Review of "38 Famous Scholars on Classics of Marxism-Leninism"
In December 2012, the book 38 Renowned Scholars Discuss the Classics of Marxism-Leninism, edited by the Division of Marxist Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), was published by China Social Sciences Press. The book is a collection of essays written by 38 leading domestic experts, organized by the CASS Division of Marxist Studies around the theme of promoting the study of classics such as the Collected Works of Marx and Engels and the Selected Thematic Works of Lenin [1] to serve the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The volume is divided into three parts: "Special Themes on the Collected Works," "Comprehensive Research," and "Research on Contemporary Reality." It brings together 38 articles totaling 561,000 characters.
This collection is another collective masterpiece launched by the CASS Division of Marxist Studies, following 36 Renowned Scholars Discuss the 60th Anniversary of New China's Development and 36 Renowned Scholars Discuss the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the CPC. Against the background since 2008 where the Western financial crisis, debt crisis, and the wider global economic crisis have triggered a "fission" [2] in world thought and action—with the current capitalist system facing continuous global reflection and condemnation, and Marxism and socialism once again becoming a conscious, rational "focus" and "hot topic"—the publication of this book undoubtedly holds significant theoretical and practical importance. It assists in better understanding the original Marxist classics and further promotes the Sinicization, popularization, and adaptation of Marxism to the contemporary era.
The 38 papers in the book cover research fields such as politics, economy, culture, ecology, and military affairs, featuring a rigorous structure and rich content. The spirit of "grasping both ends thoroughly" (the "two ends" being the original classics at one end and contemporary practice at the other) runs throughout the volume. The main characteristics of this book can be summarized in the following three aspects.
I. Emphasis on the Classics
Facing the new requirements for Party building posed by profound changes in world and national conditions, and confronting the "four tests"—the test of governance, the test of reform and opening up, the test of the market economy, and the test of the external environment—the Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee proposed the proposition of "building a Marxist learning-oriented political party." This was intended to help the whole Party strengthen its awareness of potential hardships, remain constantly concerned about the Party's fate, fulfill its responsibilities for the Party's revitalization, and remain courageous in transformation and innovation while never becoming rigid or stagnant. Since this proposition was put forward, the entire Party has been putting it into practice. Implementation varies in speed and authenticity; systematic study of the Collected Works of Marx and Engels and the Selected Thematic Works of Lenin published in 2009 is a practical step in this implementation.
The proposition of "building a Marxist learning-oriented political party" itself tells us plainly that the core of "building" is "learning." However, what to learn, how to learn, and what to do after learning are the key issues that need to be understood. This collection provides answers to these three questions.
What to learn? As a Marxist political party, the core content of study is the original Marxist classics. Through these works, one masters the basic principles of Marxism and its stance, viewpoint, and method. In this collection, although the themes of the 38 papers are distributed across various disciplines, a distinct main line—a "red thread"—runs through all the articles: the emphasis on studying the original classics. Studying the classics does not require everyone merely to be familiar with or even memorize quotes from the revolutionary mentors, nor does it ask people to look for fragmented words or thoughts in the classics to suit contemporary reality in a piecemeal fashion. Such "bookishness" (benben zhuyi) [3] and pragmatic methods of study, along with their hazards, have long been discarded by and alerted our Party. Studying the classics is primarily about mastering the basic principles, stances, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism through systematic textual study. It aims to establish faith in communist ideals and achieve the goal of "consciously liberating one’s thoughts from outdated concepts, practices, and systems; from erroneous and dogmatic understandings of Marxism; and from the shackles of subjectivism and metaphysics," so as to better serve socialism with Chinese characteristics.
For instance, Xu Guangchun, in his article "Building a Solid Foundation for the Sinicization of Marxism," emphasizes that the basic principles, viewpoints, stances, and methods constitute the essence and core of the scientific system of Marxist thought and the solid foundation for the Sinicization of Marxism. To this end, one must conscientiously read and understand the classic documents and repeatedly research their theories. Jiang Liu and Zhao Yao emphasize in their respective articles that the key to studying the classics lies in grasping the basic principles and the stance, viewpoint, and method. Other authors in the book re-examine specific classic chapters of Marxism-Leninism, centering on the Collected Works and Selected Thematic Works and combining them with the current international situation and the actual development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, putting forward many new viewpoints and ideas. For example, Wei Xinghua discusses how to "correctly understand and treat capitalism" in his study notes on "Lenin’s Selected Thematic Works: On Capitalism," and Wu Xiongcheng further discusses the questions of "what is Marxism and how to treat Marxism" in his notes on "Lenin’s Selected Thematic Works: On Marxism."
II. Integration with Reality
How to learn? The choice of path determines the achievement of goals, and the application of study methodology affects the results. "How to learn" is primarily a matter of "the bridge and the boat" [4]. Faced with hundreds of volumes of Marxist-Leninist classics, as well as the 15-volume selected editions of the Collected Works of Marx and Engels and the Selected Thematic Works of Lenin, how to read them to better and faster understand and master their basic principles, stances, viewpoints, and methods is indeed a major issue that requires serious and continuous reflection. Otherwise, one will fall into the quagmire of "learning for learning's sake" or improper methods, resulting in half the result for twice the effort or no progress at all.
To this end, the experts and scholars in this collection summarize their own academic experiences and propose that the study of classics must be integrated with reality and conducted through critical thinking. The authors emphasize the need to read deeply into the historical background and the ideological system of the original works. On the basis of understanding individual pieces, one should link different chapters to enhance comprehension, deeply excavate the significance of the writing, and profoundly analyze the origin and development of ideological viewpoints. One must study with a mindset that advances with the times, considering the economic, political, and social backgrounds in which Marxism emerged. It is necessary to clarify: which are the basic principles of Marxism that must be upheld over the long term; which are the theoretical judgments that need to be enriched and developed in combination with new realities; which are the dogmatic understandings of Marxism that must be broken; and which are the erroneous views attached to the name of Marxism that must be clarified. The authors advocate for an in-depth study of Marxism integrated with developing practice. Only in this way can we truly understand Marxism, enrich its connotations through innovation, more profoundly grasp the practical value, theoretical contributions, and practical requirements of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and continuously enhance our consciousness, confidence, and determination in implementing the latest achievements of the Sinicization of Marxism, such as the Scientific Outlook on Development [5].
In addition, some authors use specific works as examples to teach readers how to study the classics. For instance, Yang Chungui, in "How We Read the Communist Manifesto Today," uses that text as a template. A considerable number of authors base themselves on the present, analyzing specific classic chapters in light of reality. For example, Cheng Enfu and Liu Zhaofeng conduct a theoretical critique of contemporary "fetishism" by combining the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and the Critique of the Gotha Programme; Hou Huiqin discusses the contemporary value of The German Ideology by summarizing its theoretical contributions; and Zhou Xincheng, through a systematic study of the theory of surplus value in Capital, proposes that this theory "allowed bright sunlight to shine into the field of economics."
III. Application of Principles
What to do after learning? Of course, one does not learn for the sake of learning, but for the sake of better inheritance, application, and development. This means that on the basis of inheriting Marxism, one applies the mastered basic principles, stances, viewpoints, and methods to study the issues of the current era, the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the relationship between China and the West, and the relationship between socialism and capitalism. It involves refining ideas from domestic and international practices and elevating them into theory to develop Marxism. This is the social responsibility and professional mission of Marxist social science experts. The authors in this book fully demonstrate such theoretical confidence and theoretical self-awareness.
For example, Li Shenming, standing on the position of the fundamental interests of the masses, healthy economic development, social security and stability, and even the nature of society, uses basic Marxist principles, viewpoints, and methods to analyze the dual nature of housing in the primary stage of socialism in China. Li Chongfu uses the Marxist view of ecology to analyze the causes of ecological problems arising during China's market-oriented reforms, proposing the necessity and great significance of China building a "Two-Oriented Society" (resource-saving and environment-friendly). He Ganqiang, in "The Theory of Justice in Historical Materialism and its Contemporary Value," excavates the ideas of justice within the historical materialism of Marx and Engels to refute various idealistic theories of justice currently circulating in society, thereby correcting unhealthy ideological tendencies and clarifying a theory of justice for the primary stage of socialism in contemporary China. Zhao Zhikui, taking Engels's Socialism: Utopian and Scientific as an example, demonstrates that modernization is the fundamental requirement for the development of Marxism, popularization is the realistic need for its development, and Sinicization is the necessity of its development in China; he further proposes that the Europeanization, Sinicization, and globalization of Marxism are historical inevitabilities. Yu Bin, through an analysis of basic capitalist thought, offers rational reflections and suggestive proposals on how China should develop after deeply integrating into the international community.
38 Renowned Scholars Discuss the Classics of Marxism-Leninism features a powerful lineup of authors, mostly authoritative experts from within and outside Beijing in their respective research fields. The collected papers not only cover a wide range of areas but also possess high ideological, theoretical, and readable qualities. This brief introduction and review only captures a fraction of the viewpoints of some of the authors. Readers are encouraged to read the book directly to discover the other major scholars and the specific content and ideas contained within.
(The author, He Xinyuan, is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Marxism Studies. The original title of this article was "Emphasize the Classics, Integrate with Reality, Apply the Principles: A Review of 38 Renowned Scholars Discuss the Classics of Marxism-Leninism")