Academic Symposium "2022 National Forum on Basic Principles of Marxism" Held at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
To study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, facilitate exchange and the display of research results among experts and scholars engaged in the study and teaching of the basic principles of Marxism, and promote the classical inheritance and innovative development of these principles, the "2022 National Forum on the Basic Principles of Marxism and Seminar on the Basic Principles of Marxism and the Study of the Spirit of the 20th National Congress" was held at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) on November 6, 2022. The forum was hosted by the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the editorial department of World Socialism Studies, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Theories of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in Beijing Universities (China University of Political Science and Law), and organized by the School of Marxism at NUAA and the NUAA Base of the Jiangsu Center for the Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
The theme of this year's seminar was: "The Study and Application of the Basic Principles of Marxism: Studying the Spirit of the 20th National Congress." Specific topics included: (1) The spirit of the report to the 20th National Congress regarding economic development in the New Era; (2) The spirit of the report to the 20th National Congress regarding political development in the New Era; (3) The spirit of the report to the 20th National Congress regarding cultural development in the New Era; (4) The spirit of the report to the 20th National Congress regarding social development in the New Era; (5) The spirit of the report to the 20th National Congress regarding the development of ecological civilization in the New Era; (6) Thoughts on international issues in the report to the 20th National Congress; (7) Contemporary applications of the basic principles of Marxism; (8) Disciplinary development of the basic principles of Marxism, and so forth.
Attendees included Cheng Enfu, Member of the CASS Academic Division, Chief Professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (UCASS), and member of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the National People's Congress; Lin Jianhua, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS; Gao Huanyue, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Organization Department at China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) and Dean of its School of Marxism; and Jiang Bin, Vice President of NUAA. More than 300 renowned experts in Marxist theory, ideological and political theory teachers [1], and young scholars from universities, Party schools, and research institutions across the country—including CASS, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Jilin University, Shandong University, UCASS, CUPL, and NUAA—participated through a combination of online and offline formats.
The first half of the morning session was chaired by Professor Wang Zhi, Dean of the School of Marxism at NUAA. Opening remarks were delivered by Jiang Bin, Lin Jianhua, and Gao Huanyue.
In his address, Jiang Bin noted that the 20th National Congress emphasized that only by integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture [2], and by persisting in the use of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, can we correctly answer the major questions posed by the times and practice, and maintain the vigorous vitality of Marxism. Deeply studying the spirit of the 20th National Congress and conducting academic discussions on the basic principles of Marxism and their development in the New Era will help promote education, research, publicity, and talent cultivation in Marxist theory. NUAA inherits the "red gene" of serving the country through aviation, adheres to the original aspiration and founding mission of educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the state, and consistently advances with the times. Generations of NUAA personnel have kept the "greatest concerns of the nation" [3] in mind, making significant contributions to the cause of aeronautics and astronautics. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of NUAA, he thanked the experts for their guidance.
Lin Jianhua stated in his address that the forum has developed in tandem with the New Era and has now reached its tenth session, a result of the collective efforts of academic colleagues. He argued, first, that the spirit of the 20th National Congress must be studied "at the source and word-for-word," with a focus on the second part of the report, "Opening a New Frontier in the Sinicization and Modernization of Marxism," to gain a profound understanding of the underlying truths, academic logic, and philosophical principles. Second, it must be recognized that Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country were founded and thrive. Having the guidance of scientific Marxist theory is the fundamental reason why our Party maintains firm faith and conviction and grasps historical initiative; it is our Party’s distinct political character and powerful political advantage. Third, one must not only engage in "study-bound" scholarship but also step out of the study and into the heat of social life, "writing papers on the soil of China" [4] to solve Chinese problems and open new frontiers in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
Gao Huanyue used three pairs of keywords to express her views. The first: "Welcome and gratitude," expressing thanks to the experts and scholars on behalf of the organizers. The second: "Mission and responsibility." The contemporary value of Marxism has been fully demonstrated in the modernization of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This forum’s in-depth exploration of various ideas in the report to the 20th National Congress constitutes a timely and significant assumption of historical mission by Marxist researchers. The third: "Expectation and conviction." This conference, bringing together experts from numerous universities, is a high-end gathering for the Marxist theoretical community. The organizers possess robust academic strength to advance research into the basic principles of Marxism and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in philosophy and social sciences.
Professor Cheng Enfu delivered the keynote report. Utilizing his profound theoretical and academic foundations and a clear Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, combined with the spirit of the 20th National Congress and the Party’s innovative theories and practices, he proposed that the Party’s self-revolution must oppose five types of erroneous views: opposing and resisting erroneous trends of thought that deviate from Marxism; opposing individualism that deviates from "serving the public good"; opposing bureaucratism that is detached from the masses; opposing formalism that is detached from reality; and opposing "evasionism" (躲避主义) that fears struggle. Professor Cheng emphasized that Marxist scholars should be adept at organically combining academic research, theoretical publicity, and policy discussion to fulfill their responsibilities to the era.
The second half of the morning session was chaired by Professor Tai Lihua, Executive Dean of the School of Marxism at CUPL. Keynote reports were delivered by Yu Bin (CASS), Zhu Andong (Tsinghua), Wei Bo (Peking University), Liu Zhaofeng (Zhejiang University), Zhang Xinning (Fudan), Zhou Dan (CASS), and Xu Chuan (NUAA, delegate to the 20th National Congress), covering topics such as the "Spirit of Great Struggle in the New Era," "The World-Historical Significance of Chinese-path Modernization," and the "Foundations for Youth Work in the New Era."
The first half of the afternoon session was chaired by Research Fellow Yang Jing of CASS. Scholars including Zhu Jidong (CASS), Zhao Maosheng (CUPL), and others presented on topics such as Mao Zedong’s principles of theoretical innovation, the integration of Marxist principles with China's specific realities from the perspective of the materialist conception of history, the "Great Ideological and Political Course" [5], and the essential differences between Chinese-path modernization and capitalist modernization.
The second half of the afternoon session was chaired by Professor He Wei of NUAA. Reports covered the institutional basis of "people’s consumption democracy," the "Great Founding Spirit of the Party" as a spiritual force for modernization, the integration of the scientific spirit and the "spirit of the craftsman" [6], and the logic of capital expansion and its methods of prevention.
Research Fellow Zhang Jianyun, Director of the Marxist Philosophy Office at the Institute of Marxism Studies, CASS, provided the closing summary. She reviewed the ten-year history of the forum, noting its active role in promoting the study of Marxist classics, the application of basic principles, and the development of the discipline. The forum has served as a "spiritual home" for researchers and ideological and political theory teachers. This session’s focus on the spirit of struggle, Chinese-path modernization, upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, and the "Two Integrations" [7] ensured a successful conclusion. Professor Zheng Jingbin of Shandong University announced that the 2023 forum will be held in Jinan, Shandong.
(Report by Xue Chaofan and Lu Di)