Deeply understand the value and historical significance of the "second combination".
Zhang Hongzhi
At the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly put forward the major proposition of "combining the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture", and for the first time put this combination together with "combining with China's specific reality". In the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the general secretary profoundly explained that only through the "two combinations" can we always maintain the vigor and vigor of Marxism and open up a new realm of Marxism in China and the times. Why, on the basis of our long-term insistence on the "first combination," we should put forward the "second combination," what kind of far-reaching significance this "second combination," and what kind of internal connection exists between the "two combinations," we need to think deeply.
The "second combination" is an inevitable requirement for promoting the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Marxism
In the arduous struggle for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the Chinese communists have drawn an important conclusion that it is necessary to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities, thus promoting the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Marxism, blaming a road of rejuvenation of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and ensuring that the CPC leads the Chinese people to constantly advance from victory to victory on the journey of national rejuvenation. As an important aspect of "China's specific reality," the "excellent traditional Chinese culture" is also an important part of the Chinese communists' integration with the basic tenets of Marxism. As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era, the unique role of culture has become increasingly prominent, and the "second combination" has been highlighted to have a unique significance that meets the requirements of the times.
The vitality and staying power of national culture have made the "excellent traditional Chinese culture" increasingly become a vital part of "China's specific reality". As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the opening ceremony of the 10th National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 9th National Congress of the China Writers Association, "culture is the soul of a country and a nation", and "cultural self-confidence is a more basic, broader and deeper self-confidence, and a more basic, deeper and more lasting force". Culture, as a superstructure, once formed, has relative independence and durability compared with its original economic base, and has a strong reaction force on the economic base. The excellent part of traditional culture has gone through the waves and sands, spanning different eras, and has become the cultural gene and spiritual identity of a nation. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation naturally includes the rejuvenation of the Chinese civilization, and the rejuvenation of the Chinese civilization is a necessary condition for it. In the historical process of guiding the Chinese people to explore the road to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Marxism itself will continue to move towards Sinicization and modernization along with its in-depth integration with China's specific reality. Proposing to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture is precisely the scientific conclusion drawn in the course of the development of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, and is also an objective need for the rejuvenation of Chinese civilization.
- When Comrade Mao Zedong was young, he was influenced by the Hunan scholarly style of attaching importance to the application of the world, and he was deeply impressed by the "seeking truth from facts" plaque of Yuelu Academy in Changsha, Hunan. After that, he excavated the value of the times of the excellent traditional Chinese culture and made a new interpretation of "seeking truth from facts": "'Facts' are all things that objectively exist, 'is' is the internal relationship of objective things, that is, regularity, and 'seeking' is what we study." The picture shows the plaque of Yuelu Academy's "seeking truth from facts". Visual China Hong Tao/photo
In today's era of deepening economic globalization and the rapid development of social informatization, the differences between countries in the world in terms of economic form and social life are shrinking day by day, and excellent traditional culture has become the most basic characteristic and the most distinctive personality of a country and a nation, the most important and deepest "reality" of all the "concrete realities" of a country and a nation, and the fundamental symbol that distinguishes it from other countries and nations. Therefore, to persistently integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities, it is inevitable to emphasize the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's fine traditional culture. The "second combination" is the practical requirement and logical conclusion of the "first combination", the theoretical deepening and ideological sublimation of the "first combination", and the inevitable result of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and the continuous advancement of the times.
The "second combination" has opened up a new realm for the continuous development of Marxism and injected new life into Chinese culture. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, "the premise of 'combination' is to fit each other" and "the result is mutual achievement". The "second combination" is another emancipation of the mind, which has opened up a new way for us to re-understand the practical path of Marxism and the direction of national cultural development. Since Marxism has moved from theory to practice, how to integrate the basic tenets of this scientific theory with the specific realities of various countries has always been a major proposition that Marxists all over the world have been striving for. The Chinese communists have successfully integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities, opened up a new realm of Marxism, and injected new life into Chinese culture. It is precisely because we have found the point of convergence between the basic tenets of Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture that Marxism has been widely disseminated and continuously developed in China, which has further stimulated the inner vitality of the Chinese culture, which has been rising and falling in the shackles of the last days of feudal society, and has radiated a powerful spiritual force to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. With the explicit and continuous deepening of the "second combination", we will further promote Marxism to become Chinese, and the excellent traditional Chinese culture to become modern, and combine with each other to form an organic and unified new cultural life, and become a cultural form of Chinese-style modernization. In the process of the "two combinations", especially the "second combination", the promotion of the Sinicization of Marxism and the construction of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation are accompanied by symbiosis, complementarity, integration, fusion and rise, thus bursting out an irrepressible cultural impetus and profoundly changing China and the world. China's successful practice has proved that in order for Marxism to take root and sprout in the world, it must be integrated with the excellent traditional culture of all nations in the world, and in order to keep up with the progress of the times, the cultures of all nations in the world must also be integrated with the advanced culture and scientific theories of mankind.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, with the development of economic globalization, diverse cultures have stirred up each other. Taking advantage of their first-mover advantage, Western countries have forcibly promoted their own culture to the world as modern civilization and "universal values". All these have had a strong cultural impact on many countries in the world, and the question of "who am I, where do I come from, and where am I going" continues to torture countries and nations caught in the wave of globalization. In particular, some ancient civilizations that are exploring the path of modernization are facing serious cultural tears, and the ideological conflict between total westernization and returning to tradition has become increasingly intense, causing a profound crisis in their cultural identity and a strong desire for civilization rejuvenation. All countries in the world, especially the developing countries, have prescribed different prescriptions for self-help when their own civilizations are facing major challenges to their own civilizations, but neither cultural retroism, religious fundamentalism, nor xenophobic nationalism can solve the problem of the revival of ancient civilizations. The proposal of the "second combination" has profoundly summed up the historical experience of the Communist Party of China in promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, and scientifically demonstrated the road to the rejuvenation of ancient civilizations; profoundly enlightened us that the rejuvenation of civilization is not to abandon history, start anew, and copy foreign countries, nor is it to indulge in old dreams, eat the past, and appreciate oneself alone, but can only absorb the advanced cultural achievements of all mankind on the basis of profoundly grasping the law of the development of the national civilization, realize the innovation of national culture, and create a new culture that has a long history and is constantly surging.
The "second combination" is the only way to achieve Chinese-style modernization
The explosive growth of global productivity brought about by the Industrial Revolution has promoted profound changes in the world's economy and society. Catching up with the pace of the world's progress and realizing the industrialization and modernization of the country has become a historic task for many developing countries. However, after the era of imperialism, the traditional modernization path of Western countries with the essence of foreign expansion has been blocked by these vested interests, and it runs counter to the development direction of human civilization progress. Except for a few countries and regions that developed under the background of the Cold War and relied on the special support of Western powers, most developing countries are still struggling and struggling on the road to modernization. And the few countries that have achieved so-called modernization have not been able to shake off their dependence on the Western powers. How to achieve modernization suited to the characteristics of our own nation is still a global issue.
China's modernization must embark on its own path, and the "second combination" is an inevitable choice for taking its own path. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the high-level dialogue between the Communist Party of China and world political parties, "when a country moves towards modernization, it must not only follow the general laws of modernization, but also be based on its own national conditions and have its own characteristics". Therefore, developing countries must choose the path that suits them best to achieve modernization. At the beginning of the economy, the choice of the development path is the key, and when the economy develops to a certain stage, the establishment of a modernization goal suited to one's own needs has become the ultimate test to avoid "falling short for the sake of the mountain." In this process, whether the development path is compatible with cultural traditions, and whether it will lead to cultural conflicts and the interruption of development at the critical moment of breaking out of the cocoon into a butterfly has become a problem that must be solved. The world's major developing countries, especially the large developing countries with a long history, tend to move further down the path to modernization, the deeper the anxiety of cultural self-loss, and the more acute the challenge of cultural conflict.
In order to unify the general laws of modernization with their own realities, developing countries must deeply promote the integration of foreign scientific theories with their own excellent traditional cultures, create a new culture suited to the needs of their own modernization, and embark on a path of modernization that coexists in harmony with traditional culture. As the largest developing country with a large population, a long history, and a rich traditional culture, China is even less likely to repeat the development path of others. Combining the basic tenets of Marxism, which contain the general laws governing the development of human society, with the excellent traditional Chinese culture is an inevitable choice for the successful path of Chinese-style modernization.
- The construction of the National Version of China Pavilion is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, a basic project for the construction of a civilized country, and a landmark cultural project that will benefit the present and future generations, and fully embodies the historical initiative of our party to inherit and develop Chinese culture and absorb historical wisdom to better move towards the future. The picture shows a piece of Shoushan stone engraved with "Geng Continuation Context" in the Central General Hall of the National Version of China. China News Service reporter Han Haidan/photo
The "second combination" has clarified the direction of Chinese modernization and highlighted its own characteristics. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, "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." This is the understanding of the law that we have drawn in the course of exploring the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics" and "the greatest magic weapon for our success". Among them, the establishment of the "first combination" has opened up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and guided the way forward for the realization of Chinese-style modernization. The in-depth promotion of the "second combination" will further build a solid foundation for the road, give the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics a broader and far-reaching historical depth, and expand the cultural foundation of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics determines the inseparable internal connection between Chinese-style modernization and Chinese civilization. Chinese modernization has endowed Chinese civilization with modern strength, and Chinese civilization has endowed Chinese modernization with a profound foundation, ensuring that Chinese modernization will not lose itself, deviate from the direction, or stagnate on the journey to victory, and ensure that Chinese modernization is truly independent and independent and not dependent on others.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China summarized the Chinese characteristics of Chinese-style modernization, pointing out that Chinese-style modernization is the modernization of a huge population, the modernization of common prosperity for all people, the modernization of the coordination of material civilization and spiritual civilization, the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and the modernization of taking the path of peaceful development. It not only profoundly embodies the Marxist world outlook and methodology, but also fully absorbs the nourishment of the ideas of the world for the common good, the virtue of virtue, the unity of nature and man, and the harmony and symbiosis of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, so that the Chinese-style modernization is more in line with the Chinese people's will and more in line with the local atmosphere of China, and the harmonious unity of science and tradition, history and future has been realized on the land of China. It can be said that it is precisely because of the "second combination" that Chinese-style modernization has a Chinese background that is different from the traditional modernization model of the West. This modernization does not take the wrong path of total westernization nor the old road of cultural retro, and opens up a broad space for exploring the successful road of Chinese-style modernization and creating a new form of human civilization through the "two combinations".
The "second combination" has created the necessary conditions for building a community with a shared future for mankind
As the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, building a community with a shared future for mankind is the right choice for all mankind to address common challenges and ensure lasting peace and development in the world. Hegemonism, especially deep-rooted cultural hegemony, has become a major obstacle to rallying global forces and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Achieving equal treatment and harmonious coexistence among the world's diverse civilizations is an objective requirement for striving for a bright future for human society.
The "second combination" has set a successful example of inclusiveness, mutual learning, exchange, development and innovation among multiple civilizations, and shattered the myth that a single civilization dominates the world and strongly assimilates other civilizations. Marxist scientific theory was conceived in the soil of Western culture and was born at the time of the rise of modern industrial civilization, and the excellent traditional Chinese culture can be combined with it, reflecting the innovation and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, "the innovation of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the Chinese nation's enterprising spirit of uprightness and respect for the past and not retro, and determines the fearless character of the Chinese nation that is not afraid of new challenges and has the courage to accept new things"; The inclusiveness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation's exchanges, exchanges and integration", and "determines the openness of Chinese culture to the eclecticism of world civilizations". It is precisely on the basis of this character that the Chinese Communists, on the basis of adhering to the excellent traditional Chinese culture, bravely embraced the world's most advanced scientific theory - Marxism, and integrated the two into a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, so that the Chinese civilization was able to revive its decline and be reborn from the ashes, and the Chinese nation once again stood tall among the nations of the world. This has set an example for the world's ancient civilizations to move towards rejuvenation through inheritance and innovation, and has made the garden of world civilizations show a brighter prospect of more vigorous prosperity.
The "second combination" has opened a successful path for non-Western civilizations to strive for an equal status in dialogue among civilizations, and has provided strong support for building a community with a shared future for mankind. In today's world, different countries and regions have taken a variety of paths to modernization, rooted in rich and diverse civilizations. Seeking the right way to get along with diverse civilizations is an urgent task for building a community with a shared future for mankind. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the high-level dialogue between the Communist Party of China and world political parties, "'A single flower blooming alone is not spring, and a hundred flowers blooming in spring.'" Today, when the future and destiny of all countries are closely linked, inclusive coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in promoting the modernization process of human society and prospering the garden of world civilizations", "We should jointly advocate respect for the diversity of world civilizations, adhere to equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and transcend the estrangement of civilizations, the clash of civilizations, and the superiority of civilizations through exchanges among civilizations." This important exposition of the general secretary clarified the necessary conditions for building a community with a shared future for mankind. The "second combination" brings about the value of the times in excavating history and culture, promoting the successful experience of creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional culture in the process of modernization, and exploring an effective way for ancient civilizations to meet the challenges of modernization and realize equal dialogue with other civilizations.
In short, the proposal of the "second combination" is a new achievement of the Sinicization of Marxism, a new progress in the modernization of Marxism, and a further deepening of the theoretical and practical exploration of socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-style modernization. In today's era, which is unprecedentedly close to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and in the critical period when the world is experiencing great changes unseen in a century, the "second combination" proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping embodies the high degree of theoretical and cultural consciousness of the Chinese Communists, has outstanding value of the times and far-reaching historical significance, and not only has great guiding significance for China's future, but also will have a far-reaching impact on the world. We must continue to deepen our understanding and understanding of the "second combination", constantly improve our cultural consciousness and cultural self-confidence, and strive to win new victories in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Source: "Qiushi" 2024/08
Author: Zhang Hongzhi, President of the Chinese Communist Party Literature Research Association and former member of the Central Academy of Party History and Literature