Cheng Dongwang and Peng Weibing: Theoretical Origins, Fundamental Tenets, and Great Significance of Xi Jinping's Concept of Heroes in the New Era

The view of heroes is a general outlook on the essence and historical status of heroes, a fundamental perspective on questions such as how to treat and cultivate them, and a significant component of the conception of history. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of venerating heroes and carrying forward their spirit. Proceeding from the Marxist view of heroes and integrating the conditions of the world, the nation, the Party, and the people, he has delivered a series of important discourses on the subject, establishing a scientifically systematic Xi Jinping view of heroes in the New Era with rich connotations. Deeply researching this view—tracing its theoretical origins, distilling its basic tenets, and revealing its profound significance—plays a vital role in helping people to study, understand, and internalize it.

I. The Theoretical Origins of Xi Jinping’s View of Heroes in the New Era

Any theoretical system is invariably built upon the theoretical foundations of predecessors. Marx once emphatically pointed out: "Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past." This applies to both material and intellectual production; the latter must also proceed based on prior material and intellectual achievements. Xi Jinping’s view of heroes in the New Era takes historical materialism as its philosophical foundation. It involves the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese heroic culture, fully absorbing its rich nourishment, and gestating within revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture. It possesses rich and far-reaching theoretical origins.

(1) Taking historical materialism as the philosophical foundation

Historical materialism concentrates the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism and serves as the philosophical foundation of Marxist doctrine. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In the various historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has applied historical materialism to analyze the movement of Chinese society and its laws of development systematically, concretely, and historically." As a proletarian party guided by Marxism, the Communist Party of China (CPC) considers the use of historical materialism to innovate and develop the view of heroes as its own fine tradition and historical mission.

1. Taking the basic principles of historical materialism regarding the creators of history as the ideological premise. Historical materialism truly discovered that the people occupy the position of the creators of history. Marx and Engels pointed out: "With the thoroughness of the historical action, the size of the mass whose action it is will therefore increase." The reason the masses are the creators of history and play a decisive role in the process of creating history is that their practical activities conform to the inevitable laws of social-historical development and represent the trends of social-historical development, thereby determining their status as the subjects of history. At the same time, historical materialism removed the "hero" from the conceptual world of the heroic conception of history ^[1], emphasizing that "the times create the hero." In the process of social development, provided there is a material basis, a social need, and a reflection of the requirements of the era and the will of the people, individuals from among the masses will inevitably grow into heroes. Which specific individual becomes a hero is an accidental event determined by historical necessity. For as Helvetius said, every social epoch needs its own great men, and when it does not find them, it invents them. History has long proven that great revolutionary struggles will create great figures and bring out talents that were impossible to exercise in the past. Furthermore, historical materialism reveals the intrinsic relationship between the people and heroes. A hero is by no means a "lone wolf hero" living in isolation, nor a "Savior" standing high above; rather, they come from the masses, rely on the masses, and serve the masses. The relationship with the masses is a "fish-and-water" relationship ^[2]. Once detached from the masses, a hero is like the ancient Greek mythological hero Antaeus—losing his strength once his feet leave the earth.

2. Taking the basic viewpoints of historical materialism on heroes as the logical starting point. While historical materialism holds that the masses are the creators of history, it also highly affirms the important role of heroes in historical activities. It views heroes as outstanding representatives of the masses in different periods, as "those who have worked for the common good and thereby ennobled themselves." Although constrained by objective conditions and social needs, heroes stand higher and see further than ordinary individuals; their desire to solve historical tasks is more intense. By virtue of their immense influence, they unite scattered individuals into a whole. Their subjective motivations align with historical laws, enabling them to master and establish scientific theories and make significant scientific decisions. Consequently, they play a greater role in the process of historical development than ordinary individuals. As the Russian Marxist theorist Plekhanov said, a great man "solves the scientific problems brought onto the agenda by the previous course of development of social intelligence; he points out the new social needs created by the previous development of social relations; he takes the initiative in satisfying these needs." Unlike the heroes of other classes, proletarian heroes can profoundly understand and grasp historical laws, reflect the will of the people, and propose feasible ideas and theories as solutions for completing historical tasks. They carry forward the revolutionary spirit of "daring to be the first in the world" ^[3], leading the masses in historical transformation, and dedicating themselves to promoting social development and civilizational progress to achieve the complete liberation of all humanity.

(2) Absorbing the rich nourishment of fine traditional Chinese heroic culture

The more than 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization has bred a profound fine traditional Chinese culture, including a long-standing fine traditional Chinese heroic culture, which constitutes the excellent cultural genes and spiritual wealth of the Chinese nation. Nurtured by this culture, the Chinese nation has produced heroes in every generation, many of whom—along with their heroic spirit—are still affectionately eulogized today, remaining fresh over time.

How did the ancient Chinese view heroes? The Eastern Han writer Liu Shao said in The Study of Human Characters: Heroes (Renwu Zhi: Yingxiong): "He whose intelligence and insight excel others is called ying (英); he whose courage and strategy surpass others is called xiong (雄)." In Liu Shao's view, a hero must be adept in both "the pen and the sword," possessing outstanding talent and wisdom alongside fortitude and bravery. Of course, every era has its own heroes; they carry the missions and tasks of their time, serving as important embodiments and vivid carriers of the spirit of the age. However, due to the lack of a scientific conception of history, the cognition of heroes among ancient Chinese people inevitably contained both "grain and chaff." Some revered national heroes and ordinary heroes among the common people, while others regarded emperors, generals, and itinerant swordsmen as heroes. Generally speaking, however, the ancient Chinese regarded those who served the country and the people as heroes. Historical facts bear this out: a true hero, regardless of type, reflects a precious quality of tenacious struggle and unyielding perseverance. More importantly, they manifest a sublime spirit of "sacrificing one's life for righteousness" ^[4], "loyal devotion to the country" ^[5], and "worrying about the country and the people." This is true from Su Wu, Yue Fei, Wen Tianxiang, and Zheng Chenggong to Feng Zicai and Lin Zexu. They are bound to be long celebrated by the sons and daughters of China. As Mr. Lu Xun said: "Since ancient times, we have had people who work pragmatically and tirelessly, people who risk their lives in hard work, people who plead for the people, and people who sacrifice themselves for the law... Even in the so-called 'official histories,' which are essentially genealogies for emperors and generals, their brilliance often cannot be hidden. These are the backbone of China."

During the various periods of revolution, construction, and reform, Chinese Communists have treated fine traditional Chinese heroic culture as a precious spiritual asset, endowing it with new connotations of the times and guiding people to inherit and carry it forward. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to vigorously promote fine traditional Chinese culture, including traditional heroic culture and spirit: "We must persist in making the past serve the present, drawing lessons from the past for today, and adhering to selective treatment and the discarding of dross while inheriting the essence." By drawing on these rich resources, the Xi Jinping view of heroes in the New Era has developed with deep national cultural roots. It is rooted in fine traditional Chinese heroic culture, nurtured by the lineage of the traditional Chinese heroic spirit, and based on the great practice of the New Era to achieve creative transformation and innovative development of the traditional Chinese view of heroes—inheriting the lineage while adding new qualities.

(3) Gestating and developing within revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture

Revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture are the advanced cultural achievements created by Chinese Communists leading the Chinese people in the process of national rejuvenation. They "accumulate the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation and represent the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese nation." Revolutionary culture primarily refers to the cultural remains formed during the revolutionary struggle led by the CPC. Among these, revolutionary heroes and the revolutionary spirit are the most distinct, vivid, and important essences, concentrated in the spiritual demeanor of courage in sacrifice, willingness to contribute, loyalty and unity, fearlessness of hardship, and the daring to win. They have formed a spiritual lineage including the Red Boat Spirit, the Jinggangshan Spirit, the Soviet Area Spirit, the Long March Spirit, the Yan'an Spirit, and the Xibaipo Spirit. These advocate "placing the interests of the revolution above all else, possessing a high sense of responsibility and initiative for the revolutionary cause, taking the revolution's worries as one's own, and its joys as one's own, and fighting for the revolutionary cause for a lifetime with utter devotion." Advanced socialist culture is the concentrated reflection in conceptual form of Chinese social economy and politics during the period of socialist construction. It takes Marxism as its guiding ideology, the "realization of the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics" as its theme, and the "cultivation of newcomers of the era capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation" as its goal. It is an advanced culture characterized as "national, scientific, and popular." During the period of socialist construction, under the leadership of the CPC, heroic models emerged in large numbers, and the masses created many important achievements of advanced socialist culture, including the Daqing Spirit, the Jiao Yulu Spirit, the Lei Feng Spirit, the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Spirit, the Earthquake Relief Spirit, and the Anti-Epidemic Spirit. These have left a distinct spiritual mark on advanced socialist culture. It is evident that whether in revolutionary culture or advanced socialist culture, heroes and the heroic spirit are the essence.

Based on the consistency of cultural genes, we use the specific cultural connotation of "Red" to provide an evocative expression, referring to revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture as "Red Culture." Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to "inherit revolutionary culture and develop advanced socialist culture," and that "the Red gene must not change; if it changes, the nature [of the Party/nation] will change." These important discourses enlighten us that Xi Jinping's view of heroes in the New Era is rooted in the matrix of revolutionary and advanced socialist culture, gestated from the Red gene inherent in this matrix, and draws inexhaustible momentum for development from it. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "make good use of Red resources, carry forward Red traditions, and inherit Red genes." He has led by example, demonstrating deep insight into revolutionary history, visiting revolutionary sacred sites, paying tribute to heroic martyrs, and exalting the revolutionary spirit. Using the "Four Don't Forgets" and "Three Hard-Wons" ^[6], he admonishes Party members and cadres to study and grasp the history of the Party and the history of New China. Simultaneously, he pays tribute to and extols heroes and models from all periods, calling on people to learn from them. He takes the older generation of heroes as his example, making the solemn vow that "I will put aside my own well-being for the sake of the people" ^[7] and putting into practice the "original aspiration and founding mission" through resolute action. He works diligently in his political career to serve the people without a moment's negligence, fulfilling the solemn vow to "ensure the Red landscape is passed down from generation to generation."

II. The Basic Tenets of Xi Jinping’s View of Heroes in the New Era

The era is the mother of thought; practice is the source of theory. Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has, based on the goals and tasks of the New Era, closely integrated the Marxist view of heroes with the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, clarifying the era-specific connotations. These connotations can be summarized into basic tenets such as: the people are the matrix that nurtures heroes; heroes are a powerful force for achieving national rejuvenation; and treating heroes well is an inevitable requirement for heroes to continue to emerge in the New Era.

(1) The people are the matrix that nurtures heroes

Any view of heroes must clarify the relationship between heroes and the people. The people are the matrix that nurtures heroes—this is the fundamental judgment of Xi Jinping's view of heroes in the New Era regarding this relationship. In other words, in terms of the creation of history, the people are the true heroes; in terms of the role of individuals in history, the heroes who play significant roles come from the people.

1. The people are the true heroes. As the subjects of social history, the masses are the true heroes who push history forward, playing a decisive role in every historical stage. In every period of China's revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has been able to continuously cross one hurdle after another—

Crossing "Snowy Mountains" and "Grasslands" ^[8] and capturing countless strategic passes such as "Loushan Pass" ^[9] and "Lazikou" ^[10] would have been impossible without the heartfelt support and endorsement of the people; it relied on bringing into full play the decisive role of the people in creating history. General Secretary Xi Jinping has drawn wisdom from the history of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform, emphasizing that "the historical materialist viewpoint that firmly believes the masses are the true heroes must never be lost," and he has strictly adhered to this in his own life experiences and administrative practice. From Liangjiahe ^[11] to Zhengding in Hebei, through Fujian, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, and finally to the central leadership, the conviction that "the people are the true heroes" has remained rock-solid in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s heart. During the seven years he spent as a "sent-down youth" ^[12] in the countryside as a young man, he truly witnessed the power of the masses and developed a genuine understanding of them. He later emphasized that those who helped him the most were "first, the revolutionary elders, and second, my fellow villagers in northern Shaanxi." He also noted in Zhejiang Ribao: Zhijiang Xinyu (Zhejiang Daily: New Words from the Zhijiang River) ^[13]: "Away from the people, we will have nothing and achieve nothing; if we betray the interests of the people, we as public servants will be eliminated by history." Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has continued to systematically expound upon the idea that "the people are the true heroes." He maintains that the Chinese people have written a magnificent history of development for the Chinese nation, created a profound and extensive Chinese civilization, and nurtured an ever-renewing Chinese national spirit. He emphasizes that "the masses of the people are the source of our strength" and that "while each individual’s strength is limited, as long as we are of one heart and mind and build a Great Wall of wills ^[14], there is no difficulty we cannot overcome." These insights shine with the light of the truths of historical materialism.

2. Heroes emerge from the people. Heroes grow from among millions of ordinary individuals, and the role of the hero is subject to the decisive role of the people in creating history. At the same time, maintaining close ties with the masses, rooting oneself in the people, taking the people as one’s mentor, and establishing and practicing the fundamental pursuit of serving the country and the people are the essential paths for an ordinary individual to grow into a hero. An individual who disdains or detaches themselves from the people cannot become a hero; even if such a person were called a "hero," they could achieve nothing for the people and would not be a true hero. As Mao Zedong said: "The masses are the real heroes, while we ourselves are often childish and ignorant, and without an understanding of this, it is impossible to acquire even the most rudimentary knowledge." On one hand, "greatness is forged in the commonplace." Great achievements are by no means created by a few heroes or "lone heroes" acting in isolation, but by countless ordinary people—including heroes—working together. As General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "In the face of this sudden epidemic, millions of working people worked hard and made silent contributions at their respective posts, converging into a powerful force to defeat the epidemic." On the other hand, "greatness comes out of the ordinary." Countless ordinary people closely link their personal destinies with those of the country and the people, hold firm to their ideals and convictions, and struggle unremittingly to create extraordinary achievements and write extraordinary lives; all of them can be called heroes. Examples include Zhang Fuqing, Huang Wenxiu, the 31 brave warriors of Muli in Sichuan, and Du Fuguo ^[15].

(2) Heroes Are a Powerful Force for Realizing National Rejuvenation Any view of heroes contains a judgment regarding their status and role. The New Era view of heroes held by Xi Jinping maintains that heroes are a powerful force for realizing national rejuvenation and have played an important role in the various periods of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform. This fundamental judgment stems from General Secretary Xi Jinping’s profound reflections on the history of the Chinese nation’s struggles and development.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has highly praised the status and role of heroes on many occasions, emphasizing that "a promising nation cannot be without heroes, and a country with a future cannot be without pioneers," fully revealing the importance of heroes to the state and the nation. The status and role of heroes are not abstract; they are manifested through heroic deeds performed for the country and the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping has frequently praised heroic achievements, noting: "In order to seek the correct path for national salvation and survival, China's advanced elements led the Chinese people in a constant quest through suffering and setbacks, advancing through the wind and rain, daring to 'turn back the tide' ^[16] and 'propping up the falling mansion' ^[17]." He also pointed out: "After the founding of New China, it was precisely because our Party had a large number of heroic models like Jiao Yulu, Gu Wenchang, Yang Shanzhou, and Zhang Fuqing ^[18] who led by example that we were able to unite and lead the masses to continuously create new situations in the development of various undertakings." While heroes of different periods create different heroic achievements, the heroic spirit is interconnected. It grows from the same spiritual gene, forming an indestructible chain of spiritual genes that runs through every period, generating a powerful spiritual force. "Spirit is the soul upon which a nation depends for its long-term survival. Only by reaching a certain spiritual height can a nation stand tall and move forward courageously in the torrent of history." With his profound insight into the "heroic spirit," General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his speech at the ceremony for awarding commemorative medals for the War of Resistance, distilled the heroic spirit in terms of the conviction of victory, heroic mettle, national integrity, and patriotic sentiment. He proposed heroic qualities such as being "unyielding and persevering," "fearing no brute force and fighting to the end," "viewing death as a return home and preferring death to surrender," and the principle that "everyone bears responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation" ^[19], offering sublime praise to heroes.

Heroes adapt to the trends of the times, possess insight into the mission of the era, and mobilize and lead the masses to overcome all arduous challenges to create a bright future for the motherland and the nation. History, reality, and the future are interconnected. Heroes and the heroic spirit are not only historical but also present and future; they do not go out of style and should be remembered and carried forward by the people. To firmly establish this concept, one must enhance historical consciousness, adhere to historical thinking, and view heroes and the heroic spirit with a dialectical mindset that connects history, reality, and the future. From a towering historical vantage point, with precise concern for reality and a profound vision for the future, General Secretary Xi Jinping analyzes current conditions, judges trends, and grasps the future. Standing at the historical coordinates of the New Era, he has earnestly cautioned us: "The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will by no means be achieved easily by beating drums and clanging gongs." He further emphasized: "To achieve our goals, we need heroes and we need the heroic spirit," and "their deeds and spirit are powerful forces that inspire us to move forward."

(3) Treating Heroes Well is an Inevitable Requirement for the Continuous Emergence of Heroes in the New Era How to treat heroes is an important proposition for any country or nation in any era. It reflects the character and state of that country and nation and also concerns its future and prospects. As Yu Dafu ^[20] said: "A nation that has great figures but does not know how to support, love, and revere them is a nation of slaves without hope." Based on a scientific judgment of the status and role of heroes and starting from the historical orientation of the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly explained the issue of how to treat heroes. He emphasized that "morning frost and evening snow shall not change a hero's mettle" ^[21] and that "we must extensively carry out activities to learn from and publicize advanced models, creating a strong atmosphere of advocating, learning from, defending, and caring for heroes." This has pointed out for us the attitude and manner of treating heroes well, guiding and educating people to do so.

1. Advocating heroes is the value foundation for treating heroes well. A promising nation or country with a future will inevitably advocate its own heroes. As the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the Chinese people, and the Chinese nation, the Communist Party of China has, since its inception, established the fine tradition of advocating heroes. Therefore, it has always risen from setbacks and forged brilliance from suffering. Shortly after the founding of New China, the Party and the state built a monument for the people’s heroes in Tiananmen Square. Mao Zedong drafted the inscription for the Monument to the People’s Heroes, which was inscribed by Zhou Enlai, using the "three immortalities" ^[22] to pay tribute to the great heroes of the people. Since the beginning of reform and opening up, and particularly since the 18th CPC National Congress, on August 31, 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress issued the Decision on Establishing Martyrs' Memorial Day. On December 14, 2015, the CPC Central Committee issued the Opinions on Establishing and Improving the Party and State Merit and Honor Commendation System. On the 27th of the same month, the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Medals and National Honorary Titles was signed by Presidential Decree. The Party and the state have solemnly held heroic commendation ceremonies, carried out hero commemoration activities, promoted the creation of heroic literature and art, and developed Red culture education and tourism. The atmosphere of advocating heroes has become more intense, moving onto a track of institutionalization, ritualization, and normalization.

2. Learning from heroes is an intrinsic requirement for treating heroes well. Treating heroes well is manifested not only in the beautiful emotions and values of advocating heroes but also in the practical action of learning from them, whereby the great spirit and noble character of heroes are carried forward. Treating heroes well inevitably requires learning from them. The power of example is infinite. Taking heroes as role models and inheriting and promoting their great spirit and noble character promotes the comprehensive and healthy growth of the individual. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The entire Party and people of all ethnic groups in the country should remain steadfast like heroic models and struggle like heroic models to jointly compose the magnificent song of the People's Republic in the New Era." He added, "We should promote the distinct character of loyalty, persistence, and simplicity they display," and "learn from heroic figures, advanced figures, and beautiful things, and cultivate good ideological and moral pursuits through learning," providing important methodological guidance for our learning from heroes. Obviously, not everyone can become a hero, but everyone should learn from heroes, transforming the great spirit and noble character of heroes into a spiritual force for personal growth, development, and professional undertaking.

3. Defending heroes is a powerful guarantee for treating heroes well. To achieve the sinister goals of subverting progressive history, disintegrating mainstream values, and confusing people's minds, "some people deliberately smear our heroic figures and distort our glorious history; this must arouse our high vigilance." In response, General Secretary Xi Jinping has explicitly demanded the use of the materialist conception of history to guide historical research, "basing historical conclusions on the support of detailed and accurate historical materials and in-depth and meticulous research and analysis." In his important expositions on literature and art, he clarified methods and requirements, emphasizing the need to "record and shape heroes in vivid detail so that heroes are passed down through literary and artistic works" and "never do anything that desecrates ancestors, desecrates classics, or desecrates heroes." Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core made wise decisions, issuing the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs, providing a powerful legal force for defending heroes, strengthening and improving ideological work, and managing the chaos appearing in the ideological and cultural spheres, effectively striking back against the words and deeds that smear and slander heroes.

4. Caring for heroes is an important manifestation of treating heroes well. Heroes are the spiritual high ground and moral benchmarks of a country and nation, but they are also living, breathing, and emotional ordinary people. The only special thing about them is their great heart. As a popular internet saying goes: "There is no such thing as 'quiet years of peace'; it’s just that someone is carrying the burden for you." Those who carry the burden for us are primarily heroes who come from among ordinary people. It goes without saying that heroes who have made contributions and sacrifices for the Party, the state, and the people deserve better and more care and love from the entire society. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "For the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country and the people, we must always remember them and accord them great honor and admiration; otherwise, who would be willing to sacrifice for the country and the people?" To this end, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has called on "Party committees and governments at all levels to care for, look after, and love heroic models," established the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, formulated the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs, constructed a national honor system, and established Martyrs' Memorial Day. It protects the legal rights and interests of heroes and their relatives, continuously improves material benefits and pension standards, and constructs and improves a system for caring for heroes in terms of organizational structure, institutional building, honorary commendation, and material benefits, ensuring that heroes have no worries and that they and their families live happy and beautiful lives.

III. The Major Significance of Xi Jinping’s New Era View of Heroes As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era, the Chinese nation is closer than ever before to realizing the great goal of national rejuvenation. The closer we get to this goal, the more we need heroes to charge ahead, and the more we need the heroic spirit to forge the soul and inspire the will. Advocating heroes and promoting the heroic spirit is increasingly urgent in the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it more than ever requires Xi Jinping’s New Era view of heroes to serve as a guide.

(1) Creating a New Realm for the Marxist View of Heroes Advancing with the times is a theoretical quality of Marxism. Along with the in-depth development of the Sinicization of Marxism in practice, the Marxist view of heroes has taken root and sprouted on Chinese soil, eventually growing into a towering tree of the view of heroes for socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has proposed new viewpoints and judgments on the view of heroes based on new changes and conditions in socialism with Chinese characteristics, creating a new realm for the Marxist view of heroes.

1. Proposing new viewpoints on the essence and role of heroes.

The mass conception of history and the heroic conception of history are fundamentally opposed on the question of who creates history. The heroic conception of history exaggerates a small number of heroes as the decisive force dominating history, treating the masses as tools for a few heroes to achieve their goals. It extols heroes who are detached from the masses and serve the interests of the exploiting classes, reflecting the will of those classes to maintain their rule, functioning to deceive and paralyze the masses, and dissolving their spirit of struggle. The mass conception of history holds that both the masses and individuals play a role in history, but emphasizes that their roles exist at different levels: the masses play the decisive role in history, while individuals do not—even heroes, at most, play an important role. When General Secretary Xi Jinping calls the people "true heroes," the term "hero" here does not refer to a hero in the ordinary sense, nor to a "superhero" detached from the masses, but rather to the great force representing the people in the creation of history. This assertion restores "hero" to its true identity as the people, dissolving the notions of heroes that the heroic conception of history has crammed into people's minds, and enhancing the people's self-awareness, sense of responsibility, and sense of mission in creating history. At the same time, the people are the root and foundation of heroes; heroes who breathe the same air and share the same destiny as the people play an important progressive role in history, capable of educating and guiding the people to recognize and fully exert their own power. Thus, it is evident that the heroism of the New Era not only critiques the "hero" found in the heroic conception of history, but also unifies the people and the hero within the mass conception of history, thereby innovatively developing the basic viewpoints of the mass conception of history regarding heroes.

2. Formulating new judgments on the cultivation of and approach toward heroes. Historical materialism tells us that "extraordinary times create heroes" (shishi zao yingxiong) ^[23]; times change independently of human will, and only by changing with the times and making the most of the situation can heroes achieve anything. In addition to the era, many specific factors have an important and complex influence on the emergence of heroes, playing a crucial role in specific circumstances—such as individual factors, subjective factors, and factors adjustable by human effort. These are often ignored because they are in a secondary position. The heroism of the New Era inherits and develops the view that "extraordinary times create heroes," emphasizing that a hopeful country and nation will not sit and wait for heroes to emerge spontaneously. Instead, it should conform to the times, give full play to the combined effect of various factors, and consciously and proactively cultivate heroes to create a favorable situation where heroes emerge in large numbers, "promoting a sound atmosphere in the whole society of emulating the virtuous, upholding heroes, and striving to be pioneers." In the past, we often promoted heroes using the "lofty, grand, and complete" (gao da quan) ^[24] method, presenting a formulaic image of the "hero as a strong person who only seeks to sacrifice." Combined with the divergence of interests brought by the market economy and the negative influence of erroneous ideas, this led some people to lack respect and gratitude toward heroes, even resulting in slandering and vilifying them. In response, the heroism of the New Era emphasizes that while we must exalt the great spirit and noble character of heroes, we must also fully satisfy the reasonable needs of heroes as real people. They should receive more and better care and support from the people, the state, and society, thus innovating and developing the concepts and methods of treating heroes.

(II) Fortifying the Spiritual Pillar of Firm Cultural Self-Confidence Cultural self-confidence is a heart-felt affirmation and identification of people with the culture of their own country and nation. It is an important force concerning the rise and fall of national fortunes, cultural security, and the independence of the national spirit. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has stated, "cultural self-confidence is a more basic, deeper, and more lasting strength." Cultural self-confidence must be built on the foundation of advanced culture; backward and decadent culture often causes people to fall into cultural arrogance or cultural inferiority. On the eve of the Opium War, Chinese society was corrupt, and feudal rulers were intoxicated by the dream of being the "Celestial Empire," regarding modern Western culture as "exotic tricks and ingenious skills" (qiji yinqiao) ^[25], remaining extremely arrogant culturally. After experiencing the profound disasters of imperialist invasion, some went to the other extreme of cultural inferiority, advocating the "theory of total Westernization." Guided by Marxism, Chinese Communists have promoted the Sinicization of Marxism, achieved the creative transformation and innovative development of the fine traditional Chinese culture, and continuously enriched and developed revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture. They have created an advanced socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, thereby leading the Chinese people to establish an unprecedented cultural self-confidence.

Heroes are important creators, integrators, possessors, defenders, and practitioners of advanced culture. The heroic spirit is the most direct, vivid, and typical essence of advanced culture and its most dazzling spiritual hallmark. Advocating for heroes and carrying forward the heroic spirit is both an inherent requirement for firming cultural self-confidence and its spiritual pillar. Without heroes and the heroic spirit—or if heroes and the heroic spirit are not upheld but instead slandered and vilified—it would be impossible for the people of a country or nation to establish cultural self-confidence. Alternatively, cultural self-confidence would collapse due to the lack of strong support and a solid foundation, falling into the quagmire of cultural inferiority. The reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union were complex, but a very important factor was that hostile forces in the West, led by the United States, colluded with domestic hostile forces in the Soviet Union to wantonly slander and vilify Soviet heroes and history. This caused the spiritual monuments in the hearts of the Soviet people to crumble and their cultural self-confidence to vanish.

The heroism of the New Era scientifically answers major basic questions such as "who is a hero," "how to treat heroes," and "how to cultivate heroes," helping people establish the scientific conception of heroism as an ideological prerequisite, and educating and guiding people to uphold heroes and carry forward the heroic spirit. Under the guidance of the heroism of the New Era, the Chinese people scientifically understand, correctly treat, and actively cultivate heroes, taking pride in the heroes of their country and nation, and strengthening their will through the baptism of the heroic spirit, thereby fortifying the spiritual pillar of firm cultural self-confidence.

(III) Enhancing the Powerful Strength for Conducting the Great Struggle Guided by the heroism of the New Era, we must vigorously create a dense atmosphere of upholding heroes and cultivate a universal moral pursuit of striving to become heroes. This ensures that the spirit of struggle embodied in heroes becomes a common spiritual quality of the entire society, educating and inspiring people to face and overcome all "unimaginable stormy waves" and enhancing the powerful strength for conducting the Great Struggle.

1. Conducting the Great Struggle requires a spirit of struggle. The "Great Struggle" refers to the spirit of struggle and resolute actions of our Party in leading the people to successfully respond to and overcome all risks and challenges in the process of achieving the goals and tasks of the New Era. Currently, the global situation is undergoing changes unseen in a century; domestic tasks for reform, development, and stability are arduous and complex; building the Great Project is a matter of life and death; advancing the Great Cause is unprecedentedly complex; and realizing the Great Dream is a long and heavy road. To this end, we must be prepared to conduct a Great Struggle with many new historical features. The Great Struggle of the New Era differs from the past and possesses many new historical characteristics. However, no matter how it changes, the spirit of struggle from the various periods of Chinese revolution, construction, and reform develops in a single lineage. That is, it always emphasizes the spirit of struggle characterized by "the brave prevail when meeting on a narrow path" ^[26] and "the more difficult and dangerous, the further forward one goes." This includes establishing struggle awareness, strengthening struggle will, refining the art of struggle, and enhancing struggle capabilities—all of which are powerful forces for conducting the Great Struggle and important magic weapons ^[27] for achieving the goals and tasks of the New Era.

2. Heroes are the embodiment and examples of the spirit of struggle. "In times of global hardship, the era creates heroes." Heroes are never nurtured in a greenhouse; they are always born and raised in struggle. Many heroes emerged during the arduous struggle of the Chinese people for national independence, people's liberation, national prosperity, and the people's well-being. According to incomplete statistics, approximately 20 million heroes have died heroic deaths since the beginning of the modern era, performing immortal feats for the motherland and the people. "Our minds grow stronger for the martyrs' sacrifice, daring to bid the sun and moon shine in a new sky" ^[28]. Having been baptized and tempered by the struggles of their respective eras, heroes have infused the spirit of struggle into their blood and genes; they dare to struggle and are good at struggling, becoming the embodiment and examples of the spirit of struggle. The spirit of struggle has become the distinctive political character of heroes and the concentrated expression of the heroic temperament, poise, and spirit. In the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese nation has long since shaken off the suffering and humiliation of old China and is moving toward a happier and better life. Yet, crises have never far away; the various struggles faced will only become increasingly intense and complex and will exist for a long time. This requires us to uphold heroes and carry forward the heroic spirit, and to continuously inherit and develop the spirit of struggle. As General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "There are no good things in the world that can be enjoyed without effort; to be happy, one must struggle," and "all thoughts of craving ease and being unwilling to continue arduous struggle are unacceptable."

In summary, the heroism of the New Era is the reflection on and answer to major basic questions such as "who is a hero," "how to treat heroes," and "how to cultivate heroes" in the New Era. Its theoretical origins are deep, based on historical materialism, absorbing rich nourishment from the fine traditional Chinese heroic culture, and nurtured and developed within revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture. Its meaning is rich, including basic tenets such as the people being the matrix that nurtures heroes, heroes being a powerful force for realizing national rejuvenation, and treating heroes well being an inherent requirement for heroes to emerge in large numbers in the New Era. Its significance is great, as it opens up a new realm of the Marxist conception of heroes, fortifies the spiritual pillar of firm cultural self-confidence, and enhances the powerful strength for conducting the Great Struggle.

Source: Journal of Red Culture (Hongse Wenhua Xuekan) September 30, 2024 Online Editor: Jing Mu