Sun Yanhao: Profoundly Grasp the Practicality of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
In October 2023, the National Public Communication and Culture Work Conference was convened in Beijing, formally proposing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. This important thought constitutes the cultural volume within the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It originates from reality, uses reality to activate the past, and acts upon reality, possessing distinct characteristics of tooth-and-nail reality. Deeply grasping the reality of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is an important prerequisite for accurately understanding and effectively applying this scientific theory.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Emerged from an Accurate Grasp of Real-World Issues
Marxism has never been a pure speculation detached from reality, nor is it a hollow, abstract dogma of principles; rather, it always maintains an inherent and essential correlation with specific, concrete socio-historical realities. In The German Ideology, Marx critically pointed out that the Young Hegelians remained confined to abstract speculation and subjective imagination, explicitly stating that ideas are the "efflux" [1] of the real life-process. As the latest achievement of Marxist cultural theory, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is closely linked to reality. It is grounded in the specific environment of our country having achieved the First Centenary Goal [2], focuses on the cultural aspects of the process of Chinese-path modernization, and faces the urgent need to construct international discourse power and demonstrate cultural confidence. It is both a reflection and a product of social reality.
In the construction of Chinese-path modernization, our country’s historical tasks of poverty alleviation and the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society (xiaokang) have been completed. The material foundation required for socialist modernization and the development of the people has become more solid. At this juncture, the demand for "spiritual civilization" [3] construction has become increasingly prominent. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Chinese-path modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and spiritual civilization are coordinated. Material abundance and spiritual enrichment are the fundamental requirements of socialist modernization."
Regarding international civilizational exchange and the construction of our country's cultural system, as globalization continues to expand in multiple dimensions and new media and network technologies flourish, international cultural exchanges have become more frequent and profound. At the same time, the process of our national rejuvenation and modernization has entered a new stage, making cultural construction a matter of great urgency. Therefore, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made systematic deployments for cultural work, proposing that continuing to promote cultural prosperity, building a leading cultural power, and developing a modern Chinese civilization at this new starting point is our new cultural mission in the New Era.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is Grounded in Fine Traditional Chinese Culture
The reality of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is reflected not only in its accurate grasp of current conditions but also in its requirement to re-examine the past from the dimension of current reality and to carry out the "creative transformation and innovative development" of fine traditional culture.
History is the foundation of a nation; traditional culture is its soul. The modern form of a nation is always founded upon its past and deeply influenced by history. The Chinese nation possesses a cultural history of ten thousand years and a civilizational history of over five thousand years. The construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the process of Chinese-path modernization have both germinated and developed within this profound cultural heritage and magnificent historical continuity. The prominent continuity of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that the Chinese nation must follow its own path. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to traditional Chinese culture, explicitly noting: "If we do not understand China from the perspective of its long historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, impossible to understand modern China, and even more impossible to understand the China of the future." However, traditional culture is all-encompassing and complex. In its formation and development, it was inevitably constrained by the historical conditions and the limitations of people's cognitive levels at the time; thus, some content may appear anachronistic or dross by today's standards. How to re-activate the vitality of traditional culture and allow an ancient civilization to glow with new life is an unavoidable task.
Facing this situation, we must modernize traditional culture, "ensuring the most basic cultural genes of the Chinese nation are compatible with contemporary culture and coordinated with modern society," and "promote those cultural spirits that transcend time and space, cross national borders, possess eternal charm, and hold contemporary value." This achieves an "organic link between tradition and modernity," as well as the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. Making tradition "adapt" to the modern does not mean erasing the content and characteristics of traditional culture, but rather re-evaluating historical culture from a modern perspective, discovering and inheriting parts that remain valid, and using the spirit of the times to activate the vitality of fine traditional Chinese culture. This is a process of Aufheben (sublation) [4], a higher-level inheritance of traditional culture. To "promote" tradition in the modern era is not to follow old ways or remain stuck in self-seclusion; rather, it is to serve current cultural construction through the excavation and elucidation of fine traditional culture, continuously forging new glories for Chinese culture and building a socialist cultural power.
General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the "Second Combination" [5]—that is, combining the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture—thereby forming the important cultural thought of the "Two Combinations." Marxism has always occupied the fundamental guiding position in our country’s construction and development; cultural construction is likewise inseparable from the guidance of this scientific theory. The "Second Combination" provides the basic ideological compliance and important methodological guidance for fine traditional Chinese culture to integrate into current reality and complete its modern transformation. In his important speech at the Seminar on Cultural Inheritance and Development, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that Marxism brought advanced ideological theories to China, activated the genes of Chinese civilization with the light of truth, led China into the modern world, and promoted the renewal and modern transformation of Chinese civilization. From "people as the foundation" (minben) to democracy, from the "unification of the nine provinces" (jiuzhou gongguan) to the community for the Chinese nation, from "all things growing together" to the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and from "enriching the people and sustaining life" to common prosperity, Chinese civilization has opened up new vistas, achieved the leap from tradition to modernity, and developed the modern form of Chinese civilization.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Is Committed to Social Practice
In his Theses on Feuerbach, Marx negated the purely theoretical character of previous "old philosophy" based on a critique of Feuerbach’s intuitive materialism, noting: "The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it." The emphasis on practice was further elaborated in The German Ideology and became an inherent requirement of communism: "For the practical materialist, i.e. the communist, the whole thing is to revolutionize the existing world, to practically come to grips with and change the things he finds," and "Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things."
Explaining the relationship between man and the world from the perspective of practice is a prominent feature of Marxism. As a succession and development of Marxism, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture similarly emphasizes changing reality through practice. This thought emerged from a specific era and social reality and analyzes cultural issues from a philosophical height. However, this theory does not merely stop at "interpreting the world"; it is committed to "changing the world" on the basis of interpretation, using theory as a guide to transform reality.
The National Public Communication and Culture Work Conference clearly stated the distinct characteristic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in combining theory and practice: "grasping the essence and applying it, and integrating the substance with its function" (mingti dayong, tiyong guantong) [6]. Ti (substance/essence) refers to the principles, embodied in the innovative theories and viewpoints of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Yong (function/application) refers to practice, expressed in the overall strategic deployments and series of requirements. In terms of socialist ideology, we must firmly maintain the Party’s leadership over ideological work, implement the project to study and develop Marxist theory, strengthen the construction of an all-media communication system, and improve the comprehensive internet governance system. Regarding the practice of core socialist values, we must utilize "red resources" [7], carry out education on core socialist values, and institutionalize education on ideals and convictions. In the development of cultural undertakings and industries, we must adhere to a people-centered creative orientation, prioritize social benefits while unifying social and economic benefits, improve the modern cultural industrial and market systems, and increase efforts to protect cultural relics and heritage. In the context of propagating Chinese civilization, we must maintain the stand of Chinese culture, refine and display the spiritual symbols and cultural essence of Chinese civilization, strengthen international communication capacity, and comprehensively enhance international communication effectiveness to form an international discourse power commensurate with our comprehensive national strength and international status. We must deepen mutual learning between civilizations and promote Chinese culture to better reach the world.
By resolving real-world cultural problems and promoting spiritual-cultural development, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture aims to move Chinese culture toward prosperity, construct a Chinese-path modernization where material and spiritual civilizations are coordinated, and ultimately realize the free and comprehensive development of the individual and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the New Era and on the new journey, we should deeply grasp the reality of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and shoulder our new cultural mission under the guidance of this scientific theory.