Liu Jianhua and Li Tingyan: The Cultural Confidence and Logical Dimensions of Chinese-path Modernization
The developmental process of Chinese-path modernization is inseparable from the exertion and impetus provided by the nation’s traditional culture; cultural confidence is an indispensable and key factor in advancing Chinese-path modernization. How the two maintain a dynamic and lasting mutual promotion and influence is an area where the current academic community lacks a systematic and in-depth exposition. Based on this, exploring the historical logic of their relationship, clarifying how they achieve theoretical mutual embedding, and advancing their mutual reinforcement in practice holds significant practical importance for building a modern socialist country in all respects and for profoundly grasping the scientific connotation of cultural confidence and Chinese-path modernization.
I. The Historical Logic of Cultural Confidence and Chinese-path Modernization
Reviewing the Party's century-long history of struggle, cultural confidence has undergone a developmental trajectory of "cultural awakening—cultural independence—cultural innovation—cultural renaissance." This process has re-excavated the unique charm of Chinese culture and gradually clarified that cultural confidence is an inherent requirement for advancing Chinese-path modernization. Under the guidance of the intrinsic spiritual values of cultural confidence, the development of the path of Chinese-path modernization has also unearthed avenues for innovative development, passing through a cycle of "choice—exploration—practice—characterization."
1. Arduous Exploration: The Modernization Choice during Cultural Awakening The fundamental goal of cultural awakening was to achieve modernization. Due to the shackles of economic and social systems, exploration was arduous within a complex and rapidly changing historical process. How to choose a modernization path suited to China's national conditions became the primary issue faced during the period of the Old Democratic Revolution [1].
First, the "Eastern spread of Western learning" [2] and passive modernization. The defeat in the Opium War broke the conceptual barriers of the ruling class's "parochial arrogance" [3]. People of insight, such as Lin Zexu and Wei Yuan, in an effort to rectify the morbid psychology of "cultural superiority," formed the strategic thought of "learning the superior techniques of the barbarians to control the barbarians." The Yangwu (Westernization) faction [4] followed this logic; to eliminate the interference of the die-hards' view that "using barbarian ways would transform China" [5], Zheng Guanying pointed out that "Chinese learning is the substance, Western learning is the application; take Chinese learning as the primary and supplement it with Western learning." This cultural proposition of "Chinese essence, Western utility" served as the ideological foothold for responding to the situation of passive modernization.
Second, cultural transformation and institutional modernization. Reformers represented by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao realized that promoting China's modernization movement first required the modernization of institutions. They introduced Western political theories to transform Confucianism, using cultural and ideological shifts to reduce resistance to the reforms. Diverging from the reformers, the Revolution of 1911 led by Sun Yat-sen modeled itself on the Western "separation of three powers." Building on this imitation, Sun gradually realized the flaws of Western institutional culture and constructed the ideology of the "Three People's Principles" [6], noting: "In my plan for the Chinese revolution, the principles I hold are partly derived from our country's inherent thought, partly modeled on European theories and historical facts, and partly my own original discoveries." He adopted a critical and reflective stance toward China's own institutional culture while advocating that Western institutional culture must adapt to the nation's conditions and the people's livelihood.
Third, cultural critique and the modernization of thought and culture. Lexical leaders of the New Culture Movement [7], represented by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, used "democracy" and "science" as slogans to re-examine traditional Chinese culture, forming an "anti-Confucian" tone. Li Dazhao pointed out: "My attack on Confucius is not an attack on the person of Confucius himself, but on the authority of the idol sculpted by successive monarchs; it is not an attack on Confucius, but on the soul of autocratic politics." The system of "obscurantism" [8] promoted by Confucian ritual education became a shackle restricting the people's ideological cognition. This restrictive norm ran counter to the goal of modern transformation that China urgently sought amidst the collision of Chinese and Western cultures.
2. Self-Reliance: The Exploration of Modernization during Cultural Independence During the period of the New Democratic Revolution and the period of socialist revolution and construction, cultural independence—influenced by the thought of proletarian independence—explored a modernization path consistent with China's national conditions.
First, modernization within the independence of cultural thought. During the process of Chinese revolution and construction, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative and guided by Marxism, led the masses in creating Mao Zedong Thought. Under the guidance of this thought, the Party and the state persisted in the principle of independence and self-reliance, emphasizing that "one of the important tasks of socialism is to transform the old social ideology—that is, to scour away the feudal cultural concepts left over from the old society, develop socialist cultural undertakings, and construct a new type of socialist culture."
Second, modernization within the independence of the cultural development path. In the early stages of modernization exploration, the Communist Party of China (CPC) relied to a certain extent on the experience of countries like the Soviet Union in economic construction. However, over-emphasizing the development of heavy industry did not align with China's actual conditions at the time. To this end, the report "On the Ten Major Relationships" proposed the task of taking the Soviet Union as a warning and exploring a path of socialist construction suited to our country's national conditions. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out the need to critically absorb progressive foreign cultures, persist in an independent developmental path, and strengthen open exchange with all countries to lay the foundation for modernization and future opening-up.
Third, modernization within the independence of cultural institutions. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the CPC led the people in upholding the socialist attributes of modernization, proposed the General Line for the Transition Period [9], and established the basic socialist system. Comrade Mao Zedong emphasized that "socialist transformation has two aspects: one is the transformation of the system, and the other is the transformation of man." The socialist transformation of private ownership of the means of production relied on institutional transformation, which involved the transformation of ideology. The creation of the basic socialist system not only clarified the dialectical relationship between the superstructure and the economic base and constituted a pioneering feat in the history of human institutional civilization, but also proved that China's progress requires advancing modernization under the premise of institutional independence.
3. Pioneering Development: The Practice of Modernization during Cultural Innovation Cultural innovation refers to culture spreading through exchange and developing on the basis of inheritance. During the period of reform, opening-up, and socialist modernization, culture underwent continuous innovative development while adhering to the principles of independence and self-reliance, pushing modernization into a period of concrete practice.
First, modernization within cultural theoretical innovation. Since the start of reform and opening-up, Chinese Communists, represented primarily by Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao, gradually formed a view of culture with Chinese characteristics based on the principle of independence. Comrade Deng Xiaoping, combining China's specific conditions, proposed the major proposition of "Chinese-style four modernizations" and suggested using socialist culture to lead modernization. Comrade Jiang Zemin proposed the "Three Represents" [10] and the concept of "advanced socialist culture," noting that "the CPC represents the developmental orientation of China's advanced culture and has opened up a new situation in the building of advanced socialist culture." Comrade Hu Jintao pointed out the need to "persist in the orientation of advanced socialist culture, spark a new upsurge in socialist cultural construction, stimulate the cultural creative vitality of the entire nation, and enhance the country’s cultural soft power."
Second, modernization within the innovation of the cultural development path. Since reform and opening-up, Chinese Communists have clearly answered the major question of what banner our Party and state should hold and what path we should take in the current era. They innovatively developed the path of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, always insisting on advancing modernization through the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilization. Comrade Deng Xiaoping proposed "grasping with both hands, and both hands must be firm," clarifying that only when both material and spiritual civilizations are well-developed is it socialism with Chinese characteristics. Comrade Jiang Zemin advanced the cause of socialist modernization by proposing the basic platform for building a socialist economy, politics, and culture with Chinese characteristics. Comrade Hu Jintao explicitly put forward the major proposition of persisting in the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics.
Third, modernization within cultural institutional innovation. Innovation in cultural institutions is an important component of the socialist system; its fundamental purpose is to provide better institutional guarantees for modernization. Comrade Deng Xiaoping proposed the cultivation of "Four-Haves" citizens [11] and the insistence on the "Three Orientations" [12], advancing the integration of modernization into the globalized development process. Comrade Jiang Zemin emphasized cultural structural reform, guiding modernization by promoting the national spirit and grasping the orientation of advanced culture. Comrade Hu Jintao proposed further deepening cultural structural reform and promoting the "great development and prosperity of socialist culture," emphasizing that this reform is linked to the overall process of building a modern socialist country.
4. Expansion and Breakthrough: The Characterization of Modernization during Cultural Renaissance Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee, centering on the theme of socialism with Chinese characteristics, has proposed the major proposition of the "Four Confidences." Cultural confidence is the foundation of confidence in our path, theory, and system. Cultural renaissance leverages these confidences to promote cultural prosperity, providing momentum for modernization.
First, modernization within confidence in our theory. Entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has consistently adhered to Marxism as a guide, continuously advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, demonstrating the Party and people's full affirmation and confidence in their own theoretical system. Guided by theoretical confidence, to advance national rejuvenation and assist Chinese-path modernization, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emerged. This thought permeates the promotion and expansion of the path of Chinese-path modernization, proposing the new cultural mission of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. This mission illustrates that "the great rejuvenation of a nation requires strong material strength as well as strong spiritual strength."
Second, modernization within confidence in our path. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has consistently adhered to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, explicitly stating that "the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only way to realize socialist modernization and create a better life for the people." This fully demonstrates the Party and people's confidence in their own developmental path. Supported by this confidence, a path of Chinese-path modernization has been opened. This is the inevitable result of the formation, consolidation, and continuation of path confidence. "It has shattered the 'glass ceiling' of modernization for developing countries, debunked the myth that only the capitalist system can achieve modernization, and broken the outdated logic that 'a strong country must seek hegemony' [13] seen in the modernization of Western nations. It has achieved a transcendence of Western modernization theory and fundamentally stripped away the illusion that 'modernization equals Westernization.'"
Third, modernization within confidence in our system. In the New Era, strengthening institutional confidence is a concrete manifestation of cultural confidence; it absorbs positive elements from fine traditional Chinese culture while drawing on the excellent achievements of institutional civilizations from other countries. During its construction, Chinese-path modernization has consistently adhered to the leadership of the Party. The system of Party leadership is the country's fundamental leadership system, capable of integrating the governing party's decisions and deployments throughout all aspects and the entire process of modernization. Through institutional confidence and cultural renaissance, Chinese-path modernization has clarified its essential attribute: it is a socialist modernization led by the CPC and a modernization that leverages the advantages of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
II. The Theoretical Mutual Embedding of Cultural Confidence and Chinese-path Modernization
Theoretically, cultural confidence and Chinese-path modernization have constructed an inherent logical relationship of mutual benefit and promotion: cultural confidence endows Chinese-path modernization with spiritual strength, while Chinese-path modernization endows cultural confidence with modern power, assisting cultural confidence in achieving innovative development.
1. Cultural Confidence Endows Chinese-path Modernization with Spiritual Strength The emergence and development of Chinese-path modernization cannot be separated from the spiritual support of culture. The confidence in fine traditional Chinese culture, the confidence in revolutionary culture, and the confidence in advanced socialist culture provide the spiritual strength for modernization.
(1) The confident heritage of fine traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual foundation of Chinese-path modernization. The development of Chinese-path modernization is inseparable from the nourishment of fine traditional Chinese culture. Concepts such as the "Great Unity" (da yitong) [14] state-view demonstrate the adaptive qualities of traditional culture, presenting the inherent confidence that has existed since ancient times. This is the spiritual foundation for maintaining the national character of Chinese-path modernization.
First, the "Great Unity" state-view provides an inherent developmental advantage for "modernization with a massive population."
"The formation of the Chinese nation can be traced back to the Neolithic Age [15] around 6000 BCE. At that time, the various cultural groups existing across the land of China were the starting point for the formation of the 'pluralistic unity' pattern [16] of the Chinese nation. They competed with and attracted one another, thereby forming a unified pattern on a pluralistic foundation." The formation of this pluralistic unity not only resolved the relationship between the Han and ethnic minorities and served as the enduring foundation for the "Great Unity" [17] (大一统) state concept, but also validated a national consciousness wherein territory is indivisible and the nation is inseparable. In the process of constructing Chinese-path modernization, we must transform population resources into talent resources on the basis of maintaining national and ethnic unity, laying the foundation for building a civilized state.
Second, the idea of "shared wealth" provides a clear direction for "modernization of common prosperity for all." The idea of common prosperity took shape as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods [18]. Ancient sages emphasized the pursuit of "universal wealth under heaven" (天下共富) based on the principle of "putting the people first" (以民为本). This social vision was not only the ideal of past philosophers but also the shared aspiration of all people. Chinese-path modernization pursues common prosperity for all, hoping that people obtain wealth through their own labor and that wealth is distributed reasonably according to the principle of fairness, thereby driving the realization of common prosperity.
Third, the life and social outlook of "coordination between mind and matter" provides conceptual support for "modernization characterized by coordination between material and spiritual civilizations." Zhang Zai [19] noted: "To establish the mind for Heaven and Earth, to establish the mission for the living people, to continue the lost teachings of past sages, and to establish peace for all future generations" (Record of Sayings by Zhang Hengqu). On the foundation of satisfying one's own material needs, one continues to pursue the need for ritual cultivation and education. In its development process, Chinese-path modernization must satisfy the people's needs for a better life, which includes both material and spiritual needs.
Fourth, the "unity of Heaven and humanity" [20] cosmoslogical view is an inherent requirement for "modernization of harmony between humanity and nature." Ancient China’s status as an agrarian state determined that production development had to respect natural laws and emphasize the harmonious development of humanity and nature. Chinese-path modernization upholds this thought. Based on respecting and protecting nature, it draws wisdom for development from nature and rejects the erroneous Western concept of destroying natural resources for the sake of development.
Fifth, the international outlook of "harmony among all nations" (协和万邦) provides the impetus for Chinese-path modernization. Taking the path of peaceful development is both a choice of Chinese history and culture and an inevitable requirement of the trend of the times. Chinese-path modernization faces a world where relations between countries are increasingly close. It must maintain its independence while upholding an open and inclusive attitude, acknowledging the diversity of countries in cultural and political aspects to achieve harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation.
(2) The confidence and grit of revolutionary culture is the spiritual source of Chinese-path modernization. Revolutionary culture is the culture formed and developed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) leading the people through the processes of revolution, construction, and reform. It is oriented toward socialism and communism, combining Marxism-Leninism with Chinese reality. Revolutionary culture is the spiritual fountainhead of Chinese-path modernization. Its inherent "red genes" [21] manifest the spirit of arduous struggle of the people during the eras of revolution, construction, and reform, presenting a confidence and grit unique to the Chinese people.
First, the ideological core of revolutionary culture provides ideological guidance for Chinese-path modernization. "Marxism provided theoretical guidance for the Chinese revolution, pointed out the revolutionary direction, and put forward practical requirements, becoming the logical starting point for the growth of revolutionary culture." The construction of Chinese-path modernization requires scientific theoretical guidance. In the process of revolution, construction, and reform, the CPC has formed a series of Sinicized and modernized Marxist theories, which constitute the ideological core of revolutionary culture and guide the development of Chinese-path modernization.
Second, the spirit of self-revolution provides spiritual strength for Chinese-path modernization. The Party's self-revolution is essentially the reshaping of its own modernity. "The image a political party presents to the world is directly related to the identification of its internal members and the cohesion of external forces." "Self-revolution is the distinctive political character and background of the CPC. Revolutionary culture is the externalization and manifestation of the CPC's political concepts and value pursuits, and revolutionary culture contains the Party's spirit of self-revolution." In the process of construction and development, Chinese-path modernization requires the Party to maintain its advanced nature and purity.
Third, the "people-centered" approach provides the value orientation for Chinese-path modernization. "People-centeredness" is the basic value orientation of revolutionary culture. Marx once pointed out: "All previous movements were movements of minorities, or in the interest of minorities. The proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority." This value concept runs through the historical process of revolution, construction, and reform, and has always been the principle of conduct upheld by the Party. The construction of Chinese-path modernization is inseparable from the masses of the people, and the fruits of Chinese-path modernization must benefit all people more extensively and fairly.
(3) The confident undertone of advanced socialist culture is the spiritual pillar of Chinese-path modernization. "Advanced socialist culture is a national, scientific, and popular socialist culture that is guided by Marxism, rooted in the core socialist value system, takes the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics as its value goal, aims to cultivate 'Four-Have' citizens [22], and is oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future." The demand of Chinese-path modernization for the construction of advanced socialist culture demonstrates our confident undertone of always adhering to innovative development in practice, using the development of advanced socialist culture to provide a spiritual pillar for Chinese-path modernization.
First, the development of advanced socialist culture is inseparable from the development of advanced productive forces. "The general prosperity of philosophy and literature in that era, as in others, was the result of an economic upswing. The ultimate supremacy of economic development over these fields is, to my mind, beyond doubt." The development of advanced productive forces drives the development of advanced culture. Chinese-path modernization requires the coordinated development of advanced productive forces and advanced socialist culture.
Second, advanced socialist culture emphasizes being oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future, which inherently contains a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. In the process of modernization, communication between China and the world is inevitable. The spirit of openness and inclusiveness contained in advanced socialist culture becomes the spiritual pillar for Chinese-path modernization in handling international relations. Chinese-path modernization promotes cultural exchange with an open and inclusive attitude to build a favorable environment for international development.
Third, the "scientific nature" of advanced socialist culture is reflected in the fact that Sinicized and modernized Marxist theory lays the theoretical foundation for it. Chinese-path modernization needs to be guided by these theories. "The 'national' and 'popular' nature of advanced socialist culture is reflected in the necessity of establishing a people-centered concept of cultural work and development, always insisting that all cultural development should be rooted in and serve the practice of the masses, always insisting that all cultural production activities are to satisfy the spiritual and cultural needs of the masses, always insisting on the principle of unifying service to the people with educating and guiding the people, and always insisting on improving the cultural literacy of the masses while continuously enhancing the quality and level of people's spiritual lives." The construction of Chinese-path modernization must always adhere to the people-centered approach.
- Chinese-path modernization endows cultural confidence with modern power. Cultural confidence demonstrates confidence in the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the development process of Chinese-path modernization, cultural confidence must achieve innovative development and fulfill the purpose of cultural inheritance, which is inseparable from the modern power endowed by Chinese-path modernization.
First, it innovates the development paradigm of cultural confidence. The development paradigm of cultural confidence was initially realized through the publicity and popularization of traditional media. Nowadays, the popularity of digital technology has brought about modern communication media such as digital books, covering a wider range of information and making it more convenient to access materials related to cultural confidence and to achieve cultural exchange and mutual learning, thus satisfying the diverse cultural needs of the public.
Second, it expands the development horizon of cultural confidence. Strengthening cultural confidence requires not only clarifying its basic connotation, but also integrating confidence in culture into real life to help people handle more practical problems. For example, the phenomenon of cultural consumption appearing in the development process of Chinese-path modernization utilizes cultural innovation under the widespread application of digital technology to broaden the horizon of cultural confidence, making it not limited to innovation in the cultural field and prompting an awareness of the importance of subject needs.
Third, it opens up a modernized development path for cultural confidence. The construction of the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era will inevitably embark on the development path of Chinese-path modernization. "Building a modern civilization for the Chinese nation is the great undertaking in the construction of Chinese-path modernization that best reflects the step from possibility to reality and from the present to the future. It is also the great undertaking that the Chinese people are most worthy of engaging in with full political and cultural confidence." The essence of culture is "humanization" (人化). "The process of enhancing cultural confidence and realizing cultural modernization is a process of cultivating people through culture (以文化人), and also a process of guiding people toward education and cultivation (教化)."
Fourth, it promotes the transition from cultural confidence to civilizational confidence. "Civilizational confidence is the confidence and belief of a civilizational subject in the civilizational achievements it has created or possesses, including confidence in the conditions, path, results, and trends of civilizational development." At the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping first proposed the "new form of human civilization." The transition from cultural confidence to civilizational confidence is a historical necessity, which helps highlight the unique inherent value of cultural confidence and the value goal of the new form of human civilization. Chinese-path modernization highlights the development requirement of establishing a new form of human civilization, providing a boost for cultural confidence to move toward civilizational confidence.
The practical empowerment of cultural confidence and Chinese-path modernization Cultural confidence and Chinese-path modernization are inseparable from concrete practice; the two empower each other and develop in coordination throughout the practical process. Under the nourishment of cultural confidence, Chinese-path modernization continuously radiates new developmental vitality, while Chinese-path modernization promotes cultural confidence in manifesting new developmental characteristics.
Chinese-path modernization construction supported by cultural confidence Today, the process of Chinese-path modernization faces complex internal and external development situations. Cultural confidence has gradually become an important guarantee for the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization. Under the support of cultural confidence, Chinese-path modernization has gradually explored a practical path suited to its own laws of development.
First, unswervingly follow the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics. First, deeply analyze the unique spiritual genes of the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics to clarify how it has maintained its spiritual traits and developed sustainably throughout history. Second, strengthen the Party's theoretical explanation of the connotations and characteristics of this culture, clarifying that Chinese-path modernization must take a path of cultural development with Chinese characteristics. Finally, continue to promote the process of carrying forward the socialist core values. The core of cultural confidence is confidence in values. Chinese-path modernization construction faces the impact of diversified value concepts; socialist core values can effectively highlight "Chinese characteristics" and help clarify the direction of development.
Second, do a good job in ideological work and adhere to the people-first cultural concept. Marxist ideological theory requires that the CPC must firmly grasp the leadership of ideological work and push forward ideological and cultural construction with all its might. Chinese-path modernization adheres to the people-centered development philosophy. The masses are the creators and participants in the practice of Chinese-path modernization. The people-first cultural concept originates from the "people as the foundation" (民本) thought in fine traditional Chinese culture. As the successor of fine traditional Chinese culture, the CPC has always attached importance to drawing spiritual strength from it. The people-first development concept is forged into the process of cultural confidence and self-improvement, aiding the development of Chinese-path modernization.
Third, grasp the initiative of development and promote cultural exchange and mutual learning.
Chinese-path modernization faces opportunities and challenges brought about by international competition; we must grasp the initiative in development, continuously transform our developmental thinking, and absorb the excellent achievements of various cultures through mutual learning and exchange [23] to enrich our own developmental substance. First, we must broaden the developmental vision of Chinese-path modernization, disseminate the unique internal connotations of Chinese culture to the world, and clear the hubs that connect world civilizations with Chinese civilization. Second, while maintaining our own cultural independence, we must conduct dialogues between civilizations with an open and inclusive posture. While safeguarding our own cultural rights and interests, we should help Chinese-path modernization absorb more high-quality developmental resources and align with the global process of modernization. Finally, we must persist in the guidance of the Core Socialist Values and enhance the guiding role of mainstream values in the exchanges and mutual learning of Chinese-path modernization.
2. Cultural Confidence in the Process of Chinese-path Modernization
How cultural confidence manifests its own inherent spiritual value within the developmental process of Chinese-path modernization is a historical task. The developmental process of Chinese-path modernization has provided a way of thinking for solving this historical task, activated the vitality for the re-development of cultural confidence, and stimulated the vitality of culture with Chinese characteristics within the context of modernization.
First, stimulating the vitality of culture with Chinese characteristics within the context of modernization.
In the process of modernization, we must endow the spiritual core of “cultivating the person through culture” [24] with modern innovative colors, enriching the modes of expression and presentation for the confident foundations of fine traditional Chinese culture. Concrete forms of presentation, such as revolutionary literature and art or revolutionary cultural relics, serve as evidence of the interaction and mutual learning between the spiritual core of revolutionary culture and modern civilization during the developmental process of Chinese-path modernization. These are not only important historical testimonies of the CPC uniting and leading the Chinese people through a century of struggle but also demonstrate the confident mettle of revolutionary culture, which possesses an enduring vitality. The pursuit of advanced culture in the construction of Chinese-path modernization has given birth to a cultural form of Chinese-path modernization: namely, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. The birth of this cultural form is not only a rebirth of the confident background of advanced socialist culture within the context of modernization but also manifests the profound civilizational consciousness of a century-old Party in the process of building modernization.
Second, scientifically and rationally utilizing modern methods to activate the vitality of the innovative development of cultural confidence.
Fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture must advance with the times. Science and technology have become one of the modern methods by which Chinese-path modernization endows cultural confidence with modern power. Currently, cultural development faces phenomena where domestic cultural resources are not utilized efficiently, foreign cultural trends are frequently seen, and domestic cultural resources are developed and exploited by foreign entities; thus, cultural development formats and the modern transformation of culture face challenges. By utilizing technological means and integrating domestic cultural resources into real life in ways that the masses “love to see and hear” [25], we can activate the vitality of the innovative development of cultural confidence, better lead culture with Chinese characteristics onto a broader stage, and show the world the unique charm of cultural confidence and Chinese-path modernization.
Conclusion
Reviewing the Party’s century of struggle, the development of the relationship between cultural confidence and Chinese-path modernization possesses its own unique regularity and necessity. Supported by historical logic, we have excavated the inherent theoretical logic between the two: cultural confidence endows Chinese-path modernization with spiritual power, while Chinese-path modernization endows cultural confidence with modern power. On the basis of theoretical and historical logic, promoting the mutual enhancement of cultural confidence and Chinese-path modernization at the practical level demonstrates the Party’s unremitting pursuit of modernization during its century of struggle and its high degree of cultural confidence and self-awareness. It highlights the authentic pursuit of the Party and the people to establish a modernization with Chinese characteristics while standing firm in the position of their own national culture.
Source: Theoretical Circle (理论界), Issue 10, 2024. Online Editor: Jing Mu.