【Mountain Trail Literature Club Recommendation】(Sunset Singing)
(Editor: This article was written in 1993.) Read the old text and learn from it. ）
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An Analysis of the "Contemporary Consciousness" of Chinese Writers
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【Zou Qixin】
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"Contemporary consciousness" used to be a concept that was frequently used in the literary and artistic works of some experts and scholars. However, what is its connotation, and what is its extension? After I have studied it, I seem to be able to understand it, but it is difficult to convey it. When they talk about contemporary consciousness, do they mean the consciousness of reform, the consciousness of opening up, the consciousness of competition, the consciousness of pioneering, the consciousness of crisis, the consciousness of distress, the consciousness of reflection and self-examination, the consciousness of the world, the consciousness of mankind, the consciousness of patriotism, the consciousness of the nation, the consciousness of human nature, the consciousness of life, the consciousness of class, the consciousness of history, the consciousness of the individual, the consciousness of the subject, the consciousness of the group, or the consciousness of the collective...... It seems to be all, and it doesn't seem to be, not only. Of course, experts and scholars stand at different angles, target different objects, and go deep into different levels, pointing out that this consciousness and that consciousness may be expressions of different aspects, different forms, and different meanings of contemporary consciousness. However, the contemporary consciousness of Chinese writers can only be such a mixture of diverse and complex consciousnesses, and is there no fundamental consciousness that cannot be "replaced" but can "include" such a rich consciousness? Or is there no element of consciousness that plays a leading role in the system of contemporary consciousness? Now, when the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (editor's note: 1992) scientifically, completely, After systematically summing up the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and pointing out that the party's basic line in the initial stage of socialism should be adhered to for 100 years, I feel that I have found a clue to understand the contemporary consciousness of Chinese writers. Now let's talk about my personal experience for the sake of experts and scholars.
Contemporary consciousness, as the name suggests, is the generation of the era in which we live, and reflects the essence of this era, and is the advanced consciousness and scientific consciousness that guides and promotes the development of this era, and is by no means the backward consciousness and conservative consciousness that hinders and destroys the development of this era. This requires us to first understand what kind of era humanity is currently in. From a worldwide perspective, although the old pattern has been broken and the new pattern has not yet been formed, and we are in a period of alternating between the old and new patterns, the contradictions between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, between socialism and capitalism, between the oppressed and exploited nations and imperialism, and between imperialism still exist grimly, and peace and development are still the two major themes in the world today. Therefore, in our time, the most advanced and scientific consciousness is by no means Nietzsche's voluntarism, Bergson's philosophy of life, Sartre's existentialism, and Freud's pan-theory (although they also have certain rational elements), but only Marxism, which reveals the universal laws of world development, especially the universal laws of the historical development of human society.
For writers living in the land of contemporary China, it is also necessary to further understand what kind of era China is currently in, that is, its ins and outs in the long river of history, and its position and role in the world system. This is because "a correct understanding of the historical stage in which the mainland society is now present is the most important issue in building socialism with Chinese characteristics and the fundamental basis for us to formulate and implement a correct line and policy." It goes without saying that this is also the "primary issue" in building socialist literature and art with Chinese characteristics, and is the "fundamental basis" for contemporary Chinese writers to create and comment. If we said that our understanding of the "contemporary" of "China" in the past was not clear and conscious enough, then the Third Plenary Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee has already made a preliminary explanation, and the 13 th CPC National Congress has made a clear statement, and now the 14 th CPC National Congress has made a profound summary, and it should be said that the whole party and the people of the whole country have achieved a common understanding that China is in the primary stage of socialism today. From a vertical point of view, contemporary China is a stage of transformation from a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society to an advanced stage of socialism. From a horizontal point of view, contemporary China has made tremendous progress in the economic and cultural fields, and is also a developing socialist country with a large gap with the developed countries. "This is an insurmountable historical stage in the construction of socialist modernization in economically and culturally backward China, and it will take hundreds of years. In building socialism on the mainland, we must proceed from the mainland's national conditions and follow the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only by clarifying the actual position of contemporary China on the vertical axis of history and the horizontal axis of the world can the contemporary consciousness of Chinese writers have a fundamental foothold. Therefore, I believe that the contemporary consciousness of contemporary Chinese writers is the consciousness guided by the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, or in other words, the consciousness of building socialism with Chinese characteristics as the core. All kinds of other advanced and scientific consciousnesses are based on this consciousness of universal significance, and radiate, infiltrate, specialize, and concretize all fields and levels of ideology. This is because the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics founded by the Chinese Communists with Deng Xiaoping as the main representative is the product of the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism with the reality of contemporary China and the characteristics of the times, the inheritance and development of Mao Zedong Thought, the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the whole party and the people of the whole country, and the most precious spiritual wealth of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people." If contemporary Chinese writers do not first possess this consciousness, they cannot be said to have an advanced and scientific contemporary consciousness, or they do not have a clear and conscious contemporary consciousness. I believe that if a writer of "China" and not a writer of other countries, and a writer of the "contemporary" era rather than a writer of other eras, does not have a full and clear understanding of the overall situation of contemporary China and does not have an accurate and complete understanding of Marxism that has been proven to be correct by contemporary practice, it will be difficult for us to truly reflect the real life of contemporary China, to profoundly grasp the historical context of contemporary China, and to soberly express the development trend of contemporary China. If contemporary Chinese writers have indeed established this highest level of contemporary consciousness, then other levels of advanced consciousness and scientific consciousness that belong to the category of contemporary consciousness can be easily solved.
For example, the reason why we should have a sense of crisis and distress is because the economic construction of New China started on the basis of the old China's poverty and whiteness, and "the modern history of the mainland and the reality of the world today clearly show that if the economy is backward, it will be very passive and will be controlled by others." If we fail to clearly understand the severity and urgency of this situation, and if we are complacent, arrogant, and regard ourselves as a central power, then it is really possible to repeat the tragedy of the discoloration of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the fierce international competition, and even return to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society and become a vassal of the Western powers. Complementing the consciousness of crisis and the sense of distress is the consciousness of reform and opening up and the consciousness of pioneering and innovating. Only by reforming the aspects and links in the relations of production and the superstructure that are not suited to the development of the productive forces, absorbing all the achievements of civilization created by mankind, creatively developing Marxism, and taking the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, will it be possible to build the mainland into a prosperous, strong, democratic, and civilized modern socialist country. It is gratifying that after the Third Plenary Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee, a large number of writers with such contemporary consciousness have created such outstanding works as "The Appointment of Director Qiao", "Heavy Wings", "New Star", and "Urban Romance", which reflect the socialist construction on the mainland. Qiao Guangpu, Zheng Ziyun, Li Xiangnan, Yan Honghuan and other patriots who were worried about the country and the people, and pioneers and innovative reformers, were not only typical images in art, but also became heroes in the eyes of the broad masses of the people. It is completely certain that under the guidance of the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, contemporary Chinese writers are bound to create more and better "spiritual products with artistic charm that praise reform, opening up, and modernization."
Another example is that the reason why we should have a sense of reflection and self-examination is because in the history of our party, the "leftist" ideology has been deeply rooted. "Left" has revolutionary overtones, and it scares people with big hats, as if the more left it is, the more revolutionary it is. In reform and opening up, we must explore and open up new roads and break through the systems and concepts that constrain the development of productive forces. Keeping in mind the lessons of historical twists and turns and not allowing historical mistakes to recur is the unshirkable responsibility entrusted to contemporary Chinese writers by the times. "The Class Teacher," "The Legend of Tianyun Mountain," "The Story of the Prisoner Li Tongzhong," "Xu Mao and His Daughters," and other outstanding works have cooperated with the ideological emancipation movement of the whole party and the people of the whole country with their profound realist spirit and negated a series of "leftist" mistakes, such as the expansion of the "anti-rightist" movement, the "Great Leap Forward," the "anti-rightist movement," and the "Cultural Revolution," and will still play an important role in understanding and educating them in the future. In order to thoroughly eliminate the "leftist" ideology and enhance their consciousness and firmness in implementing the party's basic line, contemporary Chinese writers should not only further create works that reflect on the historical lessons of the past "leftist" but should also strive to create works that show that we are overcoming certain "leftist" mistakes and forging ahead courageously. On the other hand, since "the class struggle will continue to exist within a certain scope for a long time and may intensify under certain conditions" in the initial stage of socialism, and because international hostile forces are constantly infiltrating, subverting, and peacefully evolving the mainland, the core of the struggle is still the issue of political power, so we must still include class consciousness and the consciousness of the people's democratic dictatorship within the scope of contemporary consciousness.
Another example is that in order to mobilize all favorable factors to the greatest extent and give full play to the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the masses of the people, so as to quicken the pace of reform, opening up, and modernization, and to strive for greater victories in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to inherit and carry forward the group consciousness in China's fine traditions, and to strengthen and enhance the consciousness of the main body, which has always been insufficiently valued, that is, to strive to bring into play the wisdom and strength of all collectives and the wisdom and talent of every citizen. Taking the excellent reportage of recent years as an example, such as "The Road to Boundlessness", "The Nine Chapters of Yimeng", "The Road to Kunshan", and "Towards Heaven", etc., not only show the incomparable power of socialist collective struggle, but also show the vanguard role of communist fighters. The more such a group consciousness and a sense of the main body are brought into full play, the more socialist modernization on the mainland can be realized at an early date. On the contrary, the morbid and absurd consciousness of fear, disaster, loss, loneliness, and other morbid consciousness created by some people in developed capitalist countries out of the imbalance and conflict of high technology and low feelings is by no means suitable for growing on the land of our socialist country, which is developing vigorously, nor is it the "contemporary consciousness" that the people on the mainland need. What we need to learn from and absorb today is the awareness of competition, efficiency, and even the risk of the market economy that conform to objective laws in capitalist society and which we still lack.
As for world consciousness and human consciousness, it depends on the premise under which this concept is used and what kind of connotation it is given. If it is for the purpose of striving for a favorable international environment for the mainland's modernization, exposing the evils of hegemonism and power politics, enhancing friendly cooperation among the people of the world, absorbing all the achievements of human civilization, and making its own contributions to mankind, then such a world consciousness and human consciousness are obviously the existing meaning of the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The more contemporary Chinese writers have such awareness, the more they will be able to adapt to the development and changes of the international situation, and the more they will be able to create works that are of both Chinese and global significance. Reportage such as "The War of the Demon Director", "The Mystery of the Sphinx in Shenzhen", "Flying to the Spaceport", and "Her Chinese Heart" are all works that are infiltrated with this kind of contemporary consciousness. However, we cannot help but see that mankind today is still divided into different classes, and the world is still divided into different countries and different systems, which makes it difficult for all mankind to have a unified world consciousness today. Natural science knows no borders, but natural scientists have a motherland. Literary and artistic works are not only ideological, but also the writers themselves belong to a certain nation, a certain country, and a certain class. Therefore, I believe that contemporary Chinese writers should first establish a sense of patriotism, collectivism, and socialism. The world consciousness and human consciousness based on the land of China may be more scientific and practical.
In short, if Chinese writers living in the initial stage of socialism establish a contemporary consciousness guided by the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, they will be able to make all kinds of advanced and scientific consciousness form an organic system around a core. Only when Chinese writers establish such a contemporary consciousness can contemporary literature and art play an indispensable and irreplaceable role in the building of socialist spiritual civilization, thus "providing a powerful spiritual driving force and intellectual support for economic construction and reform and opening up." (Originally published in Literature and Art Daily, April 3, 1993)
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The sea is wide and the fish jumps, and the sky is high for the birds to fly. This contemporary literature, which is developing and flourishing day by day, should of course also be permeated with and inspire contemporary consciousness. Reading Zou Qixin's article "An Analysis of the 'Contemporary Consciousness' of Chinese Writers," he quoted the literary and artistic treatises of some experts and scholars, and pointed out: "When they say contemporary consciousness, they mean the consciousness of reform, the consciousness of opening up, the consciousness of competition, and the consciousness of pioneering; the consciousness of crisis, the consciousness of adversity, the consciousness of reflection, and the consciousness of self-examination; the consciousness of the world, the consciousness of mankind, the consciousness of patriotism, and the consciousness of the nation; the consciousness of human nature, the consciousness of life, or the consciousness of class, Is it individual consciousness, subject consciousness, group consciousness, and collective consciousness...... It seems to be all, and it doesn't seem to be, not only. After enumerating these "this and that consciousness from different angles, aiming at different objects, and going deep into different levels, the author all gave a reserved affirmation, and then asked the question: "However, the contemporary consciousness of Chinese writers can only be such a mixture of diverse and complex consciousnesses, and none of them, although they cannot be 'replaced', can they include 'the fundamental consciousness of such a rich consciousness?, or is there no element of consciousness that plays a leading role in the system of contemporary consciousness?" After analyzing and demonstrating, the author said: "I believe that the contemporary consciousness of contemporary Chinese writers is the consciousness guided by the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, or the consciousness with the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics as the core" (Wenyi Bao, April 3, 1993). It was as if I saw someone shaking their heads, and I was completely in agreement. Literature and art in the new period, which is still continuing, are of course colorful, diverse, multi-style, multi-genre, infinitely broad, and infinitely rich; however, as a conceptual form, it is always inseparable from the main line of historical operation, and socialism with Chinese characteristics is not only a concept, but also a reality in which we are pinned into it. Reality determines consciousness, and how can the contemporary consciousness of contemporary Chinese writers not be guided by the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics as its core? This is Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and China's Marxism.
--Excerpt from Gongmu's Dictionary of Mao Zedong's Literary and Artistic Thought: Preface, Wuhan Publishing House, 1993, excerpt from Mao Zedong's Literary and Artistic Thought and Socialist Literature and Art with Chinese Characteristics (Literature and Art Daily, November 27, 1993)
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【About the author of this article】
(Prof. Zou Qixin)
Zou Qixin, male, born in Changsha, Hunan Province in 1938, graduated from the Chinese Department of Hunan Normal University in 1962, transferred to the Chinese Department of Hunan Shaoyang Normal College in 1970, joined the Communist Party of China in 1978, was promoted to professor in 1995, and retired from the Chinese Department of Hunan Shaoyang University in 2007.
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[Recommended reading of the works of the Mountain Trail Literature Society]
Click the link-Shaoyang Normal College (Shanjing Literature Society)_Anthology_Urban Headlines
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[Edited by Xiao Dianqun of the Mountain Trail Literature Society]