Developing culture in harmony and synchronicity with economic growth, social progress and justice is a fundamental guideline in the process of building socialism in Vietnam - Photo: media.chinhphu.vn

1. When reflecting on human history, Karl Marx noted that it was the process of objectifying the outside world to meet the diverse and increasing needs of people. The reason is that the outside world did not satisfy human needs, and in order to survive and develop, they had to lead themselves into reforming the world to its own size. During that process, people’s dreams and aspirations for a bright future took shape and were actualized step by step.

At the dawn of history, dreams and aspirations were embodied in the form of myths and legends, then in religious theories and finally in social doctrines. These theories and doctrines not only reflected one way of looking at the universe and human life, but also represented enormous efforts to make predictions and outlines for a better future of mankind.

Christianity, especially early Christianity, sketches a paradise in which people are filled with happiness, without suffering, misfortune, without death... Buddhism also builds up a magnificent picture of nirvana, where people are no longer entangled in “greed, hatred, delusion” - the root cause of suffering and distress in human life... Social thinkers in all ages endeavored to make projections about the future. In ancient times, in both the East and the West, from the perspective of Confucius, Lao Tzu, or Plato, Aristotle, the future of humankind would be promising. In the early modern period, the future society was envisioned more specifically. Progressive thinkers adopted the view that the future of humanity is a society in which oppression and injustice do not exist, people are equal, children are educated, and old people are taken care of, and they called it socialism.

With an exceptionally sharp intellect, motivated by the supreme values of humanism, together with rich personal practical experiences, the founders of Marxism - Leninism inherited the ideological quintessence of mankind to devise a great scientific doctrine. It not only clarifies the nature of history, but also makes scientific predictions about the future of mankind. Accordingly, in the face of difficulties, volatility, and setbacks at times, socialism remains the future of humankind.

The founders of Marxism - Leninism argue that socialism, as the next development stage of capitalism, must be a superior social regime for people. It acts as a realistic remedy for the inherent defects of capitalism, and is capable of fulfilling the genuine dreams and aspirations of humanity.

With regard to its goals, socialism aim at a reality free from oppression and exploitation among classes and nations; people are liberated and developed freely and comprehensively. That is the continuation of humankind’s huge efforts in the previous social systems, which were not adequate for solving the problems for various reasons. Even capitalism, despite having made substantial progress, cannot tackle oppression and exploitation among people and nations. It even aggravates those problems. In a capitalist society, notwithstanding its glamor, only the minority of the wealthy enjoy freedom, while the vast majority are employed, enslaved and impoverished. Those consequences are not purely a process of “revealing human nature”, but on the contrary, the corruption of human nature as Karl Marx conceptualized. It is, essentially, a process of forcing people, making them a creature capable of generating profits for the employer.

Overcoming the limits of the pure dreams and aspirations of humanity or the beautiful but unrealistic premonitions of the utopian socialists, the founders of Marxism - Leninism articulated well-grounded arguments that on the basis of the union of the working people, under the leadership of a legitimate revolutionary party, after gaining political power, the working class and the working people will build a social regime capable of promoting the development of productive forces vigorously, helping to fulfill the material and spiritual needs of people, laying a realistic foundation for emancipating humans radically. In that process, real democracy for workers is established and promoted through various forms and instruments, of which the socialist state is the most powerful one. It is not the state of the minority of exploiters, but the one of the people, by the people, for the people.

Thanks to the great power of people, a profound people-oriented novel culture has been gradually formed and become the foundation and driving force for development. Peoples in each nation and among nations live together in an environment of peace, friendship and cooperation to strive for shared interests. As a result, national oppression is permanently abolished.

For the same token, it can be said that socialism is the most vivid embodiment of outstanding values that humanity aspires to.

However, the reality shows that the construction cause of socialism is fairly difficult, prolonged and there is not a single model for every country in the world. Thus, the questions of “what is socialism? which measures and paths should be taken to successfully build socialism?” have always been raised and answered by workers’ political parties.

2. As the head of the Party, in response to the practical requirements, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has painstakingly researched and given in-depth interpretation into the aforementioned issues. His views were initially assembled by the National Political Publishing House in the work titled “Some theoretical and practical issues about socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” which consists of 29 highly selective articles, with a simple style, yet containing a hidden deep thought and a firm faith in socialism as well as the gorgeous future of Vietnam. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong discusses the most critical issues of socialism in Vietnam, including the core, sustainable and decent values of socialism that humanity is heading for.

With theoretical and practical research and personal experiences, the General Secretary highlights that for Vietnamese people to enjoy true happiness, it is necessary to remain consistent with the core, sustainable and fine values of socialism that humanity is gravitating towards. Those values must be perceived and creatively applied in alignment with the context of Vietnam and of the era.

Socialism in Vietnam cannot help heading for sustainable human development, creating opportunities for people to express their human nature and perfect their qualities and capabilities as the sole and genuine subject of history. Socialism must be the social system for people as Marx and Engels foresaw in the Communist Manifesto over 170 years ago. It says “In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, there will be a rise of a union in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all”⁽¹⁾. That goal is consistent and pervasive to all communist activities in the long and arduous journey of socialist construction cause.

In his work, General Secretary Trong answers a grand question of our time really convincingly, especially after the collapse of the socialist regime in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe countries. It is “the end of history”; “is capitalism the final rung of the ladder or is socialism the future of mankind?”  and “why did Vietnam choose the socialist path?”

With his objective and scientific attitude, he posits: “We acknowledge that capitalism has never been as global as it is today and has also gained multiple significant achievements especially in liberating, developing production capability, science and technology. Plenty of developed capitalist countries, thanks to favorable economic conditions and the perpetual struggle of the working class and the working people, have taken measures to adjust and establish quite a few social welfare schemes which are more advanced than the previous ones”⁽²⁾.

The above-mentioned remarks about capitalism are objective, general, and well-reasoned, in line with the research results of many domestic and foreign scientists. Accordingly, the achievements of capitalism, especially in providing social welfare benefits, are not only based on great economic conditions but also the ceaseless struggle of the working class and the working people. It is particularly worth noting since, in the context of socialism facing difficulties in the world, people’s communist belief has been shaken, leading to bourgeois values being idealized and capitalism being applauded. Those people don’t realize that the glory of capitalism is not just for everyone, especially the workers, and that this acquired aura emanates from the massive efforts of the workers in the struggle for justice and social progress. It has been paid for by the growing impoverishment of workers, forming opposing worlds between the holders of world wealth and the workers; between the rich and the poor (1% and 99%); depleted resources and living biosphere; redundancy and extravagance at the global level; international conflicts, wars and terrorism; deep division among ethnic groups; trampled dignity or identity as warned about by the bourgeois scholar Francis Fuykyama in his famous work “Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment”, and countless other maladies.

Therefore, socialism is a natural choice because it is compatible with the genuine aspirations of mankind. It is humanitarianism completely built on the foundation of human cultural values and illuminated by highly enlightening cultural ones. For the same reason, the General Secretary affirms that: “We need a society in which development is truly for the people, rather than a society that exploits and tramples on human dignity for profits. We need economic development in tandem with social progress and justice, rather than the growing rich-poor gap as well as social inequality. We need a society of compassion, solidarity, mutual assistance, towards progressive and human values, rather than competition, injustice, “big fish eating small fish”, selfish interests of a small number of individuals and groups”⁽³⁾.

In order to realize the noble goal of socialism, which is all for people, and simultaneously to dismiss the claim that socialism is “the equal distribution of poverty to everyone”, the founders of Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh and the Party have unanimously agreed that the excellent values ​​of socialism can be gradually actualized only when social productive forces advance as they are the foundation and core materials to address human needs and for the existence, the progress, and the humanization of social relations and the development of ideology and social values. In Vietnam, the Party has asserted that the socialist-oriented market economy is the general economic model during the transition to socialism.

What General Secretary Trong notes is that the theory of the socialist-oriented market economy “is a very basic and creative theoretical breakthrough of the Party, an important theoretical accomplishment after 35 years of implementing Renewal”⁽⁴⁾...”The socialist-oriented market economy is a modern one with international integration, fully and synchronously operating under the rules of the market economy, under the management of the socialist law-governed state, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, ensuring the socialist orientation, aiming at the goal of “wealthy people, strong nation, democracy, justice, civilization”⁽⁵⁾. In that sense, the economy is closely linked to the society; “economic growth goes hand in hand with social progress and justice in every step, every policy and throughout the development periods⁽⁶⁾.

It proves that the socialist-oriented market economic institution not only contributes to the dynamism of social subjects and promotes rapid economic development, but can also remedy the shortcomings of the market, guaranteeing sustainable development. That economic institution is an organic combination between the two factors of the market and socialist orientation, showing the humane nature of socialism that the people have built. It is completely different from the allegation of the opportunistic and reactionary forces that maintains it is simply an incompatible mechanical ascription.

As a complete entity that includes numerous core, sustainable and good values, socialism in Vietnam is also interpreted in political terms by the General Secretary. It is a progressive political system, with true democratic nature, all public power belongs to the people and serves the people. The state, as a special power organization, becomes a powerful tool to make people’s great dreams and aspirations come true, rather than rule and enslave the people.

As can be seen in the history of humankind, there have been a number of types of states. States based on private ownership of the means of production, including capitalist states, are, after all, aimed at protecting the interests of the ruling property-owing class and guarantee the democracy to the minority of exploiters. According to the General Secretary, “The fact is that democratic institutions following the “liberal democracy” formula that the West has endeavored to promote and impose on the whole world does not guarantee that real power belongs to the people, by the people and for the people - the most essential elements of democracy”⁽⁷⁾. Thus, “we need a political system where real power belongs to the people, by the people and serves the interests of the people, not just a wealthy few”⁽⁸⁾.

As a fine social system, socialism not only brings material wealth, but also creates a healthy environment for development, especially of human beings - the true subject of history. Therefore, it must create an environment, a spiritual ecosystem that ensures the free and comprehensive development of human beings. It is an ecosystem that nurtures compassion, harmony, and consensus among people, communities, and nations so that “species-being”, as termed by K. Mark, are revealed. Thus, sustainable development must be based on culture, because cultural goals and motivations are also cultural.

The General Secretary states that, “We consider culture as the spiritual foundation of society, the endogenous strength, the driving force for national development and defense; developing culture in harmony and synchronicity with economic growth, social progress and justice is a fundamental guideline in the process of building socialism in Vietnam”⁽⁹⁾. In that sense, as the late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong wrote in Culture and Renewal, socialism is a cultural cause, “renovation is a cultural work”.

In the new context of the era, especially in the face of the natural environment being destroyed, threatening human life, a pressing issue that cannot be ignored, as one of the values of socialism, is how to foster sustainable development not only for the economy, society but also for the environment. Friedrich Engels once noted when humans exploit nature, it will take revenge on humans. Therefore, “We need sustainable development in harmony with nature to ensure a healthy living environment for current and future generations, rather than exploiting resources, consuming materials infinitely and damaging the environment”⁽¹⁰⁾.

In order for the core, sustainable and decent values of socialism in Vietnam to become a reality, the General Secretary notes that party building and rectifying work must be given special attention. As such, it is essential that “we be deeply aware that the leadership of the Communist Party is a decisive factor in the success of the renewal process, ensuring the national development in accordance with the socialist orientation. We must attach crucial importance to party building and rectifying work, considering this a pivotal task which determines the existence of the Party and the socialist regime”⁽¹¹⁾.

3. As shown in the national reform cause for the past 35 years that in the face of dramatic changes after the collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe countries, the Party, with its political mindset and intelligence, has accurately analyzed the world situation and historical movement trends to make correct political decisions. The Party has affirmed that Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought are the ideological foundation of the Party and our people; national independence and socialism are the goals that the Vietnamese revolution strives for persistently. Thanks to that, the political regime has been maintained, the socio-economic development has been promoted, people’s living standards have been improved... “Never before has our country had fortune, potential, position and prestige in the international area as it does today”⁽¹²⁾. The recent revolutionary pathway indicates that the core, sustainable and good values ​​of socialism humanity aspires to are being realized in Vietnam step by step, and reflected profoundly in the book titled “Some theoretical and practical issues about socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The General Secretary’s work, despite being relatively small in size, contains a multitude of brilliant ideas about socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam. It can be seen as a theoretical summary of the construction of socialism in the renewal period with a system of views which are preliminarily formed, yet need further research and supplement. Accordingly, national independence and socialism; wealthy people, a strong nation, democracy, justice, civilization are definitely identified as the goals that the Party and people persistently and consistently pursue and become the guideline for the awareness and actions of the Party and people, aiming at arousing the aspiration for development making Vietnam a powerful nation with free and happy people. That is also a well-based refutation of all allegations made by reactionary forces and political opportunistic elements when attempting to obstruct the national construction and defense cause, and disproving the socialist path that we have taken.

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Received: March 15, 2022; Revised: March 17, 2022; Accepted for publication: April 22, 2022.

Endnotes:

(1) Karl Marx and Engels: Complete works, vol.4, Truth National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2002, p. 628.

(2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11) Nguyen Phu Trong: Some theoretical and practical issues about socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam, Truth National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2022, pp.18-19, 21, 25, 25-26, 27, 20, 21-22, 27, 21, 29.

(12) CPV: Documents of the 13th National Congress, vol.I, Truth National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, p.25.

Assoc. Prof., Dr. HO TRONG HOAI

Institute of Scientific Socialism,

Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics