Abstract: Historical thinking is the important ideological method and unique narrative style of the third historical Resolution, which presents, by adhering to and applying the logic rationale of historical thinking, a grand picture in four dimensions-longitude versus latitude, surface versus content, beginning versus ending and the present versus the future: 1) objectively reproducing the historical progress with the century-long painstaking work as longitude and the great achievements as latitude; 2) rationally interpreting the historical phenomena with factual judgment as surface and value evaluation as content; 3) profoundly grasping the historical laws with individual analysis as beginning and collective summarization as ending; and 4) accurately understanding the historical trend with reality reflection as the present and far-reaching vision as the future. Profound understanding of the logic rationale of historical thinking underlying the adherence and application of the historical thinking by the third historical Resolution can provide us with pivotal contemporary enlightenment on our efforts to strengthen historical self-consciousness, consolidate historical confidence, use historical wisdom and take historical initiative.

Key words: the third historical Resolution, historical thinking, historical self-consciousness, historical confidence, historical wisdom, historical initiative