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The dialectical unity of truth and value

In order to meet the needs of their own survival and development, people must transform the world through practice. In this process, there is not only the problem of the truth that the subjective conforms to the objective, but also the value problem of understanding and transforming the world according to the needs of the subject.

(I) Value

Value is a philosophical category that reflects the relationship between the subject and the object. It is the meaning of the object to the life and activities of individuals, groups and even the entire society. For example, whether the development of material production can meet the people's growing material needs, whether the organizational form of the regime can reflect the people's will and be supported by the people, whether faith or belief can give people spiritual support and spiritual guidance, whether works of art can give people aesthetic enjoyment, etc., are all manifestations of the value relationship between the subject and the object.

On the issue of the essence of value, there is a contradiction between objective value theory and subjective value theory. Objective value theory believes that value is inherent in the object itself and has nothing to do with the subject. Subjective value theory believes that value is the desire, emotion and interest of the subject and has nothing to do with the object. Both views only see one side of the contradiction and ignore the other side, so they are both one-sided. In fact, value reflects a specific relationship between subject and object, which is manifested as a meaningful relationship between people and objects that meet their needs. Value is inseparable from the needs of the subject and the characteristics of the object, that is, certain properties, structures and attributes of the object. Value has both subjective characteristics and objective basis.

(II) Basic characteristics of value

Value has four basic characteristics: subjectivity, objectivity, multidimensionality and social history, which are the manifestations of the essence of value:

  1. Subjectivity of value: Value is directly related to the subject and is always centered on the subject. The formation of value relations depends on the existence of the subject, and the same object may have different values ​​for different subjects. The formation of value relations depends on the creation of the subject, so that the potential value of the object is transformed into real value.

  2. Objectivity of value: Under certain conditions, the meaning of the object to the subject exists independently of the subjective consciousness of the subject. Value is an objective existence, independent of people's understanding and evaluation of it. The existence and needs of the subject are objective, not abstract. The existence, attributes and functions of an object are objective. Whether it can meet the needs of the subject is determined by the nature and attributes of the object's objective existence.

  3. Multidimensionality of value: The value relationship of each subject is diverse. The same object will produce different values ​​relative to the different needs of the subject. The multidimensionality of value requires people to make a comprehensive investigation and rational choice of the value of the object when dealing with value relationships.

  4. Social and historical nature of value: The subject in the value relationship is a specific person engaged in practice in a certain social relationship. With the development of practice and history, the relationship between the subject and the object and between the subject and the object changes, which leads to changes in people's judgment of the value of the object. The development of history and reality determines the social and historical nature of value.

(III) Value evaluation and its characteristics

Value evaluation is the subject's judgment or judgment on the value and value size of the object, forming different attitudes towards the object, such as affirmation or negation, like or dislike, beauty or ugliness, good or evil, justice or partiality, etc. To correctly conduct value evaluation, we must base it on truth, be consistent with the objective laws of social and historical development, and take the needs and interests of the vast majority of people as the basis.

Value evaluation is a subjective reflection of objective value relations, and has the following main characteristics:

  1. Evaluation takes the value relationship between subject and object as the object of cognition: Knowledge cognition takes objective things and their laws as the object, pursues the "what" of the object, and seeks "truth" as the purpose of cognition; value evaluation takes the value relationship between object and subject as the object, pursues "what should be", and seeks "goodness" and "beauty" as the purpose of cognition.

  2. Evaluation results are directly related to the evaluation subject: Knowledge cognition is a process of subjective reflection of the objective by people, and the results of cognition are not subject to the will of the subject. Value evaluation should reveal and express the meaning of the object to the subject. The needs, characteristics, emotions, interests and hobbies of the subject directly affect the evaluation results.

  3. The correctness of the evaluation results depends on the cognition of the object's status and the needs of the subject: Evaluation is a judgment of the meaning of the object to the needs of the subject, which depends on the dual cognition of the object and the subject.

  4. Value evaluation can be scientific or non-scientific: Scientific evaluation is objective, fair, comprehensive and effective, while non-scientific evaluation is evaluation that distorts and obscures objective value relationships. Value evaluation should be based on truth, be conducive to the survival and development of human subjects, be consistent with the objective laws of social and historical development, and promote social and historical progress.

(IV) Values ​​and core values

Values are a system of people's understanding of the essence of value and their views on the evaluation criteria, principles and methods of people and things. It is consistent with the world view and outlook on life. Values ​​can be advanced or backward, correct or wrong, positive or negative.

In layman's terms, values ​​are people's basic views on what should and should not be done, and are the general concept of distinguishing between good and bad, right and wrong, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, etc. Values ​​play a role in regulating and guiding people's behavior. People with the same knowledge but different values ​​may have completely opposite behavioral orientations. Marxist values ​​use whether the interests of the vast majority of people are met as the evaluation standard, and the progress of society and the complete liberation of mankind as the standard.

For the nation and the country, the most lasting and deepest power is the core values ​​recognized by the whole society. Core values ​​are an important stabilizer of a country, which is related to social harmony and stability, and the long-term stability of the country. The basic content of my country's socialist core values ​​includes: prosperity, democracy, civilization, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness. It scientifically answers the major questions of what kind of country we want to build, what kind of society we want to build, and what kind of citizens we want to cultivate. The socialist core values ​​are the concentrated embodiment of the contemporary Chinese spirit and embody the common value pursuit of all the people.

(V) The dialectical unity of truth and value in practice

People's practical activities are always constrained by the scale of truth and the scale of value. The scale of truth in practice refers to the truth that must be followed in practice to correctly reflect the essence and laws of objective things, and the scale of value in practice refers to understanding and transforming the world according to one's own scale and needs in practice. This scale reflects the purpose of human activities.

Any practical activity is the unity of the scale of truth and the scale of value. For example, Tu Youyou won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the "antimalarial magic drug" artemisinin. She used scientific experimental methods to explore new treatments for malaria, which conforms to the scale of truth; her purpose is to save the lives of malaria patients, which conforms to the scale of value.

Truth and value or the scale of truth and the scale of value are closely linked and inseparable dialectical unity. On the one hand, the scale of value must be based on truth. To achieve the purpose of practice and meet the needs of human beings themselves, we must recognize, master, believe in and defend the truth. Without the scale of truth, the scale of value deviates from the reasonable track. On the other hand, the inherent scale of human needs drives people to constantly discover new truths. Scientific inventions, technological innovations, and the formation of classical ideological theories are all social practices for the realization of a better life. Without the scale of value, truth lacks subjective meaning.

Based on the concreteness and historicity of practice, the unity of the scale of truth and the scale of value is also concrete and historical, and the unity of the two will continue to develop to a higher level with the development of practice. Truth transforms from relative to absolute, and people's needs and interests are becoming increasingly diverse. Whether the standards of truth and values ​​have achieved a concrete and historical unity must be verified through practice.

The great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era fully embodies the dialectical unity of the standards of truth and values. Xi Jinping pointed out: "The ideals and beliefs of the Chinese Communists are based on the scientific truth of Marxism, on the laws of human social development revealed by Marxism, and on the lofty value of seeking benefits for the vast majority of the people. We are firm because we pursue the truth. We are firm because we follow the laws. We are firm because we represent the fundamental interests of the vast majority of the people."