Tian Xinming: Two Issues Concerning Marxist Atheism and the Construction of Modern Chinese Civilization
In his key speech delivered at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development on June 2, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the task of "building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation." What is the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation"? What is the relationship between adhering to Marxist atheism and building this modern civilization of the Chinese nation? This article offers a discussion on these questions.
I. What is the Modern Civilization of the Chinese Nation?
The "modern civilization of the Chinese nation" is a newly proposed concept within Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. In accordance with Xi Jinping's requirement to "promote the systematization and crystallization of theory," we should interpret the scientific connotation of this concept by linking it to his other important expositions. We must connect it with other related concepts and propositions, integrating them into a single scientific theoretical and discourse system. To this end, a degree of conceptual refinement is required.
(1) The relationship between "building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation" and the "new form of human civilization"
General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "The greatest tribute to human civilization is the creation of a new form of human civilization. I hope everyone will shoulder their mission, act with enterprise and fortitude, and work together to create a new culture belonging to our era, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation!" This indicates that "building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation" as mentioned in this speech is the same undertaking as "creating a new form of human civilization."
What, then, is this "new form of human civilization" we have created? What is its relationship to socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to the material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological civilizations [1] we are currently building? The concept of a "new form of human civilization" was proposed by Xi Jinping at the ceremony marking the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. He said: "As we have upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics and driven the coordinated development of material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological civilizations, we have pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization and created a new form of human civilization." It follows that the "new form of human civilization" encompasses the coordinated development of these five civilizations; it was created by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC through a century of struggle, through the "upholding and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics," and in tandem with the "pioneering of a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization."
(2) The relationship between the "new form of human civilization" and "Chinese-path modernization"
General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "Chinese-path modernization, as a new form of human civilization, will learn from other civilizations around the globe and will greatly enrich the garden of world civilizations." The proposition that "Chinese-path modernization [acts] as a new form of human civilization" clarifies that "Chinese-path modernization" is indeed the "new form of human civilization" we have contributed to the world—which is to say, it is the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation." Thus, "modern civilization of the Chinese nation," "new form of human civilization," and "Chinese-path modernization" are concepts on the same level. They point to the same object from different perspectives, and their extensions are identical: from the perspective of the historical development of Chinese civilization, it is the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation"; from the macro-perspective of the development of human civilization, it is a "new form of human civilization"; and from the perspective of the process of modernization of human society, it is "Chinese-path modernization."
(3) The relationship between the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation" and Marxism
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the "Two Combinations" [2] have "created a new, organically unified cultural lifeform." He noted: "The 'Second Combination' [3] allows Marxism to become Chinese and allows fine traditional Chinese culture to become modern, making the new culture formed through this 'combination' the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization." Here, the discussion concerns "culture" rather than "civilization," yet culture and civilization—and cultural forms and civilizational forms—are closely intertwined. Civilization is a comprehensive category, a unified entity of material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological civilizations. Within this, "spiritual civilization," relative to the economy and politics, is "culture." Fine traditional Chinese culture is the crystallization of the wisdom and the essence of Chinese civilization. Therefore, this exposition on the relationship between Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture enlightens us: the relationship between Marxism and Chinese civilization is that the "Two Combinations" allow Marxism to become Chinese and Chinese civilization to become modern, thereby creating the new civilizational entity that is the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation."
In summary, I believe that based on the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important expositions, the concept of the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation" refers to the new form of human civilization created by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC, guided by Marxism, through more than 100 years of continuous struggle. This is the civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics; it is the result of forging a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics through the "Two Combinations" and carrying out the construction of Chinese-path modernization. The fundamental nature of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation lies in the fact that it is both a civilization of the Chinese nation and a socialist civilization—it is the unified entity of socialism and Chinese civilization. For the development of Chinese civilization, it brings the long-standing Chinese civilization into the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, transforming it into a socialist civilization and making Chinese civilization modern. For the development of Marxism and socialism, it allows scientific socialism to evolve from a theoretical form into a civilizational form in China, situating socialism as a practical, new type of civilization in the history of human civilization, and making Marxism and socialism Chinese. Examined from several different perspectives: in the garden of world civilizations, it is the civilization of the Chinese nation; in the historical development of human social formations, it is a socialist civilization; and within the long history of Chinese civilization, it is a modern civilization. This is the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation." When General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed this concept at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, the basic spirit was to emphasize that in the great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must attach greater importance to the history and culture of the Chinese nation and persist in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture.
II. Adhering to the Unity and Inclusivity of Marxist Atheism and Chinese National Civilization
General Secretary Xi Jinping has elucidated the characteristics of Chinese civilization. He pointed out that fine traditional Chinese culture contains many important elements that together shape the prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization. Chinese civilization possesses prominent continuity, prominent creativity, prominent unity, prominent inclusivity, and a prominent peaceful nature. These five attributes of Chinese civilization are also the prominent characteristics of the "modern civilization of the Chinese nation." Adhering to Marxist atheism is closely related to all five of these characteristics and requires in-depth study. This article discusses primarily the aspects of unity, inclusivity, and their mutual relationship.
Chinese civilization was formed through continuous, long-term development; its prominent characteristics have been constantly developed, enriched, and deepened throughout the historical process. The development of Chinese civilization into the modern civilization of the Chinese nation represents a leap of great historical significance in the process of Chinese civilization, as well as a leap in the development of its prominent characteristics. In the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, the five prominent characteristics formed in history have been sublimated, gaining richer content and more precious value. Mao Zedong pointed out in On Contradiction: "Not only must we study the particular contradiction and the essence determined by it of every great system of the forms of motion of matter, but we must also study the particular contradiction and the essence of every process in the long course of development of each form of motion of matter." He also noted: "At each stage in the development of a process, there are also particular features, and we must pay attention to these too." As a new stage in the development of Chinese civilization, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation possesses all the prominent characteristics of the long-standing Chinese civilization—that is, the universal qualities of Chinese civilization—while simultaneously possessing the particularity of this new stage. Universality exists within particularity; its nature is the unity of particularity and universality. In studying the relationship between adhering to Marxist atheism and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, we should conduct an in-depth study of the prominent characteristics of this civilization where universality and particularity are unified.
(1) Adhering to the prominent unity of Chinese civilization
General Secretary Xi Jinping discussed the prominent unity of Chinese civilization, pointing out: "The long-standing tradition of 'Great Unity' [4] in Chinese civilization has formed a unity of diversity in one, characterized by solidarity and concentration. The pursuit of unity through 'inward cohesion' is the prerequisite for civilizational continuity and its result. Solidarity and unity are a blessing, while division and chaos are a disaster—this is a precious lesson the Chinese people have learned at the cost of blood. The unity of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that the cultures of the various ethnic groups of the Chinese nation are integrated as one and remain firmly cohesive even in the face of major setbacks; it determines the common conviction that the national territory is indivisible, the state must not be in chaos, the ethnic groups must not be scattered, and the civilization must not be broken; it determines that national unity will always be the core of China's core interests; and it determines that a strong and unified state is the lifeline of the people of all ethnic groups." These expositions profoundly reveal the rich content, core manifestations, and lofty value of the unity of Chinese civilization.
The prominent unity of Chinese civilization was formed through the long-standing "tradition of Great Unity," manifesting in economic, political, ideological, and cultural aspects. In terms of conceptual form, the "tradition of Great Unity" is concentrated in a common conviction: the firm belief that solidarity and unity bring blessings while division and chaos bring disaster; that territory is indivisible and civilization must not be severed; that national unity is the core interest and a strong state is the destiny of the people. This precious "tradition of Great Unity," as a universality, runs through every historical stage of Chinese civilization. When combined with the particularity of different stages, it takes on different concrete contents. Because "Marxism brought advanced ideological and theoretical concepts to China, activating the genes of Chinese civilization with the light of truth, leading China into the modern world, and promoting the life-renewal and modern transformation of Chinese civilization," the "tradition of Great Unity" has achieved creative transformation and innovative development in the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. It has gained entirely new content based on the inheritance of fine traditional culture.
National unity is no longer a unity under the notion that "all under heaven is the king's land" [5]; rather, it is unified under the principle that "all power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the people." It is no longer a unity under a feudal autocratic, centralized state power, but a unity under the state system of the people's democratic dictatorship and the political system of the National People's Congress, and a unity under the comprehensive leadership of the CPC. Ideologically, it is no longer a unity under the "exclusive honoring of Confucianism," but a unity under the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics and a unity under the guidance of Marxism and the persistence in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. It is precisely here that we see the importance of adhering to Marxist atheism for building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country are founded and thrive." Both the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Constitution of the Communist Party of China clearly stipulate the guiding status of Marxism. As the guiding ideology of the Party and the state, Marxism is the guiding thought and theoretical foundation for our construction of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. It was only because the CPC persisted in the "Two Combinations" and achieved the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism that it paved the way for socialism with Chinese characteristics and initiated the cause of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. The founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 ended the division and chaos that the people loathed. Since then, the unity of the country, the solidarity of the people, and the unity among all ethnic groups have been continuously developed and consolidated. This relies on the leadership of the CPC and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics established by the Party. "Why the CPC works, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, boils down to the fact that Marxism works, particularly Marxism that has been Sinicized and modernized." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Marxism is the root of the towering tree of the continuous development of the cause of our Party and people, and the source of the ten-thousand-mile river of our Party and people's continuous progress." Without Marxism as the root and source, there would be no modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Therefore, adhering to the guiding status of Marxism is of fundamental and foundational significance for building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
Marxism is a thoroughly complete and rigorous scientific worldview of the working class. Lenin emphasized: "It is complete and harmonious, and provides men with an integral world outlook irreconcilable with any form of superstition, reaction, or any defence of bourgeois oppression." Marxism is primarily composed of three constituent parts: Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism. Marxist philosophy—dialectical materialism and historical materialism—serves as the foundation for the entire system of Marxist scientific thought. Marx and Engels thoroughly applied materialist and dialectical perspectives to all fields, including social history, viewing the world as an interconnected and interacting whole formed by things in constant motion and change. This rendered Marxism a scientific worldview of thoroughgoing materialism and thoroughgoing atheism. It insists on explaining the world through the material world itself, without appending any external elements, fundamentally excluding the possibility of any divine existence and remaining incompatible with all forms of theism. The Communist Party of China's (CPC) original aspiration and founding mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, its ultimate ideal of striving for the realization of communism, and its fundamental purpose of whole-heartedly serving the people are all built upon the worldview of thoroughgoing materialism and thoroughgoing atheism. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The principle of the material unity of the world is the most basic and core viewpoint of dialectical materialism and is the cornerstone of Marxist philosophy." Lenin pointed out: "In this philosophy of Marxism, cast from a single piece of steel, you cannot eliminate one basic premise, one essential part, without departing from objective truth, without falling into the arms of bourgeois-reactionary falsehood." If the perspectives of thoroughgoing materialism and thoroughgoing atheism are shaken, the entire worldview foundation of the Party's theory and practice will be shaken. If we do not persist in Marxist atheism and allow theism to spread through our society—with more and more people believing in various religions—it will erode the ideological and theoretical positions of Marxism. It will influence the ability of people to use Marxist stances, viewpoints, and methods to observe society and understand problems, hinder unity in thought and action, and ultimately impact the Party’s guiding ideology and its foundation for governance, endangering the construction of Chinese-path modernization. Therefore, consistently persisting in and promoting Marxist atheism to the broad masses, especially the youth, is a foundational task for the construction of Chinese-path modernization.
(2) Persisting in the Prominent Inclusivity of Chinese Civilization
Persisting in Marxist atheism is also closely related to the prominent inclusivity of Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Chinese civilization possesses prominent inclusivity. Chinese civilization has never used a single culture to replace plural cultures; rather, it allows plural cultures to converge into a common culture, resolving conflicts and building consensus. Chinese cultural identity transcends regional localities, bloodlines, and religious beliefs, integrating a vast population [6] with immense internal differences into the pluralistic-yet-integrated [7] Chinese nation. The more inclusive it is, the more it is recognized and maintained, and the longer it continues. The inclusivity of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation toward interaction, exchange, and integration; it determines the harmonious pattern of pluralistic coexistence among China’s various religious beliefs; and it determines the open-mindedness of Chinese culture in drawing upon the strengths of all world civilizations." The historical record fully demonstrates and proves the prominent inclusivity of Chinese civilization through the convergence of plural cultures into a common culture and the integration of a vast population with immense internal differences into a pluralistic-yet-integrated Chinese nation by transcending religious beliefs. In conducting research on Marxist atheism, we must particularly develop a profound understanding of the spirit of the discourse here regarding how Chinese civilization transcends differences in religious belief and determines the harmonious pattern of pluralistic coexistence among China’s various religions.
The inclusivity of Chinese civilization—transcending differences in religious belief and allowing for pluralistic coexistence and harmony—is centrally reflected in the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China within the context of Chinese-path modernization. Article 34 of our Constitution stipulates: "All citizens of the People's Republic of China who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote and stand for election, regardless of ethnic status, race, sex, occupation, family background, religious belief, education, property status or length of residence." Article 36 stipulates: "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief." "No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion." "The state protects normal religious activities. No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state." "Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination." These provisions demonstrate that a citizen's political rights have nothing to do with differences in religious belief; believing or not believing in a religion is a citizen's free right. This fundamentally guarantees the freedom of religious belief for citizens and ensures the pluralistic coexistence and harmony of various religions in China, embodying the inclusivity of Chinese-path modernization. This is the manifestation in our country's fundamental law of the results of the CPC's integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities—including the status of religion [8]—and with fine traditional Chinese culture.
(3) Combining the Persistence of the Unity and Inclusivity of Chinese Civilization
The five prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization [9] are interrelated and constitute a whole. The unity and inclusivity of Chinese civilization are closely linked and inseparable. Unity is a unity characterized by inclusion; without inclusion, there is no unity. Inclusivity is an inclusivity within unity; divorced from unity, there is no inclusivity. The differences among citizens regarding religious belief are determined by certain socio-historical conditions and possess objective necessity. However, these differences do not hinder the unity of the entire people regarding their fundamental interests. Although differences in religious belief exist among the masses, the people of our country share common fundamental interests in economic, political, and cultural spheres; furthermore, the unity of the state and the solidarity of the people are themselves the fundamental interests of the Chinese people. Persisting in the leadership of the CPC, persisting in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and persisting in taking Marxism as a guide constitute the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and the unity of Chinese-path modernization. This unity includes the differences in religious belief among citizens; these religious differences are differences within this unity. Persisting in Marxist atheism, as a foundational task for maintaining unity, is completely consistent with persisting in the freedom of religious belief of citizens. This consistency is the manifestation of the alignment between the unity and inclusivity of Chinese-path modernization.
In performing the work of research, promotion, and education regarding Marxist atheism during the construction of Chinese-path modernization, we must persist in taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide. Xi Jinping’s discourses on religious work in the New Era and his discourses on how Communist Party members must be firm Marxist atheists are the results of the integration of the Marxist view of religion with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture. They embody the unity, inclusivity, and the interrelationship thereof in Chinese-path modernization, providing a fundamental basis for atheism research and disciplinary development. In accordance with the spirit of these discourses, to persist in the unity and inclusivity of Chinese-path modernization in atheism research and promotion and to combine these two aspects, we must properly handle the relationship between conducting ideological struggle and persisting in the freedom of religious belief. On one hand, we must persist in unity: we must adhere to the major principle of Marxist atheism, safeguard the ideological and theoretical positions of Marxist atheism, and conduct atheist promotion and education for the broad masses—especially the youth. We must ensure that Marxist atheism, as a mainstream ideology, consistently maintains a dominant position in the thoughts of the masses, maintains the ideological foundation for the entire nation's persistence in the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and consolidates the ideological and theoretical foundation of the CPC's governance. On the other hand, we must persist in inclusivity: we must respect the freedom of citizens to believe in religion and limit the struggle of promoting atheism and opposing theism to the ideological sphere, without resorting to administrative measures. This must be limited to a certain scope; we should not promote atheism in venues for religious activities, nor specifically target religious believers as the object of promotion. It must be placed in an appropriate position, subordinated to and serving the central work of the Party and the state, rather than being placed in the primary position. We must value the worth of fine traditional Chinese culture—including certain religious cultural elements—and not equate the critique of theism with a wholesale rejection of religious culture. Only in this way can we persist in both the prominent unity and the prominent inclusivity of Chinese civilization, closely uniting the broad masses of both religious and non-religious people to strive together under the strong leadership of the CPC for the construction of Chinese-path modernization and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
(About the Author: Tian Xinming is a Research Fellow at the Ministry of Education's Research Center for the Development of Social Sciences in Higher Education Institutions.)
Source: Science and Atheism, Issue 6, 2023.