The enlightenment as an intellectual source in Ho Chi Minh’s thought

French Enlightenment thought, grounded in the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, exerted a profound influence on the thinking and revolutionary praxis of Ho Chi Minh during his leadership of Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation. From his adolescence, he was deeply attracted to the Enlightenment ideals embodied in the 1789 French Revolution. This intellectual inspiration motivated him to travel to France and other countries in search of a path to national salvation. The formation of Ho Chi Minh’s thought evolved through a sequential process-from patriotism, through exposure to bourgeois democratic thought, and ultimately to Marxism-Leninism-demonstrating the significant role of Western Enlightenment ideas in shaping both his ideological outlook and moral character. Enlightenment values left a lasting imprint on his political thought and leadership style, contributing to the orientation of Vietnam’s revolutionary path and its struggle for independence and national development.