Chen Zhigang: The Inner Meaning of the New Form of Human Civilization
Over the course of more than 5,000 years of history, the Chinese nation has created a brilliant civilization and made indelible contributions to the progress of human civilization. After the Opium War of 1840, China gradually devolved into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society; the country suffered humiliation, the people endured hardships, and civilization was shrouded in dust [1]. The Chinese nation underwent unprecedented calamities. To carry forward Chinese civilization and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, countless people of vision conducted arduous explorations. Yet, only the Communist Party of China (CPC) found the correct path of Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Chinese-path modernization is deeply rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture, embodies the advanced nature of scientific socialism, draws upon and absorbs all outstanding achievements of human civilization, represents the developmental direction of human civilization’s progress, and presents a new picture different from the Western modernization model. It is a brand-new form of human civilization." The reason this new form of human civilization is "new" lies primarily in the fact that Chinese-path modernization provides the globe with a brand-new model of modernization, constitutes a major transcendence of Western modernization theory and practice, and provides a brand-new choice for the vast number of developing countries. It fully demonstrates the civilizational consciousness and cultural self-confidence of the CPC, possessing important practical significance and profound historical significance for the development and progress of both the Chinese nation and the entire world.
I. Rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture and actively promoting its creative transformation and innovative development, it is a new civilizational form that carries forward an ancient civilization.
Chinese-path modernization is deeply rooted in the 5,000-plus years of the Chinese nation’s civilization. However, it is not a simple continuation of the "master copy" of our country's history and culture. Rather, it adheres to the principle of making the past serve the present and weeding through the old to bring forth the new. By combining the requirements of the New Era and practical demands, it fully absorbs the intellectual wisdom of fine traditional Chinese culture and applies it to solving various difficult problems of modernization, providing a Chinese solution for humanity's exploration of better social systems. Under the guidance of Marxism, the CPC leads the Chinese people to base themselves on Chinese reality while facing modernization, the world, and the future. They carry out the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, promoting the vital renewal and modern transformation of Chinese civilization.
The Chinese nation proposed the dream of prosperity and strength very early, longing for both a strong, prosperous country and a wealthy, well-off people. The Book of Documents (Shangshu) contains the ideas of "enriching the people" (yumin) and "benefiting the people" (huimin). Guan Zhong advocated placing equal importance on enriching the state and enriching the people, stating: "In the way of governing a state, one must first enrich the people"; "That which allows a ruler to achieve merit is prosperity and strength"; and "When the granaries are full, the people understand etiquette; when food and clothing are sufficient, they understand honor and disgrace." This emphasizes that material civilization is the foundation of spiritual civilization. Confucius proposed "enriching them before educating them" and "benefiting the people based on what they find beneficial." Furthermore, fine traditional Chinese culture contains precious concepts such as xiaokang [2] (moderately prosperous society) and datong [3] (Great Unity). Inheriting and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, the CPC, at the beginning of the reform and opening-up period, used xiaokang to interpret the goals of Chinese-path modernization and designated "prosperity and strength" as one of the objectives for building a socialist modernized country. Over the forty-plus years of reform and opening up, we have achieved a historical leap in the people’s lives from insufficient food and clothing to overall xiaokang, and then to a comprehensive xiaokang society. We are now working toward building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. Fine traditional Chinese culture contains deep "people-as-the-foundation" (minben) thoughts, advocating that "the people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is solid, the state is at peace." The CPC has inherited the essence of traditional minben thought and carried out its creative transformation and innovative development. It has established the fundamental purpose of wholehearted service to the people, led and supported the people in being masters of the country, and actively promoted whole-process people's democracy, creating a socialist democracy that is the most extensive, genuine, and effective.
Through long-term historical development, the Chinese nation has formed a national spirit with patriotism at its core, encompassing rich connotations such as the great spirit of creation, struggle, unity, and dreams. Simultaneously, through long-term practice, it has nurtured and formed unique ideological concepts and moral norms. These include ideas such as valuing benevolence, emphasizing the people as the foundation, upholding integrity, stressing dialectics, advocating harmony, and seeking Great Unity. They also include traditional virtues such as self-improvement, professional dedication and social harmony, upholding justice and promoting goodness, aiding those in danger and poverty, acting bravely for a righteous cause, and honoring the elderly while loving the young. CPC members adhere to the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method. Guided by communist faith and morality, they have endowed fine traditional thoughts and morals with new seasonal connotations through the great practice of revolution, construction, and reform. By carrying forward the spiritual pedigree of CPC members—with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as its source—and promoting the national spirit centered on patriotism and the spirit of the times centered on reform and innovation, they have provided powerful spiritual impetus and value support for revolution, construction, and reform, shaping a brand-new spiritual outlook for the Chinese nation. Deeply tapping into the contemporary value of fine traditional Chinese culture and promoting and practicing the socialist core values has converged a more proactive spiritual force for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Fine traditional Chinese culture proposed the beautiful ideal that "the elderly shall be provided for until their end, the able-bodied shall be employed, the young shall be nurtured, and the widowers, widows, orphans, childless, disabled, and sick shall all be supported." CPC members have expanded the social ideals of traditional culture. In the New Era, they proposed the "Seven-Haves" goal, namely: "having nurseries for children, education for students, rewards for labor, medical care for the sick, support for the elderly, housing for residents, and assistance for the vulnerable." By promoting the ideas of enriching the people and nourishing life while balancing righteousness and profit as advocated by fine traditional Chinese culture, and by responding to the new expectations of the masses, they have clearly identified common prosperity as an essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics, promoting more obvious substantive progress in achieving common prosperity for all people.
Fine traditional Chinese culture advocates ecological concepts such as "the unity of Heaven and humanity" (tianren heyi) and "the simultaneous nourishment of all things." The Book of Changes (Zhouyi) states: "The great man aligns his virtue with Heaven and Earth, his brilliance with the sun and moon, and his order with the four seasons." The Daodejing states: "Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature." The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) states: "If one can assist in the transforming and nourishing processes of Heaven and Earth, one can form a trinity with Heaven and Earth." CPC members have inherited and promoted the ecological wisdom within fine traditional Chinese culture, emphasizing that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and that "humanity and nature form a community of life." On the basis of promoting industrialization, urbanization, informatization, and agricultural modernization, they continuously promote the realization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that carries forward an ancient civilization, not one that negates it. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Without the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, where would 'Chinese characteristics' come from? Without these Chinese characteristics, how could we have the successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics we have today?" The CPC is the faithful inheritor, promoter, and builder of fine traditional Chinese culture. It emphasizes that Chinese-path modernization is rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture, allowing Chinese civilization to endow Chinese-path modernization with profound depth. Simultaneously, it persists in eliminating negative factors within traditional culture on the basis of Chinese-path modernization, actively endowing Chinese civilization with modern power and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.
II. Embodying the advanced nature of scientific socialism and persisting in taking one’s own path, it is a new civilizational form that innovates and develops socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Chinese-path modernization embodies the advanced nature of scientific socialism, but it is not a simple application of the "template" envisioned by classic Marxist writers, nor is it a "reprint" of the socialist practices of other countries. Rather, it persists in taking its own path and has created a brand-new Chinese form of socialist civilization.
The socialism envisioned by classic Marxist writers was built on the foundation of developed productive forces, adhering to the basic principles of public ownership of the means of production and distribution according to work, while implementing a planned economy. China’s situation was significantly different from the envisioning of classic Marxist writers. It possessed both a 5,000-year Chinese civilization and a history of devolving into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society due to the aggression of imperialist powers. After the victory of the New Democratic Revolution, China built socialism independently on a foundation of economic and cultural backwardness—a state of being "poor and blank." Unique cultural traditions, a unique historical destiny, and unique basic national conditions dictated that we must take a developmental path suited to our own characteristics. Especially since the beginning of reform and opening up, we have persisted in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture. Based on the basic national condition of the primary stage of socialism, we persisted in taking our own path, creating, maintaining, defending, and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Economically, we persist in the dominance of public ownership while allowing multiple forms of ownership to develop together, and in the dominance of distribution according to work while allowing multiple modes of distribution to coexist. With great theoretical courage and practical boldness, we organically combined the socialist system with the market economy, achieving a historic transformation from a highly centralized planned economy to a vibrant socialist market economy, and from being closed or semi-closed to all-around opening up. We have achieved a great leap from "catching up with the times" to "leading the times."
Scientific socialism advocates smashing the old state machinery through armed struggle and establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat. It holds that the leadership of the proletarian party, the seizure of power by the working people, and the high development of productive forces are the conditions for achieving communism. CPC members both adhere to the basic principles of scientific socialism and continuously endow it with distinct Chinese characteristics and connotations of the times. We implement a people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants, implement the system of people's congresses, and persist in the organic unity of CPC leadership, the people as masters of the country, and the rule of law. By promoting the ideas of "the world belongs to all" (tianxia wei gong), inclusiveness, and seeking common ground while reserving differences, we created the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, making a major contribution to the development of human political civilization. Inheriting the "Great Unity" tradition of "consistent administration across the nine provinces," "unified customs within the six directions," and "all within the four seas as one family," we implement the system of regional ethnic autonomy. Practice has proven that the political system of socialism with Chinese characteristics grew out of Chinese social soil. It adheres to the basic principles of scientific socialism while conforming to Chinese national conditions, continuously undergoing reform and innovation alongside the development of the times and practice, possessing strong vitality and significant advantages.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the dialectical unity of the theoretical logic of scientific socialism and the historical logic of Chinese social development. It is a scientific socialism rooted in Chinese soil, reflecting the will of the Chinese people, and adapting to the requirements of the development and progress of China and the times; it is the only way to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The "upholding of fundamentals and breaking of new ground" of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the great achievements it has attained, have allowed socialism—with its 500-year history—to successfully open a correct path characterized by high realism and feasibility. This has allowed scientific socialism to glow with new and vigorous vitality in the 21st century. It has brought about a major shift in the historical evolution and contest between the two ideologies and social systems of socialism and capitalism worldwide in favor of socialism, opening up bright prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
III. Drawing upon and absorbing all outstanding achievements of human civilization, it is a new civilizational form that transcends capitalist civilization and represents the developmental direction of human civilization’s progress.
Chinese-path modernization draws upon and absorbs all outstanding achievements of human civilization, yet it is not a "carbon copy" of foreign modernization development. Rather, under the guidance of the theoretical innovations of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, it has blazed a new path of modernization different from the West based on Chinese reality, leading the new development of human civilization.
The CPC has united and led the Chinese people to base themselves on their own national conditions and practice, drawing wisdom from Chinese civilization and adopting effective practices and advanced experiences from countries around the world. It stays committed but not stagnant, and borrows without blind copying. Through continuous exploration, it has formed its own developmental path. By persisting in and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, it promotes the coordinated development of material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological civilizations. It persists in and improves the basic socialist economic system, unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector while unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector. It gives full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and play the role of the government better. It unswervingly follows the path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics, improves the institutional system through which the people run the country, and promotes the development of whole-process people's democracy, realizing the unity of process-oriented democracy and result-oriented democracy, procedural democracy and substantive democracy, direct democracy and indirect democracy, and people’s democracy and the will of the state. It persists in the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, developing a socialist culture that is oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future, and is national, scientific, and popular, thereby stimulating the cultural innovation and creative vitality of the entire nation. It persists in ensuring and improving people's livelihoods during the course of development, improves the basic public service system, raises the level of public services, enhances balance and accessibility, and makes solid progress toward common prosperity. It respects, adapts to, and protects nature, firmly establishing and practicing the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and planning development from the height of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
Chinese-path modernization has expanded the developmental trajectories of human civilization. Through its comprehensiveness and systematicity, it fully demonstrates that the "essence of modernization is the modernization of people," thereby shattering the myth that "modernization equals Westernization." Chinese-path modernization possesses both the common characteristics of modernization shared by all countries and Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions. Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a vast population, the modernization of common prosperity for all people, the modernization of material and cultural-ethical [8] advancement in harmony, the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and the modernization of peaceful development. Chinese-path modernization has resolved many difficult problems in the development of human society, discarding the old Western paths of capital-centered modernization, polarized modernization, materialism-inflated modernization, and modernization through external expansion and plunder. It has expanded the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization and provided a Chinese solution for humanity's exploration of better social systems.
Chinese-path modernization has transformed the developmental landscape of human civilization. Our country’s total population of over 1.4 billion is entering modernization as a whole; this scale exceeds the combined population of all existing developed countries and will drastically alter the world map of modernization. Chinese-path modernization injects new growth momentum and fosters innovative vitality for the world, continuously serving as a crucial engine and stabilizing anchor for global economic growth. At the same time, it injects positive energy into the changes unseen in a century [9], not only fundamentally changing the destiny of the Chinese nation since modern times but also profoundly reshaping the international political landscape and promoting the reconstruction of a new pattern for human civilization.
Chinese-path modernization represents the developmental direction of progress for human civilization. It advocates a vision of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. It promotes the common values of humanity—peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom. It persists in surmounting civilizational estrangement through exchange, civilizational conflict through mutual learning, and civilizational superiority through coexistence. By promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, it provides Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to address the global peace deficit, development deficit, security deficit, and governance deficit. It aims to build a world characterized by lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, and cleanliness and beauty, thereby leading the new development of human civilization.
Chinese-path modernization and the new form of human civilization are two aspects of the same process. Chinese-path modernization is the fundamental driving force and path for creating the new form of human civilization, while the new form of human civilization is the vital crystallization of Chinese-path modernization. The unique path of Chinese-path modernization has forged a unique form of human civilization. It is a new form of civilization that carries forward an ancient civilization, a new form of civilization that innovatively develops socialism with Chinese characteristics, and a new form of civilization that transcends capitalist civilization. It represents the developmental direction of human progress and embodies the unity of continuity and innovation, subjectivity and openness, and nationality and worldliness. It constitutes the integrated and comprehensive innovation of human civilization—a brand-new form of human civilization.