editorial comment/note
In order to thoroughly study and implement the cultural thought of the Supreme Leader and the spirit of the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological and Cultural Work, the short video brand "Party School Micro Lecture Hall" of the Central Party School (National School of Administration) and the column "Theoretical Observation" of the theoretical channel of People’s Daily launched a series of articles on studying and explaining Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era.
Every step forward in the party’s theoretical innovation, the theoretical armed forces will follow. We should seriously study and understand the cultural thought of the supreme leader, profoundly grasp the great significance, rich connotation and practical requirements of the cultural thought of the supreme leader, persist in applying what we have learned, and achieve the unity of learning, thinking and practice.
The major proposition of "building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation" has actually clarified the essence and fundamental goal of cultural modernization and civilized modernization in Socialism with Chinese characteristics. It not only profoundly demonstrates the internal relationship between cultural construction and national governance, Chinese modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, but also reveals the general principles of cultural development and progress, civilization transformation and leap, and the creation of new forms of human civilization in the process of human social change and development. This proposition thus constitutes a key "problem" of the entire grand ideological and theoretical system of the supreme leader’s cultural thought.
As a clear goal of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s cultural construction and Chinese modernization, "building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation" clearly means that Chinese modernization is not only the modernization of economy, science and technology, national governance system and so on, but also the modernization of culture (especially "ideology and culture") and social civilization. Cultural modernization and civilized modernization are the fundamental requirements and important connotations of Chinese modernization, which constitute a basic principle that Chinese modernization must follow. As the Party’s Report to the 20th CPC National Congress clearly pointed out, one of the essential features of Chinese modernization is "modernization in which material civilization and spiritual civilization are in harmony". The fundamental requirement of socialist modernization is to be both material and spiritual, and to promote the all-round enrichment of things and the all-round development of people. Modernization is an all-round social revolutionary change and development process, and the modernization transformation of culture is an indispensable and important theme, and the result is a social integrity of civilization renewal and reconstruction. Therefore, the development and progress of culture is not the accompanying, subordinate and auxiliary aspects in the process of modernization, but the prerequisite for supporting the smooth progress of modernization. The proposal of "building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation",Theoretically, it greatly expands and deepens the Chinese modernization theory, and also enriches, develops and perfects the historical materialism theory of human social and historical development. A simplistic and mechanically rigid understanding of the relationship between matter and spirit, economic base and ideology and culture, and even an "economic determinism" in which the economy determines everything, is not the viewpoint of historical materialism, but the viewpoint of old materialism that Marx severely criticized and resolutely opposed, that is, mechanical materialism. The "new materialism" that Marx wants to develop emphasizes the viewpoint and position of "practice", and emphasizes people’s practical subjectivity and conscious initiative. We have fully inherited and developed this basic position and viewpoint of Marxism. As the saying goes, once advanced ideology and culture are mastered by the masses, it will be transformed into a powerful material force; On the contrary, backward and wrong ideas will become the shackles of social development and progress if they are not broken. Theoretical consciousness and cultural self-confidence are the strength of a nation’s progress; Advanced value and ideological emancipation are a source of social vitality.
"Building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation" clearly puts forward that Chinese-style modernization is a modernization that continues the ancient civilization, a modernization that grows from the land of China, and a result of the renewal of civilization rather than a product of the fracture of civilization. This reflects a brand-new concept of civilization based on cultural life, a position, viewpoint and method to look at and interpret Chinese-style modernization from an organic whole and historical perspective of civilization, and at the same time expounds the general principles of how a country and a nation as an independent civilization can realize modernization. An independent social civilization is an organic cultural life. Any organic living body can only "spit out the old and absorb the new" and develop continuously on its own original basis, but it is impossible to break away from and abandon its original "organism" for a fractured and abrupt development. Since ancient times, we have been an independent "cultural life" and "cultural community" based on highly developed culture, culture, education and civilization. We are a civilized country and nation with a long and vast culture and continuous context, which is formed by the aggregation of literature, based on literature and governed by literature. It can be said that the Chinese nation has stood as the most prosperous and powerful civilization in the world for a long historical period. Then, as a civilized body with a history of more than 5,000 years, the realization of its modernization must include the modernization of culture and civilization, and its great rejuvenation must mean creating "An organically unified new cultural life "and the revival of civilization.
The direction, goal and mission of "building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation" profoundly show that the essence of our current socialist cultural power building and cultural prosperity is to point to the renewal, progress and leap of modern civilization. Any cultural life has its own characteristics and unique development path and logic; At the same time, if it wants to maintain its vitality and develop continuously in the historical process, it must constantly adapt to the changes of the times and the needs of social development, and consciously self-sublate, self-develop and self-innovate. Therefore, we need to be upright and not conservative, respect the ancient and not retro, and the best inheritance of history is to create new history. Facing the profound and splendid Chinese traditional culture, we can’t be rigid, conservative, complacent and self-righteous. We need to adhere to the fundamental orientation of modernization, treat it with a view to building a modern civilization on the basis of firm cultural subjectivity, better inherit and carry forward it, actively promote the life renewal and modern transformation of Chinese civilization, develop the modern form of Chinese civilization, and write a cultural chapter of Chinese modernization.
Culture is the culture of people, and the essence of culture and civilization lies in people rather than things. Therefore, the fundamental and key to the construction of modern civilization of the Chinese nation is "people" and the purpose is "people". The essence of cultural modernization and civilized modernization is the modernization of people, the modernization of people’s ideology and spirit, and the modernization of corresponding lifestyles and behaviors. From this, it is not difficult for us to understand why cultivating new people in the times has become an important theme of the Chinese nation for more than 100 years, and "cultivating new people" will become one of the missions of propaganda and ideological work. Adhering to the fundamental principle of "people-centered" and the direction of cultural development is essentially to educate, nurture and cultivate people, that is, to respect and realize people, to defend everyone’s value and dignity, so that everyone can develop a sound and independent personality, establish their own subjectivity, become a rational and independent "master" in national and social life, and promote everyone’s "free and all-round development".
[The author is an associate professor in the teaching and research department of literature and history of the Central Party School (National School of Administration)]