Originally published in China Youth Magazine, Issue 8, 2024
When inspecting the site of Yinxu in Anyang, Henan, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed: "The excellent traditional Chinese culture is the 'root' of our party's innovative theory, and the fundamental way for us to promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the 'two combinations'. This important exposition reveals the important role of the excellent traditional Chinese culture in promoting theoretical innovation and creation of the Communist Party of China, and raises the "two combinations" to the height of the path and method of Sinicizing Marxism and modernizing it. At the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, General Secretary Xi Jinping further pointed out that "the 'second combination' is our party's profound summary of the historical experience of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism", and profoundly expounded the profound connotation of the "second combination" and its great significance to promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Therefore, the "second combination" is the "golden key" to accurately grasp the party's innovative theory, and is a scientific guideline for opening up a new realm of Marxism in China and the times. To make contemporary Chinese Marxism a Marxism in the 21st century, the Sinicization of Marxism is a process of combining the content of internationalism with the national form, that is, using a "one-size-fits-all" Marxism to guide China's practice. When Mao Zedong put forward the proposition of "Sinicization of Marxism" at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he did not particularly emphasize the issue of modernization, which was closely related to the environment of the times in which China lived and its relationship with the world at that time. For a long time, the Sinicization of Marxism has been displayed in the world as a nationalized and localized image of Marxism. Entering the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, socialism with Chinese characteristics has an increasingly significant and far-reaching influence in the world, holding high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the world, and contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the development of the world. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest achievement of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, which is not only contemporary Chinese Marxism, but also Marxism in the 21st century. So, how to understand the relationship between "basing ourselves on China" and "keeping the world in mind" in the theoretical innovation achievements of the Communist Party of China? General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "if we summarize China's practice well, we will have a stronger ability to provide ideas and methods for solving world problems." This is the law of development from the particular to the universal". This exposition is full of the ideological wisdom of materialist dialectics, and provides us with important enlightenment for understanding why contemporary Chinese Marxism can become Marxism in the 21st century, that is, from contemporary Chinese Marxism to Marxism in the 21st century, it reflects the dialectical relationship between the particularity and universality of contradictions, and this process is reflected in the two-way interaction between national and global nature in the presentation of Marxism in China. Contemporary Chinese Marxism should first of all be "contemporary China," and only by properly resolving the problems of national character with Marxist theory with distinctive national characteristics and Chinese characteristics can we realize the transformation from particularity to universality. "The more national it is, the more global it is." The "second combination" makes Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era deeply rooted in the historical and cultural fertile soil of the country and the nation, promotes its rise from particularity to universality, and shows its cosmopolitan character in the national character. "The major proposition of Sinicizing Marxism and modernizing it itself determines that we must not abandon the soul of Marxism and the root of China's excellent traditional culture." Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology of the Communist Party of China for building the party and the country and rejuvenating the party and strengthening the country. At the same time, the excellent traditional Chinese culture is the historical depth of the development of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and without the "roots", the theoretical innovation of the Communist Party of China is like water without roots and trees without roots. Therefore, the "second combination" itself is an innovation, which not only allows Marxism to take deep root in the soil of Chinese history and culture and the foundation of the masses, but also is a fusion of the achievements of ancient and modern Chinese and Western human civilizations, so that "the essence of the entire human spirit" can continue to absorb excellent ideological and cultural resources from the "sum of human knowledge", and open up a new realm of Marxism in China and the times. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era adheres to the "second combination" and connects the essence of Marxist thought with the essence of China's excellent traditional culture. This makes the Chinese Marxism a "culmination" of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit, which not only extracts the ideological essence of China's excellent traditional culture, but also continues the cultural genes of China's excellent traditional culture, so that Marxism can truly "become" China, so as to not only provide ideological guidance for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, but also provide Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for solving the common problems of the world and mankind; It is not only contemporary Chinese Marxism with distinctive Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese style, but also Marxism in the 21 st century that can answer the questions of the times. Let Sinicized Marxism become the essence of Chinese culture and Chinese spiritThe Communist Party of China has always been the faithful inheritor and promoter of China's excellent traditional culture. For example, at the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Liu Shaoqi made a report on revising the party constitution, calling Mao Zedong Thought "completely Marxist and completely Chinese." This is the highest expression of Chinese national wisdom and the highest theoretical generalization. This fully shows that Mao Zedong Thought was formed and developed in the course of inheriting and developing the essence of the Chinese nation's ideology, and has realized the creation and sublimation of this "historical legacy" by Marxist methods, and is highly compatible with the "essence of the times of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit" that we are talking about today. This shows that Marxism, as a foreign theory, can only take root and flourish when it is rooted in the soil of China's history and culture, and that the brilliant cultural achievements of the Chinese nation can provide sufficient nourishment for its development. At the same time, it also shows that the process of promoting the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of China's excellent traditional culture is not separate from each other, and that the "China Chapter" of Marxism must inevitably absorb the nourishment of China's excellent traditional culture, and the development of China's excellent traditional culture must inevitably accept the guidance of Marxism. The older the history, the clearer this pattern becomes. In 2023, at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, General Secretary Xi Jinping summarized the results of the "second combination" with "an organic and unified new cultural life". The combination of the "soul" of Marxism and the "roots" of China's excellent traditional culture is a profound "chemical reaction", which not only bears new fruits in the history of the development of Chinese culture, but also makes Marxism of the Chinese era show an increasingly distinctive Chinese style and style, and "Marxism of the Chinese culture has become the essence of the times of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit." Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era clearly embodies the methodological characteristics of the "second combination", realizes the connection between the basic tenets of Marxism and China's excellent traditional culture in a wider range, deeper and more dimensions in the time and space field of the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, activates the vitality of the times of China's excellent traditional culture, and raises the ideological level of contemporary China to a new height. Historical materialism tells us that a certain economy and politics determine a certain culture, and that the excellent traditional Chinese culture is developed on the basis of agricultural civilization, and after entering the modern society, it will inevitably go through a process of affirmation, persistence, transformation, and development. General Secretary Xi Jinping revealed the essence of China's excellent traditional culture, put forward the requirements of integrating cultural self-confidence into the spiritual temperament and cultural character of the whole nation, clarified the cultural policy of "creative transformation and innovative development", and pointed out the new cultural mission of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. These expositions connect the history, reality and future of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and make it burst out with the value of the times in the governance of the country and social progress. For example, theoretical innovations such as the people-centered development thinking, the Chinese characteristics of the five aspects of Chinese-style modernization, and the initiative of a community with a shared future for mankind are all logical manifestations of the "second combination", which deeply reflect the Chinese people's view of the universe, the world, society, and morality. "Today's China is a China that sustains the national spirit." Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era takes the excellent traditional Chinese culture as the "root" of theoretical innovation, has a broad historical and cultural depth, and is the "culmination" of the essence of contemporary Chinese thought, full of the spiritual charm of the Chinese nation. It points out the intrinsic relationship between the Chinese spirit and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, takes the cultivation and practice of the core values of socialism as one of the "seven efforts", and builds the spiritual pedigree of the Chinese Communists with the great spirit of party building as the source, inheriting, condensing, boosting and enriching the Chinese spirit in the new era, and is the spiritual banner and spiritual strength of the people of Chinese to make great strides towards the great dream. It is precisely because of spiritual independence that the Chinese people can always remain true to their true colors and unswervingly push forward the cause of Chinese-style modernization. Writing a new chapter in the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of the times means that the more you know, the more you know, the more you know, the more you know. The Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Marxism are not "completed" but "in progress". Standing at a new historical starting point, it is necessary to continue to promote the "second integration" and write a "new version of Marxism" that leads the development of the times and is of world-class significance. "The process of reform and opening up is the process of emancipating the mind. Without the great emancipation of the mind, there will be no great breakthrough in reform. "Ideological emancipation is the methodology of the Communist Party of China's governance of the country. Whenever the country and society are at a major historical juncture, the Communist Party of China will explore future-oriented theoretical and institutional innovations in the form of ideological emancipation. The theme of the Third Plenary Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee was to emancipate the mind, seek truth from facts, and look forward in unity, which once again lifted the fog of dogmatism and bookism, opened the curtain of reform and opening up, and enabled China to catch up with the times in great strides. It can be said that theory is the forerunner of practice, and only when we get rid of the shackles of dogmatism ideologically can we develop China's theory in a broader ideological and cultural space. The "second combination" is "another ideological emancipation," which liberates people from the erroneous trend of thought of historical nihilism and cultural nihilism, from the hesitation and hesitation of whether and whether Marxism can be combined with the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and from the ideological shackles of "the struggle between ancient and modern China and the West," and directly refers to the creation and innovation of theory, that is, to provide fertile soil and rich resources for the development of Marxism with the national historical tradition and Chinese cultural heritage. It has opened up and expanded the innovative space for the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of the times. To adhere to the "second combination", it is necessary to deeply understand the compatibility and tension between the basic tenets of Marxism and traditional Chinese culture from the perspective of the unity of contradictions. Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture have a high degree of compatibility, which is also the premise of "integration". However, we must also see that there is no need to combine two identical things, just as Marx ran through the law of unity of opposites throughout in Capital, that is, exchange value is an abstraction of the exchange relations of different commodities, and a single commodity has no value. Here it is not the A=A of formal logic, but the A=non-A of the law of the unity of opposites, and this unity of opposites is based on the principle that the strengths of the opposites make up for the shortcomings of the other. On this basis, the "second combination" has gone through a logical evolution process of "fit-combination-integration", and the new cultural life form created by the organic unity is one and the same. On the one hand, "the excellent traditional Chinese culture has become modern", Marxism has activated the Chinese civilization based on agricultural civilization, promoted ancient China into the modern world, and guided the innovation and transformation of Chinese civilization. On the other hand, "Marxism has become Chinese", the excellent traditional Chinese culture embodies the deep cultural and psychological code of the Chinese people, and only when it is combined with the excellent traditional Chinese culture, can the Chinese Marxism grow and develop in the Chinese cultural soil. Therefore, promoting the organic combination and integration of the soul and the root is the premise and foundation for promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, and is an important way to consolidate and develop the cultural form of Chinese-style modernization. "Integration" is not a "patchwork", we must pay attention to ways and means, and explore the level of "integration" according to the order of China's excellent traditional culture, so that Marxism and China's excellent traditional culture can achieve a holistic and innovative combination, constantly catalyze the "chemical reaction" of the two, and transform the rich resources of China's excellent traditional culture into an inexhaustible driving force for the development of Marxism in China. First, it is necessary to excavate the essence of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, clarify the fit, focus on the great practice of the new era, and infuse more profound and abundant cultural nourishment into the development of contemporary Chinese Marxism. The excellent traditional Chinese culture is broad and profound, with a long history, which has accumulated the unique temperament and value pursuit of the Chinese nation, and built the values and spiritual world of the Chinese people, which is the cultural gene of the Chinese nation. The practice of Marxism in China is rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, and in the combination of Marxism and Chinese culture, Chinese culture has nurtured a Chinese Marxism with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese style. The Communist Party of China is not a cultural nihilist, and while adhering to Marxism, it also treats the traditional national culture scientifically, "only by persisting in moving from history to the future and forging ahead from the continuation of the national cultural bloodline, can we do a good job in today's cause." In the process of combining, it is necessary to accurately grasp the essence and value pursuit of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, excavate and refine the content resources of the traditional Chinese culture with the attitude of using the past for the present and bringing forth the new, make reasonable trade-offs in the comparison between the ancient and the modern, and clarify the essence of the content of the excellent traditional Chinese culture. It is necessary to clarify the convergence between Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture, clarify what are the similarities between the two, and in what aspects the two can be compatible, and then explore the ways and entry points of integration on the basis of finding the right points of convergence. Marxism is broad and profound, and the excellent traditional Chinese culture is all-encompassing, and the combination of the two needs to be promoted in a precise way, based on the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, focusing on what the party and the country are doing, and promoting this combination in the needs of practice and the call of the times, so as to transform China's national culture into a rich resource for Marxist theoretical innovation. Second, we should learn from the expressions of the excellent traditional Chinese culture and use the national language to build a solid foundation for the identity of the people, so as to gather deeper and lasting spiritual strength for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Every time we take a step forward in theoretical innovation, we must also take a step forward in theoretical armament. "Theory can grasp the masses as long as it convinces people; And as long as the theory is thorough, it can convince people. "Only when theory is grasped by the masses can it become a material force and exert its power to change the world. The excellent traditional Chinese culture is rich in vivid and unique national language, which embodies the way of thinking and value pursuit of the Chinese people, and contains the common psychological foundation of the Chinese nation. In order for Marxism to speak the "Chinese language" and be liked by the masses of the people, it is necessary to draw on the language expressions of the excellent traditional Chinese culture to build a psychological foundation for the masses of the people, so that Marxism can be more widely disseminated and recognized in China. Persisting in combining Marxism with the excellent traditional Chinese culture that people have been immersed in for generations and have never been aware of in daily use can also make abstract theories more concrete, continuously improve the penetration and dissemination of ideas, and let the theoretical achievements of the Sinicization of Marxism "fly into the homes of ordinary people" and promote the popularization of Marxism. At the same time, Marxism has also injected abundant impetus into the cultivation of cultural self-confidence by cultivating the cultural soil and spiritual homeland of the Chinese, taking the excellent traditional Chinese culture as a bridge and link, connecting the innovative achievements of Marxist theory with the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, mobilizing the enthusiasm and initiative of the people to participate in the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and providing a more basic, deeper and more lasting spiritual strength for the sons and daughters of China to unite and forge ahead and strive to realize their great dreams. It has boosted the spirit of all Chinese people to continue to push forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Third, it integrates the discourse characteristics of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, highlights the Chinese style, tells the Chinese story well, spreads the Chinese voice, and gives a more vivid and vivid Chinese discourse to the dissemination of contemporary Chinese Marxism. The combination of the two is proposed at the important node and critical stage of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which means that it is necessary to realize the discourse innovation of the Sinicization of Marxism, so as to enhance the discourse power of disseminating China's voice to the outside world. After 100 years of development, the Chinese nation has made a great leap from standing up, getting rich, and becoming strong, and has solved the problems of "being beaten" and "starving." However, in the international public opinion pattern of "the West is strong and I am weak," we still have the conspicuous problem of "being unable to justify and not being able to spread the word," and China's development achievements have been ignored and distorted by some countries with ulterior motives. To reverse this passive situation, it is necessary to learn from the concepts and wisdom of Chinese culture, create new concepts and expressions that integrate China and foreign countries, tell and spread China's stories to the world, and let more countries and people understand China. Behind the concept of a community of life between man and nature and a community with a shared future for mankind is the product of the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture, as well as the global transmission and global influence of Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions. Therefore, adhering to this combination in the new era and constantly forming more theoretical innovations with distinctive Chinese style is an important guarantee for enhancing the international discourse, showing China's image, and letting the world know and understand China. In short, at the new historical starting point, we must adhere to and make good use of the "second combination", adhere to the root and soul of the theoretical innovation of the Communist Party of China, build a discourse system and narrative system of Marxism in China, promote the international dissemination of the latest achievements of Marxism in China and the times, let the world know "China in academia" and "China in theory", show the truth power of Marxism in the 21st century to lead China and influence the world, gather the great power of win-win cooperation in the great changes, and jointly create a better future for the world! (The author is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Marxism, Fudan University, and this article is the interim result of the 2023 "Shanghai Youth Work Research Project")
Producer: Pi Jun Final Review: Chen Min Reviewer: Liu Xiao Liu Bowen Editor: Hao Zhizhou Yuhong