Chen Xueming: On the Original Contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization to Marxist Philosophical Ontology
Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, as a crucial component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, represents a significant innovative achievement in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. This body of thought not only inherits Marxist ecological theory but also greatly develops it, a point upon which many scholars have already offered rich discourse. Furthermore, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization has made original contributions not only at the level of Marxist ecological theory but also to Marxist theory as a whole—including Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism—serving as one of the representative achievements of 21st-century Marxism. Regarding its original contributions to Marxist philosophy, it spans every branch of the field, including ontology, the historical outlook, axiology, and epistemology; relevant academic research in this area is currently surging. Here, the author attempts to discuss the original contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization to Marxist philosophical ontology.
I. Two Traditional Interpretative Paths of Marxist Philosophical Ontology
Although there is currently considerable disagreement within domestic academic circles regarding the concrete understanding of "ontology," there remains a relatively consistent view on fundamental theoretical grounds: any inquiry into the "existence" of all things in the world, probing the nature of being qua being, constitutes ontology. As György Lukács [1] proposed: "The object of ontology is what actually exists. Its task is to study the existing, and trace it back to its being, discovering the different levels and connections contained therein." Lukács further explained that ontology aims to "proceed from complex phenomena to basic elements and processes," finding the "ultimate determining force of concrete processes" within the "complex body." Clearly, "the existing" refers to the concrete manifestation of specific things, while "being" refers to the abstract nature behind them. Ontology seeks to transcend concreteness, aiming to elucidate the "levels and connections" behind it and clarify the "ultimate determining force." In the terminology of Chinese philosophy, this is the process of tracing the Dao (Way) by starting from the Qi (Vessel) [2].
Throughout the long tradition of Western philosophical history, from ancient Greece to German Classical Philosophy, ontology was regarded as "First Philosophy"—a question that any true philosopher or philosophical school must address. Hegel’s system of logic provided a masterful narrative of idealistic ontology, which became the direct starting point for Marxist critique and innovation. Marxism critiqued the Hegelian ontological narrative—which held that "religion, concepts, and the universal rule the existing world" and that "all beings, everything living on land and in water, can be reduced to logical categories through abstraction"—and provided its own ontological narrative of the existing world: "All beings, all things living on land and in water, exist and live only by virtue of some kind of movement. For example, the movement of history creates social relations; the movement of industry provides us with industrial products, and so on." What kind of ontology, then, is Marxist philosophical ontology? Generally speaking, two different interpretative paths exist in academia.
First, interpreting Marxist ontology as a "materialist ontology."
This interpretative path emphasizes that Marxist ontology must uphold the fundamental standpoint of materialism, stressing that matter is an objective reality existing independently of human consciousness, regarding matter as the origin of the world, and asserting that the world is unified in its materiality. Engels summarized the "fundamental question" of philosophy based on a review of two thousand years of Western tradition. From this perspective, the quest for the "levels and connections" of existence is reduced to the extraction of the most generalized levels and broadest connections of all things; the reflection on the "ultimate determining force" of existence is reduced to answering the question of the unified origin of all things. According to this interpretation, the long history of Western philosophical discourse surrounding the origin of the world—particularly the two theoretical lines of "materialism" and "idealism" clearly distilled in the modern era ("Those who asserted that spirit was primary to nature... formed the camp of idealism. The others, who regarded nature as primary, belong to the various schools of materialism")—constitutes the basic content of Marxist philosophical ontology. Since Marxist philosophy is a form of materialism, and Marx repeatedly emphasized "the materialistic basis of my method" and that "my method of presentation is not the Hegelian method, because I am a materialist and Hegel is an idealist," this philosophy must naturally provide a materialist answer to the question of the world’s origin to demonstrate its theoretical character.
The quality that distinguishes Marxist philosophy from other materialist schools lies precisely in its thorough and resolute implementation of the materialist ontological standpoint, extending materialist ontology from the explanation of nature to the explanation of human society. It describes human society as a material existence essentially identical to nature, and argues that its movements follow material laws just like nature does. Only in this way was the incompleteness of other materialist schools overcome and the final refuge of idealism conquered—achieving what Engels called "bringing the science of society... into harmony with the materialist foundation and reconstructing it on this basis," and what Lenin further emphasized as "discovering the materialist conception of history, or more accurately, the consistent extension and application of materialism to the field of social phenomena." After the 1930s, Marxist philosophy textbooks compiled by Soviet officials fixed this interpretation, forming an authoritative philosophical narrative system of dialectical materialism and historical materialism. This system long influenced the philosophical understanding of Marxists worldwide and formed the realization in China that "from Marx to Mao Zedong, upholding materialist ontology has been the mainstream of the history of Marxist development."
Second, interpreting Marxist ontology as a "praxis ontology."
This interpretative path suggests that Marxist ontology has transcended the approach of choosing an ultimate origin of the world from the dualistic opposition of matter and spirit, emphasizing that human practical activity (praxis) holds primary significance in Marx’s thought. The textual basis for this path is the first of the Theses on Feuerbach, where Marx highly emphasizes the role of praxis, arguing that old materialism "modeled reality, sensuousness, only in the form of the object or of contemplation," while the first point of the new materialism is to "conceive them as sensuous human activity, as praxis," and to "understand them subjectively." Besides the Theses on Feuerbach, other original works of Marx can support the viewpoint of praxis ontology. For example, The German Ideology emphasizes that "the sensuous world around him is not a thing given direct from all eternity, remaining ever the same, but the product of industry and of the state of society; and, indeed, in the sense that it is an historical product, the result of the activity of a whole succession of generations." This emphasis on human praxis does not, of course, view humans as a creator like the Christian God, but rather stresses the indelible role humans play in transforming and shaping nature and the perspective that humans endow the objective world with meaning, advocating that human practical activity is the ultimate determining force of the world’s development and change.
The tradition of interpreting Marxist ontology as praxis ontology began with Western Marxists. Karl Korsch, one of the founders of Western Marxism, proposed: "The materialistic reversal of the Hegelian idealistic dialectic by Marx and Engels consists merely in liberating this dialectic from its final mystical shell. Beneath the dialectical 'self-movement' of the 'Idea' was discovered the real movement of history, and this historical revolutionary movement was declared the only 'absolute' existence." In his view, Marx regarded social historical movement and human praxis as absolute existence; thus, Marxism is naturally a praxis ontology. Antonio Gramsci, another founder of Western Marxism, explicitly proposed theoretically that Marxism is a "philosophy of praxis" and fiercely opposed the monistic narrative of materialism, rejecting the view of objectively existing matter as the world’s origin. Gramsci did not completely abolish the ontological question regarding the world; rather, he opposed "materialist monism" while advocating "praxis monism," believing that the world is unified in "human activity in the concrete sense, which is inseparably combined with a certain organized historical 'matter' and with nature transformed by man." His proposition that "the world is unified in praxis" concisely summarizes the ontological thought of Western Marxism, particularly its humanist faction. Once this Western Marxist interpretation reached China, it was widely accepted by academia and became, to a large extent, a mainstream view.
In the final analysis, since ontology explores the levels and connections behind all things and elucidates the ultimate determining force, it must use this final answer to explain the status of nature and humanity in the world and their mutual relationship. Nature is both the main component of the world and the matrix from which human society emerged, as well as an indispensable object of human activity and social development. Probing the nature of the world first requires probing the status of nature, but such an inquiry is always inseparable from the study of humans; it is carried out to serve human life and guide human praxis. Although both aforementioned interpretative paths of Marxist ontology establish the status of nature in an ontological sense, they offer vastly different explanations of what nature is. The path interpreting Marxist ontology as materialist ontology emphasizes that nature is "nature-in-itself" (自在的自然), a nature that exists independently of humans and serves as the prerequisite for human existence. Conversely, the path interpreting it as praxis ontology emphasizes that nature is "humanized nature" (人化的自然), a nature created by human practical activity. Thus, corresponding to materialist ontology and praxis ontology are "nature-in-itself ontology" and "humanized nature ontology." The former indeed places nature in the position of origin, believing nature precedes humans and possesses objective reality, and that human activities must follow the objective laws of the material world. The latter, while not formally denying the priority of nature over humans, actually emphasizes that humans are the primary existence in the world and that human praxis is the world's origin. Western Marxist theorists strenuously advocate that Marxist ontology is praxis ontology; they often further illustrate this by arguing that Marxist ontology is a humanized nature ontology. They resolutely oppose seeing nature "purely objectively"; their core view emphasizes viewing nature through the lens of praxis—that is, believing that natural matter is appropriated through "historical labor" and is an "historical product."
II. The Ontology Implicit in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is a "Human-Nature Symbiosis Ontology"
Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is established on a profound philosophical foundation and is permeated with "philosophical reflection." In Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, we see precisely how General Secretary Xi Jinping traces from "the existing" (Qi) of ecological problems back to the "being" (Dao) of ecological problems. When discussing issues related to ecological civilization, General Secretary Xi ponders the ultimate relationship between humanity and the world—primarily nature—at the level of ultimate existence. Whether a doctrine constitutes an ontology depends primarily on whether it addresses the ultimate relationship between humanity and the world (primarily nature) and subsequently performs a philosophical abstraction of the basic elements constituting the entire world. Clearly, such philosophical abstraction exists in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, which is sufficient to prove that this thought contains a profound ontology. As Lukács said, "The higher the degree of complexity of a thing, the more uncertain objects human consciousness faces... only in the form of ontology can these facts be grasped." Faced with the chaotic phenomena of the ecological crisis in human society, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is articulated so profoundly and clearly, and guides our practice of building an ecological civilization so powerfully, precisely because it contains an ontological skeleton and grasps various issues of ecological politics, ecological sociology, ecological economics, and ecological governance within its ontological form.
Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization contains a profound ontology, a point that has in fact been recognized by many scholars. For example, some commentators point out that Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization "highlights a vivid 'life' character, endows nature with an equal status, and achieves an intellectual leap from a 'dialectical unity' to a 'life community,' representing a major innovation of the Marxist dialectical-unitary ecological ontology." Furthermore, others argue that Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, by "proposing the 'life community theory,' profoundly elucidates the symbiotic relationship between humanity and nature, thereby developing the Marxist ontology of 'humanized nature.'" While these studies share a basic consensus that an ontology exists within Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, they hold differing views on its specific content. What kind of ontology, then, is contained within Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization? In the author's view, since Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization manifests its ontology through the discourse on the relationship between humanity and nature, we must review how General Secretary Xi Jinping has exhorted the mutual relationship between the two.
In 2013, in a speech at the sixth group study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "Ecological civilization is a major achievement of the progress of human society. Humanity has passed through primitive civilization, agricultural civilization, and industrial civilization; ecological civilization is the product of industrial civilization reaching a certain stage of development, and it is a new requirement for achieving the harmonious development of humanity and nature. Viewed historically, when the ecology flourishes, civilization flourishes; when the ecology declines, civilization declines [3]. There are numerous examples of this throughout history, both in China and abroad."
In 2014, in a speech at the fifth meeting of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs, General Secretary Xi Jinping said: "Adhere to the principle of balancing population and economy with resources and environment. This is an important idea for ecological civilization construction proposed at the 18th National Congress of the CPC. To build an ecological civilization, we must first shift from changing and conquering nature to adjusting human behavior and correcting human errors. We must achieve harmony between humanity and nature, the unity of heaven and humanity [4], and not attempt to conquer the 'Old Man in the Sky' [5]."
In 2015, in the article "Leading Development with New Development Concepts to Win a Decisive Victory in the Stage of Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Green development focuses on solving the problem of harmony between humanity and nature. Green, circular, and low-carbon development is the direction of today's technological revolution and industrial transformation; it is the most promising field of development. Our country has considerable potential in this area, which can form many new points of economic growth."
In 2016, in a speech at a seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading officials on studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping said: "Regarding the issue of nature, Engels profoundly pointed out: 'Let us not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory, nature takes its revenge on us. Each victory, it is true, in the first place brings about the results we expected, but in the second and third places it has quite different, unforeseen effects, which only too often cancel the first.' Humans are born of nature; the relationship between humanity and nature is one of symbiosis, and harm to nature will ultimately harm humanity itself. Only by respecting the laws of nature can we effectively prevent taking detours in the exploitation and utilization of nature. This truth must be etched into our hearts and implemented in our actions."
In 2017, in the report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Humanity and nature form a life community; humanity must respect nature, follow nature's ways, and protect nature. Only by following the laws of nature can humanity effectively prevent taking detours in the exploitation and utilization of nature. Harm to nature will ultimately harm humanity itself—this is an irresistible law."
In 2018, in a speech at the conference marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must study and practice Marxist thought on the relationship between humanity and nature. Marx believed that 'man lives from nature,' and that nature not only provides the source of means of subsistence for humanity, such as fertile land and rivers, lakes, and seas rich in fish, but also provides the source of means of production. Natural objects constitute the natural conditions for human survival; humanity produces, lives, and develops in interaction with nature. If humanity treats nature well, nature will provide gifts in return, but 'if it is said that man has conquered the forces of nature by means of science and creative genius, then the forces of nature also take their revenge on man.' Nature is the mother of life; humanity and nature form a life community. Humanity must stand in awe of nature, respect nature, follow nature's ways, and protect nature. We must persist in the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, firmly establish and effectively practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, mobilize the strength of the entire society to promote ecological civilization construction, and work together to build a Beautiful China, so that the people can share the beauty of nature, life, and living amidst lucid waters and lush mountains, walking a path of civilized development characterized by developed production, affluent life, and sound ecology."
In 2018, at the National Conference on Environmental Protection, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Green is the symbol of life, the primary color of nature, the foundation of a better life, and the expectation of the masses. Green development is an important component of the new development philosophy, complementing and interacting with innovative, coordinated, open, and shared development. It is an all-encompassing transformation and an inevitable requirement for building a high-quality modern economic system. The goal is to change traditional production and consumption patterns characterized by 'heavy production, heavy consumption, and heavy emissions,' making factors such as resources, production, and consumption match and adapt to each other, so as to achieve the coordination and unity of economic and social development with ecological environmental protection, and the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature."
In 2019, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing, China, General Secretary Xi Jinping said: "We should pursue harmony between humanity and nature. Mountains covered in layers of forest, plains where blue sky and green land blend, and cities and countryside filled with the fragrance of flowers and the song of birds. Such natural beauty not only brings aesthetic enjoyment to the people but also serves as the foundation for humanity's future. With disorderly development and brutal plunder, humanity will surely suffer the ruthless revenge of nature; with rational utilization and friendly protection, humanity will surely receive the generous rewards of nature. We must maintain the overall ecological balance of the Earth, so that our future generations can enjoy rich material wealth while also being able to gaze at the stars, see the green mountains, and smell the fragrance of flowers."
In 2021, while presiding over the 29th group study session of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Our country's construction of socialist modernization has many important characteristics, one of which is that our modernization is the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, emphasizing the synchronous promotion of both material and ecological civilization construction."
In 2022, in the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Nature is the basic condition for human survival and development. Respecting nature, following nature's ways, and protecting nature are inherent requirements for building a socialist modern country in all respects. We must firmly establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and plan development from the height of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature."
In the above-cited statements by General Secretary Xi Jinping, one concept runs through them all and constitutes the cornerstone of the theoretical edifice of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization: "symbiosis between humanity and nature." Clearly, for General Secretary Xi Jinping, this concept is not merely a technical approach to describing how to eliminate ecological crises and build an ecological civilization, nor is it merely a description of the future direction of humanity after emerging from ecological crises. Rather, it is the construction of a new state of existence for human society within the material world, revealing the authentic meaning of the world. The concept of symbiosis between humanity and nature possesses ontological significance because any concept that summarizes the fundamental levels and connections of the world's existence, elucidates the mechanism of the ultimate determining forces, and particularly explains the status of nature and humanity in the world and their mutual relationship, constitutes an ontology. The concept of symbiosis between humanity and nature plays exactly such a pivotal role. General Secretary Xi Jinping has, in effect, presented us with a "human-nature symbiosis ontology." Although General Secretary Xi Jinping describes the symbiosis of humanity and nature as the origin of the world at the level of "ought" (normativity), this does not affect the ontological nature of the concept.
The symbiosis between humanity and nature forms a life community of humanity and nature. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "the ecosystem is an organic living body" and "this life community is the material basis for human survival and development." According to the view of Tönnies, an early authoritative interpreter of the concept of "community," a community, unlike a "society" which is a "mechanical aggregate and artifact," is a combination of organic life. It is not only "a vibrant organism" but also "a lasting and genuine common life." By extension, the ecosystem including all living species—that is, humanity together with other living species in nature—jointly constitutes a global life community with symbiotic connections and a shared future. It can be seen that this "life community" should be the true and ultimate existence and entity of the world, constituting the common existential basis for all things. General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the concept of a life community, which forms the view of nature and the ontological foundation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
We should pay special attention to what General Secretary Xi Jinping calls the "new requirement for achieving the harmonious development of humanity and nature," "planning development from the height of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature," the need to "achieve harmony between humanity and nature, the unity of heaven and humanity, and not attempt to conquer the Old Man in the Sky," the idea that "the relationship between humanity and nature is one of symbiosis, and harm to nature will ultimately harm humanity itself," that "green development focuses on solving the problem of harmony between humanity and nature," that "humanity and nature form a life community; humanity must stand in awe of nature, respect nature, follow nature's ways, and protect nature," that "we must persist in the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, firmly establish and effectively practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," that "we should pursue harmony between humanity and nature [where] mountains are covered in layers of forest, plains where blue sky and green land blend, and cities and countryside filled with the fragrance of flowers and the song of birds," and that "our modernization is the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature." These phrases are full of philosophical meaning and are imbued with observations of an ontological height.
General Secretary Xi Jinping said: "the ecological environment is the foundation of human survival and development; changes in the ecological environment directly affect the rise and fall of civilizations." Indeed, the establishment and transformation of the model of the relationship between humanity and nature correspond to the structural and holistic transformation of the forms of human civilization. In a certain sense, the development of human civilization, and even the development of human society as a whole, depends on the model of the relationship between humanity and nature. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization uses the symbiosis of humanity and nature as the ontological basis for analyzing problems in the ecological field, planning the rational form of ecological civilization, and guiding the strategy for its construction. This is not only theoretically visionary but also has a solid realistic basis.
III. The Transcendence of the "Human-Nature Symbiosis Ontology" of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization over the Traditional Marxist Philosophical Ontology
The previous section introduced the two traditional interpretive paths of Marxist philosophical ontology and discussed the human-nature symbiosis ontology contained within Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Next, we will perform a comparative analysis between the human-nature symbiosis ontology of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and these two traditional interpretive paths. From this, it will be easy to see that the human-nature symbiosis ontology is indeed a new expression of philosophical ontological significance, representing a transcendence and breakthrough of traditional Marxist ontology, and making an original contribution to it. Compared to the two traditional interpretive paths of Marxist philosophical ontology, the human-nature symbiosis ontology of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization can be called a high-level stage of ontology.
First, we analyze the breakthrough and transcendence of the human-nature symbiosis ontology over the first interpretive path—that which understands Marxist philosophical ontology as materialist ontology or an ontology of "nature-in-itself."
Since the "matter" and "nature-in-itself" referred to in materialist ontology primarily signify an objective reality independent of human will, the logic of interpreting Marxism as a materialist or nature-in-itself ontology carries the danger of leading Marxism toward a disregard for human agency. From the emergence of Western Marxism to the present, many scholars’ critiques of materialist and nature-in-itself ontology have focused precisely on this point, and their critiques are not without reason. On the basis of constant reflection on the important status of nature, General Secretary Xi Jinping does not regard simple nature, but rather the symbiosis of nature and humanity—the "life community of humanity and nature"—as the basis and origin of the world. Clearly, General Secretary Xi Jinping's human-nature symbiosis ontology and life community ontology push materialist and nature-in-itself ontology forward. General Secretary Xi Jinping has added the human element into the category of ontology.
In terms of fundamental direction, there is nothing wrong with the principles of the ontological priority of nature maintained by materialist ontology and the ontology of "nature-in-itself." However, the birth of humanity and the active relationship of humans toward nature are themselves active results of the development of the material world. Under these circumstances, we should uphold the principle of the priority of nature while fully considering the premise of humanity’s active relationship toward nature. The active role of humanity regarding nature is irreversible and is a necessary condition for the formation and development of human civilization; we should not "go backward" and obstruct the progress of human civilization. Precisely because the significance of the birth of humanity for nature exists irreversibly, for humanity, "respecting nature" does not mean returning to a "world without people" or returning to a state of inaction. Rather, it means striving to balance the relationship between the objective laws of nature and human agency. Overcoming the defects of an over-emphasis on materialist ontology or the ontology of nature-in-itself does not mean ignoring nature’s priority to act Willfully or recklessly; rather, it means following the historical trends and logical threads of the development of material nature, relying on nature’s "forward movement" to form and develop human society, and then utilizing nature through human society’s increasing movement toward freedom and consciousness. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis is superior to materialist ontology and the ontology of nature-in-itself precisely because it conforms to the irreversible historical process of humanity’s active role toward nature, integrating natural factors with human factors.
Next, we analyze the distinction between the ontology of human-nature symbiosis in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and the traditions of "praxis-centered ontology" and the "ontology of humanized nature."
Contrary to materialist ontology and the ontology of nature-in-itself, praxis-centered ontology and the ontology of humanized nature run the risk of one-sidedly exaggerating the role of humans, even interpreting nature entirely as a tool or servant of human activity. In the history of Marxist development, the waves of resentment, rejection, and criticism toward this view arise not only from the inertia of traditional thinking but also from profound realistic foundations and considerations. Therefore, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis and the ontology of a "life community" also push forward praxis-centered ontology and the ontology of humanized nature. General Secretary Xi Jinping has fused natural elements into the categories of ontology.
Although the concepts of the "ontology of humanized nature" and the "ontology of human-nature symbiosis" both contain the word "nature," the status of this word differs fundamentally between them. In the ontology of humanized nature, nature is subordinate to humans; the relationship between nature and humanity is that of the conquered and the conqueror. In the ontology of human-nature symbiosis, nature and humanity are equal; their relationship is one of symbiosis and mutual constitution. General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "Natural objects constitute the natural conditions for human survival. Humans produce, live, and develop through interaction with nature. When humans treat nature well, nature provides gifts; but 'if it is said that man by his science and creative genius has subdued the forces of nature, those forces of nature take their revenge on him.' Nature is the mother of life; humanity and nature form a life community. Humanity must revere nature, respect nature, follow nature, and protect nature." This passage by General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly explains the fundamental difference between his ontology of human-nature symbiosis and praxis-centered or humanized nature ontologies. Through General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis, we can clearly understand: if we only acknowledge the priority of nature, then a nature without humans is an existential "nothingness" for humanity; yet if we eliminate natural elements from ontology and attempt to let "humanized existence" completely replace nature itself, humanity will suffer revenge and ultimately return to the "nothingness" of existence itself.
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s remarks regarding "the forces of nature take their revenge on him" clearly cite and accept the relevant thoughts of Engels. As Engels said, "At every step we are reminded that we by no means rule over nature like a conqueror over a foreign people, like someone standing outside nature," whereas praxis-centered ontology and the ontology of humanized nature carry the danger of leading humanity toward "ruling over nature like a conqueror over a foreign people" and "standing outside nature." General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis can completely avoid this danger. Because praxis-centered ontology and the ontology of humanized nature over-emphasize human agency, they move toward the position of being a mere antithesis to materialist ontology and the ontology of nature-in-itself. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis, by placing human agency in an appropriate position, neither simply clings to the "thesis" of materialist ontology and the ontology of nature-in-itself, nor simply moves to its opposite. Instead, it pushes materialist ontology and the ontology of nature-in-itself forward in a correct and dialectical manner through an attitude of Aufhebung [6].
Marx pointed out long ago that without humanity’s creative acts, nature is "dead" and the splendid scenes of today would never have appeared. However, human creative acts are not the result of the human species acting according to its own whims, but are the product of the interaction between humanity and nature. In this sense, Marx called the "interaction between humanity and nature" the "true resurrection of nature." Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis is in the same lineage as Marx’s "true resurrection of nature." Marx described the future communism as "the realized naturalism of man and the realized humanism of nature." General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis focuses on the fusion of naturalism and humanism. Based on the level of economic and social development in the 21st century and facing problems and challenges directly, it provides a new ontological theoretical form for humanity’s movement toward communism.
In the world today, there are two main trends of thought regarding how to face ecological problems: first, ecocentrism; and second, anthropocentrism. The former adheres to "natural value theory" and "natural rights theory," using the excuse of ensuring the overall harmony of the ecosystem to deny humanity’s right to survival and development. The latter ostensibly maintains human interests but in reality only maintains human material desires, advocating for the bottomless extraction of resources from nature. China’s path of ecological civilization construction is neither an ecocentric path nor a path that simply accepts anthropocentrism. On the one hand, China’s ecological civilization construction recognizes the objective existence of nature as a whole and the objective laws of interdependence and mutual influence within nature; in dealing with the relationship between humanity and nature, it emphasizes the need to respect, follow, and protect nature. On the other hand, it also demonstrates human subjective agency; it does not simply adapt to nature but is committed to transforming nature according to its laws, striving to build a modernization characterized by harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. China’s path of ecological civilization construction has already achieved great success, a fact recognized globally. Successful practice in ecological civilization construction is rooted in correct philosophical theory, and this root is the ontology of human-nature symbiosis in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ontology of human-nature symbiosis breaks through and transcends the two traditional explanatory directions of Marxist philosophical ontology, upholds and advances Marxist ontological thought, and makes an original contribution to Marxist ontology.
Facing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization—this contemporary Chinese Marxism and the latest theoretical achievement in the history of Marxist development—the important mission of scholars is to study it earnestly, comprehend it profoundly, and, on this basis, provide a systematized and academic explanation. This article has only discussed the original contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization to Marxist philosophy from an ontological perspective. In reality, the original contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization to Marxist philosophy is all-encompassing, including the historical outlook, value system, epistemology, and other aspects. Moreover, its original contribution to Marxism is not limited to Marxist philosophy; it has similarly made original contributions to Marxist political economy and scientific socialism. The author will elaborate on these other original contributions in separate articles.
Source: Journal of the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences November 13, 2024 Online Editor: Jing Mu