Zhang Hao: Key Focus Points for Deeply Studying and Understanding Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought
Since the 18th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, standing at the strategic height of building a powerful country and achieving national rejuvenation, has scientifically answered a series of major theoretical and practical questions surrounding fundamental issues—such as which flag to raise and which path to follow for cultural construction in the New Era—thereby forming Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. The Outline for the Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture systematically explains the fundamental spirit, content, and requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. It comprehensively reflects the original contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the cultural field and serves as an authoritative supplementary reading for the in-depth study and comprehension of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. To deeply study and thoroughly understand Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, one must make good use of this authoritative material, following the requirements of studying the original text thoroughly and systematically, studying in light of reality and focusing on key points, and studying through inference and comprehensive integration. Persistent efforts must be made in comprehensive study, comprehensive grasping, and comprehensive implementation to effectively achieve the integration of study, thought, and application, and the unity of knowledge, belief, and action.
Study the Original Text Thoroughly and Systematically
For every step forward in the Party’s theoretical innovation, theoretical arming must follow suit. Adhering to the use of the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism to arm the whole Party, guide practice, and promote work is an important experience of our Party in creating history and achieving brilliance. A vital step in theoretical arming is to read the original works and study the original texts thoroughly and systematically. Engels said: "Studying the original works themselves will prevent one from being led astray by some brief readings and other secondary materials." Original works and texts best embody the spiritual essence and core tenets of a theory, providing the most accurate navigation for our in-depth study and comprehensive grasp of that theory.
In deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the original works and texts are the most authoritative; only by studying deeply and thoroughly can one comprehensively and accurately grasp its true essence, inner meaning, and intellectual cream. The most effective method to deeply study and thoroughly understand Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is to rely on authoritative readings such as the Outline for the Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, studying the original texts thoroughly and reading the original works conscientiously. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the theoretical summation of the practical experience of cultural construction led by the Party in the New Era. It is a major achievement of persisting in the "Two Combinations" [1] and advancing the innovation of Marxist cultural theory, constituting the "cultural chapter" of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must conscientiously read the original works, study the original texts, and comprehend the principles, deeply grasping the historical, theoretical, and practical logic contained within this thought. We must study and comprehend its core tenets, spiritual essence, rich connotations, and practical requirements, striving to master the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method [2] that run through it, while constantly deepening our understanding and achieving comprehensive mastery.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is rich in connotation, broad, and profound. It systematically answers the major questions of what kind of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics to persist in and develop in the New Era, and how to do so. It profoundly clarifies a series of directional, fundamental, and overall issues, and comprehensively expounds on the status, roles, goals, tasks, policies, principles, strategic paths, and practical requirements of cultural construction in the New Era. It contains both innovative breakthroughs in cultural theory and layouts and deployments for cultural work; it is a scientific system characterized by "clarifying the Substance and attaining its Function" [3] and the "integration of Substance and Function" (明体达用、体用贯通). In deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, we must emphasize its holistic and systematic nature. We must persist in studying and comprehending it through connection rather than isolation, systematically rather than fragmentarily, and comprehensively rather than one-sidedly. We must understand and master its internal logic, ensuring we know not only the surface but also the interior, not only the words but also the meaning, and not only the "what" but also the "why."
Study in Light of Reality and Focus on Key Points
The value of theory lies in guiding practice; the purpose of study lies entirely in application. Vital ideological theories always complement practice, revealing regularities and indicating foresight. The practice of building a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics has no end, and likewise, ideological tempering and theoretical elevation have no end. Only by reading classic texts and exploring the source of theory in combination with the practical process of socialist cultural construction and the vivid, real scenes of cultural life and production, can one truly appreciate the vitality and charm of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and perceive the powerful force of truth contained within it. As Marx pointed out: "Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it." To change the world, the key lies in starting from a correct stance, sublimating scientific theory from practice, and then using scientific theory to guide practice, effectively turning scientific theory into a powerful ideological weapon for transforming both the subjective and objective worlds.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture was formed in the historical process of the profound interaction between theoretical and practical innovation in socialist cultural construction. It originates from practice while guiding and promoting the forward development of practice, possessing a distinct practical character and providing scientific guidance for the in-depth promotion of building a cultural powerhouse. To deeply study and thoroughly understand Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, we must promote the Marxist style of study that links theory with practice, persist in applying what is learned and the unity of knowledge and action (知行合一), and deeply understand the problem-oriented and practice-oriented nature within this ideological system. We must closely integrate it with the strategic goals and key tasks of cultural construction in the New Era and the prominent problems facing China's cultural development. We must consciously implement this thought in all aspects and the whole process of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, enhancing the principled, systematic, forward-looking, and creative nature of our work, and effectively transforming the results of study into a powerful driving force for high-quality development in culture.
In studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the broad masses of Party members and cadres must "put themselves in, put their responsibilities in, and put their work in." They must work hard to push the application of study deeper and further, effectively solving the question of "who am I, for whom am I, and on whom do I rely," while constantly improving their political ability, strategic vision, and professional level in recognizing, analyzing, and solving problems. One must combine the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture with the work being promoted and the people being served, as well as with the actual situations and contradictory problems discovered through in-depth grassroots research. We should persist in focusing our study on whatever we are doing and supplementing our knowledge in whatever we lack, thereby enhancing the relevance of study and striving to improve its effectiveness. Facts prove that only by closely linking with the specific reality of the New Era, integrating with one's own duties, and accurately grasping the worldview, methodology, and the stance, viewpoint, and method running through this thought, can we better comprehend its essence and tenets, get our ideological methods right, identify problems comprehensively, analyze causes thoroughly, and make measures precise.
Study Through Inference and Comprehensive Integration
Learning is the foundation of thinking, and thinking is the deepening of learning. If one only reads mechanically, accepts passively, and browses simply without thinking, even the best theory will be difficult to absorb and digest. Confucius said: "Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." In deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, we must persist in the integration of study, thought, and application, and the unity of knowledge, belief, and action. We must truly understand it deeply and thoroughly, striving to elevate perceptual knowledge into systematic rational knowledge, being able to draw inferences from one instance to another (举一反三), and achieving comprehensive integration and mastery.
The successive publication of authoritative study materials such as the Outline for the Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has provided solid support for the broad masses of Party members and cadres to comprehensively and profoundly grasp the basic viewpoints and scientific system of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. While studying these primary contents, we must also strive for holistic mastery and comprehensive integration. We should persist in combining history with reality, theory with practice, and the international with the domestic. We must conduct deep research and careful deliberation from the whole to the parts and then from the parts to the whole. We should place Xi Jinping Thought on Culture within the historical context of the Party’s theoretical development, within the scientific system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, within the new development stage of building a modern socialist country in all respects and marching toward the Second Centenary Goal [4], and within the historical achievements and transformations in cultural construction since the 18th Party Congress. By doing so, we can accurately understand the important concepts and formulations while paying attention to systematicity, holism, and synergy, striving to study deeply and understand thoroughly, and avoiding fragmented or one-sided understanding that "sees the trees but not the forest."
To achieve comprehensive integration during the study process, one must learn to infer through analogy and draw broad lessons from specific instances. We should apply a comprehensive and relational viewpoint, combining the study and comprehension of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture with the study of the basic principles of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture, as well as with the study and absorption of the outstanding civilizational achievements of the world. This will deepen our understanding of China’s history and cultural traditions from broader fields and dimensions, and enhance our recognition of promoting civilizational renewal and creating a new form of human advancement [5], thereby more deeply perceiving the civilizational breadth embodied in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. We should integrate the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture with Xi Jinping Thought on Economy and other frameworks, accurately grasping the logical connections between them to more comprehensively and accurately understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Finally, we should combine the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture with the study of the history of the Party, the People's Republic of China, reform and opening up, the development of socialism, and the development of the Chinese nation. We must integrate it with the implementation of various strategic deployments for cultural construction made by the Party Central Committee since the 18th Party Congress, consciously reflecting the requirements of cultural construction in all aspects and the whole process of economic, political, social, and ecological construction.