The historical materialist basis of the new form of human civilization

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese-style modernization is deeply rooted in the excellent traditional Chinese culture, embodies the advanced nature of scientific socialism, draws on and absorbs all the achievements of human civilization, represents the development direction of human civilization progress, shows a new picture different from the Western modernization model, and is a new form of human civilization. This important exposition reveals the intrinsic relationship between Chinese modernization and the new form of human civilization, and points out the innovation and contribution of Chinese modernization to human civilization. Historical materialism reveals the basic laws of social and historical development, observes the generative logic and evolution trend of human civilization, and is the fundamental method for understanding and grasping social history. As an important category of contemporary Chinese Marxism and Marxist theory in the 21st century, the new form of human civilization contains a profound historical materialist basis.

Innovation in production methods

Historical materialism reveals that the development of human society and its civilization form originate from the production of material materials in the final analysis, and the production of material materials depends on the objectively existing mode of production. The mode of production is the dialectical unity of the productive forces and the relations of production, and the existence form and development trend of human society and its civilization form should be analyzed and explained from the dimension of the mode of production. At the same time, the dominant mode of production constitutes the economic base, and there is a dialectical unity between the economic base and the superstructure. In a sense, cultural forms and forms of civilization belong to the category of superstructure. In short, in general, cultural forms, forms of civilization, are rooted in economic bases and modes of production. What is particularly important is that historical materialism not only analyzes the relationship between the mode of production of material materials and culture and civilization from the structural and synchronic levels, but also reveals the evolution of culture and civilization from a dynamic and diachronic dimension. Within the established social structure, the productive forces and the relations of production are basically in harmony, and the relations of production are basically adapted to the development of the productive forces. However, with the continuous progress of the productive forces, conflicts and contradictions gradually arise with the existing relations of production, and at this stage, the relations of production have become shackles that restrict the further development of the productive forces. In order to meet the development needs of the productive forces, the relations of production will also be further developed, which will lead to a change in the dominant and dominant relations of production, that is, the economic base, and then a change in the political superstructure and the conceptual superstructure. The inherent contradiction of the mode of production and its development are not only the fundamental driving force for the historical development of human society, but also the internal root cause of the rise and fall of various forms of civilization. The resolution of the inherent contradictions in the mode of production is the deep-seated driving force of historical development, and its evolution process marks the adjustment of the social structure and the change of the form of civilization. In short, productivity is the fundamental determinant of the continuous development of human civilization, and the transformation and upgrading of productivity is the key to innovating human civilization.

Chinese modernization continues to promote the innovative development of production methods. From the perspective of productivity, the mainland has focused on improving its scientific and technological innovation capabilities and empowering and driving the transformation and leap of Chinese-style modern productive forces. The new quality productivity is a productive force with scientific and technological innovation as the main driving force, the cultivation and formation of strategic emerging industries and future industries as the main support, and the goal of promoting high-efficiency, high-quality and sustainable development of the economy and society. From the perspective of historical materialism, productivity includes three elements: laborers, labor materials, and labor objects, among which science and technology are the primary productive forces, and laborers are the most active factors in the productive forces. Since the beginning of the new era, Chinese-style modernization has accelerated the implementation of the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country with talents, and the strategy of innovation-driven development, improving the new national system for tackling key core technologies, building major scientific and technological innovation platforms, promoting the transformation of scientific and technological innovation achievements, and integrating cutting-edge and revolutionary technological innovation into the elements of productive forces such as laborers, labor materials, and labor objects, so as to promote the iterative development of productive forces. From the perspective of production relations, the mainland has constantly adjusted the relations of production and enhanced the vigor and vitality of the development of social productive forces. We should persist in taking the public ownership of the means of production as the basis and adhere to the distribution mode that combines distribution according to work with distribution according to the factors of production; continuously narrow the income distribution gap between urban and rural areas, between regions, and between industries; let the fruits of development benefit all the people more and more fairly, solidly promote the realization of common prosperity for all the people, and promote the harmonious development of socialist production relations. The development of the mode of production will promote the renewal of the form of civilization. At present, the fourth scientific and technological revolution based on the rise of information technology, the new quality of productivity represented by the tool system of big data, the Internet, cloud computing, blockchain and artificial intelligence, will profoundly change the production and lifestyle of human beings and shape a new form of civilization.

The dialectical relationship between material civilization and spiritual civilization

Historical materialism points out the dialectical unity between material civilization and spiritual civilization. In the Preface to the Critique of Political Economy, Marx wrote: "The mode of production of material life regulates the whole process of social, political, and spiritual life. This expression clearly expounds the decisive and restrictive role of material civilization on spiritual civilization, and material life is the factual and logical starting point for understanding spiritual life. Material civilization also provides the material premise and realistic conditions for spiritual civilization. Engels once pointed out in his letter: "Although the material mode of existence is the cause, this does not exclude the realm of thought from acting on the material mode of existence in turn. This emphasizes the reaction of spiritual civilization to material civilization, highlights the active role and relative independence of spiritual civilization, and highlights the dialectical relationship between material civilization and spiritual civilization. Lenin further emphasized that communism cannot be built without abundant knowledge, technology, and culture, clearly highlighting the important role of spiritual civilization in the field of practice. In short, from the perspective of historical materialism, material civilization and spiritual civilization have a relationship of complementarity and mutual development, and the one-sided pursuit of material wealth while ignoring spiritual civilization will deviate from the law of social and historical development and progress, cannot achieve sustainable development, and does not meet the requirements of Chinese-style modernization.

The new form of human civilization demonstrates the dialectical relationship between material civilization and spiritual civilization in historical materialism. Western modernization pursues abstract material wealth one-sidedly, and the cycle of excessive production and wasteful consumption derives, and people are reduced to tools for capital multiplication. After the Second World War, Western modernization shifted from industrialization to consumer society, symbolism is the essence of consumer society, and the deep combination of capital and technology stimulates the further expansion of production and the accelerated circulation of capital. In order to cope with the abstract and expansive material production of capitalism, the spirit of rationality is one-sidedly defined as instrumental rational computational thinking, the concept of values is narrowed to functionalism and utilitarianism, and the basis of social ethical norms is abstracted into individualism. As a result, the one-sided development and even the vicious expansion of instrumental rationality, utilitarianism, and individualism constitute the basic form of capitalist spiritual civilization. In contrast, Chinese modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and spiritual civilization are coordinated, and its material production is not based on the logic of capital but on the logic of people, and its internal pursuit is not a one-sided abstract growth of material wealth, and the growth of material wealth is only a means rather than an end. Chinese modernization is the coordinated development of material civilization and spiritual civilization, enhancing the universality of human needs, talents, and enjoyment, and shaping a new form of human civilization.

A true community

In the capitalist stage, the relationship between the individual and the community is only an externalized one. In the relationship between people and others, everyone sees others as means and tools to achieve their own ends. In the same way, the "community" takes the "market" as its form of realization, and for the individual, the "market" is only an external and instrumental existence, so money, capital and the market constitute the intermediary of the "community" in the capitalist structure. In other words, the "community" is represented by money, capital and the market, which is the inversion and alienation of the community. Therefore, in the capitalist "community", there is a lack of authentic sociality and rationalization of communication between people, and individuals lack a sense of spiritual belonging and become a lonely mass. It can be seen that the "community" in the context of Western modernization lacks substantial cohesion, and society is reduced to an external mechanical combination due to the lack of internal spiritual unity. Therefore, the modernization of the West will inevitably lead to alienation, strangeness, and indifference between people. As a result, the atomized individual who is left behind in the crowded city is bound to become a free individual. Against this backdrop, any moral appeal and educational guidance that attempts to promote social cohesion will pale in the face of ineffective preaching. The spiritual cohesion of society as a whole is replaced by subtle and accidental emotional solace between individuals. In short, Western modernization has produced a solitary mass society based on the atomized individual.

Historical materialism points to the practical search for a true community. Marx put forward the idea of "true community", believing that "the essence of man is the true community of man". The German Ideology depicts the relationship between the division of labor and the community. The real community is the community in the communist social form, and it is also the "commonwealth of free men". The real community transcends the illusory community mediated by money and the market in the context of Western modernization. True community also means ending the competition and antagonism between people, bridging the divide between individual interests and the common good, and in this way, the individual is no longer governed by the abstract "community". From the domestic perspective, we should build a social governance community of co-construction, co-governance and sharing, and optimize the relationship between individuals and communities, individual interests and public interests, and individual values and common values. "True community" is a metaphor for a new form of human civilization characterized by equality, harmony and mutual assistance.

(Author: Ding Kuangyi, Professor, School of Marxism, Hainan Normal University)

(Source: China Social Science News)