Comments on the Article “Is It a Framework?
Or Guiding Principles?” in the Guangming Daily (February 15, 1961) 1. A fine article [1]. Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript. 2. Comrade Chen Boda [2]: Who is He Ming [3]?
During the Anti-Rightist Rectification Campaign, he wrote a short essay [4] that was very good.
I had discussed it with you and intended to have a talk with him, but this did not come to pass.
Now I ask you to arrange for him to fly to Guangzhou.
At the same time, please also bring along Ai Siqui, Hu Sheng, Wang Ruoshui, Ren Jiyu [4], and Guan Feng.
I earnestly request that you take immediate action on these matters!
Mao Zedong, morning of February 15th.
Printed from the manuscript.
Notes [1] Refers to He Ming’s article “Is It a Framework?
Or Guiding Principles?—Go Out into Practice, Go Among the Masses,” published on page three of the Guangming Daily on February 11, 1961.
The article states:

“When conducting investigation and research, one must be modest and not pre-establish any subjective framework.
If one goes forth with such a framework, one will fail to see or hear what is truly there, or will only perceive and hear what one wishes to see and hear, thereby distorting the reality.
Humility is of utmost importance; frameworks, on the other hand, are harmful both to people and to work.
However, guiding principles and frameworks are entirely different.”
The article proceeds to offer a concrete analysis by drawing upon relevant ideas from the Song–Yin school and Xunzi in the history of Chinese philosophy, after which it concludes: “We must steadfastly employ Marxism–Leninism, the works of Mao Zedong, and the Party’s general line as our guide in conducting investigation and research.
This is no framework.
It is a truth abstracted from practice and verified by practice itself—a ‘telescope,’ a ‘microscope,’ and the scalpel with which to dissect the ‘sparrow.’
That said, we must not merely memorize the words of Marxism–Leninism and forcibly apply them to objective realities.
To do so would be a direct violation of Marxism–Leninism; in other words, it would no longer be Marxism–Leninism but rather a self-created framework.
We must clearly distinguish between frameworks and guiding principles; we should not carry frameworks with us, but rather conduct our investigations and research guided by the principles of Marxism–Leninism.” [2] Editor-in-chief of the magazine Red Flag: Chen Boda, who at that time served as Director of the Central Committee’s Political Research Office, editor, and Mao Zedong’s secretary. [3] He Ming, i.e., Guan Feng, who at that time was head of the Philosophical History Section of the Red Flag magazine. [4] Likely refers to the article “A Critique of Fei Xiaotong’s ‘The Early Spring Weather of Intellectuals’” published in the Guangming Daily on August 10, 1957. [ ] Ai Siqui, who at that time was Vice President of the Central Party School of the CPC.
Hu Sheng, who at that time was Deputy Director of the Central Committee’s Political Research Office and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Red Flag magazine.
Wang Ruoshui, who at that time was an editor at the People’s Daily.
Ren Jiyu, who at that time was a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.