Introduction

Before “Doi moi” (reform process) that took place in December 1986, there were several attempts made by the CPV, which followed the Soviet formula without relevant consideration of the Vietnamese historical, social, geographical, and cultural aspects as well as the country’s development level and its specific conditions (Phong 2022). While the creative land allocation, and product-based assignments to certain groups and farmers in the agricultural cooperatives… made certain changes, no radical improvement in the country’s socio-economic situation occurred. In the 1980s, Vietnam’s economy stagnated. Meanwhile, China, which is also a socialist country with Marxist ideology, opened its door to a market-based approach in 1978 and achieved significant results. This attracted the attention of the Vietnamese leaders, who pushed for innovation of its thinking, content, and methods in the new context (TG 2021). To innovate its thinking while maintaining a proletariat viewpoint, the CPV found Engels’s revolutionary theory and scientific socialist doctrine most relevant. As a result, the Party selected this theoretical thinking for the country’s road to socialism (Giap 2008). Before 1986, the CPV’s initial understanding of the transitional period to socialism skipping the capitalist period was relatively simple. However, this was further clarified after 1986 with a better understanding and innovative application of Engels’ theoretical thinking with Marx-Leninism ideological foundation (Yen and Duy 2022). This aligned with Ho Chi Minh’s statement “There are many doctrines and theories but the most genuine, most reliable, and most revolutionary is Leninism” (Minh 2011, vol 2, p. 289).

The CPV’s Fundamental for the country’s development in the transitional period to socialism (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2011a)) pointed out that the Party made mistakes mainly due to the lack of systematic theoretical thinking about the transitional period. The root cause is inadequate attention paid to innovation in theoretical thinking. Over time, these errors have subsequently been fixed thanks to the process of theoretical thinking innovation, in which the research, study, and application of Engels’s theoretical thinking are most important. This process is reflected by the CPV’s consideration that the theoretical thinking innovation is a “breakthrough” for the country’s comprehensive reform with a socialist orientation (Chi 2023). The theoretical thinking innovation based on Engels’s viewpoints has been thoroughly assessed and carefully analyzed through practical lessons learned. Since the reform in December 1986, the CPV has been self-critical, innovative, and improved to lead the revolutionary cause toward socialism. This shows Engels’s theoretical thinking methodology relevance and scientific nature based on CPV’s review of practical experiences. This was one of the fundamental findings to carry out the innovation policy made in Congress VI in December 1986 (To Huy Rua et al. 2006). In Congress XIII in January 2021, the Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021b) emphasized that the theoretical thinking innovation process based on Engels’s thoughts has been actively adopted by the Party based on the successes and failures of contemporary socialist models in the world. As a result, the application and development of Engels’s theoretical thinking have been gradually by CPV to meet practical demands (Chi 2023; Chien 2020).

The Party’s Congress VI in December 1986 (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 1987)) and Fundamental in 2011 (CPV 2011b) admitted that the critical limitation of innovation policy was a lack of theoretical thinking. After a long theoretical review and practical analysis, the CPV realized that these limitations, which remained too long in the central planning period, refrained from the Party’s leadership impacts. By contrast, the creative study, application, and development of Engels’ theoretical thinking (Trong 2022) resulted in Vietnam’s great development achievements. The Congress IX in 2001 (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2001)) stressed that the innovation and application of Engels’s theoretical thinking is essential for the reform process. The Congress XIII in January 2021 (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)) reiterated that Engels’s theoretical thinking and its application will be the key to the CPV’s successful leadership in the reform process.

The challenges in CPV’s leadership in the 1980s include the lack of practical experience, insufficient theoretical research ground, and inadequate attention to the application of theoretical thinking for understanding and taking actions by the natural rules (Chi 2023; Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 1987)), dogmatism, and empiricism (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2006)). At that time (1986), the Party courageously renewed its leadership thinking, research, and application the Engels’s theoretical thinking, which helped it overcome challenges in that difficult moment. This also reflects the Party’s maturity in its thinking method (Phuc 2021).

In addition, there is a misconception about theoretical thinking in the post-Lenin era in the Soviet Union. The theoretical thinking of Marx, Engels, and Lenin was ignored or misinterpreted by Stalin. An incorrect approach to Engels’s theoretical thinking led to the formulation of an impractical and idealist theoretical thinking system. In other words, the post-Lenin era leaders did not treat Engels’s scientific theoretical thinking correctly (Tan 2018). Several reform programs of the Soviet Union leaders in the 1960s XX century even applied incorrectly Engels’s theoretical thinking, which led to a theoretical thinking crisis about socialism. (Mau 2021). On the other hand, Chinese socialist theoretical thinking, which is based on Engels’s theoretical thinking application and development and Mao’s thoughts, brought China many achievements (Toan 2022). Following the experience of the Chinese Communist Party in theoretical research andfinding relevant ways for the country’s development, the CPV can study and apply Engels’s theoretical thinking on the path to socialism in Vietnam (Hoan 2021).

Many studies show that Engels’s theoretical thinking basis and Vietnam’s practical innovation are CPV’s success factors (Chi 2023; Rua et al. 2006). The country’s development achievements since 1986 also further encourage the CPV to carry on the innovation (Chien 2020; Huan and Hieu, 2016). Learning from both the success in China and the failure in the Soviet Union in applying Engels’s theoretical thinking (Mau 2021; Tan 2018), undertaking a relevant approach and applying the scientific, revolutionary, and practical nature of Engels’s theoretical thinking (Phuc 2021), the CPV carries on the reform process.

Even though Engels lived in a period of capitalism’s heyday and was not able to address issues of countries outside Europe, his theoretical thinking has been taken as a guiding star for CPV’s leadership (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2001)) for its materialistic nature when solving problems. Engels argues that theoretical thinking should be based on accumulation and generalization (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 487). In line with Engels’s thoughts, Congress XIII in January 2021 emphasized that the Party should continuously review and draw on practical experiences. This helps prove Marxism’s righteousness and its scientific and practical basis. The choice of socialism for Vietnam is therefore not accidental, it is a comprehensive study and application of Engels’s theoretical thinking in the Vietnamese context (Trong 2022). It is Engels’s scientific and dialectical thinking and CPV’s in-depth study and summary of practical experiences. It is therefore the right choice for CPV’s leadership (Chien 2020).

The goals of this study include the answers to the following questions:

What is the Engels’s theoretical thinking?

How is the CPV’s application of Engels’s theoretical thinking the innovation to achieve results?

What are the results of the innovation process that has been initiated by CPV?

How does the theoretical thinking innovation process in Vietnam occur based on application of the Engels’s theoretical thinking?

How does the CPV apply Engels’s theoretical thinking innovation process?

Answering these questions helps fill the gaps in Engels’s theoretical thinking, innovation, and application, and explain the reasons behind CPV’s loyalty to Marxism, Engels’s theoretical thinking innovation from 1986 to present.

Methodology

This study undertakes a logical historical approach based on available resources including journals, books, and research articles. It aims to affirm Engels’s theoretical and practical grounds that have been applied by the CPV in formulating its leadership policies for the country’s socialist development orientation. This is reflected in research on classic works of Marx-Engels, and documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam (especially since reform in December 1986). The best way to present Engels’s influence is to begin with the Marxist-Leninist tradition, within which Engels made a distinct contribution in terms of innovative and dialectical thinking for the sake of constructing socialism. Marx of course also developed dialectical analysis, but his focus was on analyzing capitalist systems. Thus, it is Engels and his philosophical contributions that enable the development of countries like Vietnam on the socialist road. Even though most of Engels’s works were his independent works, which were written either before collaboration with Marx or after Marx’s death, the resources this study accesses were published in Marx and Engel all works. As a result, the analysis and assessment in this study were cited from Marx and Engel all works.

To research Engels’s theoretical theory, it is necessary to read Engels’s writings and analysis. However, all of Engels’s writings were published together with Marx’s works as Mark-Engel’s complete works. Therefore, reading Mark-Engels complete works is essential to have enough evidence to explain Engels’s theoretical thinking

Research results

Friedrich Engels’s view on theoretical thinking

While the nature of thinking has been paid particular attention by philosophers and philosophical schools, it has been discussed thoroughly in a scientific and revolutionary manner by F. Engels. In the work “German Ideology”, Marx and Engels show revolutionary ideas on consciousness, the relationship between consciousness and existence, thereby forming a completely new philosophical world compared to previous ones: “In the general chaos mighty empires have arisen only to meet with immediate doom, heroes have emerged momentarily only to be hurled back into obscurity by bolder and stronger rivals. It was a revolution beside which the French Revolution was child’s play, a world struggle beside which the struggles of the Diadochi [successors of Alexander the Great] appear insignificant. Principles ousted one another, heroes of the mind overthrew each other with unheard-of rapidity, and in the three years 1842–45 more of the past was swept away in Germany than at other times in three centuries” (Marx and Engels 1995b, p. 23). This is Engels’s thoughts even though it was a co-authored work as Engels has a relatively open view on social phenomena, political, legal, and ethical concepts, etc. as well as a lively description of social institutional instruments that were relevant to social context. This is a revolution in consciousness, a change of concept on the nature of consciousness, an explanation of the materialism of consciousness, which led to the “process of absolute spiritual disintegration”, and an explanation that the world originated from Hegel’s system has no longer absolute rightness (Trinh 2022).

In the work “Anti-Dühring”, in the first part named Philosophy, Engels argued that: “…But if the further question is raised what thought and consciousness are and where they come from, it becomes apparent that they are products of the human brain and that man himself is a product of nature, which has developed in and along with its environment; hence it is self-evident that the products of the human brain, being in the last analysis also products of nature, do not contradict the rest of nature’s interconnections but are in correspondence with them.” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 55). This shows Engels’s confirmation that thought is the product of the human brain, which is a materialistic organ that has the highest organizational level and produces thoughts and only human beings can think. This aims to criticize Dühring’s metaphysical view on dialectics, on Engels’s theoretical reflection upon discussion on the natural origins of thoughts (Phong 2020). Based on dialectic argument on the origin of thought, F. Engels rejected Dühring’s idealistic points that principles, and formal tenets derived from thought and not from the external world. This demonstrates Engels’s thorough materialism when discusses human being’s consciousness in general and thought in particular (Chien, The point of view of Ph. Engels on theoretical thinking and its significance for the renewal of thinking on the development of the modern market economy in Vietnam today 2020). In addition, Engels pointed out the natural ground of thought is the human brain and its process of reflection of reality. The social ground of thought is labor and language, which play a decisive role in the formation and development of thought: “It is the change of nature, not the nature itself, is the most important and direct basis of human thought, and the human intelligence develops in parallel with the way they learned to change the nature” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 720). Human thought is also the product of labor and the process of innovation in labor. In this work, F. Engels pointed out that: “the capitalist production way creates a force that is mandated to complete that revolution, or to be eliminated otherwise” (Marx and Engels 2004, pp. 388–389), “Carrying out the world liberation cause…, - that is the historical mandate of the world modern proletariat” (Marx and Engels, 1995c, p. 393). Engels therefore clarified and deepened further values and origins of theoretical thinking compared to Marx, who was not able to reflect his views earlier (Bao 2016).

F. Engels discussed not only the concept of thought but also theoretical thinking in his works, namely “Dialectics of Nature” and particularly in the Preface of Anti-Dühring. F. Engels did not define theoretical thinking but analyzed humankind’s evolution progress from ancient times to the time the work was written. Engels confirmed that theoretical thinking is an advanced level of thought. Thought is a historical product, which is different from time to time “Theoretical thinking of each time, including ours, is a historical product in different forms in different times and therefore has different content” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 487). As Engels pointed out, even though being an advanced level of thought, theoretical thinking is not a definite axiom. On the other hand, it must be continuously supplemented and developed based on practical lessons learned (Chien, The point of view of Ph. Engels on theoretical thinking and its significance for the renewal of thinking on the development of the modern market economy in Vietnam today 2020). As such, F. Engels saw that the science of thought should align with history and the study of thought in general and theoretical thinking in particular, should have specific historical characteristics and be put in conditions of different times: “Therefore like any other sciences, the science of thought is a historical science, the science of human thought evolution history” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 487). This is the dialectics of theoretical thinking, which was not comprehensively explained before Engels, who has elevated thought to a higher level, e.g., theoretical thinking. It affirms Engels’s contribution to the development of theoretical thinking with new points even though these works were co-authored by Marx and Engels (Huan and Hieu 2016). Four mechanisms form theoretical thinking that have been summarized by Engels in his work “Dialectics of Nature” as follows:

First, theoretical thinking must come from practical experience. It is not naturally born but a high level of thought based on accumulated experience and useful lessons learned. With a theoretical thinking basis, human beings explore connections and relations between knowledge in different areas. Hence, to have theoretical thinking, human beings continuously accumulate experiences, summarize, and draw lessons from reality, and systemize them. Throughout this process, human beings found internal necessary connections within natural objects, and events, which were generalized to become theoretical thinking: “To study whether the human thought may become an objective truth or not is not a theoretical but a practical issue” (Marx and Engels 1995a, p. 9). This process has been described by Engels: “Natural science has collected such a large number of documents that it is critical to arrange them systematically based on their internal connections in particular research areas. It is equally necessary to arrange different areas of knowledge in the right connections between related fields. But by doing so, natural science transforms into theoretical studies, in which the experiential methods become helpless and only theoretical thinking can do” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 486). This point Engels illustrates that thought, in whatever manner, can hardly generalize all natures of objects and follow closely throughout the evolution and development process. Thought can access a limited number of characteristics of the objects, which must be linked into systems thanks to theoretical thinking. It can quickly become metaphysical without understanding this nature. Engels consolidated the origin of thoughts. The process of theoretical thinking formation should come from practice and be tested by practical experiences. This rejects the metaphysical view and affirms Engels’s theoretical values (Chien 2021).

Second, theoretical thinking integrates with scientific thinking, particularly natural sciences. According to F. Engels, this is the objective foundation for understanding the laws of evolution and the necessary internal connections between things and phenomena. This explains why F. Engels spent a great amount of time studying scientific issues, particularly natural sciences, before studying philosophy: “Have modern natural sciences achievements inevitably forced anyone who studies theoretical thinking to admit them, with such a power that natural scientists, whether they like it or not, to reach common conclusions?” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 508). Natural sciences proved scientific and objective grounds for forming theoretical thinking. Based on this, F. Engels criticized half-hearted views on theoretical thinking, in which the most serious is the half-hearted views on natural sciences: “While the theoretical thinkers are half-hearted in natural sciences, similarly natural scientists are half-hearted in theoretical study, particularly in the area so-called philosophy” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 490). Together with scientific thinking, knowledge of natural sciences is fundamental for sharp thinking.

Third, theoretical thinking cannot be separated from dialectic materialistic thinking. F. Engels highly emphasized the role of dialectics in theoretical thinking and viewed dialectic materialistic thinking as the most advanced form of theoretical thinking: “Ignoring dialectics will be punished. While one might tend to despise theoretical thinking, without it one cannot connect two events in nature with each other, or cannot understand the connections between these events… The contempt of theoretical thinking is the way leading to naturalism, which is wrong” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 487). This point shows that dialectics help clarify the nature of the natural world are connections and interactions, and thereby avoid mistakes. In the work “Dialectics of Nature”, F. Engels analyzed the limitations of the metaphysical method: “In reality, in here, nowadays there is no other way out, no other possibility to see the light if we do not give up metaphysical thinking and return to dialectic one, one way or the other” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 487), and “only dialectics can help natural sciences overcome theoretical challenges” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 489). Engels reiterated that dialectics help form theoretical thinking better, easier, and faster. Marx’s Capital has been more significant thanks to Engels’s dialectics (Zhang 2020). Engels has turned materialism into practical materialism (Blackledge 2017).

Fourth, to have theoretical thinking, it is important to study thoroughly the history of philosophy. According to F. Engels, theoretical thinking is not naturally granted, it exists in the form of hidden and incomplete potential in everybody. The comprehensive study of mankind’s history of philosophy helps turn it into real capacity. He wrote: “Theoretical thinking is a natural characteristic that exists in the form of potential capability. This potential must be improved and the only possible way, up to now, is to study the philosophy of previous times” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 489). In addition, a comprehensive study history of philosophy demonstrates spirit “labor creates human beings” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 641). Therefore, one needs to work hard and creatively to unlock their potential for theoretical thinking.

In addition to joint works with Marx, F. Engels had many independent works. His early works include “A Critical Sketch of Political Economy” (1843), “The Situation of the Working Class in England” (1844), some works written after Marx’s death such as “The Origin of the Family”, “Private Property and the State” (1884), “Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of German Classical Philosophy” (1866), “The Peasant Problem in France and Germany” (1894), “Revolution and Counterrevolution in Germany”…. Using his theoretical research, F. Engels found underlying causes of social evils and sorrows of the worker class. F. Engels helped suggest a new research direction about capitalist society for Marx, shifting from a philosophical and legal study to a political-economic one (Chuong 2009). The difference between Engels and Marx is reflected in the work A Critical Sketch of Political Economy (1843). He believes that “private economics” results from economic and social development in capitalist society from XVII to the early XIX century. At this point, while Engels did not distinguish classical political economy from regular political economy, he showed the nature and theoretical tendencies of capitalist political economy as well as criticized some significant categories of capitalist political economy such as value, production, consumption, capitalism, and profits, land ownership rights and land tenure rent, labor …He also argued about competition, which exists together with private ownership. Competition indeed leads to an economic crisis (Xuan 2015).

In his independent works such as “Anti-Dühring”, and “Dialectics of Nature”… F. Engels confirmed that: “There is only one world, the physical world; the world is united in materiality; motion, space, time are modes of existence of matter; all motion in the material world obeys its inherent, most general laws such as “The law of transformation from quantity to substance and vice versa”, “The law of the unity and struggle of opposites”, “The law of the negation of negation” etc. He was also the first author to apply these laws to the perception of the movement of the natural world, clearly explaining the dialectical relationship between nature-man-society” (Marx and Engels 2004).

Unlike Marx, when discussing the division of labor, in his book “The Origin of the Family, Private Ownership and the State”, Engels argued that the development of the productive forces and the social division of labor led to higher labor productivity and the emergence of excess wealth. This is an objective condition that gives rise to the appropriation of wealth by some powerful people and the division of society into antagonistic classes. After the third division of social labor, wealth was accumulated among the few and the masses was impoverished (Marx and Engels 1995d). Engels pointed out that the development of productive forces has always been closely related to the improvement of the tool of labor, people moving from the extraction of available resources from nature, from spontaneity to deliberate exploitation, in the process of which the division of labor takes place. In addition, the development of production forces and the social division of labor leads to higher and higher labor productivity, products obtained in the process of natural exploitation and labor products more and more, excess wealth appears, which is an objective condition that gives rise to the appropriation of wealth in some powerful people, gradually reducing the status of women and increasing the social role of men, so that the social position between men and women has changed, which is an inevitable consequence of changing the position of men and women in the family, change the status of members of society. He wrote: “So the wealth that gradually increases, on the one hand, in the family that wealth gives the husband a more important status than the wife and, on the other hand, that wealth makes the husband more inclined to take advantage of that more stable position to reverse the traditional order of inheritance in favor of his children. However, as long as matriarchal lineage is prevalent, that cannot be done. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to abolish the lineage mode according to the right pattern, and that regime has been abolished. At that time, this was not as difficult as we think today. For that revolution - one of the most radical revolutions mankind has experienced - there was no need to use a single surviving member of the clan” (Marx and Engels 1995d, pp. 91–92).

One of the creative highlights of his theory was dialectical thinking about the path to socialism. According to F. Engels, the theory and practice of creating a socialist society must always be supplemented and perfected according to the practical development requirements. He affirmed that in the heart of capitalist society, many factors will affect and negate capitalist society itself, namely economic relations, and constituent elements of capitalist society (Thuong 2020). Thus, Engels pointed out the objective inevitability of the socialist revolution that would replace capitalism with communism and clearly outlined the class character of the social consciousness towards the working class. In his thesis on the transitional period, he argued that “development is shortened” on the road to socialism in some backward countries. In addition, he carefully discussed rational thinking as the first foundation for the formation of a new society, which Marx did not discuss (Thai 2020).

In the 1850s, Engels paid special attention to the theoretical study of the capitalist economic crisis. In this area, he raised many unique opinions. Unlike Marx, Engels did not use the law of competition as the focus of his research on the economic crisis. In the context of the actual movement of the capitalist economy, he focused on analyzing the fundamental contradictions of the capitalist mode of production, pointing out the profound social causes of the capitalist economic crisis. Between 1864 and 1865, Engels expressed his opinions on the impact of the price mechanism on the economic crisis in England. Price fluctuations often accompany economic crises, but price fluctuations do not lead to economic crises. During the financial crisis, for example, price fluctuations were essentially “determined by the general situation of the currency market,” not by the state of supply and demand of commodity markets. Therefore, the impact of the price mechanism may deepen the magnitude of the economic crisis rather than the cause of the economic crisis.

Moreover, his instruction on theoretical thinking is important in combating erroneous, eclectic views on human cognitive abilities for communist and workers’ parties around the world. Principles in perception and practical action are drawn from thinking based on practical summarization, from which Engels emphasized that countries moving towards socialism, especially backward countries, must be carefully aware, not rush to act if they want to build socialism on a “shortened” path without summarizing, learning from experience. For countries that have never experienced the path of capitalist development, he asserted, “it is not only possible but certain… dramatically shortened its development into a socialist society and was able to avoid much of the suffering and struggles that in Western Europe… have to go through.” (Marx and Engels 1997, p. 632).

On Engels’ contributions to the principles of socialist management. He was instrumental in perfecting the Marxist theory of the state, profoundly explaining the superior, democratic, and progressive nature of the proletarian state, the socialist state. According to Engels: “A society organized according to communist principles will make its members capable of comprehensively using their full development capacity” (Marx and Engels 1995e, p. 475). He then asserted: “It is an inevitable condition of communist union, which is caused by purely material causes.” (Marx and Engels 1995e, p. 475). On this basis, Engels points out the distinct superiority of the proletarian state, the socialist state over those already in history. The proletarian state is a democratic state, with a government of the majority of working people, which is a true democracy. He writes: “Rights can never be at a higher level than the economic regime and the cultural development of society determined by that economic regime” (Marx and Engels 1993a, p. 36). “Neither the rule of law nor the forms of the state itself, or the so-called general development of the human spirit, can be taken to explain these relations and forms, but on the contrary, it must be seen that these relations and forms are rooted in material conditions of life” (Marx and Engels 1993b, p. 14).

F. Engels provides a necessary methodology for forming theoretical thinking by indicating the foundation for it. Reality shows that revolutionary movements cannot succeed without theoretical thinking, which also measures a country’s or a nation’s scientific development level. Engels’s view on theoretical thinking is seen as key for the worker class to materialize its historical role, which is revolutionary leadership and liberation (Cheng and Lv 2020).

Vietnam’s development achievements since the reform initiated by the Communist Party of Vietnam

Vietnam carried out a comprehensive reform since CPV’s Congress VI in December 1986. It is necessary to innovate in philosophy theory, development theory, and socialism theory in Vietnam. Hence, it is essential to study and understand the theoretical thinking that Engels outlined to bring the reform -“doi moi” community to success (Bao 2018). Among many achievements, the economic ones are the most impressive (Minh 2021). After launching the reform, the Vietnamese leaders reiterated that it is essential to understand Marxist-Leninism in the evolutionary progress of history through Engels’s scientific theoretical thinking for successful application (Triet, 2007). Recently the CPV’s highest leader emphasized that the lag in theoretical thinking compared to the practical evolution and demand should be addressed. Theoretical thinking should guide and accompany reality, the Party needs to heighten its theoretical thinking to prevent rigidity, stagnation, and backwardness. Therefore, it is crucial to understand and apply Engels’s theoretical thinking creatively Hội đồng Lý luận Trung ương (Central Theoretical Council - CTC 2022).

In recent CPV congresses, the reform has been emphasized. Congress XI (from 12 to 19 January 2011) pointed out, “Continue to enhance the leadership and combatting capacity of the Party, mobilize all nation’s strength, accelerate innovation comprehensively and synchronously…” (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2011a)). Congress XII (from 20 to 28 January 2016) stressed “…accelerate innovation comprehensively and synchronously…” (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2016)). Congress XIII (from 25 January to 1 January 2021) continued “…further accelerate innovation comprehensively and synchronously…” (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)).

Practical experience in leading, scientific thinking, and dialectical materialistic thinking to establish, develop, and strengthen political positions.

The leaders pay great attention to a political position, particularly in bilateral relationships with countries and the international community. Mr Nguyen Van Linh, who was elected CPV’s General Secretary at Congress VI, studied Engels’s theoretical thinking in-depth and turned Engels’s will into the CPV’s leadership in the reform process. After innovating theoretical thinking, he quickly established diplomatic relationships and the world’s recognition (An 2023). Vietnam received the world’s recognition in 1991, starting with normalizing its relationship with China. The country normalized its relationship with the United States in 1995. These normalized relationships with China and the U.S. opened opportunities for multilateral integration. These include ASEAN in 1995 and WTO in 2007. Recently, Vietnam was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. In 2020, Vietnam completed three important roles, e.g. non-permanent member of UNSC, ASEAN chairmanship, and AIPA chairmanship. Vietnam has diplomatic relationships with 190/200 countries and territories (Đinh 2022). These are participate in global issues such as peacekeeping, climate change, and pandemic containment. Vietnam is on the right track moving toward socialism (Minh 2021). In foreign affairs, the innovation policy has been established with the spirit that “Vietnam is ready to be a friend and reliable partner of members of the international community, striving for peace, independence and development” (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 1996)).

Leadership experience in innovation continued with Mr Do Muoi’s role (Do Muoi, CPV’s General Secretary in two consecutive terms from VII Congress 1991–1996 to VIII Congress 1996–2001). He argued that it is essential to study and apply Engels’s theoretical thinking in the innovation process in Vietnam. He believes that “only theoretical thinking can help” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 487) for leadership policy in Vietnam. He saw Engels’s scientific, dialectical, and materialistic theoretical thinking preventing way halfway, eclectic approaches and actions (Comrade Do Muoi – a mark through historical journeys 2012). The application of Engels’s theoretical thinking brought positive changes in the Party’s orientation, direction, and policies in how to run the country. The CPV is persistent in constructing a political regime of the people, for the people, and by the people. People have voting rights on common and equal principles. Judicial agencies change toward fair and law-based processes. Legal innovation is moving toward international standards. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press have been enhanced (National Assembly of Vietnam 2013). The country made great progress in human rights, being elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council twice in 2013 (tenure 2014–2016) and 2022 (tenure 2023–2025) (TTXVN 2022). The role of the legislative branch has been strengthened. Administration reform has been carried out with substantive procedure reduction and digitalization.

The CPV applied Engels’s four necessary conditions for theoretical thinking establishment and innovation, taking economic reform as an engine for development and moving toward a modern and globally integrated economy (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2016)); (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)).

The CPV followed Engels’s view that the review and generalization of practical experience and sharing theoretical thinking “takes place in different eras and therefore has different contents” (1995c, p. 487). This helped CPV successfully lead the transformation of the central planning economy to a socialist-market economy. The idealistic, top-down thinking in the central planning period had proven to be unscientific, ineffective, and inconsistent. This had been admitted and seriously criticized at Congress VI (Phong Đ. 2009).

While Engels’s theoretical thinking was written more than 100 years ago, it has great value and application in nowadays era. The CPV’s theoretical thinking has been innovated, starting with economic reform. The transformation from a central planning economy to a socialist-market economy helps raise GDP per capita from USD 235.7 in 1985 to USD 3756.5 in 2021 (The World Bank Group 2022). The poverty rate dropped from nearly 60% to less than 3% over the past three decades (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)). The average growth rate was around 7% from 2012–2019. Due to COVID-19 impacts, the growth rate slowed down to 2.94%, 2.58%, and 6.05% in 2020, 2021, and 2022 respectively. However, this is still among the best-performing economies in the world (TTXVN 2021) (See Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Vietnam’s GDP growth over 35 years of reform (TTXVN 2021).

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GDP per capita increased from USD 235.7 in 1985 to USD3.756.5 in 2021 and USD 4, 110 in 2022 (The World Bank Group 2022) (See Fig. 2). By 2030, the GDP per capita is expected to double (Minh A. 2023).

Fig. 2
figure 2

GDP per capita of Vietnam from 1985-2021 (The World Bank Group 2022).

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With strong theoretical thinking innovation, CPV gives priority to the development of the private sector, which is considered an important locomotive of the national economy. The contribution of the private sector is estimated to be around 55% and 60–65% by 2025 and 2030 respectively (Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam - CCCPV 2017a)). Vietnam has been successful in innovation, which stimulated strong socio-economic development and international integration. Political report at Congress XIII (from 25 January to 1 February 2021) stated that the socialist-market economy continues to grow, macroeconomics stabilized and the balanced, relatively high growth rate has been maintained. The scale and potential of the national economy enhanced as well and the quality of growth improved (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)), and understanding of the socialist-market economy became more comprehensive (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)).

Engels’s key view is the liberation of human beings, for human beings, taking human beings as a central element of development (Phong 2020). As such, the CPV’s approach in the process of research and application of Engels’s theoretical thinking was to apply all four major conditions for theoretical thinking establishment and innovation in the Vietnamese context. Based on Engels’s criticism of Dühring “Concepts of quantity and shape cannot be drawn from anywhere else, but only from the real world” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 58), the CPV has innovated its views, particularly in economic reform. The Central Theoretical Research Council - a theoretical research body of the CPV has summarized the following experience in renewing theoretical thinking, with focus on the renewal of economic thinking: (1) Change from central planning production thinking and non-market economic model to production thinking according to the commodity economy model; (2) Change from a single-ownership mindset to a multi-ownership, multi-economic sector; (3) Change from a centralized subsidized management mindset to a market-based management mindset; (4) Change from egalitarian distribution thinking, not acknowledging to acknowledging diversification of distribution forms where distribution according to labor is predominant; (5) Change from the mindset of unacceptance of exploitation, unacceptance of the division between rich and poor, to the acceptance of exploitation, the gap between rich and poor to a certain extent; (6) Change from prohibition of Party members to work in the private economy to permission of Party members to work in the private economy; (7) Change from “closed” economic thinking to open thinking, proactive international integration, acceptance of foreign-invested economy; (8) Change from the mindset of “the state runs the market”, “the state involves in everything”, state’s monopoly to the state’s role in enabling development; (9) Change from the state’s role in allocating resources primarily, to the market-based mechanism; (10) Change from the heavy industry focused industrialization approach to knowledge-based, socialized capital and market-driven industrialization and modernization; (11) Change from a poor performance economic model with low productivity, quality and efficiency, to a dynamic economic model (Nghia 2018). As a result, the poverty rate dropped from 58% in 1993 to 22% in 2005, 9.45% in 2010, 9.2% in 2016, and 4.4% in 2021 according to the multilateral poverty line, particularly the average poverty reduction in ethnic minorities reduced 4% annually (Minh 2022) (See Fig. 3), these results align with assessment of UNDP (2023) and World Bank (2022). The Human Development Index (HDI) of Vietnam in 2022 was 0.704, ranking 117/189 countries and territories (Đinh 2022). Vietnam has strong political aspiration to become a high-income country by 2045. According to the World Bank (World Bank in Vietnam 2022), to realize this aspiration, the economy must grow constantly at 5.5% annually over the next 25 years. This implies that the country’s leaders need to innovate their theoretical thinking radically and act creatively.

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Poverty rate in Vietnam from 2016 to 2021 (Minh N. N. 2022).

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On education, education administrators were more familiar with Engels’ reasoning, although Engels did not discuss education, but stated that “Like all sciences, mathematics is born of practical human needs” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 59). The Party, with the issuance of a resolution on comprehensive innovation of education, allowed the strong development of educational autonomy at all levels, associated with market factors instead of the state fully undertaking. While educational innovation is encouraged, the formation of educational philosophy is given high attention (Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam - CCCPV 2013). This is very close to the point that rational thinking must be formed based on practice and education must take the history of Vietnamese philosophy into account. Therefore, education improves, with increasing training quality and ability to respond to human resource requirements. The enrollment of children under 6 reached 99%, and the attendance and completion rate of elementary school after 5 years reached 92.08% (Mon 2023). The ranking of Vietnamese universities rose in Asian and world ranking, 68/196 in 2019, increasing 12 ranks compared to 2018. In 2020, there are three Vietnamese universities, for the first time, ranked among the top 1000 universities in the world and the top 8 Asian universities (Tuyet 2022).

Specific aspects of Engels’ theoretical thinking about the material living conditions of society, since the process of the human liberation struggle is ultimately critical for man, for social progress (Duong 2022), This is also the motivation for the CPV to pay attention to the health system, showing the CPV’s leadership priority to the development of society and people. In recent years, healthcare has been paid increasing attention by Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam - CCCPV 2017b), aiming to enhance the Vietnamese people’s health, height, age, and life’s quality, ensuring that all people are taken care of and protected, providing equality in rights and healthcare insurance and services. The Minister of Health Ms Dao Hong Lan (2023) stated that the proportion of doctors per 100, 000 people is 9.4, and more than 80% of commune-level healthcare stations have doctors, improving mortality and infantry death rate. The maternal mortality rate in 1990 was 233 per 100,000 live births, which fell to 43 per 100,000 live births in 2017; The under-1 mortality rate fell from 36.9 per 1000 live births in 1990 to 16.9 per 1000 live births in 2017. In 1990, the under-5 mortality rate was 1 per 20 children (51 children per 1000 live births), and the annual decrease (1990–2016) was 3.3% nationwide. The stunting rate also decreased correspondingly from 33.9% in 2007 to 18.1% in 2020. According to the World Bank (World Bank in Vietnam 2022), the infant mortality rate dropped from 32.6% in 1993 to 16.7% in 2020 (per 1000 infants). The universal healthcare rate is 73/100, which is higher than the world and regional average. This includes 87% of health insurance coverage. Social safety has been paid adequate attention. Over the past 25 years, social insurance covered 112.5 million rounds of people, on average more than 109 million rounds of people are covered by healthcare insurance (Mon 2023).

Despite these achievements, there are limitations and wrong-doing actions committed by public officials, occurring nationwide at various levels. These include declining capability, lack of transparency, corruption…related to medical equipment, medicine bidding and procurement, health insurance and services, and human resource management. This is corruption in using resources for development as warned by Fforde (2016). This urges the CPV and government to strengthen control measures including monitoring, inspection, audit, and investigation to discover corrupt acts (Son 2023).

The innovation has brought many changes to Vietnam. The CPV’s congresses VII (from 24 to 27 June 1991), VIII (from 28 June to 1 July 1996), IX (from 19 to 22 April 2001), X (from 18 to 25 April 2006), XI (from 12 to 19 January 2011), XII (from 20 to 28 January 2016) and XIII (January 2021) consistently align and accelerate this innovative process (Hien 2021). In essence, Engels’s interest in the question of human emancipation of his time was relevant to the context Engels lived. The CPV inherited Engels’s ideology, emphasizing that it is not only the issue of human liberation, but also concern for human welfare, social welfare, and natural rights that Engels did not discuss. However, it is Engels’s ideology of human liberation that encouraged Vietnam to embark on the discussion. The person in Engels’s discussion is a real person in real life, not a mystical idealism as the classicists before Engels explained (Phong 2020). Therefore, the CPV chose an approach that is based on the innovative theoretical thinking from Engels’s scientific, practical, materialist dialectical thinking as well as the establishment of a solid philosophical ideological foundation. This CPV’s innovative theoretical thinking attaches to Engels’s theoretical thinking in the construction of a law-based socialist state, open foreign policy, and advanced culture with typical national characteristics.

Theoretical thinking innovation process in Vietnam

Incorrect understanding of dialectics of thought might lead to an idealist approach, absolutization of the role of definition and categories – considering them pure creative products of thought, which regulates the evolution and development of the objective world (Su 2020). Therefore, there have been broad discussions about thought and theoretical thinking. Theoretical thinking is the qualitative consciousness, the most advanced form of thought and the result of the consciousness process. It is the positive, active, and creative reflection of objective reality in an indirect, abstract, and generalized manner through definitions, categories, judgments, inferences, and laws of logic (Chinh 2021). Theoretical thinking is the process in which human beings reflect the objective reality indirectly, abstractly, and generally through the system of definitions, categories, and laws. The subjects use languages and thought manipulations to understand the connections in nature and explore internal evolution rules embedded in human objects of thought (Phan 2017). This is consistent with Engels’s view that theoretical thinking is not naturally available in the brain, the subjects must undergo practical experiments to understand the connections in nature, rules, the tendency of evolution, and the development of objective reality to reach theoretical thinking.

From this perspective, theoretical thinking in Vietnam contains core issues of Marxist-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, CPV’s orientation and direction, related state laws and policies, local context and situation, ability to solve problems in optimum ways. Specifically, these include (i) the ability to absorb knowledge and enhance theoretical thinking and practical applications among the Party cadres and government officials; (ii) summarization and drawing lessons learned from practice; (iii) the ability to creatively apply the theoretical thinking in the local situation and recommend relevant solutions to solve arising challenges and feedback to the Party’s policies and regulations (Chinh 2021). After the collapse of the socialist realist model in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, many theorists analyzed and argued that Engels’s theoretical thinking must be truly appreciated because of its scientific, revolutionary character that has been tested for more than 100 years. It needs to be applied not only as a philosophical foundation but also as quickly as possible (Chi 2023; Huan and Hieu 2016).

The CPV’s theoretical thinking innovation process pointed out the limitations in practical leadership: “The most outstanding initial step was to innovate theoretical thinking, particularly economic management, addressing signs of dogmatism, subjectivity, and idealism as well as prevent negative impacts of opportunism and revisionism” (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2007)). This shows that CPV is open and creative in innovating theoretical thinking to meet the needs of the evolution and development of Vietnam’s practical context. Thanks to innovative theoretical thinking, the CPV can lead the country to overcome challenges and difficulties in defending national sovereignty and constructing socialism (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2016)). As former General Secretary, Mr. Nguyen Van Linh stated: “To innovate thoughts and encourage society, first and foremost it is important to innovate theoretical thinking” (Linh 1987). October Revolution and Vietnam Revolution. Tap Chi Cong San(11), p.3-11. There is consensus among many Vietnamese leaders that it is necessary to further innovate theoretical thinking (Quyet 2023). Some scholars also emphasized that the philosophical foundation that Vietnam is build, according to Engels’s theoretical thinking is significant for new social consciousness today. The deep understanding of Engels’s theoretical thinking is of great significance to the task of building a new social consciousness in Vietnam, thereby contributing to the success of the process of building a country toward socialism, with rich people, strong democracy, justice, and civilization (Duong 2022; Phong 2020). Another communist, Mao Zedong, criticized that “the Communist Party’s correct and unwavering approach is not a product made by one person but generated after a long period of people’s struggle and tested through practical experiences (Zedong 1991, p. 117).

The CPV undertakes global integration based on a solid theoretical thinking foundation, which was drawn from practical experiences and lessons learned. This was not a simple process, which is ongoing and continuous to be strengthened (Phan 2017). Challenges remain: “Quality and effectiveness of ideological and theoretical affairs remain limited…The review of practical experiences and theoretical research lag behind the demands of the innovation” (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2016)). As a result, CPV’s congress XII (January 2016) identified: “Continue to innovate theoretical thinking, clarify theoretical basis, practical experiences, consolidate the systematic viewpoints on socialism and the way to socialism in Vietnam, further improve the review of practical experiences, theoretical study, provide scientific and theoretical evidence for the formulation of Party’s orientation and direction, state policies and regulations (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2016)). The Congress XIII (1/2021) (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)) further confirmed the CPV’s desire to innovate theoretical thinking: “Further accelerate the summarization of practical experiences, theoretical study, perfect the theoretical system on innovative orientation, socialism, and the way to socialism in Vietnam. Link the practical experiences, theoretical study with policy implications” (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)).

The market economy development is obvious evidence of the innovation process of theoretical thinking in Vietnam. Before innovation in December 1986, the central planning model with top-down decision-making, and non-compliance with objective law in carrying out leadership led to many mistakes (Trong 2016). The CPV’s Congress VI (CPV 1987) marked a great turn in the theoretical thinking change. A new concept about the way and methods to construct socialism emerged, objective existence of commodity production and market was accepted. For the first time, CPV issued an orientation to develop a multi-sectoral economy, including private sector both domestic and foreign investment enterprises in addition to state and collective enterprises. The bureaucratic subsidy mechanism has been criticized and removed. Furthermore, the CPV’s Central Committee’s sixth Plenum, which took place in March 1989, adopted a plan to develop a multi-sector economy, which is an important landmark (Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam - CCCPV 1989).

CPV’s Congress VII in 1991 made another step forward with the introduction of a market mechanism under state management (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 1991)). At Congress VIII (CPV 1996), the CPV added another point that commodity production is humankind civilization’s achievement, which has been objectively in existence and therefore critical for the construction of socialism and after socialism is in place (CPV 1996, p. 72). The new development in theoretical thinking of Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV, 2001) was made at Congress IX, where the definition of a socialist-market economy was initiated and officially introduced in the Party’s documents. At Congress XII (January 2016), the concept of market economy has become popular. This was a key driver in unlocking the potential for production, mobilization, and distribution of resources. State planning and plans should align with and promote market mechanisms (CPV 2016). Congress XIII in January 2021 confirmed that the socialist-market economy is the relevant economic model in the transition period to socialism. It is a modern market economy, globally integrated, and fully operated by the market economy. There are ownerships, and multi sectors, where the state economy plays a steering role, the private sector is an important driving force, collective entities and cooperatives are continuously developing, and foreign investments are increasingly encouraged to grow (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)). The theoretical thinking innovation on the socialist-market economy fits with Vietnam’s specific conditions and characteristics while matching the global economic trends.

Moreover, Vietnam’s theoretical thinking innovation has its characteristics. In the Soviet Union, while leaders were loyal to Marxism, they applied it inadequately, subjectively, and non-scientifically (Mau 2021). In addition, errors in theoretical perception are manifested approach to Marxism, conservatism, narrow-mindedness in the attitude to the values of human civilization, arbitrariness, autocracy, loss of democracy, and individualism as hindering causes, does not allow the development of scientific reasoning systems in Marxism to protect the interests of individuals or groups of bureaucrats (Tan 2018). Meanwhile, the ranks of China’s leaders, especially after Mao’s death, have Sinicized Marxism, and at the same time building socialism with Chinese characteristics based on a simultaneous combination of Deng Xiaoping Theory, Three Representatives Thought, and the view of scientific development (Linh 2012), the nucleus of new-age Xi Jinping Thought (Central Commission of Propoganda of the Communist Party of China 2018). The choice of theoretical thinking and innovation of rational thinking in Engels’ view is a choice of methods without detracting from the scientific value and practicality of Engels’ theoretical thinking views. Engels’ research and application of theoretical thinking further demonstrates the importance of creative theoretical cognition, pointing to the great value of Marxist methodology (Tan 2018), at the same time, proving that Engels’ theoretical thinking becomes special for the Communist Party of Vietnam in the current context, the Communist Party of Vietnam persistently embraces Marxism-Leninism (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Communist Party of Vietnam - CPV 2021a)).

Look for scholars’ work, The thesis “Engels, a bourgeois active in the communist movement” (Hai 2021) has shown the appreciation of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and those who love Engels are looking for the rational nucleus of Engels’ theoretical thinking and seeking to put Engels’ theoretical thinking to the test in Vietnamese practice. Therefore, although Engels’ writings are more than 100 years old, his theoretical thinking views are increasingly asserted based on science, tested by Vietnamese practice, not a cult of personality (Chien 2021). Therefore, there is no evidence of criticism when the Communist Party of Vietnam insists on the innovation, application, supplementation, and development of Engels’s theoretical thinking view in Vietnam.

The theoretical thinking innovation helps the CPV’s leaders notice mistakes and adjust. This innovation process helps gradually form new theoretical thinking about goals, steps, and ways to develop the country’s economic structure transition and transform the social and economic management affairs. Innovative theoretical thinking helps materialize the transition period to socialism. This has been more clearly defined over time (Hien 2021).

Innovative application of Engels’s theoretical thinking by the Communist Party of Vietnam

Since the VI Congress in 1986, the CPV has been steadfast in its innovation line. Engels’ theoretical thinking is considered a method to realize the goal of innovation, which simultaneously recognizes Engels’s theoretical thinking as the ideological foundation, a guideline for the Party’s perception and action (Phong 2022). Application of Engels’s theoretical thinking is the most important tool, a key for the CPV’s leadership in carrying out innovation (Phuc 2021). Engels’s views on theoretical thinking and conditions that form theoretical thinking have significant implications not only in his time but also for the innovation process in Vietnam at present. Furthermore, Engels’s theoretical thinking has been continuously developed and supplemented to meet the country’s development requirements. The innovation and application of Engels’s theoretical thinking an important factors for Vietnam’s successful reform. The CPV has been reviewing practical experiences, and making political decisions based on scientific and dialectic grounds. Strengthening the capacity of the Party’s cadres has been paid great attention to building a team of cadres, who are capable and loyal to the socialist and revolutionary cause (Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam - CCCPV 2018)). The application of Engels’s theoretical thinking in Vietnam includes the following:

First, based on Engels’s view that theoretical thinking should be formed from practical experiences, the CPV has been continuously summarizing practical experiences, drawing lessons learned in the past, and understanding the rules of evolution, the needs of the country’s development process, and the people. The CPV leads the Vietnamese revolution toward a state of the people, for the people, and by the people. The state’s power is entrusted to the people, therefore the ultimate goal of the revolutionary cause is the people’s interests (National Assembly of Vietnam 2013). As a result, the CPV has been mobilizing the people’s strength and support to overcome difficult times, both in wars and in peace. Following Engels’s view: “If a nation wants to stand firmly on the pinnacle of science, it cannot be without theoretical thinking” (Marx and Engels 1995c, p. 489), the CPV initiated theoretical thinking innovation for Vietnam with vision, goals and orientations and step by step improve and develop it. Based on practical experiences and lessons learned, the CPV abided with subjective laws and creatively supplemented and developed theoretical thinking about socialism and the way to socialism in the new period (Thang 2022). This proved Engels’s point that theoretical thinking must be based on summarized practical experiences.

The practical experiences of CPV’s leadership show valuable lessons learned. Congress VI set the following direction: “Level of economic development is the materialist condition for carrying out social policies, whereas the social goals are the targets of economic activities” (CPV, 1987, p. 86), and “Economic growth should go hand in hand with social progress and equality in every step and throughout development process” (CPV 1996, p. 113). Vietnam started with innovative economic management thinking, and then synchronized with political thinking. This is the creative feature of the CPV to achieve the goals of “rich people, a strong country, and a democratic and civilized society” in Vietnam.

Second, when the innovation process started, the application of Engels’s view on theoretical thinking was not linked with materialist dialectic thought. The role of materialism in theoretical thinking was not fully understood. There were many challenges arose in the innovation in Vietnam, primarily related to theoretical thinking. The CPV therefore stressed: “Carry out regularly ideological and theoretical struggle along the line the demands of the innovation. Address dogmatism and empiricism while combat against opportunism and revisionism” (CPV 2007, p. 25). The right ideological and theoretical view helps the Party overcome challenges in difficult moments and become more mature in cognitive methods. In addition, the correct choice in reforming the economy as Engels instructed helps the Party successfully lead the country to overcome various challenges and difficulties “achieving great results, which have historical significance, in the way to construct socialism and protect the homeland” (CPV 2016, p. 65). When the theoretical thinking was ripened, the CPV set out the direction for the development of the private sector and allowed the Party members to open businesses, which had never happened before (Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam - CCCPV 2006)).

Engels’s instructions on theoretical thinking have been further developed by CPV. Resolution 10-NQ/TW dated 3 June 2017 emphasized that the private sector is an important driving force of the socialist-market economy, encouraging and enabling the private sector to grow fast and sustainably in all areas that are not prohibited by the laws (CCCPV 2017a). At present, the CPV is developing its membership among businessmen in addition to workers and farmers. This is a long step forward in innovating the CPV’s theoretical thinking. This was not imaginable previously during the central planning period.

Third, according to Engels, theoretical thinking is closely linked with scientific thinking, which is the objective ground for understanding the laws of evolution and necessary internal connections of things and phenomena. Following this view, the Vietnamese leaders have been increasingly understanding and knowledgeable about scientific evidence, materialistic dialectic thinking, and the connection between theoretical thinking and scientific thinking. The innovation in Vietnam is based not only on practical experiences but also on scientific analysis and inputs. In the 80 s, when the country was in hyperinflation and isolated due to the embargo, it was vital to open the country and integrate with the world. At that point, the Vietnamese leaders had high political will to innovation, first and foremost, the theoretical thinking, which was considered a breakthrough for the whole reform process: “The Communist Party of Vietnam must innovate in many areas: theoretical thinking, initially the economic thinking; organizational restructuring; the cadre affairs; leadership and working style” (CPV 1987, p. 124). The CPV’s congress VI in December 1986 was a strong progress in theoretical thinking application to decide for open door policy, with serious self-criticism, thorough review and analysis of the reality, respect and abide by the laws of objective truth, while addressing impatience, subjectivity, and idealism (Phuc 2021). Lessons learned drawn at Congress VI: “The Party must always originate from reality, respect and abide by the objective laws. Ability to perceive and act according to the objective law is the prerequisite for ensuring the Party’s right leadership” (CPV 2006, p. 363). Based on self-criticism, proper review and analysis of the truth, patience, avoidance of subjectivity, idealism, comprehensive study on the context, and theoretical thinking innovation, the concept of “socialist-market economy” was introduced first time at Congress IX (CPV 1996).

The CPV’s congress XIII (January 2021) (CPV 2021b) drew five following key lessons learned in the reform period (i) strengthening the Party’s building affairs, enhancing leadership, capability of the Party comprehensively, synchronously and constantly; (ii) complying with “people-based” principle, making people-centered policies, development and protection of the country; (iii) high political will, significant efforts, strong, creative and dynamic actions, relevant leadership, steering, coordination of the Party’s direction and policies are essential; (iv) institutional innovation to meet the country’s development requirements; (v) proactively study, understand, forecast the global context to prepare and be ready for any situation. Congress XIII (January 2021) emphasized that the Party’s leadership, founded on Engels’s theoretical thinking and its creative application, was the key factor for the success of the Vietnamese revolution. This proves that the Party has been inheriting and developing Engels’s theoretical thinking and dialectics innovatively.

Fourth, Engels’s theoretical thinking innovation and application process demonstrates that the CPV has been studied seriously, thoroughly, and scientifically. The CPV has been not only applying Engels’s available theoretical thinking but also innovating it based on the country’s specific context and conditions (Hoan 2021). As Mao Zedong stressed: “We cannot achieve good results without paying adequate attention to philosophy” (Zedong 1991, p. 148), this provides the theoretical ground for the Communist Party of Vietnam to successfully lead the innovation process, and construct socialism in Vietnam (Loi 2022). It is important to study and summarize practical experiences, further develop, and complete theoretical thinking innovation for the construction of socialism in Vietnam (Trong 2016).

Conclusion

Engels’s theoretical thinking has significant implications for the CPV’s leadership. Since its foundation in 1930, the CPV undertook Engels’s thoughts as the guiding light of its formulation and development of leadership direction for Vietnam’s path to socialism. Especially since its reform in 1986, the theoretical thinking innovation changed the perception of the Vietnamese leaders, leading to a new model, that differs from the central planning. This is important evidence of the successful and creative application of Engels’s view on theoretical thinking based on practical experiences and lessons learned.

The application of Engels’s view on theoretical thinking has brought many achievements in many areas. These include political, social, and economic results. Engels’s instructions on theoretical thinking help the CPV successfully innovate, improve, and develop its theoretical thinking. In addition, Engels’s theoretical thinking analysis helps clarify materialist dialectics basic principles. It helps CPV view things and phenomena in their evolutional and transformational way and avoid false perceptions and decisions. On the other hand, the CPV’s success proves the rightness of Engels’s theoretical thinking, and its vitality as well as addressed unresolved issues by Engels. While Engels’s theoretical thinking is the methodology, it is different at different times. Therefore, the Communist Party must innovate and apply its theoretical thinking in line with the practical needs, and law of practice, and the rules of leadership.