Journalist from "Marxist Studies": Accelerating the Construction of China's Independent Knowledge System of Atheism

Atheism is an indispensable discipline within the philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, yet it has remained a relatively weak link to date. How should we strengthen the construction of the discipline of atheism under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era? Regarding this issue, we conducted an exclusive interview with Research Fellow Tian Xinming from the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Social Science Development Association.

I. Why must we accelerate the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism?

▲ (Interviewer, hereafter abbreviated as ▲): Teacher Tian, hello! Thank you for accepting our interview. Comrade Xi Jinping has made many important expositions on accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. We have noted that you have published several articles discussing the construction of the discipline of atheism. Could you share your views on how the construction of this discipline can implement the spirit of these expositions?

● (Interviewee, hereafter abbreviated as ●): Certainly. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: “The acceleration of the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, in the final analysis, is the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system.” I believe that, in accordance with the spirit of this important judgment, strengthening the construction of the discipline of atheism is, in the final analysis, about accelerating the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism. To this end, we need to consider three questions: first, why we must accelerate its construction; second, what kind of system should be constructed; and third, how to construct this system.

To discuss the question of "why," we must start with what a “knowledge system” is.

On May 17, 2016, at the Seminar on Philosophy and Social Sciences ^[1], Comrade Xi Jinping proposed "accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics" and provided an in-depth, systematic exposition. Comrade Xi Jinping has also discussed issues related to philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics on many other occasions. We must link these speeches together and apply them as a whole to guide the construction of the discipline of atheism. The important judgment that it is “in the final analysis, the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system” encapsulates the spirit of Comrade Xi Jinping’s expositions on philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. “Knowledge system” is one of the keywords; it is a general term for various “systems.”

In Comrade Xi Jinping’s series of important expositions, "accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics" is the overarching theme. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: “Philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics should cover various fields such as history, economics, politics, culture, society, ecology, military affairs, and Party building. They should include traditional disciplines, emerging disciplines, frontier disciplines, interdisciplinary fields, and ‘cold-gate’ ^[2] disciplines, constantly advancing the construction and innovation of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system, striving to build an all-round, all-field, and all-element philosophy and social sciences system.” Philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics is a system composed of numerous disciplines. Each discipline, in turn, is a system composed of next-level sub-disciplines, forming a multi-tiered structure. Disciplines at different levels and aspects connect vertically and horizontally to form a whole. Each individual discipline is further composed of the unity of an academic system and a discourse system. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: “Each discipline must construct systematic disciplinary theories and concepts.” Theoretical and cognitive content constitutes the academic system of each discipline. Theory and knowledge are expressed through concepts. In terms of content, a concept is the expression of theory and knowledge; in terms of linguistic form, it is discourse. A discourse system is the system of academic terminology used to express theory and knowledge. The discourse system cannot exist without the academic system, yet it possesses relative independence. Comrade Xi Jinping emphasized that “attention must be paid to strengthening the construction of the discourse system.” A discipline is mature and healthy only when it is constructed as a unity of academic and discourse systems. Comrade Xi Jinping summarized the task of building philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics as the construction of the "three major systems"—the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems—pointing out the strategic direction for the development of contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences. This serves as our guide for constructing a complete and scientific discipline of atheism.

In the judgment made by Comrade Xi Jinping during his April 2022 inspection of Renmin University of China—that it is “in the final analysis, the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system”—the various “systems” are collectively summarized as the “knowledge system.” In addition to the three major systems, Comrade Xi Jinping’s speeches have also proposed concepts such as the “theoretical system” and the “historical materials system.” “Knowledge” is a category with a broad extension. The reflection of the material world in the human mind is collectively called consciousness, which includes different forms such as cognition, emotion, and will. Among these, cognition is the understanding and grasping of the object; it is the “knowing” of various things in the material world. The positive results of cognitive activity are knowledge. “Knowledge” is the general term for the positive results through which humanity actively reflects the phenomena, essence, and laws of the objective world. Both perceptual and rational knowledge are forms of knowledge. Language is also a type of knowledge. The content of various disciplines is knowledge, and the discourse that expresses that content is also knowledge. The disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems of philosophy and social sciences are all the crystallization of knowledge. Theories, theoretical systems, historical materials, and historical material systems are all knowledge. The knowledge contained in various systems can be collectively called a “knowledge system.” The statement that it is “in the final analysis, the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system” applies to the totality of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics as well as to each specific discipline within it. Therefore, we can say that accelerating the construction of the discipline of atheism in contemporary China is, in the final analysis, the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism.

▲: Philosophy and social sciences belong to social consciousness, and social consciousness consists of more than just knowledge—it includes other forms. In addition to knowledge and knowledge systems, do the "three major systems" of the atheism discipline also include other forms of social consciousness?

●: Besides knowledge, philosophy and social sciences as social consciousness also contain factors such as emotion and will. Social consciousness is a unified whole; emotions and will are generated on the basis of certain cognitions and are inseparable from knowledge. The judgment that it is “in the final analysis” the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system captures the root of the problem and provides a concise summary, pointing out the key issue. A discipline of atheism with Chinese characteristics constructed by grasping this root should be a unity of "knowing, feeling, and willing" based on knowledge. Furthermore, from another perspective, this unity is also an object of human cognition; relative to those who cognize it, it is a kind of knowledge or knowledge system. In this sense, “knowledge system” is a general term for the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems that include multiple forms of social consciousness. Constructing a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism is equivalent to constructing the discipline of atheism with Chinese characteristics. We can discuss the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism in this sense.

▲: Could you further discuss why we should accelerate the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism from the perspective of the historical development and current reality of the discipline?

●: Comrade Xi Jinping requested that we "engage more in ‘integration’ and ‘final assembly,’ and more in ‘independent innovation’ and ‘comprehensive innovation,’ contributing to the construction of a philosophy and social sciences system with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese ethos." Looking at the historical development and current status of the discipline of atheism, the time is ripe to realize independent and comprehensive innovation through “integration” and “final assembly” to construct a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism.

Throughout its long historical development, atheism has passed through stages such as ancient naive atheism, scientific atheism based on modern natural science, and Marxist atheism. Marx’s creation of the historical materialist conception of history allowed the study of social history—including atheism—to begin becoming a true science. All the theory and practice of the Communist Party of China are based on the Marxist scientific worldview, which includes atheism. Contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences took the entry of Marxism into our country as their starting point and developed under the guidance of Marxism; many disciplines have made significant progress. However, the construction of atheism as a discipline started late and developed slowly. Its research strength is not robust, making it a weak discipline that has yet to form a relatively complete disciplinary, academic, or discourse system. The China Association for Atheism, a national mass academic organization aimed at promoting the research and dissemination of the Marxist atheist worldview, was established in 1978, ceased activities in the mid-1980s, and resumed in 1997. The journal Science and Atheism, founded by the China Association for Atheism in 1999, remains the only magazine in our country specifically dedicated to the research and dissemination of atheism. For a period, due to various reasons, a phenomenon emerged where it was said that "no one speaks of atheism, while everyone speaks of theism," and there was even intense debate over whether atheism should be disseminated to the public. Strengthening the construction of this weak discipline is an urgent task for accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. At the same time, we see that through the unremitting efforts of a group of scholars, atheistic research has achieved considerable results, creating the conditions for constructing a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism. Particularly since the 18th National Congress ^[3], the construction of the discipline of atheism has adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and implemented the spirit of the two National Conferences on Religious Work in 2016 and 2021, and is currently flourishing. For example, academic activities such as the "Scientific Atheism Forum" hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences are very active. The major project of the Central Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project ^[4] undertaken by the China Association for Atheism, "Research on the Basic Theory and Educational Issues of Marxist Atheism," has produced a batch of important results, including the Principles of Scientific Atheism. An increasing number of research papers are being published in journals like Science and Atheism. Some universities have opened Marxist atheism courses for the entire student body. The ranks of Marxist atheism research and teaching are gradually expanding. On this existing basis, after another period of hard work—strengthening research on key and difficult issues and weak links, and achieving “integration” and “final assembly”—the preliminary construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism has become a realistic possibility and should be put on the agenda.

Human cognition advances in a cycle from analysis to synthesis and back from synthesis to analysis. The development of a discipline follows the same path. “Integration” and “final assembly” are types of synthetic work. Analysis is the foundation of synthesis. If the conditions are not met and there is no foundation of long-term accumulated research results, one cannot perform integration or final assembly; forcing the construction of a system would only result in subjective fabulation and piecemeal assembly. Synthesis is the development based on analysis. When conditions are ripe, innovation can be achieved through synthesis. Scientific synthesis itself is a form of innovation—"comprehensive innovation." If the necessary foundation and conditions are already in place, but the work of integration, final assembly, and comprehensive innovation is not done in a timely manner, it will delay the construction of the discipline. Synthesis is the precursor to further analysis. The comprehensive innovative results achieved through integration and final assembly can guide and promote the in-depth development of research in various parts and aspects, providing a new foundation for a higher level of synthesis. This creates a virtuous cycle. From the historical and realistic status of the discipline’s development, if a Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism can be initially created at this stage, it will powerfully drive the construction of the discipline and become an important stepping stone in its historical development.

II. What kind of Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism should be constructed?

▲: According to the spirit of Comrade Xi Jinping’s series of important expositions, what kind of system should the Chinese independent knowledge system for atheism that we intend to construct be?

●: “Chinese independent” is another key term in the judgment that “in the final analysis, a Chinese independent knowledge system must be constructed.” it provides a condensed answer to what kind of knowledge system should be built and how to build it. The question of what kind of atheism system we should construct is the question of what is "Chinese independent" and what constitutes a "Chinese independent" knowledge system for atheism. This issue can be studied from several aspects: guiding ideology, research objects, academic resources, and construction principles. Let us begin with the guiding ideology.

The Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism is a knowledge system guided by Marxism. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "Persisting in the guidance of Marxism is the fundamental hallmark that distinguishes contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from other philosophy and social sciences, and must be upheld with a clear-cut stand." The "fundamental hallmark" proposed here profoundly reveals the fundamental nature that distinguishes contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from those of other historical eras and other countries in the world. A "fundamental hallmark" is the sign of a thing’s basic nature. To persist in the "fundamental hallmark" is to persist in the thing’s fundamental nature. To abandon or change the "fundamental hallmark" is to negate or change the thing’s fundamental nature. Philosophy and social sciences are part of the superstructure determined by the economic base of a given society. The difference in the fundamental nature of different philosophy and social sciences depends, in the final analysis, on the differences in social formations and social systems. Marxism is the guiding ideology of the Communist Party of China. Contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences are part of the cause of Chinese revolution, construction, and reform under the leadership of the CPC, and are philosophy and social sciences under the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Necessarily, they possess the fundamental nature of being guided by Marxism, and only by persisting in the guidance of Marxism can they prosper and develop alongside the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. "In our country, if we do not persist in the guidance of Marxism, philosophy and social sciences will lose their soul and lose their direction, and ultimately will be unable to play their proper role." If the Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism that we seek to construct does not persist in this fundamental nature of Marxist guidance, it will be unable to distinguish itself from atheism in other historical eras and under other social systems in the world, and will lose its qualification to exist and develop as a constituent part of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics.

To study this issue in depth, we must also clarify what "guided by Marxism" means. What does "Marxism" refer to? What does "guidance" mean? Marxist atheism is an important component of Marxism and a vital cornerstone of the entire Marxist scientific worldview. Constructing a Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism must take Marxist atheism as guidance and use it to observe and study problems. However, this is not enough. Marxism is a complete and rigorous scientific worldview primarily composed of philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism. To be guided by Marxism means, fundamentally, to be guided by the Marxist scientific worldview as a whole. Marxist atheism must be placed within the totality of Marxism, understood and applied in connection with the whole and its other constituent parts, rather than being applied in isolation. We must neither underestimate the status and role of Marxist atheism as an important guiding ideology, nor separate it from the totality of Marxism to substitute it for the guidance of the complete Marxist scientific worldview. Marxism is a scientific theory in constant development. The Party's guiding ideology as stipulated in the Constitution of the Communist Party of China consists of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping provincial New Era Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Using Marxism to guide the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism requires both adhering to the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism and persisting in the guidance of the achievements of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, using the latest achievements of the Party's theoretical innovation to guide the building of the discipline of atheism.

The 20th CPC National Congress emphasized: "We must grasp the worldview and methodology of New Era Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and adhere to and apply the positions, viewpoints, and methods ^[5] contained therein." This assertion clarifies the scientific connotation of "guidance." Using Marxism to guide the building of the discipline of atheism does not mean searching for ready-made conclusions in the works of classical authors or compiling their statements into an academic and discourse system. Rather, it means learning and mastering the basic principles of Marxism and the positions, viewpoints, and methods running through them, and using them to study problematic issues of atheism. Mao Zedong once criticized the erroneous attitude of "only being able to one-sidedly quote individual words and sentences from Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin, but being unable to apply their positions, viewpoints, and methods," emphasizing that we "seek positions, viewpoints, and methods from it for the purpose of solving the theoretical and tactical problems of the Chinese revolution." Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "If one speaks using quotes from Marxist classical authors for everything, and cannot say anything that the Marxist classical authors did not say, this is not a Marxist attitude." Principles are not the starting point for researching problems, but the method. Our study of atheism starts from objective reality, not from principles. Guiding ideology is not equivalent to the object of study, nor is it the same as academic resources. This involves the relationship between guiding ideology and the object of study, as well as the relationship with academic resources, which we can further discuss in combination below.

▲: Persisting in the guidance of Marxism is the common fundamental hallmark of all disciplines within philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. To clarify what a Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism is, we must also distinguish it from other disciplines.

●: This requires discussing the specific object of study for the discipline of atheism that distinguishes it from other disciplines. The Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism is a knowledge system that takes as its object of study the fact that there are no gods in the material world, while theistic concepts exist in the realm of social consciousness, as well as the unity of opposites ^[6] between atheism and theism.

Every discipline has its own specific object of study that differs from other disciplines; this is the prerequisite for its existence and development as a discipline. It is a rare phenomenon in science for a disciplinary name like "atheism" (wu shem lun) to begin with "non-" (wu). Because the objects of scientific research are objectively existing things, and objective things are usually not expressed by the "absence" of something. It should be seen that the "non-" expressed in the name "atheism" is also an objective fact. Engels once excerpted a passage from Hegel discussing "nothing" and added emphasis: "The nothing that is opposed to something, the nothing of any something, is a specific nothing." The "non-" in atheism is a specific "non-" opposed to theism. There are no gods in the material world—gods do not exist—this is an objective fact that constitutes one aspect of the object of study for the discipline of atheism. This research becomes necessary because theistic concepts exist in the realm of social consciousness; this is also an objective fact, and a fact that constitutes the other aspect of the object of study for the discipline of atheism. If the concept of "God" had never appeared in history or reality, one would not know what "atheism" is, and the concept of "godlessness" and the discipline of atheism would not have emerged. Engels said, "Atheism is only a negation," and "Atheism, as a mere negation of religion, always refers back to religion; without religion, it would not exist itself." The fact that the concept of God exists in the realm of social consciousness does not mean everyone believes in God. As a negation of theistic concepts, the concept of godlessness inevitably arose, and the unity of opposites between atheism and theism occurred. In the long historical process, atheism and theism have stood in opposition and competed with one another, producing different historical forms of atheism—from ancient naive atheism to Marxist atheism—while various forms of theism appeared, from primitive religions and national religions to the three major world religions and others. Atheism and theism are respectively intertwined with other forms of social consciousness, such as political and legal thought, morality, art, philosophy, etc., forming complex cultural phenomena. Furthermore, they move beyond the realm of social consciousness to react upon politics and the economy, becoming one of the factors that constitute the contradictory movement in various fields of social life and influence social development. The extremely rich, complex, developing, and changing socio-historical phenomena formed thereby are the forms of appearance of the fact that there are no gods in the material world while theistic concepts exist in the realm of social consciousness, and the unity of opposites and contradictory movement between atheism and theism. This is the object of study for the discipline of atheism. To reveal the essence and laws of development of things through these phenomena, and to guide practice to change the world, is the task of the discipline of atheism. That there are no gods in the world is the fundamental viewpoint of the discipline of atheism, and the reason it is named "atheism" (literally "non-god-ism").

Mao Zedong pointed out: "The distinction between sciences is based precisely upon the particular contradictions inherent in their respective objects of study. Thus, the study of a contradiction peculiar to a certain sphere of phenomena constitutes the object of a particular branch of science." According to the viewpoint of the unity of opposites in materialist dialectics, all things are composed of contradictions; to know a thing is to know its contradictions, and to change a thing is to handle its contradictions. It can be said that the contradiction between the godlessness of the material world and the "gods" in the realm of social consciousness, and the contradiction between atheism and theism in the realm of social consciousness, are the objects of study for the Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism, and the basic contradictions running through the discipline of atheism that distinguish it from other disciplines.

▲: Having clarified the guiding ideology and the object of study for the Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism, we also need to clarify the relationship between the guiding ideology and the object of study.

●: As mentioned above, the manifestations of the object of study for the discipline of atheism are extremely rich and complex, including various historical forms of atheism and various manifestations of theism, including Marxist atheism. Therefore, Marxist atheism is both the guiding ideology of the Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism and a part of its object of study. As a constituent part of the Marxist scientific worldview, the primary carriers of Marxist atheism are the works, thoughts, and practices of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and the primary founders of Sinicized and modernized Marxism from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping. Marxist atheism is the highest achievement in the development of atheistic thought and the most powerful ideological weapon against theism. Only by taking it as the primary object of study—reading the classics and grasping the principles, understanding and mastering Marxist atheism systematically rather than piecemeal, and realistically rather than hollowly—can we construct a Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism. However, constructing this system cannot take Marxist atheism as its only object of study. That is to say, we cannot merely treat the ideological achievements obtained by Marxist classical authors in studying the objective objects of the discipline of atheism as our own object of cognition and research; we must also take them as guidance to conduct research and engage in theoretical creation ourselves, facing the objective reality that is constantly developing and changing in social history and the present. Focusing on the study of the thoughts and practices of Marxist classical authors and Sinicized Marxist atheism—their historical development and theoretical composition, their works, literature, principles, and policies—can be called "Marxist Atheism Studies" or "Research on the Atheistic Thought of Marxist Classical Authors." This is an extremely important task, a vital sub-discipline within the disciplinary system of atheism, and an important constituent part of the Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism. However, it cannot substitute for the whole. Research focusing on the issues of godlessness and theism in the material world and social life, and research focusing on Marxist atheistic thought, are two different problems. In terms of the scope of research, the former encompasses the latter, and the latter cannot replace the former.

▲: Having clarified the guiding ideology and the object of study for the Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism, we also need to clarify the question of how to treat academic resources.

●: Yes, exactly. The Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism is a knowledge system that integrates and connects various academic resources from ancient and modern times, and from China and abroad.

Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "The actual form of philosophy and social sciences is the result of the integration and connection of various kinds of knowledge, concepts, theories, and methods throughout the ages." The actual forms of philosophy and social sciences are reflections of actual social existence, but they also possess the relative independence and historical inheritance of social consciousness. Each discipline has gone through a relatively independent historical development and accumulated ideological materials such as knowledge, concepts, theories, and methods passed down from predecessors. Every generation must inherit the achievements of their predecessors and reflect new changes in actual social life by processing existing ideological materials to form new thoughts and viewpoints. This is a law of the development of philosophy and social sciences. Comrade Xi Jinping's discourse on "integration, connection, and generation" is a summary of this law. He requires us to be adept at integrating and connecting various resources from ancient and modern times, and from China and abroad, to construct philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and pointed out: "First are Marxist resources," "second are resources of fine traditional Chinese culture," and "third are resources of foreign philosophy and social sciences."

First, constructing a China-independent knowledge system for atheism requires the integration and convergence of Marxist resources. The basic tenets of Marxism, the achievements of its Sinicization, and the resulting cultural forms constitute the core content and the greatest growth potential of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. As an academic resource, Marxism includes not only basic principles but also the ideological achievements, specific conclusions, and methodologies formed by classical authors in their study of various concrete phenomena. For example, Engels' discourses on the historical development from primitive and national religions to world religions, his expositions on the history of Christianity, and particularly his research findings on early Christianity are all precious academic resources for the development of the discipline of atheism. The profound and extensive theoretical and knowledge systems of Marxism, along with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, provide the most valuable resources for the development of all disciplines. To promote the construction of the discipline of atheism, we must deeply excavate and organize resources related to this field and integrate them into the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems. It must be emphasized that listing Marxism as an academic resource does not replace or negate its status as the guiding ideology; nor does it demote the guiding ideology to a mere academic resource. Rather, it establishes a dual positioning for Marxism in philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics: as both the guiding ideology and the primary academic resource. This concept of dual positioning is an important component of Xi Jinping's discourses on constructing philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics.

Second, constructing a China-independent knowledge system for atheism requires the integration and convergence of resources from fine traditional Chinese culture ^[7]. The Chinese nation possesses a ten-thousand-year cultural history and a civilization history of over five thousand years. Chinese civilization possesses prominent continuity; it is the only great civilization in the world that has continued uninterrupted and developed to this day in the form of a state. Fine traditional Chinese culture is our country's unique advantage and the profound foundation for the growth of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. It is an extremely precious and rare resource containing rich atheistic thought and experiences in opposing theism. To construct a China-independent knowledge system for atheism, we must strengthen cultural confidence ^[8], enhance the excavation and elucidation of atheistic ideas within fine traditional Chinese culture, and achieve their creative transformation and innovative development ^[9].

Finally, constructing a China-independent knowledge system for atheism requires the integration and convergence of resources from foreign philosophy and social sciences. The positive achievements of philosophy and social sciences from all countries can serve as beneficial nourishment for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Marx and Engels absorbed and drew upon the achievements created by their predecessors. At the very beginning of his "Introduction to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right," written in 1843, Marx pointed out that "for Germany, the critique of religion has been largely completed." Taking this as a starting point, Marx founded his new world outlook on the basis of absorbing and drawing upon previous achievements, including the atheistic ideas found in the critique of religion. We must also draw upon and absorb atheistic ideas and useful experiences from foreign philosophy and social sciences. Comrade Xi Jinping has pointed out that we must analyze and differentiate foreign theories, concepts, discourses, and methods; we should use what is applicable, avoid mechanical application ^[10] of what is not, and maintain a Marxist spirit of critique.

Only by taking Marxism as guidance, persisting in making the past serve the present and foreign things serve China ^[11], upholding the principle of not forgetting our origins, absorbing external influences, and facing the future, and by integrating various resources to promote knowledge innovation, can we realize "China-independence" in the construction of the discipline of atheism.

Journalist: The relationship between guiding ideology and academic resources is also an issue worthy of attention.

Expert: We must comprehensively understand and grasp the relationship between guiding ideology and academic resources, unifying the adherence to guiding ideology with the integration of academic resources. We must avoid one-sidedness and cannot use one to negate or replace the other. Adhering to Marxism as guidance is fundamental; at the same time, we must not slight the integration of academic resources. Lenin pointed out: "It would be the greatest and worst mistake a Marxist could make to think that the millions of the masses (especially the peasants and artisans), who have been condemned by all modern society to darkness, ignorance and superstition, can extricate themselves from this darkness only along the straight line of a purely Marxist education." Engels once said that to propagate atheism in France, "the simplest thing would be to see to the wide distribution among the workers of the brilliant French materialist literature of the last century." Lenin also praised "the sharp, lively and talented polemics of the old eighteenth-century atheists which wittily and openly attacked the prevailing clericalism." He demanded that, following Engels' instructions, "the literature of the militant atheists of the end of the eighteenth century should be translated for wide distribution among the people." We should adopt a similarly scientific attitude toward atheistic ideas in Chinese cultural classics.

At the same time, we must distinguish between guiding ideology and academic resources; they cannot be conflated. The guiding ideology is singular, while academic resources are diverse. Guiding ideology cannot be pluralized, and academic resources should not be singularized. The guiding ideology must be applied consistently, while academic resources should be inclusive. Marxism is both an academic resource and, more importantly, the guiding ideology; fine traditional Chinese culture and foreign philosophy and social sciences are merely academic resources, not our guiding ideology. If we treat certain non-Marxist ideological doctrines from Chinese or foreign history as guiding foundational theories, or if we consciously or unconsciously replace the inclusiveness and diversity of academic resources with the pluralization of guiding ideology, it will lead to errors and confusion in our guiding thought. Regarding the dual positioning of Marxism as both guiding ideology and academic resource, we must view both aspects comprehensively and cannot negate either one. While adhering to the basic tenets of Marxism as guidance, we cannot overlook the role of Marxism as the primary academic resource. We must attach great importance to and deeply excavate all academic resources related to the construction of the atheism discipline from the works and practices of classical Marxist writers and utilize them fully.

Simultaneously, we must never treat Marxism merely as an academic resource. We observe a phenomenon where, in some disciplines, certain scholars believe that as long as they find and quote specific discourses from classical works regarding the subject of their discipline, they are adhering to the guiding status of Marxism. Conversely, if they find few or no specific discourses from classical authors, they believe it is difficult for the discipline to be guided by Marxism, viewing this as the greatest difficulty in disciplinary construction. This actually treats Marxism merely as an academic resource and fails to understand the guiding status and role of basic Marxist principles and methodology for disciplinary construction. They fail to see that the research objects of philosophy and social sciences are infinitely broad, and the discourses and specific conclusions of classical Marxist writers on particular issues—acting as an academic resource—are always finite and cannot replace our own research on the specific objects of our discipline. However, the basic tenets of Marxism as a guiding ideology—and the stances, viewpoints, and methods running through them—are theories and methods applicable to all research objects and can fully guide the construction of this discipline.

Journalist: Generally speaking, the "China-independent" knowledge system of atheism we aim to construct must adhere to Marxist guiding ideology, clarify the research objects of the discipline, integrate academic resources from ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign sources, and correctly handle the relationship between these three.

Expert: I also want to emphasize one point: there must be a high degree of self-awareness in persisting with subjectivity and originality. A China-independent knowledge system of atheism is one that persists in subjectivity and originality.

Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "Whether our philosophy and social sciences have Chinese characteristics depends, in the final analysis, on whether they possess subjectivity and originality." Persisting in subjectivity and originality is an inherent requirement of "China-independence." "China-independent" means adhering to China's own subjectivity. Subjectivity is a category corresponding to objectivity; the subject is the bearer of practice and cognitive activities, while the object is the target of practice and cognition. A subject possesses knowledge, emotion, and will, as well as a stance, world outlook, and values formed within certain social relations and social practices. The subject possesses self-awareness and an agency distinct from the object, distinguishing itself from the object and consciously and actively recognizing and transforming it. Different subjects have different subjectivities. The subjectivity of "China-independence" is the subjectivity of the Chinese people and their leadership core, the Communist Party of China. Fine traditional Chinese culture has always possessed the spirit of self-strengthening; the saying "As Heaven's movement is ever vigorous, so must the gentleman ceaselessly strive to strengthen himself" ^[12] has been passed down through the ages. Independence and self-reliance are fine traditions of the CPC and are the essence and living soul of Mao Zedong Thought. We have persisted in "following our own path and building socialism with Chinese characteristics," initiating the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. At the Meeting on Cultural Inheritance and Development, Comrade Xi Jinping clearly proposed the need for cultural subjectivity to achieve spiritual independence and self-reliance. He pointed out that for any culture to stand firm and go far, it must have its own subjectivity. Cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity. "With cultural subjectivity, we have a firm sense of self in a cultural sense, cultural confidence has a fundamental reliance, the CPC has a powerful cultural force to lead the times, the Chinese nation and the Chinese people have a solid cultural foundation for national identity, and Chinese civilization has distinct cultural characteristics for exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations of the world." To build a discipline of atheism with Chinese characteristics, we must have a firm sense of self in the cultural sense and, with a high degree of cultural confidence, follow our own path to independently construct our own knowledge system.

Subjectivity and originality are closely linked. "China-independent" implies Chinese originality. Independence requires originality; only through originality can one be truly independent. Conversely, originality must be independent; without independence, there is no originality. Originality means original innovation. Comrade Xi Jinping emphasizes that scientific research must strengthen originality, be brave in exploration, and highlight originality. At the Symposium for Scientists, he proposed: "We must place the enhancement of original innovation capability in a more prominent position and strive to achieve more 'from 0 to 1' breakthroughs." He also pointed out: "The mission of science is to investigate truth and discover new knowledge. All truly original knowledge needs to break through existing knowledge systems." This is true for natural sciences, and it is also true for research in philosophy and social sciences. Without originality, there can be no China-independent knowledge system of atheism.

Adhering to subjectivity and originality should be regarded as an important principle for our construction of a China-independent knowledge system of atheism. Comrade Xi Jinping emphasized: "All approaches such as 'carving a mark on a moving boat to find a sword,' 'copying a cat to draw a tiger,' mechanical application, or 'drawing a gourd according to a pattern' ^[13] are of no use." The era is the mother of thought; practice is the source of theory. While integrating academic resources from ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign sources, we can only achieve China-independence by directly facing the contradictions in historical and realistic social life, rooting ourselves in contemporary practice, screening, researching, and solving problems from reality, seeking objective laws, refining new viewpoints and theories, and constructing an original knowledge system.

III. How to construct a China-independent knowledge system of atheism?

Journalist: Discussions on constructing a China-independent knowledge system of atheism must ultimately settle on the question of "how to construct" it.

Expert: The questions of what kind of China-independent knowledge system of atheism to construct and how to construct it are inseparable; they are actually two sides of the same coin. Determining what goal to pursue also determines the direction and path forward. Adhering to Marxism as guidance, clarifying the research objects of the discipline, integrating ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign academic resources, and persisting in subjectivity and originality—these requirements for "what kind of system" are simultaneously requirements for "how to construct" it. The question of "how to construct" is the question of how to promote the systematization and theoretization of the atheism discipline with Chinese characteristics according to these requirements.

Journalist: This requires clarifying what is meant by the "systematization and theoretization" of a discipline.

Expert: In June 2023, during the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, Comrade Xi Jinping proposed "striving to promote the systematization and theoretization of the Party's innovative theories." The spirit of this discourse is also fully applicable to work in philosophy and social sciences. To build the discipline of atheism with Chinese characteristics, we must also strive to promote its systematization and theoretization. The "system" in "systematization" implies systematicity. Knowledge systems, disciplinary systems, academic systems, and discourse systems are all "systems." Promoting the "systematization" of the science of atheism requires reflecting the interconnected and interdependent relationships between the knowledge within it, constructing a system with a complete structure and clear layers. The "theory" (理, lǐ) in "theoretization" (学理化, xuélǐhuà) refers to the "reason" of rational cognition and the "truth" of truth. Promoting the "theoretization" of the atheism discipline requires its knowledge content to reveal the essence and laws of objective targets, rather than stopping at the description of phenomena; its form should be rational thinking that uses concepts for judgment and reasoning, strictly following the rules of logical thinking. Systematization and theoretization are basic characteristics of science and important hallmarks of a discipline's maturity.

Why should we promote systematization and theoreticization? Comrade Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Promoting the systematization and theoreticization of theory is an inherent requirement and an important path for theoretical innovation." For the construction of a Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism, promoting systematization and theoreticization is also an inherent requirement and an important path. Tracing back to the source, such a requirement stems from the fundamental nature of the objective subject matter and the fundamental nature of science. The object of all science is the material world, which exists independently of human consciousness. The unified material world is a holistic entity in which all things are interconnected. Things are systems characterized by integrity, structure, and hierarchy. Science is the knowledge system that reflects the essence and laws of the objective world. Correctly reflecting the truth of the objective object is the fundamental nature of science. Every discipline within the philosophy and social sciences takes a certain aspect or level of the material world, and particularly human society, as its object. The universal connections and systemic nature inherent in the objective object determine that only systematized knowledge can correctly reflect the objective object and truly become science. Objective things are a unity of essence and phenomena, and laws are the relations of the essence of things or relations between essences. Perceptual knowledge can only reflect the phenomena of things, while rational knowledge can reveal essence and laws. The inherent relationship between essence and phenomena in the object determines that only theoreticized knowledge can correctly reflect the objective object and truly become science. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "The reason Marxism has such a profound influence lies in its use of profound theory [学理] to reveal the truth of human social development, and its use of a complete system to demonstrate the scientific nature of its theory." The discipline of atheism with Chinese characteristics can only become a true science by revealing the essence and developmental laws of its object through profound theory and demonstrating its own theory through a complete system. Scientific systematization and theoreticization run through the history of human science and exist in the developmental process of all disciplines. This is the law of scientific development. Only by consciously following these laws to promote systematization and theoreticization can we construct a Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism.

Interviewer: Could you speak specifically about how to promote the systematization and theoreticization of the discipline of atheism?

Respondent: I can speak to my preliminary ideas. The Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism we aim to construct includes a disciplinary system, an academic system, and a discourse system. It is, first and foremost, a disciplinary system—a cluster of disciplines composed of several interrelated fields. Looking at it holistically, the construction of this disciplinary cluster can be carried out from three aspects: theoretical research, historical research, and research into contemporary practice. Theoretical research includes compiling introductions to atheism and conducting research on Marxist atheism or the atheistic thought of classic Marxist authors. The atheistic thought of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, as well as the Sinicized and modernized Marxist atheistic thought from Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping, can be studied in further depth. Major theoretical issues found in general introductions to atheism can also be further researched individually. Historical research can include sub-disciplines such as the history of Chinese atheistic thought, the history of foreign atheistic thought, and contemporary trends in atheistic thought; it can be further refined into studies of different historical periods, different countries (regions), and even specific figures, works, and events. Regarding contemporary practice, we must study various major issues on how to uphold atheism, oppose theism, and properly handle the relationship between the two under the social and historical conditions of contemporary China and the contemporary world. This requires both holistic research and specialized expansion into different facets. Every sub-discipline therein should have its own academic system and discourse system, constructed as a unity of the two.

A general introduction to atheism is effectively a general theory of atheism. It is a theoretical system, so it can be classified under theoretical research. In terms of content, it is the general survey of the entire discipline. The relationship between the "introduction" [概论] and other components of the discipline is that of general theory to sub-theories, and synthesis to analysis. It produces a holistic exposition in a synthesized and summarized form based on the results of various sub-disciplines, serving as a microcosm of the entire discipline. In a certain sense, the academic and discourse systems of the "introduction" are the concentrated Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism. The question of how to construct the knowledge system of the atheist discipline as a whole is concentrated in the question of how to construct the system of the "introduction."

Interviewer: Then please discuss how to construct the system for a general introduction to atheism.

Respondent: We can study how to construct a Chinese independent knowledge system of atheism by discussing how the system of the "introduction" is composed.

Generally speaking, the academic system of the "introduction" must take the socio-historical phenomenon—in which a godless material world produced theistic ideas and their opposite, atheistic thought—as its research object. It should unfold around the fundamental contradiction between the material world being without gods while the realm of social consciousness contains gods, as well as the opposition between atheism and theism. We must adhere to a problem-oriented approach, constructing the system by posing, studying, and solving major problems. My preliminary view is that the primary questions faced by the discipline of atheism and to be answered by the "introduction" can be divided into three aspects, and its academic system can be composed of three parts that study and answer these questions.

First is the question of whether there are, in fact, gods in the world. This is the question of which—atheism or theism—conforms to objective reality and possesses truth; it is the fundamental question of their mutual opposition. That there are no gods in the world is the most basic viewpoint of atheism. The "god" [神] referred to by atheism is a general term, referring to all "gods" or any "god." Atheism stands in opposition to all forms of theism. The principle of the material unity of the world is the most fundamental and core viewpoint of dialectical materialism. Nothing exists in the world except matter and its various manifestations. Social consciousness, including theism, is also a product and manifestation of matter. The primary task of atheism is to demonstrate that the absence of gods in the world is a scientific truth conforming to objective reality, while theism is a fallacy violating objective reality. Marxist philosophy demonstrated the material unity of the world based on the entirety of human social practice and the long-term development of science. The discipline of atheism must go a step further on this basis, scientifically elucidating that gods do not exist in response to the socio-historical phenomenon of "gods" existing in the realm of social consciousness. Since there are no gods in the world, why does the concept of "god" exist? Why do so many people believe in "gods"? Why has theism existed for so long? Why are the justifications for theism untenable? Answering these questions constitutes the emphasis and difficulty in elucidating that there are no gods in the world; it is where the true task lies. The more complex and rich the roots and forms of existence of theism (primarily manifested as religion) are, the more difficult and heavy the task of explaining why there are "gods" and demonstrating their non-existence becomes. Feuerbach reduced the religious world to its secular basis, explaining that man created God in his own image, which greatly liberated people's thinking. However, Marx pointed out: "he does not notice that, having completed this work, the chief thing [主要的事情] still remains to be done." Marxism uses the self-cleavage and self-contradiction of the secular basis to explain the emergence of religion, revealing the socio-historical and class roots of religion, thereby laying a scientific theoretical foundation for explaining why there are "gods" and proving there are no gods in the world. However, the birth of the Marxist view of religion did not change the fact that theism exists and develops, and that vast numbers of people in the world still believe in gods. In the world today and in contemporary China, religion still possesses a broad mass character. The concept of "god" in the minds of so many people is not innate but is formed under certain social and historical conditions. Only by providing a scientific explanation for this can we convincingly elucidate the scientific truth of atheism. These are the "chief things" we need to do.

Second is the question of what role atheism and theism play in social development. This is the question of the relationship between atheism/theism and the interests of the people. This is another major issue of opposition between the two, and a problem that must be solved to answer why we must uphold atheism. To uphold atheism and oppose theism, we must not only distinguish right from wrong and clarify which conforms to objective reality, but also examine the role each plays in social history and reality, and their relationship to the fundamental interests of the people, thereby unifying truth and value. This research is closely linked to the question of the social role of religion. As a complex socio-historical phenomenon, religion cannot be reduced solely to theism, but religion is, in essence, an ideology with theism as its fundamental characteristic. The question of the role of theism and the role of religion are not identical, but they are closely related; they must be distinguished yet examined in their interconnection. The value of atheism and the roles of religion and theism must all be analyzed and evaluated within their respective societies; they cannot be divorced from specific socio-historical conditions. The emergence of primitive religion was a manifestation of the developmental state of human thinking at a certain historical stage and played a role in maintaining social relations. Religion in class societies is man-made religion, closely linked to social class contradictions and class struggle, influencing economic, political, and cultural development. Adapting to the exploitative class societies in which it resided, religion served as a means of rule for the ruling class to justify itself, implement spiritual oppression and deception, and make the lower classes submit; it also once provided an ideological cloak for bourgeois and peasant revolutions. In contemporary China, the law of religion’s existence and development is that it must adapt to socialist society. It is an existence with historical necessity at the current stage and will inevitably produce social effects of various kinds, requiring scientific analysis and evaluation. In historical development, religion became intertwined with other forms of social consciousness; in antiquity, it "was the general theory of this world, its encyclopedic compendium," and in the European Middle Ages, it "incorporated all other forms of ideology—philosophy, politics, jurisprudence—into theology, making them sub-disciplines of theology." To evaluate the role of theism, one must conduct specific analysis on the relationships between religion and culture, religious ideology and theism, and religion and other ideologies. Certain issues debated in academic circles—such as how to view the relationship between atheism/religion and social morality and moral construction, whether religious belief can be viewed as a positive spiritual force and an indispensable spiritual home in the same way as belief in Marxism, and the connections and differences between the social role of religion and the social role of religious masses—are all related issues in evaluating the roles of theism and atheism that need to be researched and answered.

Third is the question of how to uphold and propagate atheism, and how to treat theism and religion. This is a question of contemporary practice. The purpose of cognition lies in guiding practice. Correctly understanding the contradictions between atheism and the presence of "gods" in the mind, and between atheism and theism, is for the purpose of properly handling these contradictions in practice. Upholding atheism is a major principle and the ultimate landing point of disciplinary construction. How to uphold atheism, oppose theism, and properly handle the relationship between them must be studied and considered as part of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, placed within the overall situation of Chinese-path modernization, and made to obey and serve the Party’s central work. Marxism not only upholds thorough atheism in its worldview and opposes theism, but also requires uniting the vast masses of religious and non-religious people, opposing the elevation of contradictions over religious belief to an unwarranted position, and opposing "declaring war on religion." The Party Central Committee has formulated basic principles for religious work, requiring the comprehensive implementation of the Party's policy of freedom of religious belief, the management of religious affairs in accordance with the law, adherence to the principle of independence and self-management, and the active guidance of religion to adapt to socialist society. It emphasizes that we can neither "let go" [放] nor "tighten up" [收]; the key lies in "guidance" [导]. We must take the active guidance of religion to adapt to socialist society as the fundamental direction, purpose, and focus of work. The practical task of atheist disciplinary construction is not only to provide theoretical demonstration and scholarly support for the Party’s principles and policies, but also to summarize historical experiences and lessons, answer questions in contemporary practice, clarify right and wrong in ideology and theory, and respond to challenges in the ideological sphere, thereby serving the comprehensive and correct implementation of the Party’s principles and policies. How to consistently maintain the dominant position of Marxist atheism as the mainstream ideology in the minds of the masses, how to slow the growth rate of religious believers, how to resist the spiritual temptation and ideological penetration of religion among the masses, how to properly grasp the relationship between freedom of religious belief and ideological struggle, and how to comprehensively implement the Party's theory on religious work in the New Era—uniting the vast religious masses around the Party and government and uniting religious and non-religious people to strive together to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation—these are the major subjects we face.

Briefly stated, the three aforementioned aspects involve the domain of cognition, the domain of values, and the domain of practice. We can conduct research from the interrelated perspectives of epistemology, axiology, and praxeology. Epistemological research must persist in taking practice as the criterion for testing the truth of cognition. Axiological research must persist in taking the fundamental interests of the people as the criterion. Praxeological research must unify the criteria of truth and values. In constructing a Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism, we must persist in the unity of cognition and practice, and the unity of truth and value.

The discourse system of the Introduction is a system of concepts and terms that express its academic content. As the content and form of a disciplinary system, the academic system and the discourse system are integrated; they cannot exist independently or be constructed separately. Building a discourse system and building an academic system are one and the same process. There are many commonly used terms in existing works of the atheism discipline, and new terms continue to emerge as the discipline develops. For example, deity, atheism, theism, religion; the origins, causes, and roots of theism and religion; the conditions for the existence and the paths toward the disappearance of theism and religion; freedom of religious belief; believing in God, not believing in God; the characteristics of religion; the basic orientation of religious work ^[19]; religious policy, and so on—all these are common terms. These terms vary in precision and maturity, and their meanings are not entirely consistent among different theorists. They must be selected, refined, and clarified to define their intension, extension, and interrelationships. Furthermore, they must be integrated with the historical materialist perspective and the general basic categories of the philosophy and social sciences—such as nature, society, man, social formations, social systems, social existence and social consciousness, the economic base and the superstructure, productive forces and relations of production, class struggle and social revolution, economy, politics, culture, science, morality, nationality, and so on—to construct a discourse system with an internal logical structure.

Comrade Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Theory is the cornerstone of ideology. The deeper the theoretical research, the stronger and more powerful the support for ideology." The Introduction, and the Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism as crystallized within it, should first be constructed as a theoretical system to serve as the cornerstone of atheism, providing strong support through scientific theory. At the same time, the fruits of historical research must be integrated throughout the system, combining theory with historical materials, and theoretical exposition with the summarization of historical experience, thereby persisting in the unity of history and reality, and of logic and history. The Introduction is not a mere patchwork or combination of various research results and academic resources. The whole of the Introduction and each of its parts must consistently persist in taking Marxism as guidance, integrating various academic resources from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, facing objective reality, and conducting independent research. We must strive to produce original results on major issues and build a system characterized by autonomy and originality. We must accurately grasp the research object of this discipline, and particularly handle its relationship with the discipline of Religious Studies with Chinese Characteristics, which is distinct from but partially overlaps with the object of our discipline.

The achievements of the Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory ^[20] implemented by the Party Central Committee are mostly presented in the form of undergraduate textbooks, including introductory textbooks for various disciplines. Following this practice, the Introduction for the atheism discipline can be compiled as an undergraduate textbook. At the Symposium on Work in Philosophy and Social Sciences, Comrade Xi Jinping requested that we do a good job in building the textbook system. He pointed out that "the disciplinary system is inseparable from the textbook system" and "if the textbook system does not improve, the disciplinary system will lack stamina." Textbooks for the atheism discipline possess a strong ideological character and should implement the spirit of Comrade Xi Jinping's discourses on ideological and political courses. The Introduction to Atheism must persist in the unity of political orientation and academic rigor (xuelixing), possessing both a firm and correct political direction and the support of thorough academic analysis. It must persist in the unity of value-orientation and knowledge-provision, possessing both a correct value guidance and a foundation of rich knowledge. It must persist in the unity of constructiveness and criticality, fully expounding scientific theories while taking a clear-cut stand in analyzing and criticizing erroneous views. It must persist in the unity of theory and practice, explaining theory clearly and thoroughly while facing actual practice and answering questions arising from it.

Interviewer (▲): What you have discussed concerns both the question of how to construct the system for the Introduction and the question of how to construct the entire Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism.

Tian Xinming (●): At the methodological level, the construction of the system for the Introduction and the construction of the entire Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism are completely consistent. Building the system for the Introduction requires summarizing the existing achievements of the discipline, exploring their internal connections, discovering weak links or even gaps in disciplinary research, identifying key points, difficulties, and growth points of research, and proposing new tasks. This is both a summary of the history and current state of the discipline and a guide for its future development; thus, it can become a vital nexus for promoting disciplinary progress.

Interviewer (▲): One final question: What is the relationship between constructing a Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism and persisting in the "Two Combinations"?

Tian Xinming (●): I believe the "Two Combinations" constitutes the fundamental path for constructing a Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism.

Combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities is the fundamental principle established at the Party's Seventh National Congress in 1945. On the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Comrade Xi Jinping explicitly proposed "persisting in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with China's fine traditional culture." The 20th National Congress of the CPC established the principle of the "Two Combinations." Shortly after the 20th National Congress, Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "The fundamental path to promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the 'Two Combinations'." This thesis regarding the "fundamental path" is fully applicable to the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics and the construction of a Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism. While persisting in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities, the "Two Combinations" explicitly proposes the combination with China's fine traditional culture, thereby expanding the cultural foundations of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only by persisting in the "Two Combinations"—consistently rooting ourselves in social practice and facing objective reality, while using the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to understand the connotations and unique advantages of China's fine traditional culture and integrating them into this discipline—can we construct a Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism. Everything we have discussed—persisting in taking Marxism as guidance, integrating various academic resources from ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign sources, persisting in subjectivity and originality, and promoting systematization and theorization—represents the implementation of the "Two Combinations" principle in the construction of a Chinese autonomous knowledge system of atheism and the embodiment of persisting in this "fundamental path."