Human values ​​and human issues in President Ho Chi Minh's Testament

1. Independence for the nation, freedom for the people

One of the overarching themes of theTestamentis the issue of humanity and his thoughts on human values. Ho Chi Minh's humanism was formed early, was a constant factor throughout his rich revolutionary life, expressing his aspiration and will to fight for human liberation, class liberation, regain independence and freedom for the Vietnamese people, and at the same time contributed to the liberation struggle of oppressed peoples around the world.

Throughout thousands of years of history of building and defending the Fatherland, Ho Chi Minh is one of the outstanding figures, a symbol of Vietnamese Humanism..For Ho Chi Minh, human values ​​are expressed through compassion, tolerance, ardent patriotism and absolute loyalty to the mission entrusted by the Fatherland and the people. His life was a journey of arduous struggle for peace and independence of the Vietnamese people and for all enslaved people. Ho Chi Minh's love and respect for people has deep roots in the humane character of his family, clan, homeland and the Vietnamese people. With his revolutionary will and actions, Ho Chi Minh became a symbol of the struggle to affirm the cultural vitality, the will of independence and the position of a nation.

In his humanistic thought, the concept of “liberation” is the key point, with central value. The cause of liberation struggle is not only to abolish the chains of slavery but also a process of liberation of the whole society, towards a true freedom and a prosperous and happy life for people. Throughout his life, whenever, wherever, in whatever position, he always placed absolute trust in the people, especially the hard-working people who had to live in poverty, backwardness, illiteracy for generations... His thoughts expressed the eternal aspirations of the Vietnamese people and progressive humanity. General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh once wrote: “President Ho Chi Minh was a great patriot. His patriotism stemmed from his boundless love for oppressed people. It did not stop within the national scope but extended to working people all over the world. He devoted his entire life to the cause of national liberation; at the same time, he contributed to the common struggle of the world's people for peace, national independence and social progress. Therefore, not only the Vietnamese people loved him, but the people of the world also responded to his feelings and considered him a close friend.”[1].

Ho Chi Minh humanism is not only the crystallization of cultural traditions and Vietnamese cultural identity, but also the fusion of the quintessence of Asian and world cultures. Coming from a backward agricultural country, in a Confucian family, but on his journey to save the country, Ho Chi Minh traveled through many countries, "free lands, slave lands", came into contact with many cultures, learned about many political trends, and studied many different ideologies. He traveled to both sides of the Atlantic, settling in London and Paris. In the US, he studied Washington and Lincoln; in France, he studied the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and liked Michelet and Jaurès. Modern Western humanism, despite its limitations, opened up a horizon because of its universality (Universalism) and encountered the Confucian universalism.[2].

During his years abroad, he studied and penetrated French culture, Soviet culture, Chinese new democratic culture, etc., read W.Shakespeare, Ch.Dickens, V.Hugo, A.France, L.Tolstoy, Lu Xun, etc. from the original. He translated The Internationale by E.Pottier (France), The Communist Manifesto by K.Marx - F.Engel, The Spirit of the Law by Montesquieu, The Secret Provincial Party Committee by Fedrov (Russia), New Democracy by Sun Yat-sen, etc. into Vietnamese.[3]. Due to his rich knowledge base and broad literary vision, right after returning to the country to prepare for the revolutionary movement in the fall of 1945, many world cultural and humanistic values ​​were introduced and spread to the public. In Ho Chi Minh's legacy, "His poems, essays and speeches reflect a profound understanding of human history and civilization and a faithful belief in the cultural identity of each nation and country, including his own and other nations in the world. Therefore, he is loved, admired and respected all over the world."[4].

For Ho Chi Minh, patriotism is synonymous with love for the people. His love for the people does not come from a superior but from empathy, sympathy and the transmission of sacred, flesh-and-blood values ​​from the two words "fellow countrymen”. Understanding the suffering of the people, the humiliation of a nation that had lost its freedom (which had achieved much glory in the past), he longed to find a new path for the nation, not only to carry out the mission of restoring national unity but also to reach new levels and values ​​in the political thinking of the era, bringing light and faith to the people.[5].

In his perception, loving the people meant that the first and foremost thing was to save the people from the shackles of slavery. But to save the country and save the people, one had to rely on the people and mobilize the internal strength of the nation itself. The people (especially farmers, workers...) were the numerous, main, strong, and steadfast force of the revolution.[6]. Relying on the strength of the people and the spirit of solidarity of the entire people, the Party's leadership can overthrow the colonial regime and feudal domination. To accomplish that great cause, Ho Chi Minh sought every way to enrich his knowledge with the spiritual values ​​and fighting methods of many revolutionary leaders in the world. Therefore, "The human qualities of Ho Chi Minh are Vietnamese qualities, revolutionary qualities, communist qualities, humanistic qualities, all meeting, blending into one person and being elevated by the historical mission of that person"[7]In other words, “Ho Chi Minh skillfully applied the immortal principles of Marxism-Leninism to the specific circumstances of Vietnam and history has proven that he was right.”[8].

The revolutionary career - Ho Chi Minh's humanism is closely linked to important events in the history of the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people. The successes of the Vietnamese revolution are convincing evidence of the creative spirit and vitality of a new state model. In the early decades of the 20th century, Ho Chi Minh was one of the first Asians who, with his intelligence, political sensitivity and patriotism, absorbed Lenin's ideas on the struggle to liberate colonial peoples and then turned those theoretical weapons into material forces for the cause of national liberation.

Under his leadership, the Vietnamese people won victory in the August Revolution in 1945, contributing to the collapse of the colonial system of colonialism in Asia.[9]Following his call, believing in his organizational talent and personality, the Vietnamese people resolutely fought to establish the first Democratic Republic in Southeast Asia and then protected the revolutionary achievements through a persistent resistance war against French colonialism.[10]. With Ho Chi Minh, words are always linked to actions, theory always goes with practice. According to General Vo Nguyen Giap: "He is a genius strategist and at the same time a great organizer. Nguyen Ai Quoc was the first person to write "The verdict on the colonial regime" and it was he who, together with the nation, carried out that verdict."[11].

Interpretation of the origin ofHo Chi Minh humanism, historian Tran Van Giau believes that Ho Chi Minh was born into a family, a "spiritual" hometown rich in cultural traditions and humanity. That hometown gave birth to aHumanitymake the country famous. FromThesisFrom Lenin's thought, Nguyen Ai Quoc came to the great thoughts of K.Marx - F.Engel, approached and pursued the goals of fighting for a new humanism and values: Liberating the country, liberating people.Ho Chi Minh humanismoriginating from that national and international origin and in fact has reached a high level of harmony with the common values ​​of the region and humanity.

Faced with the harsh challenges of history, heed the call: “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" and doTestamentHis sacred duty, for the survival of the country and their own honor, the Vietnamese people have fought bravely against many of the most powerful and aggressive enemies in the world. In that noble cause, Ho Chi Minh "is remembered not only as the liberator of the Fatherland and the colonized people, but also as a modern philosopher who brought a new perspective and hope to those who are fighting relentlessly to eliminate injustice and inequality from this earth"[12].

In the 20th century, the Vietnamese people had to face many great empires in the world. The sovereignty and independence of the nation were seriously threatened many times. There had never been a century in which so many foreign invaders appeared on Vietnamese territory at the same time, and there had never been a century in which Vietnam had to suffer so many sacrifices and losses! However, Vietnam stood firm, gradually revived and developed. It was the great revival of a nation with strong cultural vitality. As the leader of the Vietnamese people's struggle, Ho Chi Minh became a symbol of the faith, courage, intelligence and bravery of a nation. His strong aspiration and ultimate desire for a completely independent Vietnam, where the people were free, where everyone had food to eat, clothes to wear and education, became the motto of action, the goal of struggle and the glue that united the entire nation. Ho Chi Minh succeeded in that great cause because the country's highest aspiration, the people's most earnest aspiration was also his aspiration and reason for living.[13]“President Ho Chi Minh contributed with humanity to eliminating a huge obstacle on the path to a civilized world, erasing a stain in history, the colonial regime.”[14].

2. The idea of ​​equality, charity and faith in humanity

InDeclaration of IndependenceSeptember 2, 1945, research, inherit the great ideas ofDeclaration of Independence1776 of America,Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizenof the French Revolution in 1791, President Ho Chi Minh declared to the world about the independence of the Vietnamese people, about the equality, the right to life, the right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness of the Vietnamese people. That is the immortal truth, the natural law, the truth that no one can deny or violate.[15]However, during more than 8 decades of protecting Vietnam, French colonialists tried every way to divide the people politically and eliminate their freedom and democracy. Economically, "they exploited our people to the bone, making them poor and deprived, and our country devastated and desolate."[16].

Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on human beings are always imbued with Asian philosophy and humanism. According to him, good and evil in each person are not natural but are determined by society and the educational system. Moreover, human nature can also change over time due to social factors and to adapt to the social environment. "He respected the compassion of Buddhism as the root of morality... and that sentiment was in harmony with patriotism and love for the people."[17]. While in the country as well as when working abroad, Ho Chi Minh was always active and proactive in absorbing the quintessence of cultures to enrich his knowledge, humanistic spirit and understanding of people. What Ho Chi Minh always cared about was the human issue and he himself devoted his whole life to the people and the country.[18].

For President Ho Chi Minh, love for humanity is an all-encompassing value, permeating all of his thoughts, ideas and actions.Testamentis the distillation of Ho Chi Minh's thoughts and ideas about people and for people. People are the most valuable asset, the central factor, deciding all victories of the Vietnamese revolution. To successfully carry out the cause of resistance and nation building, we need to have well-rounded people. These are people who are both virtuous and talented, in which virtue is the root. He once pointed out: "Ethics can be summarized as: Clearly recognizing right and wrong. Maintaining a firm stance. Being loyal to the country. Being filial to the people". At any time, anywhere, doing anything, cadres and party members need to "be imbued with revolutionary ethics". When the Party becomes the ruling party, the issue of ethics becomes even more important.

In many articles, he always considered people as both the goal and the driving force of the revolution. Ho Chi Minh's vision of people is not only to liberate people from the shackles of slavery but also to ensure true happiness for the people. That is the true value of independence and freedom that many generations of revolutionary soldiers and people had to sacrifice and shed blood to regain. Ho Chi Minh clearly saw the law of movement and development of history and led the Vietnamese revolution to follow that law. He "knew what he wanted and where to go, knew how to avoid rapids, knew how to defeat the enemy, a person as calm as a mountain, as dynamic as the sea, mastered the art of the possible and constantly expanded the limits of the possible."[19].

In Ho Chi Minh's thought, in any period of the Vietnamese revolution, people always hold the central position. Training people is the central and top priority task of every development plan and strategy. InTestament,He expressed his great faith and affection for the people because the revolutionary cause, fighting against imperialist invaders, "liberating the shackles of slavery for the people", was "the common work of the entire people", and was the root of all success. "Ho Chi Minh was a man with unshakable faith in the future of the nation and humanity, in socialism: That is the quality that never changes to flexibly respond to the myriad changes of a stormy career"[20]. He always paid special attention to the silent contributions and sacrifices of the people. Before leaving, President Ho Chi Minh always missed the South, remembered the cadres, soldiers, and compatriots who had been and are fighting and sacrificing themselves in the homeland. He was worried about not fulfilling his revolutionary responsibility to the great frontline and wished to return to the South soon after the country was completely independent.

One of the core, outstanding points inHo Chi Minh humanismis the absolute trust in human beings, in the strength and noble dignity of human beings. Human beings, by nature, are creative beings, always yearning to reach for beauty, the right to life and the truth of freedom. Understanding the heavy consequences of colonial rule and the disasters caused by war, Ho Chi Minh always believed in the character, creativity and mettle of the Vietnamese people. It is these values ​​that have created the qualities of a heroic Nation.

Ho Chi Minh's humanistic philosophy and love for humanity have transcended the borders of a nation to reach the level and universal humanistic values ​​of humanity. From the time he left to find a way to save the country until the days he returned to the "world of the virtuous", Ho Chi Minh always considered Vietnam a part of the world, the Vietnamese revolution an organic part of the world revolution. Therefore, all ethnic communities in the world, regardless of skin color, language, economic and social status... always expressed their affection and respect for him. As the organizer of the resistance war against French colonialism and American invaders, Ho Chi Minh always respected the French people, the American people and all those who love peace in the world. That clear political thinking made the people of the world always recognize the true values ​​and sincerity, so they trusted, loved and strongly supported Vietnam's just struggle.

In his teachings as well as inTestamentHo Chi Minh always respected and promoted human dignity, including those who had made mistakes and errors. He always believed that, with the power of transformation, education, and sincere tolerance, those people could completely correct their mistakes and shortcomings to become useful people for society. Ho Chi Minh was always strict and rigorous with the organization and each job, but he also had a tolerant attitude towards his subordinates and service staff.[21]. Ho Chi Minh's compassion is vast and profound, but at the same time very simple and natural. Every day, everyone can see that Uncle Ho loves children, respects the elderly, and respects women.[22].

As a human being, Ho Chi Minh not only attached importance to training cadres and soldiers; loved and cared for the mountainous people and ethnic minorities in the Truong Son - Tay Nguyen region with every piece of clothing, bowl of rice, grain of salt, etc. Ho Chi Minh was also a vivid symbol of exemplary behavior. InTestamentHe once wrote: "All my life, I have devoted all my heart and soul to serving the Fatherland, serving the revolution, serving the people." Imbued with ancient and modern philosophies, East and West, and understanding the economic situation of the country, he promoted the ideology:Need,save,integrity,mainand considered them the essential qualities of a revolutionary cadre. Author Viet Phuong wrote: Nothing luxurious could exist in his living and working place. His bed always had only a plain mat, a single blanket and a wool blanket that he used in the cold season.[23]. Indian researcher TNKaul also shared the same comment: “When I first visited him in 1957 at his office in Hanoi, I was surprised by his simple way of dressing. He wore khaki clothes and rubber sandals. He took me to visit the house where he lived. It was a small wooden house, with simple amenities, full of green trees. Despite holding a high position, Ho Chi Minh still maintained a simple lifestyle, which enabled him to be close to the masses and the masses also sympathized with him.”[24].

Thoughteconomy,integrity,mainwas consistently and deeply expressed throughout Ho Chi Minh's entire revolutionary life and had a strong influence on many generations of cadres and party members. When he was about to pass away, as a leader of the Party and the State, President Ho Chi Minh still wanted to save the people's time and money. He wanted to be cremated in the traditional way so that he could return to the people of the three regions of the North - Central - South; to return to nature on the cool hills, continue to contribute to economic development, protect the natural world, the ecosystem and be with all classes of people, with the elderly. People and nature are two life partners who are always close and closely attached to him.

InTestament,Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on human beings are intertwined with the concept of people, country, social components, compatriots in the lowlands and highlands, and people around the world... There, each person is a personality and dignity. If we trust them with tasks, know how to unite and gather them, and encourage their spirit and capacity, then all individuals in that ethnic community will devote themselves to bringing the cause of resistance and nation building to success.

3. Thoughts on the post-war period

InTestament, supplemented in May 1968, President Ho Chi Minh advocated that, immediately after the successful end of the anti-American, national salvation war, the important task that the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people must strive to do is to quickly heal the serious wounds caused by the war. He believed that, “it is a huge, heavy, complicated but also very glorious task. We must have a ready, clear, and thoughtful plan to avoid being passive, lacking and making mistakes. In my opinion, the first thing that needs to be done isparty rectification, making every party member, every union member, every party cell strive to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party, wholeheartedly serving the people. If we can do that, no matter how big or difficult the task is, we will definitely win."[25].

Thus, along with quickly healing the wounds of war, rebuilding cities, building villages, expanding the economy, amending the education system to suit the new circumstances... His special concern and greatest concern was the work of Party rectification, clearly defining the goals and tasks of the Party in the new period. To do so, the Party must practice democracy widely, regularly, and seriously self-criticize and criticize, which is the best way to consolidate and develop solidarity and unity within the Party and the key point is "There must be comradely love for each other". He advised that cadres and party members from the Central Committee to the Party cells must preserve solidarity and unity within the Party "like preserving the pupil of their eye".[26]. That is the most important principle in Party building work. Imbued with ideology inTestament, General Secretary Le Kha Phieu analyzed: “Regarding Party rectification, Uncle Ho did not consider it a temporary measure but an inevitable and regular task to carry out the Party's leadership role, and the Party's own movement in the process of revolutionary development. When the revolution is in difficulty, Party rectification is to build a calm, clear-sighted, and steadfast attitude, not to fall into a state of wavering and pessimism; when the revolution is on the path to victory, Party rectification is to prevent arrogance, subjectivity, complacency, and false optimism; when the Party is in power, Party members can easily lose themselves; yesterday's greatness does not necessarily mean that they will still be loved by everyone today if they are not pure and fall into individualism. Therefore, Party rectification must be taken seriously.”[27].

Along with Party rectification, he paid special attention to social and human developments in the post-war period and determined that it wasfirst thing to do. InTestament, always see a great feeling of Ho Chi Minh about the life of each class of people, especially the cadres, soldiers, militia, guerrillas, youth volunteers... those who are in the most arduous fighting positions, sacrificing and losing the most. Answering reporters of the newspaperGranma, Cuba, July 14, 1969, He expressed: "Each person, each family has their own suffering and all the sufferings of each person and each family together become my suffering"[28]With Ho Chi Minh, compassion and ideologyForgiving the people and making the roots strong is the best policy to preserve the country." of Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan, "Humanity is based on peace" of the cultural celebrity Nguyen Trai... seems to always permeate his thoughts and actions. He believes that our people are very heroic, always follow the Party, and are very loyal to the Party. Therefore, the Party must have a very good plan to develop the economy and culture, in order toconstantly improve people's lives[29],At the same time, we must constantly arouse the confidence, pride and will to rise of those people.

InTestamentHe advised that the merits of heroes and martyrs must be remembered to forever educate the people in patriotism. For the parents, wives and children of war invalids and martyrs who lack labor and are in need, the government must help them find suitable jobs, absolutely not letting them go hungry or cold. He took care of training and vocational training for young soldiers and youth volunteers; he cared about the lives of the peasant class because this was the force that sacrificed and contributed a lot of human and material resources to the resistance cause. He proposed to exempt agricultural tax for one year for agricultural cooperatives "to make people happy, feel at ease, feel more excited, and boost production."[30]. Here, the humane thoughts of our predecessors in political behavior after the storms of war have passed are condensed in Ho Chi Minh's political thinking. He always remembers everyone and does not forget the merits of anyone.[31]. Understanding the characteristics of Vietnamese society, regularly directing and following national movements, Ho Chi Minh always highly appreciated the role of women in the family and society, in combat and production... The viewpoint of gender equality; equality of class and rank; no distinction between "noble and humble", differences in occupation; truly believing in and respecting people are typical values ​​in Ho Chi Minh's humanism, at the same time clearly demonstrating the core viewpoint: Country of the people, Party of the people and State of the people.

After the political developments in 1968-1969, he foresaw the enormous difficulties and challenges that the entire Party, army and people would certainly have to continue to overcome to reach the final victory. Ho Chi Minh always expressed a strong belief in the nation's cause of total victory. Regarding the reconstruction of the country, he pointed out: "The above work is very large, heavy and complicated, but also very glorious."[32]It was a "giant battle" so it was necessary to mobilize the entire population and rely on the great strength of the people to achieve victory.

In the strategy of building human resources, along with always encouraging political study and moral training, He also paid great attention to cultural, professional and technical training for the young generation, because "they are the main force in the cause of successfully building socialism in our country".[33]According to Ho Chi Minh, everyone must have new knowledge to participate in the country's construction. Whatever social model we want to achieve, we must have people who can adapt to and master that social model. He always valued culture, raised the cultural level of the people and considered it the basic content in the strategy of "growing people" for the benefit of a hundred years and for the longevity of the country.

Conclusion

-TestamentPresident Ho Chi Minh's Testament is a unique document, of great historical significance and value, helping us understand more about the country, people, and era.Testamentis a historical summary, evoking many thoughts, identifying the major tasks and tasks that the Party and State need to focus on leading and solving in the context of the country at war and even after the successful unification.Testamenthas shown his deep affection for the people, the country, the strong belief in the cause of victory and the future development of the Vietnamese Fatherland, of the Vietnamese people and culture. One can find many profound ideas in his simple teachings because: "Every word and every action of Ho Chi Minh is practical and specific, saying is doing, often doing more than talking, sometimes doing without talking, thoughts appear in action"[34].

- With the vision of a national liberation hero, an outstanding cultural figure,Testamentdeeply portrayed the cultural personality of Ho Chi Minh - a special, profound, warm, simple, and broad personality. It is because of that political vision and broad cultural stature that President Ho Chi Minh is always loved and respected by people around the world. He is a symbol of the courage, indomitable will and heroism of the Vietnamese people, a vivid embodiment of the unity between theory and practice, between thinking and action. His perspective and approach to people and culture demonstrate the depth of Vietnamese and Asian ideological traditions and at the same time contain many great development philosophies of the era.

- Written half a century ago, the historical context at home and abroad has changed a lot, but readingTestamentThinking about his teachings, I always see President Ho Chi Minh's heart for humanity as truly loving and radiant. The thought about humanity is always present in his thoughts, actions, policies and revolutionary tasks in each period. He fought and elevated human rights to national rights. The model of humanity that Ho Chi Minh always educated and aimed for is "loyal to the Party, filial to the people", modest, honest, living with ideals, acting and always having a spirit of seeking knowledge. His deep affection and timeless thoughts about the country, people, culture... are still engraved in the memories of millions of Vietnamese people, symbolizing "the indomitable will of the Vietnamese people".[35], and is also a symbol of a future culture of humanity.[36]Those humanistic values ​​help us understand more about the ideology, sacrifice, and dedication that are "extremely noble and rich, extremely pure and beautiful."[37]of President Ho Chi Minh for the past resistance and national construction cause as well as the current cause of national construction, protection and international integration.