On June 2, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development that it is the only way to open up and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics on the basis of more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and combine the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific reality and China's excellent traditional culture. It is our new cultural mission in the new era to continue to promote cultural prosperity, build a cultural power, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation at a new starting point. He also pointed out that the Chinese civilization has outstanding "outstanding characteristics" in five aspects: continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness and peace.
Since entering the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has started from the Marxist view of history and the overall view of the development of human civilization, stood at the historical height of Chinese civilization, profoundly grasped the unique advantages of Chinese civilization with strong historical initiative, and pioneered the major theoretical proposition of "two combinations", which not only scientifically revealed the deep logic of the evolution and development of Chinese Marxist ideology and theory, but also scientifically answered the realistic path of the innovation and development of China's excellent traditional culture. Both in the history of the development of Marxism and in the history of the development of Chinese civilization, it has important theoretical and practical significance. Effectively comprehending the ideological essence of the "two combinations" and understanding the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization is a major theoretical new topic that urgently needs to be learned and understood in depth in the theme education of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
1. Understanding the essence of "integration" is a key to grasping Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as a whole and understanding the essence of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, deeply absorbing the rich philosophical thoughts, humanistic spirit and moral concepts contained in the broad and profound excellent traditional Chinese culture, and is a model for the creative transformation and innovative development of the excellent traditional Chinese culture. As contemporary Chinese Marxism, Marxism in the 21st century, and the essence of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has achieved a new leap in the sinicization of Marxism. In order to understand this new leap in thinking, it is necessary to accurately understand the profound connotation and ideological essence of the "two combinations," especially the "second combination."
The "second combination" is not only a valuable exploration of the Communist Party of China in promoting the process of Sinicization of Marxism over the past 100 years, but also a major original theoretical achievement of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core in upholding and developing Marxism and innovating and improving the ideological and theoretical system of the Communist Party of China since the new era. The reality of culture can be said to be the most important reality in China's specific reality, and the "first combination" could logically presuppose the existence of the "second combination". But why put the "second combination" and the "first combination" side by side? We understand that this is not a simple relationship between inclusion and inclusion, still less a relationship between "big reality" and "small reality", but an emphasis on the importance of China's excellent traditional culture in the new thought, a kind of highlighting of the unique advantages and outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization, and a manifestation of the difference between the latest achievements of Chinese Marxism and the development of previous theories. Only by having a deep understanding of the unique advantages and outstanding characteristics of Chinese culture, a deep grasp of the laws of the development of Chinese civilization, and a high degree of historical and contemporary self-confidence in cultural subjectivity, can it be possible to draw such a profound ideological cognition and theoretical summary. Therefore, the proposal and strengthening of the "second combination" is precisely a kind of interpretation and cultural interpretation of the times that is new and new in the new era, and it has its special novelty and profound significance in the forward development of Chinese ideology and culture in the new era. It is precisely in this sense that we can say that in the history of the development of Marxism, the history of Chinese civilization, and the history of the ideological development of the Communist Party of China, the proposal of the "second combination" is an original and important theoretical contribution, which has effectively promoted a new leap forward in the Sinicization of Marxism and opened up a new realm for the Sinicization of Marxism and the era.
Profoundly comprehending the ideological essence of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture is a key to grasping contemporary Chinese Marxism and Marxism in the 21st century as a whole, and is the key to understanding the essence of the times in Chinese culture and Chinese spirit, and to continue to promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
2. The "second combination" is another emancipation of the mind, a new historical leap in the Sinicization of Marxism, and a spiritual mobilization to promote Chinese-style modernization
China's magnificent development achievements over the past few decades have been accompanied by one emancipation of the mind after another. Grasping the historical initiative of Chinese civilization ideology and culture and acting on the construction of Chinese-style roads, theories and systems is a valuable historical experience that the Communist Party of China has always adhered to in practice. In the new era, the Chinese Communists have adhered to the principle of emancipating the mind, upholding integrity and innovation, attaching great importance to the "two innovations" of China's excellent traditional culture and the play of the subjective role of Chinese culture in the process of Sinicizing Marxism and modernizing Marxism with a high degree of historical consciousness, cultural self-confidence and theoretical courage. The proposition and emphasis of the "second combination" indicates that in the theoretical innovation and ideological and cultural construction of the Communist Party of China over the past 100 years, the excellent traditional Chinese culture has been emphasized unprecedentedly, and has become the spiritual background and cultural base supporting the latest achievements of Chinese Marxism. In this "combination", the excellent traditional Chinese culture has been sublimated, and we can fully activate and effectively use the precious and rich Chinese values, Chinese wisdom and Chinese spirit contained in the excellent traditional Chinese culture in a broader cultural space, and explore future-oriented theoretical and institutional innovations. In this sense, it is another emancipation of the mind.
It should be pointed out that in the more than 100 years that the Communist Party of China has led China's revolution, construction, reform, and development, the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's fine traditional culture has not been smooth sailing, but has been a process of constant running-in, adaptation, and continuous development amid twists and turns. In this process, the perception and evaluation of traditional Chinese culture have always fluctuated. In the new era, with the establishment and improvement of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, traditional culture has gained such a high status. This requires great cultural self-confidence and theoretical courage. This also shows that our party's understanding of the law governing the development of Chinese civilization and its self-confidence in China's excellent traditional culture have reached a new height.
As the only way for the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese civilization in the new era, the "two combinations" are the regular understanding of the Communist Party of China in exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly expounded the inevitability of the "two combinations" from five aspects, and believed that the premise of "combination" is the mutual fit in value, and the result of "combination" is mutual achievement, which has created a cultural form of Chinese-style modernization, built a solid foundation for the road, opened up the space for innovation, mastered the initiative of thought and culture, and is another emancipation of the mind.
Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process, and the excellent traditional Chinese culture is increasingly playing a fundamental role in the practice and exploration of all aspects. For example, in the promotion and theoretical construction of Chinese-style modernization, the excellent traditional Chinese culture has always played a fundamental role in consolidating the foundation and cultivating the yuan, and has always maintained and supported the Chinese characteristics of this process, making it significantly different from the modernization of any other country in the world, and has been defined as "Chinese-style", reflecting distinctive and unique Chinese characteristics.
On the new journey, the clarion call for building a cultural power and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation has been sounded. Based on the century-old experience of "changes in the world, the times, and history", the Chinese Communists are adhering to the core values and basic spirit of Chinese culture, comprehensively promoting the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of the times, and comprehensively advancing the great cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and socialist modernization. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era guides the steady and far-reaching cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and achieves the Chinese model and Chinese path for the development and progress of human civilization. To take the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must promote the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Marxism, and we must combine the promotion of China's excellent traditional culture with the adherence to the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method. "Two combinations" is the only way to go. The integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture is another emancipation of the mind and a spiritual mobilization to promote the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Marxism, to achieve a new historical leap, and to promote Chinese-style modernization.
3. The important exposition of "outstanding characteristics" is a holistic grasp of the unique advantages of Chinese civilization, revealing the historical logic, spiritual value and practical wisdom of Chinese culture because of its self-confidence and its "integration".
The self-confidence of Chinese culture not only stems from its breadth and profundity, but also from the spiritual values and Chinese wisdom contained in it. On May 17, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the Philosophy and Social Science Work Forum that "the Chinese nation has a profound cultural tradition and has formed a distinctive ideological system, which reflects the knowledge and rational thinking accumulated by the Chinese for thousands of years." This is the unique advantage of the mainland." At the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, General Secretary Xi Jinping focused on the height of the times of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, and once again talked about this issue, he emphasized many important elements of the excellent traditional Chinese culture that supports the unique advantages of Chinese civilization, and pointed out that the Chinese culture that shapes the unique advantages of Chinese civilization has the "five outstanding characteristics" of "continuity", "innovation", "unity", "inclusiveness" and "peace". This is the new era of the Chinese Communists standing at a new height of human civilization and Chinese culture, focusing on the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Marxism, adhering to the core values and basic spirit of Chinese culture such as the pursuit of benevolence, peace, sharing, inclusiveness, unity, innovation and development, and fully excavating, promoting and developing the unique advantages of Chinese civilization in national governance, social education and world harmony. Promoting a deeper integration with the basic tenets of Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture and a holistic grasp of the cause of jointly benefiting the happiness of all mankind fully demonstrates and reveals the value, historical and practical logic of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture.
The outstanding continuity of the Chinese civilization has fundamentally determined that the Chinese nation will inevitably follow its own path, and has revealed the historical logic of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture. In the new era, the cultural self-confidence of the Chinese Communists is first of all based on a holistic grasp of the Chinese spirit, Chinese wisdom, Chinese values and Chinese ideals that have been consistent and continuously developed in Chinese culture for thousands of years. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that if we do not understand China from the long-standing historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, nor modern China, let alone the future China. Only by not forgetting the original can we open up the future. In the long history of civilization development of more than 5,000 years, the Chinese civilization created by the Chinese people has been continuously inherited and has made significant contributions to the cause of human civilization and progress. Chinese civilization is the cultural carrier of the Sinicization of Marxism, and the excellent traditional Chinese culture provides a theoretical foundation for the Sinicization of Marxism. In the process of combining the two, the mode of interaction between the two is that Marxism activates, guides, and adapts to the innovation and development of traditional culture. Only by having a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the history of Chinese civilization can we more effectively promote the creative transformation and innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture, more effectively promote the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
The outstanding inclusiveness and outstanding innovation of the Chinese civilization have enabled Marxism to take root and develop continuously in China's cultural soil, revealing the practical logic of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture. Only a deep and broad culture can be more inclusive. Only by being more inclusive can we embrace all rivers and rivers, and constantly rejuvenate ourselves in exchanges and mutual learning with other civilizations. "Chinese civilization has outstanding inclusiveness, which fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation's exchanges, exchanges and blending, the harmonious pattern of the coexistence of various religious beliefs in China, and the openness of Chinese culture to the eclecticism of world civilizations." This outstanding inclusiveness is precisely the fundamental reason why Marxism has been able to take root in Chinese culture. The ancients said, "Although Zhou is an old state, its life is renewed"; He also said, "Gou is new, every day is new, and every day is new." This is about the innovation of Chinese culture. Innovation is the source of the vitality of Chinese culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "the Chinese civilization has outstanding innovation, which fundamentally determines the enterprising spirit of the Chinese nation of upholding integrity and not respecting the past, respecting the past and not retro, and determining the fearless character of the Chinese nation that is not afraid of new challenges and has the courage to accept new things." If inclusiveness allows Marxism to land in China, innovation is the main reason for the development of Marxism in China. The culture of any outstanding nation is constantly changing in the long river of historical evolution, and it has developed and innovated in the exchanges, confrontations, and blending with various cultures. The Communist Party of China adheres to the cultural development principle of "creative transformation and innovative development", and applies Marxist positions, viewpoints and methods to continuously adapt and integrate them into the specific practice of different historical stages of China's revolution, construction, reform and development. It is precisely on the basis of this practical logic that the Chinese communists have embarked on a path of theoretical innovation that combines the basic tenets of Marxism with the fine traditional Chinese culture.
The outstanding "peacefulness" and "unity" of Chinese civilization enable the excellent traditional Chinese culture to undertake the mission of promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind under the activation and combination of Marxism, and demonstrate the value logic of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture. The greatness of any great civilization in the world lies not in its form, but in its deepest value pursuit. In modern China, the reason why Marxism has been able to rapidly surpass various other theories and take root and grow in China's cultural soil is closely related to the convergence between Marxism and Chinese culture in the pursuit of values. The premise of achieving "combination" is to fit. The excellent traditional Chinese culture contains modern values of global significance: the pursuit of the idea of Datong for the public and the people for the state; Pursue the peaceful ideology of faith, harmony, kindness and good-neighborliness.
The pursuit of the idea of the great harmony of the world for the public and the people for the state ultimately points to the great unification of the country and the nation. Since ancient times, one of the most important characteristics of Chinese civilization in the concept of the state is to maintain the unity of the country. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "the Chinese civilization has outstanding unity, which fundamentally determines the integration of the cultures of all ethnic groups of the Chinese nation, and the firm cohesion even in the face of major setbacks, the common belief that the land is indivisible, the country cannot be chaotic, the nation cannot be dispersed, and the civilization is indispensable, and that national unity will always be the core of China's core interests, and that a strong and unified country is the destiny of the people of all ethnic groups." The pursuit of the idea of peace, which stresses faith, cultivates harmony, and is benevolent and good-neighborly, ultimately points to peace in the world and peace in the world. The Chinese civilization is characterized by outstanding peace. The idea of peaceful development is the intrinsic gene of Chinese culture, and the Chinese civilization has always advocated "harmony for the country", "harmony without difference" and "harmony is precious", and peace has been integrated into the blood of the Chinese nation and engraved into the genes of the Chinese people. Striving for the peace and happiness of all mankind is not only the value pursuit of Marxism, but also one of the core values of Chinese civilization.
Only when there is cultural rejuvenation can the country and the nation have hope and a future. When we look at Chinese culture, we must have a grand historical outlook, dialectical thinking, and development thinking, and we must look at the overall picture, the main body, and the core value pursuit, especially to avoid a narrow interpretation of traditional culture. A very important root cause of China's various difficulties in modern times is precisely the lack of confidence of the Chinese people in China's cultural traditions. Entering the new era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core is based on the present, facing the future, with a broad cultural vision, a profound historical vision, and unprecedented historical and cultural self-confidence, firmly promoting the "two creations" of traditional culture, firmly promoting the combination of the basic principles of Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture, shouldering the new mission of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, and ushering in another ideological emancipation and cultural prosperity. This is a great historical event for Chinese culture, and it also represents the right direction for the development of world civilization.
(The author is Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Marxism, Hunan University)
Author: Huang Zigen
Source: China Social Sciences Daily, Issue 2670, June 13, 2023
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