DENG XIAOPING
1904 – 1997
It is with deep admiration and respect for Deng Xiaoping that we attempt to build upon his philosophy and vision for modernization of China’s educational system.
We are mindful of the wisdom of Deng Xiaoping when he said:
“It’s not that we have too many debates and discussions among persons of different opinions, but too few. Erroneous views may crop up during discussions, but that is nothing to be afraid of. We must adhere to the policy of ‘letting a hundred schools of thought contend’, and promote debate. Different schools of thought should respect and complement each other. Academic exchanges should be promoted. No success in research can be the result of the efforts of a single individual: it always rests on the achievements of past generations as well as our own. Any new scientific theory is a summation of practical experience. How can a new theory be evolved if it is not based on a summation of the practical experience of both past and present generations of scientists, both Chinese and foreign?”
—Some comments on work in science and education, August 8, 1977
(speech at a forum on work in science and education)
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? WHY? Here at China Holistic English are we being true to Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy?
Post your response
In my opinion, Deng XiaoPing is as great as Chairman Mao to China. He did many wise job to develop our economy and education. And I agree his words, everyone has his(her) own idea about every problem. If we exchange each other we can development ourselves faster and faster. So does the exchange between countries. We should nor copy others, but we should exchange each other.
I agree with his opinion.China is a large country and have so many people.Any small in the context of 1.3 billion people will become a major event.China Holistic English is so important that we can’t decisions the way English education Hasty.We need to make progress by the exchange of experience, and improve English educational methods gradually.Ultimately, we will find the most appropriate way to China’s national conditions. While our generation is being sacrificed guinea pigs.
Any tyrannical government represses debates, including Chinese Communist Party. Any party knows that debates could produce truth, including CCP. The truth sometimes damages the authority of government, that’s why they repress debates. The ignorance sometimes jeopardizes the fate of a nation, that’s why they encourage debates.
When Deng Xiao-ping issued the above comments, China’s government had decided realize the freedom of speech in China (at least reach the beginner’s level). Facing the complicated and fast-changing world nowadays, China’s government recognizes that in order to make correct decisions and choices, the assistance of China’s populace is indispensable.
I’m not going to sing a hymn to praise CCP’s decision or celebrate the progress of freedom of speech in China. Instead, I would rather enumerate a deal of faults that remain to be remedied. However, I guess that most of the readers have known most of the frustrating faults.
I agree with Deng Xiaoping’s word. We should summarize other’s opinion to promote ourselves views. But we should have the ability of telling truth from falsehood at first. If we didn’t, we would sum up the bad idea. In my opinion, it’s great that we exchange between countries, but not just copy others. We should absorb other counties’ civilization after thinking.
Deng Xiaoping is the chief architect of the reform and opening up policy in China. I mostly approve what he said above.But the saying “Any new scientific theory is a summation of practical experience” is not accurate enough. New scientific theory is not only the summation of practical experience,because the theory may be not based on the reality experience. It can be from our imaginations or fantasies. However,you may say that imaginations derived from the reality. But I emphasize the importance of the people’s creativities.
I can’t agree more. The more rebuttal there is, the clearer the truth becomes. Only through debate can we make all-round cognition of the question. Deng Xiaoping is not only a theorist but also a practitioner. Emancipation of mind, it’s not only can be used in the economic field, also can be used in all aspects of social life, especially in the field of education. The past three decades of reform and opening up the field of education achievements is enough to prove the correctness of this view.
Of course, I absolutely agree with Deng’s words. Only social practice can be the criterion of truth. We are only not afraid of erroneous views. We can do many various social practices. Then we have more materials to evolve a new theory. If not, we only are in a pause. So we encourage having many debates and discussions among persons of different opinions.
However, China Holistic English are true to Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy. He always has different opinions with students. So it always causes controversy with each other. Sometimes I was a little angry with your opinions, and sometimes I became in high spirits (Oh, it’s wonderful! I can have emotions to speak and writing English.) . But through the debate, I view the bigger world. I understand other’s thoughts, and make up for the lack of my mind. I can consider more generally and deeply. All the change owes to the debates. Thank you!
“It’s not that we have too many debates and discussions among persons of different opinions, but too few.” Deng Xiaoping said these words decades years ago. But today, I still find there’re too few debates in China. Every National Days, and also during the Beijing Olympic Game, many websites have to close up in order to create a harmonious social atmosphere. In the BBS of SYSU, administrators will delete items which are “unharmonious” such as some students kill themselves or some criticisms against the governments and etc. Does the governments afraid of that? It quite confuses me.
I can’t agree with him more. “Any new scientific theory is a summation of practical experience”. We will get the knowledge from the discussion we had no matter there is any wrong issue or opinion in it. We must learn to find the error and even something that it is also right and wrong depending on the terms that we are in.
I think Deng’s theory is right for us who own a biology postgraduate degree. We can not get our academic conclusions only by thinking of something or talking to others. We have to make experiments to find out the actions which could lead us to a true conclusion or we would never touch the truth and maybe the biology world will stop its moving step. A practical experience is not only lead us to success, it may lead to lose, but whether it success nor lose, it does not matters, because the experience itself is a wealth to us, without it, we would not know what is right and what is wrong.
Deng Xiaoping was a great man and he did huge contribution to the development of China. I totally agree with Deng Xiaoping’s opinion about scientific achievement and debates.
It is obviously that each person has his own thought about one thing and each thing has many aspects. No one can take care of every aspect and make a comprehensible conclusion. If we can summaries most of acknowledgements of this thing, we can achieve a high cognitive level of the thing.
It is so wise that Deng Xiaoping proposed this opinion and had significance meaning to us. From this theory, we can learn that we could just do ourselves ignoring others but keep up with other’s pace. Referring to our English learning, we need to communicating with others especially whose native language is English.
I think what Deng Xiaoping said does not just elucidate the essence of scientific research, but also conducting the way for us to improve ourselves. So I definitely agree what he said. This statement is also suitable in our HEL. As Doc.Martin has said, we must learn through acquisition, so it accords with Deng Xiaoping’s idea that exchaging should be promoted. I can see the benefits of learning English by talking with L2 speakers. So it’s necessary for us to improve our English speaking skills trough creating an ESE to make adequete chances for exchanging between ourselves. Perhaps only by exchanging, we can get improvement, and one can’t get great achievements only by himself/herself.
I argee that debates are benefit for us to do anything.Because we’re just humam being,we can’t do everything excellent by a single individual.Through the debates with other people’s different opinions,we can know the defect of our method solving the problem.This is very important for us graduate students to debate with other people.Only in this way,can we realize our weak point in our academic research.We can only persuade others to believe our new theory by debates.In China Holistic English we should be true to the Deng’s philosophy,as well it’s a truth.
I agree with Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy greatly, not due to his identity,but his wisdom. Debates and discussions are both fresh air and inner impluses that motivate science and human’s knowledge to increase. For example, the staff and students in our lab always debate on some new findings or papers when different opinion or oppugn always can be put forward, and through in this way I can gain more from that new findings.If the finding is not much convincing , debates and discussions will help to reveal the trueth .
In my opinion,Deng Xiaoping is a great figure of Chinese history.Without him,maybe we still live like India.He put forward the reform and open policy, which have brought earthshaking changes to China.But in some aspects,I don’t totally agree,such as “encouraging some to grow rich fist,and the first to prosper must help the later”. We can not totally repudiate this policy,because it have really change our country,but also it have brought the problem of rich-poor polarization,which is growing worse and worse.
I totally agree with Deng’s opinion, he is a giant in modern Chinese society. We should have more debates and discussions among people of different opinions, though erroneous views will appear during discussion. Through creative discussion, we will culture our creative thinking. And only we thinking creatively, our country will make a much faster progress.
In a certain sense, we are being true to Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy in Mr. Martin Wolff’s English classes. In his classes, we discussion different kind of questions, and there is no right and wrong, we are just encouraged to express our ideas. Though there are erroneous or unreasonable answers, it’s OK. The purpose of those classes is encouraging every classmates to express their own ideas.
I can’t agree with Deng Xiaoping’s words more.
Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong all are heroes in my heart. It is chairman Mao who guided Chinese people to create a new China. While Deng Xiaoping guided us to develop our motherland to be a more powerful, more energetic, more prosperous and strong, more developmental country.
All of this began with the words “A cat is a good cat if only it could catch the mouse, no matter it is a black or white cat.” After that we began to exchange with other country. Along with this we change our old minds and become more open. And our country become more powerful, more prosperous and more developmental by means of we Chinese people’ hard working. And now we are changing and improving. I think our country will have a better tomorrow.
I agree with Deng Xiaoping’s opinion. We should not afraid of making misdate.” Failure is the mother of success”. We should accept different views and ways, may including erroneous, to improve the science and the education, especially to improve ourselves. Things have multi-faceted in nature. There is difficult for a person to fully understand a thing. So it is important for us to learn from other people’s views and share with others. We learn the achievements of past generations. On this basis, we practice to create our own knowledge.
I agree with Deng Xiaoping’s opinion. He pointed out two principles during his comments on work in Science and Education in 1977. First, we should let all thoughts exist and show enough respect to all of them in spite of their right or wrong and that is a great problem existed in China. Naturally, the next point, “No success in research can be the result of the efforts of a single individual”. It’s true that there exist many geniuses in scientific field, such as Galois, Gauss and Hilbert, but no matter what huge contributions they had made to mathematics, their work based on a summation of the practical experience of both past and present generations of scientists. Deng Xiaoping’s deep understandings in science worth our admiration.
I agree with his philosophy. Deng Xiaoping was a great leader and he makes a big contribution to the construction of China. I admire and respect him.
It doesn’t matter that we have different opinions on one question. The exchanges of the opinion make our view enlarged. We are so glad to see that there are different opinions for quality education, we should try different method and the practice will tell us which one is the truth. Holistic English at China is a different way from the one we learn English before, and the result must be different. We try and we gain.
To let a hundred schools of thought contend, is really a brilliant idea of dealing with different opinions, esp. in science research. As far as I am concerned, no one of us wants to see the condition of only one voice in a area, which would definitely block the way of developing on given history. Similarly, it is absolutely right to promote academic exchanges both from home and abroad. Engaged in the blockade is harmful to both oneself and others. So, maybe it is Mr. Deng to blame for the “lie” of everyone should learn English?
I very agree with this point of view. Without argument, there would be no progress in academic. Each person makes perception of Problems in their own point of view. It is difficult to make a comprehensive view of the problems. If men do not exchange their viewpoint, they may go the wrong way.
The correct view is not only from the discussion, but also from practice. Therefore, no matter what the final outcome of the discussions, the truth should be tested in practice only.
I agree with his opinion.In Chinese history, the period of hundred schools of thought contend is prosperous,On the contrary, it must be recession.Academic exchanges should be promoted,exchange of ideas can creat new idea.Social progress need new theory,and any new scientific theory is a summation of practical experience.
I agree with Deng Xioping’s philosophy. Undoubtedly， the creativity will be improved when there are discussions among persons of different opinions. The discussions request deep thinking and practice to prove that your idea works. As a result of the discussions, one can gain new idea and new methods of practice from others. There are always discussions of education in China and aboard. Developing during such discussions, the education system in China became more practical and less rigid. Though there are still disadvantages, there are improvements. Creativity will not be improved until there are enough discussions and debates about different opinions. And things will not be improved without creativity. That is Deng Xioping’s philosophy.
I can not agree more!!!Success in reseach always rests on the achievements of past generations! Any new scientific theory is a summation of practical experience.Deng xiaoping is not only a Statesman, a chairman of China,a reformer, he is also a philosopher. He notices the importance of making differences, which is not a prevalent thought in the previous China. In the past, every leaders of China was dedicated to build an unanimous country, while Deng does not think so. He is the man who fears nothing, debating, discussing, disagree will not be the obstacles that impede the developping, on the contrary, broading views just to be the first step to raise creative ideas!
Deng Xiaoping is a great leader. I think he is the best leader in China up to date. I respect him. I agree with his words. He encouraged the discussions in science and education, he thought any new scientific theory was the contribution of past and present generations of scientists. Yes, he is right. No discussion, no progress. Everyone have their own ideas, they communicate, debate and get good information from others. So a better theory becomes in their mind.
China holistic English is a useful way to learn English. We should discuss and communicate and make progress together. I think, at last, we will be good English users.
Deng Xiaoping is one of the most outstanding leaders in China and also in the world. He is a man of far-sight, doughtiness and wisdom. He has his own judgment of the current political situation. I agree with Deng’s opinion above. in Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of China, the are so many differentschool of thought, in which many great thoughts have been produced.
So this enviroment should be encouraged in our society now. Only in this way can we develop our ability of creativity. Everyone’s viewpoint should be respected. In this way, we can see a more colorful world!
The problem of China “It’s not that we have too many debates and discussions among persons of different opinions, but too few.”, what a wise idea! Most people, especially leaders have an subconscious will to force the others to agree with them. However, just like what Deng said there is no great idea coming from one person, on the other hand, it needs numerous people to create a great idea and to practice it. How to accept the others’s ideas? As far as I concerned, first we must be brave to accept our own mistakes, shortcomings and unknown. Then, try to be carious about the other people and their ideas and be interested in communication and exchanging of ideas. Only a man/woman can do the two things above, he/she would be more and more erudite and successful.
The words deeply moves me.“It’s not that we have too many debates and discussions among persons of different opinions, but too few.” From 1978,China has experienced 31 years.In these years,many different problems has happned to us,and China has tried its best to get along with the others and creat an economic miracle.We believe that science and technology is the most important productivity.So,without Deng Xiaoping,we would have not so much development.
As a scientific student majoring biotechnology, I firmly advocate Mr. Deng’s notion about education and research. On the way of studying the complicated life sciences, we have no choice but keep debating with others as well as ourselves on and on. At the same time, research of life sciences is time and wealth-consuming. With sharing equipments and ideas among researchers on the correlated field, we can accomplish piles of goals without lavishing tons of time and money.
I quite agree with comrade Xiaoping’s philosophy. Different people have different thought. They must be allowed to show their thought freely, then the world will develop best.
I spent 5 days in Shenzhen during the National Day.During my stay there,I was quite shoked by the prosperousness sight there.It is hard to connect what you’ve seen-the soaring edifices along the streets,the busy people stream and the traffic stream and the beautiful gardens sitted in every corners of the crossing roads-to the little fishing village just 20 years ago.When I lived there,especially when I saw Hongkong,the Pearl of Orient,across the sea from a distance that was not quite far,the same question always came to mind:What would Shenzhen be like,what would Hongkong be like and what would China be like,if we didn’t maintain the ‘Reform and Open-up Policy’? At the same time,a name also appeared in my mind,the name of a man we owe all of this to-Deng Xiaoping.
That is the reason why we call him ‘the chief architect of the modernization drive’.
We have persited the ‘Reform and Open-up Policy’ for 31 years now.The world nowadays, comparing with the world then, has undergone earthshaking changes.But one thing is undoulted,today’s world is much more connected and the boundery between nations are vanishing.We must learn how to coorporate with others,not just living alone with the pathetic feeling of Sinozentrismus like the Qing Dynasty.So we should crave for different,even condradicted ideas rather than be afraid of them.Because only by fighting and comparing with others can we discover and amend the prejudiced thought and short-sighted mistakes on and on.
I very agree with his opinion on education.Different people have differetnt opinion.Not everyone’s opinion is erroneous.Others’ opinion is also helpful for us.We are able to learn from others via debates or discussions.One can’t do everything or know about everything.We should not be afraid of erroneous views at all.A new theory can be checked by pratical experience whether it is or not.
There is an old saying that” Truth can be gleaned from debates”. After dabate and discussion, various of attitudes come out and errorous view will crop out and improve. So no matter in exploreing the truth of developing socialism china or perchase of the true of science ,debates and discussions are needed.
I can not agree more of this philosophy. Different schools of ideas come into a collision and it is through practice that we know which school is better. However, respect of each other is essential in a healthy competition. Without respect, this competition will end in a mess without creating meaningful results and may even hurt each other.
In terms of Holistic English in SYSU, Deng Xiaoping’s idea is well embodied in the discussions we have in class and in this comment board. Just as a famous philosopher put it,’I can disagree with you, but I firmly respect your right of expressing your idea.’ Disagree with grace, respect and courage is the quality of civilized human.
Deng Xiaoping is such a smart and creative leader of China, since he successfully coped with conflict between the system operated in China and the need of economic growth. As to modernization of China’s educational system, I totally agree with his views. Wetland is very important in ecosystem because of its amazing biodiversity. So many kinds of organism live there and various energy exchanges happen. Wetland’s vigor comes from different species, just as China’s educational system should be evolved by different opinions.
Deng Xiaoping made a significant contribution to China’s economy and the reform of educational system. The process of development of science is tortuous and the main direction is forward. I sincerely agree with this statement of Deng Xiaoping; Debates and discussions are necessary to the development science. If we want to make great progress or new discoveries, we must based on a summation of the practical experience of both past and present generations of scientists, both Chinese and foreign. Besides we also should learn to observe and the ability to find out problems and solve them, learn to communicate with others. Only in this way, we can make program and China can develop more quickly.
Mao zedong establish the People’s Republic of China and Deng xiaoping develop China. What he said is just the manifestation of his “reform and opening-up” policy . we learn and absorb the civilization of the world outside , and thus we have comprehensive progress nowadays .
Based on the view of Deng xiaoping , I really appreciate the work doing by all the foreign teachers and local English teachers in order to make a change in our English learning . China want to make higher development and undertake much more responsibility , language is a key factor of keeping the communication of China and the rest of world tight and smooth .
It’s not that we have too many debates and discussions among persons of different opinions, but too few. Yes, I have to say that dengxiaoping’s words are so correct. But to our disappointment in china today we are also lacking debates which can involve different opinions from the people. We all know that in china it’s hard to show different opinions which will be regarded as be opposite to the government and the party.
But we also have to know that one reason which result in this situation in china is also related to dengxiaoping. He once said a very famous speech: stability is the prominent thing in the progress of china’s growth. In order to make the society much more stable and harmonious , government administrators try to dismiss the voice which in their view are not in the main consensus .
There is no doubt that Deng Xiaoping’s point of view is sapiential,and I deeply agree with him.In my opinion, there is nothing absolutely worthless,every school and view has its own value,the only linchpin is depending on the direction you see them. Even something with nothing positive,we can see them as negative examples to remind people at least.If there are something you don’t agree with, don’t blindly deny them,might as well have a debate with somebody with different views,maybe you can get new understandings. I think at China Holistic English ,we are being true to Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy.In this class,we meet a number of new ideas, although part of them are opposite with our traditional knowledge,we don’t deny them completely.We try to listen them and understand them.and finally,we get new understandings.It’s a valuable course.
I agree with this philosophy. While we discuss with the others, we may not only be inspired but also assimilate sparkling ideas. New theories usually come out of different ideas. However, we can’t just depend on our thoughts. We should also try ourselves to find out the facts to support our new theories. Only in this way can we convince not only ourselves but also other people of a new theory.
Deng Xiaoping is one of greatest people in the world. I adore him for all his works. I do agree with his opinion of science and education. First, every one and every school can give right discussions, and also make wrong answers. Only respect many discussions can make good decision. For example, every president often have a meeting and collect members’ opinion before making a decision. Second, everyone’s works base upon others’ works. Because each person doesn’t have enough time to learn everything. For instance, the well-known physicist Newton ever said his works built on the basis of the work of others.
In a word, I do agree with Deng Xingping’s opinion.
In my opinion, actually, the contribution of Deng Xiaoping for China is not less than Chairman Mao. Deng had a vision that makes great help for China to develop. I also cannot agree more to his opinion on the education. Everyone is unique, as well as his view. And everybody has the right to speak his view out. Further more, many hands make light work, gather different views may help us to find the best solution for a problem. For education, the main tenet would be teaching the students how to think and have their own opinions, so, the government should encourage but not suppress different arguments.
Of course I agree with what Deng Xiaoping said. And the Chinese history of development for these thirty years can definitely prove that his words are right and worth to follow. Further more, I want to say I admire this person not only because his words, but also his behaviors. He, as a leader in China, had suffer lots of pains that a normal person could not even imgined. But he was strong in mind and went through all the way of sufferings and finally helped China going on to the right road.
I always respect DENG Xiaoping, he is a great guy. I definitely agree his above comments on education. Debates and discussions are important for education development. If all have the same opinions, how could we move on? Besides, academic research should be team work. All kinds of study need cooperation and exchange views. That is science, no one could work on his own only, because knowledge is hardly to learn and master all.
I really respect of what he said. It’s not easy to realize the importance of science and education at that time. As Deng said “Science is the most powerful technology”,we should make great progress to improve science technology. I think science is true,so I agree with his opinion that new scientific theory is a summation of practical experience. I want to point out the importance of individual efforts. We should respect of individual’s creation,even teamwork is important.This is some that I disagree with Deng. All in all,Deng xiaoping is really a great person,he make admirable contribution for China.
There is an old saying: the more debates there are, the clearer the truth will be. So I agree with the point, thanks to Deng and other leaders, they brought a new China with confidence and advanced ideology, and during to these debates on many important issues, China says goodbye to the situation of autarchy, and with more and more freedom in people’s mind, China went on a way with rapid development.
I always believe the opinion that the debates can promote our awarenesses and reveal the truth. As a result, I totally agree with Deng’s words. Since his enlightening advice, China’s government had decided realize the freedom of speech in this nation, and a new China with open, confident and advanced ideology were established. The public cannot handle a government who overlooks our opinions and requirments. Without debates, the government which is formed with so limited number of people can never satisfy the citizens and there must be autocracy .
First of all I must say that I very much respect for our great leader. what Deng Xiaoping said have a certain historical background. In the circumstances, he can say the idea of such a profound point of view is not easy. Accurately,we are mindful of the wisdom of Deng Xiaoping.Present and future reasonable period of time we will receive the impact of his theories.
Indeed, in Chinese culture and science and technology development, Deng Xiaoping made his contribution.
I believe what Deng’s said is right. What’s more, all the research team in china should also have more debates and discussion. Because everyone’s is limited with both time and energy, we cannot think or do all the aspects of a research. So we should discuss and complement our owe ideas. It makes us more efficient. There is an old Chinese saying which means if we talk with a person of honour , it is better than learning in a school for ten years. In the other hand, debate is a must ,too . everyone have the right to make an mistake and some even we do not aware our mistakes. It may be harm to other people especially the beginners. So we should debate , let others know via media and they will absorpt critically or give out the right answer. So our society can develop day by day.