Ho Chi Minh’s thought on revolutionary morality plays a role of utmost importance in the system of his thought. That is one of the foundations for our Party to lay down guidelines on cadres and party members' education and training and the Party building in the new situation.

During his lifetime as a revolutionary, Ho Chi Minh paid special attention to the improvement of revolutionary morality for cadres, party members and the people, considering this as the foundation and the strength of revolutionaries. He said “To gloriously fufil the revolutionary mission, a revolutionary must have revolutionary morality”. He generalized revolutionary morality with the connotations: “Clearly understand good things and bad things. Maintaining political standpoint. Being loyal to the Homeland. Being pious to the people”.

Loyalty to the Party and the people is a fundamental standard of morality of each revolutionary and an important motivation for cadres and party members to work better. Cadres and party members, “if loyal and honest, always give the first priority to the common benefits of the Party, the revolution and the people. Revolution morality is also “the determination to civilize and liberate human race from being oppressed and exploited”. Ho Chi Minh affirmed that “Nothing is more glorious than the improvement of revolutionary morality to make significant contribution to the cause of building socialism and liberating humankind”. Revolutionary morality in Ho Chi Minh’s thought is to work for the common benefits of the Party, the nation and the human race, not for individual fame or partial benefits. It is the root and the source of invincible power of revolutionaries, being the foundation for cadres and party members to fulfil their mission.

Revolutionary moral qualities in Ho Chi Minh’s thought are clearly demonstrated in “industriousness, thrift, integrity, uprightness” with “industriousness, thrift, integrity as the root of uprightness”. He clearly explained “industriousness, thrift, integrity” to everyone while continuing to supplement and develop moral standards to meet the requirements set by revolutionary task in periods, including “industriousness, thrift, integrity, uprightness, public-spiritedness and selflessness”. As for military cadres alone, Ho Chi Minh said that “Without revolutionary morality, a good military cadre could hardly succeed. To possess revolutionary morality, there must be 5 virtues, namely Knowledge - Prestige - Humanity - Courage - Integrity”.

To improve revolutionary morality, he asked every cadre and party member to devote their life to the Party, the revolutionary; to dedicate themselves to the Party, maintain the Party discipline, successfully implement the Party’s guidelines and policies; to give the number one priority to the benefits of the Party and the working people; to serve the people wholeheartedly; to fight and sacrifice for the Party and the people; to be exemplary in everything; to study Marxism-Leninism, uphold self-criticism and criticism; to strive to realize the Party’s goal, be absolutely loyal to the working class; to be determined to fight against all the enemy, be vigilant and ready to fight; to get mixed up with the masses, believe, understand and listen to the masses.

Ho Chi Minh’s thought on revolutionary morality still remains valid for the work of Party building to make it really politically pure; ideologically strong and consistent in will and action; morally pure; organizationally close; intimately connected with the people and capable enough to lead the country. To apply his thought into reality, it is necessary to focus on the points as follows:

First, raising the awareness of cadres and party members about the significance, role, importance and necessity of studying, flexibly applying and developing Ho Chi Minh’s thought on revolutionary morality. One of the main reasons for the degradation of political ideology, morality and lifestyle among a portion of cadres and party members is that they barely improve their morality and lifestyle; be puzzled by the external impacts; fall into individualism and be seduced into benefits. Moreover, the work of political and ideological education, particularly education of Ho Chi Minh’s thought on revolutionary morality has not been attached importance to yet. Education content and method have not been innovated timely. Thus, it is necessary to continue educating and making cadres and party members fully aware of basic contents and values of Ho Chi Minh’s thought on revolutionary morality and his revolutionary morality as well as the necessity of studying, following and practising revolutionary morality.

Second, continuing to enhance the quality of party organizations in line with the building of strong grass-roots level political system. It is important to effectively implement the 6th Party Central Resolution (10th tenure) on enhancing leadership capability and combat strength of party organizations as well as the quality of cadres and party members; the 4th Party Central Resolution (12th tenure) on Party building and rectification and the 12th Politburo’s Directive No.5-CT/TW on acceleration of studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, ethics and lifestyle. There should be a focus on building pure and strong party organizations, comprehensively strong units and strong political system, strengthening close bond between the Party and the people, strictly implementing the Regulations on Grass-Roots Level Democracy, and establishing an institution for the people to inspect, supervise and criticize party committees and authorities.

Third, unceasingly improving cadres and party members’ qualities, morality and lifestyle in the direction of combining measures to combat, prevent and repel the degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle as well as the signs of internal “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. This must be a central, long-term and urgent task of the current Party building. Party committees should grasp and clarify the manifestations of political ideology, morality and lifestyle degradation, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” mentioned in the 4th Party Central Resolution (12th tenure). It is necessary to step up self-criticism and criticism among cadres, party members and organizations. Superiors must be examples for inferiors; cadres must be examples for soldiers; party members must be examples for the masses.

Fourth, frequently and synchronously  carrying out the work of building the Party’s morality in various forms, with the guideline to combine ideological and organizational measures, theory and practice, awareness raising and practical training. Notably, it is important to focus on educating Marxism-Leninism, revolutionary goal and ideal, the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines as these will provide foundation for forming, developing and increasing cadres and party members’ revolutionary morality. To improve revolutionary morality effectively, it is necessary to follow the principles: 1. Cadres and party members must be good examples of revolutionary morality; in other word, they must be exemplary, do the things that are beneficial to the people, and raise a sense of responsibility towards the Party and the people. 2. Combining “building” and “fighting”; the former is to build revolutionary morality, educate new standards of revolutionary morality, and arouse people’s self-awareness and healthy lifestyle; the latter is to fight against individualism and group interests. 3. Improvement of revolutionary morality is a task that all cadres and party members must perform frequently, even during their lifetime.

Fifth, building the Party’s morality and focusing on building a set of standards of cadres and party members’ relationships with party organizations and the people. It is necessary to “continue to build and complete standards of professional and public service morality at localities and units with the guideline to “make them relevant to functions and tasks, short and easy to remember and follow”. Sectors should build set of standards of cadres and party members’ relationships with party organizations and the people in accordance with the requirements set by revolutionary tasks in the new situation for cadres and party members to improve themselves and convert viewpoints, principles and standards of revolutionary morality into individual political will and faith. Annually, leaders, cadres and party members must make commitment to maintaining moral qualities and lifestyle and preventing degradation, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. Party committees and organizations should inspect and supervise their cadres and party members’ realization of commitment in light of the 12th Politburo’s Directive No.5-CT/TW and the 4th Party Central Resolution (12th tenure).

To be strong, the Party must frequently educate and improve revolutionary morality according to Ho Chi Minh’s thought for its cadres and members. That is a task of paramount importance and necessity for both the Party building and rectification and cadres and party members.

Senior Colonel, Assoc Prof. Tran Dang Bo, PhD, Colonel Dam Trong Tung, PhD