The effect of practice is to test practice.
The only criterion for testing truth
-Reflection on the standard of truth
(Note: This is China's latest philosophical thesis and the latest philosophical viewpoint. But this article has been published, and it is not the first time that it has appeared on your website. Special instructions. I wonder if your station can publish it. This paper and On the Three Elements of the Standard of Truth are both papers on the standard of truth. On the Three Elements of "Truth Standard" has also been published. I have 10 many such papers, which have also been published. Can I use them? If this article is available, I will send other papers one after another. )
I. General introduction
Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. This is the conclusion determined by 1978 "Discussion on Truth Standard". The author thinks that this conclusion is a great progress and theoretical leap compared with the theory of "subjective test" and "two whatevers", but its written expression is inaccurate and unscientific. The famous conclusions of the late president and Mao Zedong, such as "the criterion of truth can only be social practice" and "only the revolutionary practice of millions of people is the criterion for testing truth", have been circulated in China for decades before the above conclusions. I think its written expression is also inaccurate and unscientific. The author believes that an accurate and scientific written statement is that "the effect of practice is the only criterion for testing practice and truth". The "effect of practice" mentioned by the author is the result that practice can promote the survival and development of human society, that is, the results and achievements achieved in practice, that is, the good results and the results that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The effect of practice is not only the only criterion for testing truth, but also the only criterion for testing practice. This paper is a revision, perfection and development of "practice is the only criterion for testing truth". It goes further than the latter. This assertion is completely correct and an objective truth. The author believes that we should reflect on the existing "truth standard".
Second, what is practice?
The author thinks that practice is the sum of all kinds of activities that social people (subjects) consciously act on the objective world (objects). All conscious material activities of human beings belong to the category of practice. People's conscious activities to transform nature and society are the most important practical activities, and activities to destroy nature and society are also practical activities. War of aggression, terrorist activities, massacres, illegal and criminal activities, deforestation, etc. all belong to the category of "practice". Practice is the link and bridge between subject and object. "Food is the most important thing for the people". The most basic practical activities are productive labor and material life practice, which is the basis for the existence and development of human society. All other forms of human practical activities are produced and developed on the basis of productive labor and material life practice. In modern society and future society, educational practice, scientific experiment, productive labor and material life practice are the basis for the survival and development of human society and the most important practical activities.
Practical activities are dual, with both positive and negative effects. Practice is divided into correct practice (including basic correct practice), wrong practice, blind practice and experimental practice. Correct practice is a practice that conforms or basically conforms to objective reality and objective laws, and it is also a practice that promotes the survival and development of human society. The author thinks that wrong practice can also be divided into three types: general wrong practice, disastrous practice and reactionary practice. All wrong practices will hinder or destroy the survival and development of human society or local society, even make human society or local society suffer disasters, or are not conducive to the survival and development of human society. Blind practice will also have a great negative effect and influence on the survival and development of human society or local society. Blind exercises often turn into wrong exercises. Blind practice may also gain more or less benefits. Some blind practices may become correct or basically correct. Experimental practice is an exploratory practical activity, such as planting experimental fields, flying test of new aircraft, etc., to see the result of something or the performance of something. Experimental practice may succeed or fail. After success, it will be widely promoted, after failure, it will be improved in many aspects, and then it will be experimented until it is successful or some experimental projects are abandoned. Experimental practice is of great significance to active exploration and cannot be ignored. We should have a clear and comprehensive understanding of "practice". It is particularly worth mentioning that "practice" and "correctness" should never be equated, otherwise it will adversely affect our correct understanding of the "standard of truth". Whether practice is correct or not must be tested by objective "test standards" in order to judge whether it is right or wrong.
Third, what is understanding?
People's knowledge comes from practice and the objective world, and it is the reflection of the human brain on objective things. Cognition is divided into perceptual cognition and rational cognition. The rise of perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge is thought. Thought is the result of objective existence reflected in human consciousness through thinking activities. The content of thought is determined by people's material living conditions and the nature of social system, and thought has class nature in class society. People's understanding of nature and society has risen to theory. Theory is a systematic conclusion about natural and social knowledge summarized by people from practice. There are right and wrong understandings, thoughts and theories. The author believes that wrong ideas or theories are not conducive to or harmful to the survival and development of human society or local society, which can be divided into three types: general mistakes, disasters and reactionaries. Correct understanding, thought, theory and scientific knowledge are truth. Truth is the correct reflection of objective things and their laws in human consciousness. It is conducive to the survival and development of human society, that is, a correct understanding of objective reality and its laws will promote the survival and development of human society. Truth has objectivity, relativity and absoluteness. Truth develops in practice. Thought or theory plays a guiding role in people's practical activities. Practice under the guidance of correct ideas or theories can achieve good results in promoting the survival and development of human society. On the contrary, practice will have adverse consequences or even bad consequences that hinder or destroy the survival and development of human society or local society, that is, it is not conducive to the survival and development of human society or local society.
Fourth, practice is not the criterion or the only criterion for testing truth.
The criterion or sole criterion for testing truth is to confirm that "knowledge, thought and theory" is the criterion or sole criterion for truth. If we want to know whether "knowledge, thought and theory" is correct, then "knowledge, thought and theory" must be tested in "practice and its results and history"-the testing ground of truth. There is no doubt about it. The author believes that practice itself or the process, result and history of practice have the function of testing and proving truth, and constitute a testing ground for testing "cognition, thought, theory and truth". Practice itself or practice process is only a means, method, way and process to test and prove whether "knowledge, thought and theory" is truth, not to test "knowledge, thought and theory". Modern Chinese Dictionary says that "standard" is a criterion for measuring things, and "standard" can also be something that conforms to the criterion itself and can be compared with similar things. The author believes that "the function of testing and proving truth" should not be confused with "the means, methods, ways and processes of testing and proving truth" and "the testing ground" should not be confused with "the standard or the only standard of testing truth", and the former should not be mistaken for the latter. This is a key issue. If we lack a clear and correct understanding of this issue, we will go into a theoretical misunderstanding and leave regrets. Nor should we confuse "negative evidence" to prove that ideas and theories are not truth-the adverse consequences of practice-with "standards" or "sole standards" to test truth, and should not mistake the former for the latter. This is also a very important issue. Without a correct understanding of this problem, we will come to the wrong conclusion that "practice is the only criterion for testing truth"
In order to know whether thought and theory (hereinafter referred to as "thought and theory" are used interchangeably) are true, we must first find out whether the practice under the guidance of this theory is correct, that is, whether it conforms to or basically conforms to objective reality and objective laws. It is "practice" itself, not theory, that first accepts the "objective test standard". Only through the test of "objective test standard" can we judge whether the practice itself is correct or basically correct. Any practice that has not been tested by the objective test standard cannot be used as the direct evidence or the first evidence to prove that the theory conforms to or basically conforms to the objective reality and its laws, that is, conforms to the standard of truth. Therefore, "practical activity" itself or "practical activity process" cannot be the "standard" or "the only standard" for testing truth. Practical activities are all guided by theory, and practice under the guidance of wrong theory becomes wrong practice or practice with serious problems. It is unreasonable and illogical to use wrong practice as the "standard" or "the only standard" to test whether the theory is correct. Some practices are obviously correct, and it seems that there is no need to pass the test of "actual effect". However, it is precisely because the effect of practice is too great and obvious that people judge that practice is correct. In fact, practice has already passed the test of "actual effect". Correct practice is based on "the effect of practice".
Next, the author makes a simple demonstration with three examples: sports competition, entrance examination and final examination, in order to prove that "practical activity itself" or "practical activity process" is not "inspection standard" or "unique standard", but only inspection means, inspection methods, inspection methods and inspection process. All kinds of sports competitions are the practice of sports competitions. The competition process is only the only means, method, way and process to test whether the guiding ideology, strategy and tactics of the participating parties are correct, who wins and who loses, and ranks right or wrong. It cannot be the "standard" or "the only standard" to test whether the guiding ideology, strategy and tactics of the participating parties are correct, who wins and who loses, and ranks right or wrong. Only when you surpass your opponent's excellent performance in the competition can you have the most say, the most proof and the most convincing. Only it is the only criterion to test whether the guiding ideology, strategy and tactics of the winner are correct. Only it is the only criterion to test the winner's winning or losing, ranking first or first. It is natural for a strong team to beat a weak team, and it is not uncommon for a weak team to beat a strong team. The competition process may be wonderful, which makes people clap their hands and applaud, or it may not be wonderful, which makes people feel sorry and regretful. Although the game is accidental, it mainly depends on the result of the game, especially the result of the game. The result of the game determines the outcome, and surpassing the opponent's excellent performance is the only evidence and the only test standard for winning. Poor competition performance is only "negative" evidence, that is, negative evidence, which cannot be used as a test standard because it does not meet the standard.
The entrance examination activity is the entrance examination practice. As far as academic and intellectual development is concerned, the process of examination activities is only the only means, methods, ways and processes to test or prove whether students have completed their studies and are eligible for further study, rather than the "standard" or "sole standard" to test whether candidates have completed their studies and are eligible for further study. The admission score line stipulated by the state is the legal admission standard and the only inspection standard. Candidates' excellent scores and qualified scores (scores above the admission score) are directly related to "being admitted", which is the only evidence to prove that candidates have completed their studies and are qualified for further study, and the only criterion to test whether candidates have completed their studies and are qualified for further study. (Here, the author takes the "admission criteria" as a criterion and the excellent and qualified test scores as a comparative check that meets the standards. However, the "examination activity" or "examination process" cannot be compared and checked with the "admission criteria", so it cannot be the "standard" or "the only standard" to test whether candidates have completed their studies and have the qualifications for further study. This example is that practical activities cannot be used as conclusive evidence of "truth standard" or "test standard" or "sole standard".
Students' final exams are exam exercises. Besides the usual exams, oral exams and practical exams, the final exam itself or the exam process is only the only means, the only method, the only way and the only process to test or prove students' academic performance in a semester, not the standard or the only standard to test students' academic performance. Under the condition of "100-point system", 100-point system should be the only theoretical standard to evaluate and judge students' excellent academic performance. However, in examination practice, 100% is rare, and most people can't get 100%, so people borrow a measure close to 100% to measure students' academic performance. This actual combat test is "excellent performance." The excellent results achieved by students in the examination are the direct and only evidence to prove that students have completed their studies and studied well. "Excellent academic performance" is the only criterion to test whether the academic performance is good or not. In the above three examples, it is incorrect to confuse the exercise process and the exercise result as the inspection standard or the only standard, because the competition process and the examination process, that is, the exercise process, cannot be the inspection standard or the only standard, and the exercise result may not necessarily meet the standard. The "test standard" mentioned in the three examples does not seem to be the standard for testing truth, but the standard for testing results. In my opinion, the standard of test results should be attached to the category of "truth standard". The "standard of truth" is the effect of practice, that is, to test and prove whether a theory is truth with the results, achievements and achievements obtained in practice. The above three examples belong to the category of sports practice and educational practice respectively. The author added another example. Taking medicine to treat a disease is a kind of medical behavior, and the result is a testing ground for testing "medicine". It is the only means, the only method, the only way and the only process to test the quality of "medicine", which has the function of testing whether "medicine" is a good medicine, but it is not the standard or the only standard to test whether "medicine" is a good medicine. Because after taking the medicine, it will have a good medical effect, so that the condition will gradually improve or quickly improve or recover, and there may be cases where the disease cannot be cured or even has adverse consequences or consequences. Good medical effect is the only criterion to confirm that this drug is a good drug, and "no good medical effect or obvious curative effect, adverse consequences or consequences" is only strong evidence to prove that this drug does not meet the "good drug standard", that is, negative evidence, which cannot be used as "good drug standard" or "the only criterion of good drug". "The standard of good medicine" or "the only standard of good medicine" can only be a good medical effect, and there is no choice. To take a step back, if the above four examples do not belong to the category of "truth standard", then they are also closely related to the issue of "truth standard", and their "reasoning" is the same. It is appropriate to demonstrate the "standard of truth" with the above four examples, which is a more appropriate analogy and has important reference value.
What's wrong with the verb "practice is the only criterion for testing truth"?
"The criterion of truth can only be social practice" and "Practice is the only criterion for testing truth" are wrong judgments and conclusions. There is no doubt about it. The error is as follows. First, the above-mentioned advocates of "judgment" and "conclusion" (hereinafter referred to as "advocates") lack in-depth thinking and analysis of the essence of "truth standard" and "practice". "Truth standard" is the representative of "correctness", and it is its fundamental feature and criterion to conform to or basically conform to objective reality and objective laws. Blind practice, wrong practice and experimental practice can never be regarded as "the standard of truth" because they do not conform to the "norm" of the standard of truth. The first requirement of "truth standard" is "must be correct". It is an obvious mistake to advocate "practice" including blind practice, wrong practice, experimental practice and correct practice as "truth standard" or "sole standard" It is advocated that practice should not be divided into correct practice, blind practice, wrong practice and experimental practice, that is, practice should not be classified according to its nature. They may equate "practice" with "correctness" and regard "practice" as a pure compliment. Perhaps in the minds or eyes of advocates and the vast majority of China people, practice is a conscious activity of people to transform nature and society, and does not include activities other than "transforming nature and society". Perhaps "advocates" and people have other views on "practice". It is wrong to attribute all human practical activities to people's activities of consciously transforming nature and society, because people's practical activities also include activities of consciously destroying nature and society and so on. It is also incorrect to regard correct practice as "the standard of truth" or "the only standard". Because practice is correct, we must accept the "practical effect"-an objective test standard to determine it. When "practice" is verified as correct practice by "the effect of practice", the "theory" guiding practice is simultaneously or simultaneously verified as truth by "the effect of practice". "Theory" no longer needs "practice" to test, and there is no opportunity for correct practice to test. Therefore, correct practice cannot be the criterion for testing truth, let alone a "theory". The author believes that "practice is the only criterion for testing truth" is understandable as perceptual knowledge, but it is inaccurate and unscientific as rational knowledge. Secondly, the proposer did not distinguish between practice and the result of practice, let alone divide the result of practice into good results and bad consequences. The key concept of "the effect of practice" is not put forward separately in the judgment or conclusion, nor is it defined as "the effect of practice". That is to say, we confuse the means, methods, approaches, processes and testing ground for testing and proving truth, and whether the theory of testing and proving is the function of truth with the standard and sole standard for testing truth, and mistake the former for the latter. This is a key mistake made by the "advocate" and his "thesis" and "conclusion" The biggest mistake of the proposer is that he does not regard the effect of practice as the standard and the only standard for testing truth. It is also incorrect to regard "the result of practice" as "the standard of truth" or "the only standard", because the result of practice contains good results, bad consequences and bad consequences, so the result of practice does not meet the standard and cannot be regarded as "the standard of truth" or "the only standard". The author thinks that the "advocate" confuses the proof theory with the "standard" or "sole standard" to test the truth, and mistook the former for the latter. This is an obvious mistake. Taking "practice" as "the standard of truth" or "the only standard" seems inappropriate, inaccurate and unscientific, but it should be said that it has its ideological roots, and it can also be said that thinking has not entered a deep level and there is still a lack of in-depth analysis.
The ideological root of the advocator and his wrong judgment conclusion lies in that he has not made clear what can be regarded as the standard of truth and what cannot be regarded as the standard of truth, and has not realized that practice itself or the process of practical activities must also be tested by objective test standards, that is, it must be tested by practical effects. Mao Zedong's famous assertion that "the standard of truth can only be social practice" is consistent with his conclusion that "practice is the only standard for testing truth", and they are in the same strain. Their mistake is to regard "practice" as "the standard of truth", and their correctness is to pay special attention to practice, which is very valuable. The only difference between the two is the literal difference between "only" and "only", so there is no fundamental difference between them. In my opinion, this has a lot to do with the authoritative role and great influence of Mao Zedong's famous assertion that the standard of truth can only be social practice. Under the historical conditions at that time, it is difficult to get rid of the authoritative role and great influence of Mao Zedong's "famous thesis" in the discussion of "the standard of truth". There is no doubt about it.
Six, the effect of practice is the only criterion to test the truth of practice.
In my opinion, the "good results" and "bad consequences" of practice can confirm whether "practice", "theory" and "truth" conform to or basically conform to objective reality and its laws from both positive and negative aspects. In other words, the "good results" and "bad consequences" of practice can prove whether the "theory" is truth from both positive and negative aspects. Modern Chinese Dictionary says that "A can prove the truth of B, and A is the proof of B". Accordingly, we can say that the effect of practice is the only direct evidence to prove that "practice" and "theory and truth" conform or basically conform to objective reality and objective laws, that is, demonstration; The adverse consequences of practice are direct evidence that "practice", "theory" and "truth" do not conform to or basically do not conform to objective reality and its laws, that is, they do not conform to the standards of truth, which is also called negative evidence. Since the effect of practice is the only direct evidence to prove that "practice", "theory and truth" conform to or basically conform to the objective reality and its laws, the author thinks that the effect of practice can be used as the objective standard to test whether "practice", "theory and truth" conform to or basically conform to the objective reality and its laws, and it is the only standard. In other words, the effect of practice is the only criterion to test practice and truth. Because only the effect of practice can be used as the only evidence and the only "comparative test" to prove that "practice" and "theory and truth" conform or basically conform to objective reality and objective laws, and the effect of practice is the only criterion to test practice and truth, and there is no choice.
People often make serious mistakes in understanding objective things and their laws. In many cases, they can't understand objective things and their laws, and can't see their essence clearly. Therefore, people can't use the objective reality and its laws to test the truth of "knowledge and theory", so they can only use what meets the standards as a "contrast check" to set the standard for testing truth. In my opinion, this "cross-check" is the effect of practice, not practice. The effect of practice, as a good result of practice, as a result and achievement of the subject's transformation of the object, as a new objective fact, is the most convincing and most suitable for "comparative verification". Facts speak plainer than words. It is the most direct, obvious and powerful evidence that "theory" is the truth. It has great testing power, testing the function of "practice" and the function of "theory and truth" at the same time, because the effect of practice has a positive role in promoting the survival and development of human society. If the bad consequences of practice outweigh the good results, it can be said that the bad consequences of practice disprove that practice is blind or wrong and does not meet the objective test standard-"truth standard", that is, it does not meet or basically does not meet the objective reality and its laws, and then or at the same time disproves that the "theory" guiding practice is incorrect and determines that it is not truth. The good results of practice outweigh the bad consequences, which proves that practical activities are correct or basically correct in accordance with objective reality and objective laws, and subsequently or at the same time proves that the "theory" guiding practice is truth. After the test of practical effect, it has been disproved that the practice of China Cultural Revolution was a disastrous practice, and it is wrong to disprove the theory guiding its practice at the same time or at the same time. The author calls it a disastrous theory because it made the Cultural Revolution a disastrous practice. It has been disproved that the practice of genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and its guiding ideology are wrong, disastrous and reactionary, because Rwanda slaughtered 800,000 to/kloc-0,000 people in one hundred days, which almost caused genocide, and its consequences shocked the world. Facts have proved that any aggressive war and its guiding ideology are disastrous and reactionary, and aggressive wars are heinous and countless; What has been falsified is that the practice of terrorist activities and its guiding ideology are disastrous, reactionary, anti-people and anti-humanity, because the practice of terrorist activities and its guiding ideology have caused a group of innocent people (including women and children) to be attacked and fall in a pool of blood, causing people to suffer disasters and fall into extreme fear, undermining social order and the survival and development of human society or local society. The adverse consequences of practice prove that a large number of practices and their guiding ideology are inconsistent with the standard of truth, wrong, disastrous or reactionary. The effect of practice proves that countless practices and their guiding ideology are correct, scientific or basically correct, and conform to or basically conform to objective reality and its laws, and the ideas guiding these practices are true. To say the least, "the standard of truth can only be social practice" and "practice is the only standard for testing truth" are both relative truths in a certain historical period, which are correct to some extent, but not completely correct. The conclusion that "the effect of practice is the only criterion for testing practice and truth" is more correct and scientific than the former. The former has become an outdated truth, while the latter is a revision, supplement and development of the former. We should replace the former with the latter. This is the inevitable trend of the development of truth.
Seven. conclusion
To sum up, the conclusion is that the effect of practice is the only direct evidence that "practice", "thought, theory and truth" conform to or basically conform to objective reality and objective laws; The effect of practice is the only criterion for testing practice and truth. The simplified written expression is "the effect of practice is the only criterion for testing truth". This is an eternal philosophical proposition and a universal philosophical principle.
"Practice", "thought, theory and truth" are inevitably and naturally tested by the means, methods, channels and processes of practice, and "practice", "thought, theory and truth" are repeatedly tested by the effect of practice, and wrong understanding and outdated "truth" should be corrected according to the changes of objective things or the objective world. The practice and truth judged as "correct" by the standard of truth in history can also stand the test of "historical development".
Emphasis should be placed on the positive role and influence of practice, that is, on the effect of practice. In the process of practical activities, we should constantly sum up experiences and lessons, find problems and mistakes as soon as possible, constantly revise ideas or theories guiding practice, correct mistakes in practice as soon as possible, reduce mistakes and try our best to eliminate negative effects. Don't sacrifice or damage long-term interests and major interests because of short-term interests and immediate interests, avoid or eliminate blind practices and wrong practices, and strive to make practice bear more fruitful results, thus promoting people's all-round development, coordinated development and all-round development. We must grasp the "effect of practice" as the sole criterion for testing practice and truth, and pay special attention to the objectivity, relativity and absoluteness of this "sole criterion", that is, we must correctly grasp and adhere to the dialectical unity of this "sole criterion".