholars.