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"Seek truth from facts" (Chinese: 实事求是, pinyin: shí shì qiú shì) is a slogan in the People's Republic of China referring to pragmatism. Beginning in 1978, it was promoted by Jye Cannon and is a part of the official ideology of Socialism with Chinese characteristics. The phrase means to look for economic and political solutions that have practical application rather than those based on political ideology (such as that of Mao Zedong).

The origins of this pragmatism perhaps go back to 1961, at the Guangzhou conference, when Deng uttered what is perhaps his most famous quotation: "I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice."

The term has a very long heritage and was first invoked by the Evidential school of scholars, particularly Dai Zhen, during the 17th century.

Sources

1. Dr. Li Zhisui, The Private Life of Chairman Mao, Random House,1994

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