Wu Wenli and Huang Hao: Leading the High-Quality Development of the Philosophical and Social Sciences Innovation Project with Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought
The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-path Modernization, deliberated and adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, stated: "We will innovate the Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory, implement the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project, and build an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences." This is a major deployment made by the CPC Central Committee based on the fulfillment of a new cultural mission and the developmental laws of philosophy and social sciences. As an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the theoretical sublimation of the Party’s practical experience in leading cultural construction in the New Era. It provides a powerful ideological weapon and a scientific guide for action for the high-quality development of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project. In the New Era and on the new journey, the in-depth implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is of great and far-reaching significance for promoting the high-quality development of this project.
Clarifying the Developmental Direction of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project
Upholding the Party's leadership and maintaining the guiding position of Marxism in the fields of philosophy and social sciences are the fundamental guarantees for implementing the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture places high emphasis on the Party’s comprehensive leadership over research in philosophy and social sciences and the fundamental guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere. The Communist Party of China has always been the core of leadership for cultural construction with Chinese characteristics; this is the most fundamental and solid historical lifeblood [1] running through the innovation, creation, and construction of philosophy and social sciences. Only by upholding the Party's leadership and the guiding position of Marxism can we ensure that the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project does not deviate from the correct track and always serves the overall developmental interests of the Party and the state. In researching major theoretical and practical issues, the CPC Central Committee guides the vast number of social science workers to proceed from the height of national strategy and grasp research priorities, so that research results can better serve decision-making. In the New Era, faced with a complex and volatile international situation and arduous tasks of domestic reform, development, and stability, research in philosophy and social sciences must unswervingly adhere to the Party's leadership and the guiding position of Marxism. In recent years, many major projects of the National Social Science Fund have focused on the systematized and academic research and explanation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the great achievements and transformations since the 18th CPC National Congress, Chinese-path modernization, new quality productive forces, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the Party’s self-revolution, and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. These projects interpret the decisive significance of upholding the Party's leadership and Marxist guidance for the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences through excellent research results.
Taking the people as the center is the value pursuit of the practice of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture highlights the subjective position of the people in cultural construction. This requires philosophy and social science research to pay attention to the needs and concerns of the masses, focus its research perspective on major practical issues in contemporary Chinese social transformation, provide theoretical support and feasible practical solutions for solving the actual problems of the masses, and ensure that the results of philosophy and social science research truly benefit the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Researchers should write their papers on the land [2], transforming the true knowledge formed in practice into papers, and becoming true doctors and true experts needed by the Party and the people." Currently, some social science researchers engage in simple text-to-text research, lacking humanistic concern at the practical level. Divorced from the needs of the people, philosophy and social sciences will lack attraction and appeal. Facing the requirements of the New Era, philosophy and social science workers must adhere to the fundamental standpoint and scientific method of "putting the people first," conduct solid investigation and research by going deep into the grassroots and reality, understand the living conditions of the common people, grasp the pulse of the masses' thoughts, and constantly answer the questions of the times, of practice, and of the people, effectively writing their papers on the motherland’s land.
Deepening the Connotative Construction of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project
The "Two Combinations" [3] constitute the fundamental path for deepening connotative construction. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes adhering to the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China’s fine traditional culture. The "Two Combinations" are both a scientific theory and an important methodology for guiding the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Chinese nation has a profound cultural tradition and has formed a distinctive system of thought, reflecting the knowledge, wisdom, and rational speculation accumulated by the Chinese people over thousands of years. This is our country's unique advantage." To deepen the connotative construction of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project, on the one hand, we must base ourselves on China’s national conditions and developmental reality, summarize experience and refine theory from Chinese practice, and harmonize the most basic cultural genes of the Chinese nation with modern society. On the other hand, we must deeply understand Chinese civilization, tap into the ideological essence of China’s fine traditional culture, integrate it into philosophy and social science research, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional culture, and consolidate the profound foundation for building an autonomous knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences. As an original achievement of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the "Second Combination" has profoundly resolved the long-standing "dispute between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the Western" in the developmental history of Chinese philosophy and social sciences since modern times. Relevant departments should strengthen their guiding effectiveness in topic selection, formulate lists of key topics through systematic planning and organization, and concentrate resources to provide key support around the "Second Combination" during specific periods. At the same time, we should establish and improve incentive mechanisms to stimulate the endogenous motivation of scholars to devote themselves to academic innovation.
Building an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is the core task of connotative construction. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides the theoretical basis and directional guidance for building an autonomous knowledge system, and offers a powerful ideological weapon and scientific guide for doing a good job in philosophy and social science research in the New Era. To build an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, we must break the myth of the hegemony of Western philosophy and social science systems and strengthen cultural confidence. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Cultural confidence is a more fundamental, extensive, and profound confidence, and a more basic, deeper, and more lasting strength." "Only by taking our country's reality as the starting point of research, proposing subjective and original theoretical viewpoints, and building a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system [4] with our own characteristics, can our country's philosophy and social sciences form their own features and advantages." We must unswervingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Culture to guide Chinese philosophy and social sciences, consciously implement this important thought throughout the entire process and all aspects of the field, strengthen cultural confidence, and break the unreasonable "wholesale acceptance" of Western social science theories. At the same time, we should rationally draw on the beneficial achievements of foreign philosophy and social sciences, perfecting and developing our autonomous knowledge system through mutual learning and exchange. In terms of disciplinary system construction, we should comprehensively strengthen the construction of disciplines such as Marxist theory and the history of the CPC and Party building, consolidate advantageous key disciplines, vigorously develop supportive disciplines, proactively arrange for emerging and interdisciplinary subjects, attach great importance to the protection and development of "cold-gate" [5] disciplines, and build a well-layered, synergistic, and vibrant disciplinary system with Chinese characteristics. In terms of academic system construction, we must innovate research methods, open up new paths for digital and intelligent empowerment, improve evaluation mechanisms, and build a diversified evaluation system. In terms of discourse system construction, we should create academic discourse with Chinese characteristics, style, and flair, enhance international academic discourse power, and provide a Chinese standpoint and Chinese wisdom for solving major problems facing the development of China and the world.
Activating the Developmental Vitality of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project
Encouraging innovation and creation is the key to stimulating vitality. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates openness, inclusiveness, upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. By creating a relaxed and free academic environment, it encourages the vast number of scholars to explore boldly and innovate courageously along the path of philosophy and social science development led by the Communist Party of China, breaking through traditional mindsets and carrying out interdisciplinary and cross-field research. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, in the face of extensive and profound social changes, the continuous emergence of new problems has also placed urgent demands on theoretical innovation; strengthening the original construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics brook no delay. This requires further promoting the formation of a new situation where the forms of scientific research organization are more efficient, major high-quality research results continue to emerge, and research vitality is constantly bursting forth. Liaocheng City in Shandong Province has implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on philosophy and social sciences, actively practiced Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and implemented the "Xiyu Liaoliang" [6] soul-strengthening project, striving to promote the Party’s innovative theories to take root at the grassroots level, providing important support for the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project.
Strengthening talent cultivation is the fundamental way to stimulate vitality. Talent is the primary resource for innovation in philosophy and social sciences, and Xi Jinping Thought on Culture attaches great importance to the construction of talent teams. We must establish and improve the talent cultivation system, strengthen the construction of philosophy and social science disciplines in universities and research institutions, and cultivate a group of high-quality talents with profound theoretical foundations, keen problem awareness, and innovative capabilities. At the same time, we should attract excellent talents from home and abroad to devote themselves to philosophy and social science research, creating a talent team with a reasonable structure and excellent quality to inject fresh blood into the innovation project. Liaocheng is the only city where the Yellow River and the Grand Canal meet, making it a fertile ground for the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences. In recent years, guided by the academic spirit and humanistic sentiments of the famous Liaocheng-born scholar Mr. Ji Xianlin, the city has innovatively implemented the "Xianlin Scholar Cultivation Project"—the only municipal-level social science talent project in the province—demonstrating Liaocheng's responsibility and commitment in promoting social science talent reform and strengthening the construction of social science talent teams in the New Era.
Guiding the high-quality development of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project with Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the only way to escape the historical predicament of philosophy and social sciences being "the East subordinate to the West," and to build a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. We must deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, actively participate in innovative practices, and provide a continuous stream of spiritual motivation and intellectual support for accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics and promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.