High-level Forum Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the China Society of Historical Materialism Held at Sichuan University
On April 17, the "Academic Symposium Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China and the High-Level Forum on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Chinese Society of Historical Materialism" was held at Sichuan University. The event was co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Historical Materialism, the National Research Center for Cultural Security and Ideology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and Sichuan University, and was organized by the Journal of Sichuan University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition) and the School of Marxism at Sichuan University.
At the opening ceremony, Gao Zhongwei, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, introduced the development of philosophy and social sciences in Sichuan Province. He argued that this forum is of profound significance for further driving us to continuously summarize experience and draw wisdom from the Party’s extraordinary century-long journey, its original aspiration and founding mission, and the Party’s spiritual pedigree [1], in order to grasp the general trends of the present and future and maintain historical initiative [2].
Professor Cao Ping, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC Sichuan University Committee and Dean of the School of Marxism, noted in her address that for one hundred years, the Party has persisted in integrating the universal truths of Marxism with China’s concrete reality across all historical periods. While driving new breakthroughs, performances, and achievements in the cause of the Party and the state, it has continuously promoted the Sinicization of Marxism, opening new frontiers for Sinicized Marxism. She stated that celebrating the Party’s centenary under the theme of "Viewing Great Changes Unseen in a Century through the Grand Vision of the Party’s Centenary" [3] carries deep significance.
Professor Hou Huiqin, President of the Chinese Society of Historical Materialism and Director of the National Research Center for Cultural Security and Ideology of CASS, emphasized in his speech that there is an essential correlation between Marxism and the Communist Party of China. He asserted the need to remain unswerving in upholding the basic positions of fundamental Marxist theory, the direction of integrating theory with practice [4], and the revolutionary spirit of Marxism.
Subsequently, Professor Hou Huiqin delivered a keynote report titled "The Century-Long Path of the Communist Party of China’s Ideological Construction." He pointed out that, based on a consistent adherence to Marxism, the CPC has successively manifested four ideological modalities: ideology as a new type of revolution, ideology as the foundation of the state, ideology as reformative construction, and ideology as reaching its finalized form. These four modalities each possess distinct characteristics in terms of their subject matter and conceptual forms. Professor Zhang Lei, Honorary Dean of the School of Marxism at Sichuan University, noted in his commentary that against the historical backdrop of "great changes unseen in a century," the CPC has led the people of the whole nation to establish a foundation for the country and clarify the direction of progress, continuously reshaping its image and integrating into the world without losing itself or abandoning its original aspiration.
More than 200 experts and scholars in the field of historical materialism from universities, Party schools, and academic journals attended the on-site meeting. This symposium and high-level forum utilized a combination of offline and online formats, expanding the degree of participation, scope of radiation, and influence of the meeting, with the number of online participants reaching over 11,000.
Source: Guangming Daily