Compulsory 4: Key Philosophical Concepts & Exam Points (2026 Predicted Edition)

Compiled: May 31, 2026 ⭐ = High probability for 2026 exam (major topic not tested in recent years) ---

Guangdong Province Philosophy Subjective Exam Trends (Verified, Last 4 Years)

Year	Subjective Exam Focus	Section
2022	Unity of opposites in contradiction (multiple-choice cartoon); specific subjective exam focus unconfirmed	Materialist Dialectics
2023	Universality and particularity of contradiction	Materialist Dialectics
2024	Social history / historical materialism	Historical Materialism
2025	Value judgment and value choice	Historical Materialism

Prediction: 2026 will likely shift to Materialism or Epistemology (no major essay questions in these areas for four consecutive years). ---

⭐ I. Materialism (Highest Probability)

Principle 1: Dialectical Relationship Between Matter and Consciousness

• Matter determines consciousness; consciousness is a reflection of matter.
• Consciousness has an active role on matter: correct consciousness promotes development, while incorrect consciousness hinders it.
• Methodology: Proceed from reality in everything; seek truth from facts; cultivate correct consciousness. ### Principle 2: The Active Role of Consciousness
• Understanding the world: Conscious activity is purposeful, selectively conscious, and creatively dynamic.
• Transforming the world: Consciousness guides the transformation of the objective world (correct → promotes; incorrect → hinders).
• Methodology: Value the role of consciousness; cultivate correct ideology; overcome erroneous ideology. ### Principle 3: Objectivity of Laws and Subjective Initiative
• Laws are objective, independent of human will; they cannot be created or destroyed.
• Humans can understand and utilize laws to transform the world according to their conditions and forms of action.
• Methodology: Combine respect for objective laws with the exertion of subjective initiative. ### Principle 4: Proceed from Reality in Everything; Seek Truth from Facts
• Respect the objective laws of material motion.
• Fully exert subjective initiative.
• Combine the exertion of subjective initiative with respect for objective laws. ### Principle 4: Dialectical Relationship Between Whole and Part
• The whole occupies a dominant position, commands the parts, and possesses functions that the parts do not.
• Parts influence the whole; critical parts can even play a decisive role in the whole.
• Methodology: ① Establish a holistic view, base on the whole. ② Value parts, use parts to drive the whole. ### Principle 5: System Optimization Method
• System characteristics: wholeness, orderliness, tendency towards internal structural optimization.
• Methodology: Focus on the whole, follow order, emphasize optimization; understand things using a comprehensive thinking mode. --- ## IV. The Concept of Development ### Principle 1: Universality of Development
• The world is in eternal development; the essence of development is progress and ascent, the emergence of new things and the demise of old things.
• Methodology: View problems from a developmental perspective. ### Principle 2: Unity of Progressiveness and Tortuosity
• The future of development is bright (new things will inevitably triumph over old things).
• The path of development is tortuous (requires a process).
• Methodology: Be both full of confidence and brave in facing setbacks and trials. ### Principle 3: Dialectical Relationship Between Quantitative and Qualitative Change
• Quantitative change is the necessary preparation for qualitative change.
• Qualitative change is the inevitable result of quantitative change.
• Qualitative change, in turn, opens the way for new quantitative change.
• Methodology: ① Emphasize the accumulation of quantity. ② Seize the opportunity to promote qualitative change. ③ Adhere to the principle of moderation. --- ## V. The Concept of Contradiction (Tested consecutively in 2022-2023; may still appear in multiple-choice questions) ### Principle 1: Identity and Struggle of Contradiction
• The two sides of a contradiction are both opposite and unified, thereby driving the movement, change, and development of things.
• Methodology: View problems from a one-divides-into-two perspective. ### Principle 2: Universality of Contradiction
• Contradictions exist in everything and throughout all processes.
• Methodology: Dare to acknowledge contradictions, bravely face them, and be adept at analyzing them. ### Principle 3: Particularity of Contradiction
• Different things have different contradictions; the same thing has different contradictions at different stages; the two sides of the same contradiction also have particularities.
• Methodology: Analyze specific problems in specific ways. ### Principle 4: Dialectical Relationship Between Universality and Particularity of Contradiction
• Universality resides in particularity; particularity contains universality.
• The two can transform into each other under certain conditions.
• Methodology: Adhere to the concrete and historical unity of commonality and individuality (from the particular to the universal, and then from the universal back to the particular). ### Principle 5: Primary and Secondary Contradictions
• The primary contradiction occupies a dominant position and plays a decisive role in the development of things.
• Secondary contradictions are in a subordinate position.
• Methodology: Focus on key points, concentrate efforts on resolving the primary contradiction; make overall plans and take all factors into consideration, properly handle secondary contradictions. ### Principle 6: Primary and Secondary Aspects of a Contradiction
• The primary aspect determines the nature of a thing.
• The secondary aspect also influences the nature of a thing.
• Methodology: Distinguish between the mainstream and the tributary, focusing on grasping the primary aspect of the contradiction. --- ## VI. Historical Materialism (Tested consecutively in 2024-2025; may still appear in multiple-choice questions) ### Principle 1: Dialectical Relationship Between Social Existence and Social Consciousness
• Social existence determines social consciousness.
• Social consciousness has relative independence and exerts a counter-effect on social existence (advanced → promotes; backward → hinders).
• Methodology: Proceed from social existence; cultivate advanced social consciousness. ### Principle 2: The People are the Creators of History
• The people are the creators of social material wealth.
• The people are the creators of social spiritual wealth.
• The people are the decisive force for social change.
• Methodology: Adhere to the mass viewpoint and the mass line. ### Principle 3: The Guiding Role of Values
• Values have an important guiding role in people's activities of understanding and transforming the world.
• Values are an important guide in life.
• Methodology: Establish correct values, make correct value judgments and value choices. ### Principle 4: Value Judgment and Value Choice
• Value judgments and value choices have social and historical characteristics (change with the times).
• Value judgments and value choices have subjectivity (vary from person to person).
• Correct standard: Consciously follow the objective laws of social development + Consciously stand on the side of the broadest masses of the people.
• Methodology: Take the interests of the people as the highest value standard. --- ## Exam Mnemonics
  1. Materialism: Matter vs. consciousness, who decides? → What does consciousness actively do? → Can laws be changed? → How to seek truth from facts?
  2. Epistemology: The four "is" of practice → The three natures of truth → The three natures of understanding.
  3. Concept of Connection: Universal → Objective → Diverse → Whole-Part → System.
  4. Concept of Development: Eternal development → Bright future, tortuous path → Quantitative and qualitative change.
  5. Concept of Contradiction: Identity and struggle → Universal and particular → Primary and secondary contradictions → Primary and secondary aspects.
  6. Historical Materialism: Social existence determines → People create → Values guide → Standard for value judgment. 💡 Answer format for each principle: Principle content (worldview) + Methodology + Analysis integrating with the material; all three are indispensable.

• Oppose voluntarism that exaggerates the active role of consciousness, and also oppose fatalism that one-sidedly emphasizes objective conditions. --- ## ⭐ II. Epistemology (High Probability) ### Principle 1: Dialectical Relationship Between Practice and Understanding
• Practice is the foundation of understanding:
  • Practice is the source of understanding.
  • Practice is the driving force for the development of understanding.
  • Practice is the sole criterion for testing the truth of understanding.
  • Practice is the purpose of understanding.
• Understanding has a counter-effect on practice: correct understanding promotes the development of practice; incorrect understanding hinders it.
• Methodology: Adhere to the primacy of practice; value the guiding role of scientific theory. ### Principle 2: Objectivity, Conditionality, and Concreteness of Truth
• Truth is objective (independent of human will).
• Truth is conditional (every truth has its applicable conditions and scope).
• Truth is concrete (every truth is relative to a specific process).
• Methodology: Adhere to the concrete and historical unity of subject and object, theory and practice. ### Principle 3: Repetitiveness, Infinity, and Ascendancy of Understanding
• Repetitiveness: Due to limitations of subjective and objective conditions, correct understanding often requires repeated cycles.
• Infinity: The object of understanding is infinitely changing; understanding is infinitely developing.
• Ascendancy: Understanding progresses in a wave-like manner and ascends in a spiral.
• Methodology: Keep pace with the times, blaze new trails; discover and develop truth in practice, test and develop truth through practice. --- ## III. The Concept of Connection ### Principle 1: Universality of Connections
• Things are interconnected with each other, and the internal elements of things are interconnected.
• Methodology: View problems from the perspective of connections; oppose the isolated viewpoint. ### Principle 2: Objectivity of Connections
• Connections are inherent in things themselves, independent of human will.
• Methodology: Grasp things from their inherent connections; avoid subjective arbitrariness; humans can establish new concrete connections based on inherent ones. ### Principle 3: Diversity of Connections
• Connections are diverse (direct/indirect, internal/external, essential/non-essential, necessary/contingent).
• Methodology: Analyze specific problems based on specific time, place, and conditions.