Wang Guijuan & Luo Zhongyou: The Theoretical Implications and Practical Value of Xi Jinping's Important Discourses on Cultivating People Through Culture
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of "molding people through culture" (yì wén huà rén) and "educating people through culture" (yì wén yù rén). He has focused on the significant role of culture in talent cultivation and the modernization of national governance. By creatively absorbing the essence of Marxist cultural thought, the profound insights of fine traditional Chinese culture, and the Chinese Communists' experience in cultural development, he has delivered important discourses on conducting cultural education under new circumstances. These discourses profoundly reveal the internal logic, fundamental principles, and practical pathways of cultural education, forming a rich content system. This system clarifies the essential objectives, puts forward a higher strategic positioning, and provides the fundamental guidance for carrying out cultural education in the New Era.
I. The Ideological Origins of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourses on Cultural Education Xi Jinping’s important discourses on cultural education represent an organic fusion of Marxist cultural thought, fine traditional Chinese culture, and the CPC’s experience in cultural development. Supported by cultural confidence and aimed at the goal of fostering virtue through education (lì dé shù rén), these discourses provide a solid theoretical foundation and practical path for cultivating newcomers of the era who are capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation.
The theoretical foundation of Marxist cultural thought. Xi Jinping’s important discourses on cultural education are the concrete manifestation of Marxist cultural thought in the present era. First, Marxism reveals the intrinsic connection between culture and human existence, maintaining that culture is the unique essential characteristic of human society. Through the practice of interacting with nature and society, humans continuously create and accumulate a rich and diverse culture. One could say that humans are both practical beings and cultural beings. Based on this, Xi Jinping noted that "culture is 'humanization'" and that "man is, in essence, a cultural being rather than a 'reified' being" [1]. Second, Marxism reveals the class nature of culture. Marx emphasized: "The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas" [2]. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping has issued a series of important instructions on ideological work, emphasizing the need to "strive to build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership" [3], and the necessity of firmly maintaining leadership, management, and the right to speak in ideological work. Third, Marxism holds that culture possesses the characteristics of inheritance and development. Culture is a product of human history; it continuously evolves and develops alongside social changes, and any culture is always the result of continuous innovation based on specific traditions. Therefore, when dealing with historical culture, Xi Jinping examines it within the context of historical evolution and overall development, maintaining that it must be treated with discernment and inherited through a process of "sublimation" (yáng qì) [1].
The profound insights of fine traditional Chinese culture. In China, the idea of cultural education can be traced back to the concept of "observing the humanistic patterns to transform and complete the world" (guān hū rén wén, yǐ huà chéng tiān xià) proposed in the I Ching (Book of Changes) [2]. Culture possesses the vital functions of education and moral transformation. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has attached great importance to molding and educating people through culture, focusing on leveraging the power of culture to promote the development of the individual, society, and the state. Xi Jinping’s important discourses on cultural education are deeply rooted in the fertile soil of fine traditional Chinese culture. They widely absorb the advanced elements of this culture and, combined with the practice of talent cultivation and state governance, creatively put forward many new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments, fully activating the educational vitality of fine traditional Chinese culture. First, fine traditional Chinese culture provides beneficial enlightenment for people to understand and transform the world. Xi Jinping has mentioned many times that fine traditional Chinese culture is rich in ideological elements; utilizing these resources can help people establish a correct worldview, outlook on life, and values. Second, fine traditional Chinese culture provides beneficial inspiration for state governance. Throughout its long development, the Chinese nation has accumulated rich experience in governance and created a world-leading political civilization. As Xi Jinping profoundly noted: "Fine traditional Chinese culture is our deepest cultural soft power and the fertile cultural soil in which socialism with Chinese characteristics is rooted" [4]. Third, fine traditional Chinese culture provides beneficial inspiration for moral development. "Emphasizing moral development is an important characteristic of Chinese culture and a fine tradition of the Chinese nation; the ancients left behind extremely rich ideological and moral resources in this regard" [5]. Xi Jinping has frequently cited classical works and historical examples on various occasions, paying great attention to excavating, applying, and elucidating the ideological and moral resources within fine traditional Chinese culture to serve the cause of the Party and the state.
The sublimation of the Communist Party of China's experience in cultural development. The CPC has always attached importance to cultural development. Xi Jinping’s important discourses on cultural education inherit, develop, and sublimate the valuable experience of the CPC's cultural development over the past century. First, they adhere to the Party’s leadership and maintain cultural leadership. The CPC has always emphasized comprehensive leadership over cultural development, regarding it as an important guarantee for consolidating the Party’s governing foundation and its mass base. From cultural propaganda during the New Democratic Revolution to cultural education during the period of socialist revolution and construction, and to the development of a culturally powerful state in the New Era, the Party has always firmly held the power of leadership, management, and the right to speak in ideological work. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee has, through a series of institutional arrangements and strategic deployments, established the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field, further clarifying the principles and direction of cultural education. Second, they adhere to a people-centered view of culture. In different historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, the CPC has always adhered to a people-centered view of culture. Xi Jinping has further deepened this concept, emphasizing that cultural education must meet the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs. Through propaganda, ideological, and cultural work—such as educational guidance, cultural creation, and news media—the people’s ideological realm and level of civilization are elevated. This people-centered concept of cultural development has laid a solid mass foundation for Xi Jinping’s discourses on cultural education. Third, they inherit and carry forward the fine traditions of advanced culture. The CPC has always focused on inheriting and carrying forward advanced culture, emphasizing the influence of excellent culture and the guidance of advanced ideas to cultivate socialist builders and successors with firm ideals and high moral character. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping has emphasized on various occasions the need to place greater focus on molding and educating people through culture, developing advanced socialist culture, and more powerfully advancing the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.
II. The Main Connotations of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourses on Cultural Education Xi Jinping’s important discourses on cultural education are the theoretical crystallization of the Party’s practical experience in leading cultural development in the New Era. They possess rich connotations, which can be elaborated from the following aspects.
Leveraging cultural values and strengthening educational functions. "In 'cultural education,' 'culture' is the key to success or failure" [6], and the core question in Xi Jinping’s discourses is: what kind of culture should be used to educate? Xi Jinping pointed out: "The profound fine traditional Chinese culture formed over thousands of years, and the revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture forged by the Party and the people during the processes of revolution, construction, and reform, provide a deep strength for the development of ideological and political theory courses" [7]. It can be said that the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics—including fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture—is the foundation and important carrier for implementing cultural education. Together, they constitute the rich connotations and practical basis of cultural education. First, fine traditional Chinese culture is the root. The values and spiritual world of the Chinese people are deeply rooted in the soil of fine traditional Chinese culture, which is a vital resource for cultural education. As Xi Jinping noted, we must "strive to use all the spiritual wealth created by the Chinese nation to mold and educate people" [8]. Second, revolutionary culture is the spiritual motivation. Revolutionary culture contains rich revolutionary traditions and "red genes" [3]. "Education in revolutionary traditions must start from childhood, focusing on both the infusion of knowledge and the cultivation of emotion, so that red genes seep into the blood and soak into the heart, guiding the youth to establish a correct worldview, outlook on life, and values" [9]. This discourse clarifies the important significance of strengthening the inheritance of revolutionary cultural education. Third, advanced socialist culture is the orientation of the times. Advanced socialist culture was nurtured in the great struggle of the Party and the people, accumulating the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation. Guided by Marxism, based on contemporary Chinese reality, and standing firm on the ground of Chinese culture, Xi Jinping has frequently provided important expositions on promoting and developing advanced socialist culture. Fourth, the excellent cultural achievements of the world are a beneficial supplement. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that Chinese civilization upholds a broad spirit of openness and inclusiveness, and should actively and proactively absorb, learn from, and draw on all excellent civilizational achievements created by humanity.
Focusing on newcomers of the era and implementing the mission of education. Cultivating newcomers of the era who can shoulder the responsibility of national rejuvenation is the educational goal of the New Era. Shaping such newcomers requires cultural nurturing. First, it involves fortifying the foundation of ideals and beliefs for these newcomers. The newcomers we aim to cultivate must, above all, possess firm ideals and beliefs. This cannot be achieved without the powerful support of culture. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Without the foundation and nourishment of fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, ideals and beliefs would find it difficult to be deep and persistent" [10]. Universities can fully utilize the educational power and advantages of culture by promoting education in fine traditional Chinese culture, excavating the educational connotations of revolutionary culture, and carrying out education in advanced socialist culture. Second, it involves forging high moral character in the newcomers. During a symposium with faculty and students at Peking University, Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must regard the effectiveness of fostering virtue through education as the fundamental standard for testing all work in schools. We must truly achieve molding people through culture and educating people through virtue, continuously improving students' ideological level, political awareness, moral character, and cultural literacy, so that they achieve 'great virtue' (míng dà dé), observe 'public virtue' (shǒu gōng dé), and strictly maintain 'private virtue' (yán sī dé)" [11]. This discourse clarifies that enhancing moral character is the focus of cultural education. Third, it involves consolidating the cultural subjectivity of the newcomers. In June 2023 at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, Xi Jinping put forward new requirements for the new cultural mission of the New Era. To this end, we must place greater emphasis on molding and educating people through culture. By cultivating newcomers within cultural teaching, immersion, and influence, we can deepen their cultural foundation, enabling them to fully recognize their historical mission and contemporary responsibility in cultural inheritance and development, thereby further strengthening their cultural confidence.
Integrating multi-party synergy and improving the educational system. By grasping the characteristics and laws of cultural education under new circumstances, Xi Jinping has profoundly expounded on improving a synergistic system for cultural education. First, it requires adhering to the Party’s comprehensive leadership. The CPC is the main body for implementing cultural education, and the Party’s leadership is the essential guarantee for the success of this work. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping has profoundly recognized the status and role of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the New Era. Proceeding from an overall and strategic height, he has integrated the Party’s leadership into every aspect and link of cultural education to ensure it always moves in the correct direction. Second, it involves leveraging the foundational function of schools. Xi Jinping has proposed focusing on molding and educating people through culture at various meetings, such as the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Universities and the Symposium for Teachers of Ideological and Political Theory Courses. Schools are important venues for cultural inheritance and development; they must give full play to their active role in cultural leadership, inheritance, and innovation, strengthening campus cultural development, enriching cultural practice, and striving to improve students' comprehensive quality and cultural refinement. Third, it involves expanding the fields of cultural education. The influence of culture on people is holistic, so the systematic nature of cultural education must be deepened. In December 2017, the Ministry of Education released the "Implementation Outline for the Project to Improve the Quality of Ideological and Political Work in Higher Education Institutions," which formally established a "ten-fold" educational system—including cultural education—coordinating the relationships between cultural education and education via curriculum, research, practice, and the internet. This pools educational elements from multiple fields and converges the cultural power of various subjects to permeate every link of education with culture. Fourth, it involves flourishing artistic creation and promoting artistic innovation. Excellent works of literature and art are rooted in the deep soil of history and culture and the practical lives of the people; they possess unique educational charm and value. Therefore, Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that literature and art are projects for the casting of the soul (zhù hún gōng chéng), and importance should be placed on the function of excellent works in enriching people’s spiritual worlds and strengthening their spiritual power.
III. The Practical Value of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourses on Cultural Education Xi Jinping’s important discourses on cultural education scientifically explain the fundamental laws of cultural education, condensing wise reflections and profound insights into talent cultivation and national governance. They provide a powerful ideological weapon and a scientific guide for action to succeed in cultural education under new circumstances and to shoulder new cultural missions.
It provides a guide for action to strengthen and improve ideological and political education. Ideological and political education is not only a political phenomenon but also a cultural one, possessing an inherent cultural character. As an important method of "cultivating people through culture" (wénhuà yùrén [4]), ideological and political education plays a significant role in cultural inheritance, development, and innovation. On May 11, 2024, when giving important instructions on the construction of school ideological and political courses, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "use fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture as the foundation of strength" [15]. This statement clarifies the distinct orientation of empowering ideological and political courses with advanced culture and positions culture as the "foundation of strength" in the construction of these courses. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has delivered relevant discourse on various important occasions, clarifying that the strengthening and improvement of ideological and political education must fully utilize cultural resources and manifest the advantages of cultivating people through culture. These discourses have greatly enriched and developed our understanding of the laws governing ideological and political education. They are of immense significance and value for enhancing the cultural power of ideological and political education, exploring the endogenous drivers for its continuous development, and earnestly shoulder the cultural mission entrusted to ideological and political education by the New Era.
It provides the fundamental follow-through (gēnběn zūnxún [5]) for the work of cultivating people through culture under new circumstances. Casting the soul to cultivate people (zhùhún yùrén [6]), fostering virtue through education (lìdé shùrén [7]), and transforming people through culture (yǐwénhuàrén [8]) are the core components of educational work in the New Era. Xi Jinping's important discourse on cultivating people through culture is grounded in the practices of the New Era. It centers on the fundamental question of "whom to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom they are cultivated." While upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, it persists in the basic principles of education, employs a brand-new perspective and scientific methods, deepens the essential characteristics of cultural education through Party leadership, and defines the developmental position of cultural education through the new cultural mission of the New Era. It scientifically answers a series of major theoretical and practical questions regarding the advancement of cultural education under new circumstances. This points the way forward and provides specific practical paths and methodological guidance for the practice of cultural education with Chinese characteristics. In the process of systematic planning, Xi Jinping has fully elaborated on cultural education work from the aspects of strengthening leadership over ideology, cultivating and promoting socialist core values, inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture, promoting revolutionary culture, developing advanced socialist culture, prospering literary and artistic creation, and developing cultural undertakings and industries. Regarding specific deployment, he has depicted a three-dimensional and vivid picture of talent cultivation. By constructing a multi-dimensional educational pattern, it pools the synergy of multiple subjects, multiple fields, and both online and offline education, giving full play to culture's functions of value guidance, cohesion and integration, normative constraint, and capacity enhancement.
It provides directional guidance for advancing Chinese-path modernization. Amidst the global modernization challenge of imbalance between material and spiritual civilizations, Xi Jinping has frequently pointed out—from cultural and humanistic perspectives—that Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of coordinate material and spiritual civilizations. Xi Jinping treats Chinese-path modernization as a holistic and systemic project, regarding culture as a vital component permeating the entire practical process of Chinese-path modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, a series of activities for building spiritual civilization—such as the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, the cultivation and practice of socialist core values, the prosperity and development of cultural undertakings and industries, the creation of excellent literary and artistic works, and the continuation and promotion of the national spirit and the spirit of the times—have vividly demonstrated the profound power of culture in social development and civilizational progress. They manifest a brand-new landscape that continuously meets the growing spiritual and cultural needs of the people, providing an inexhaustible ideological guarantee, spiritual motivation, and intellectual support for the advancement of Chinese-path modernization. It is evident that Xi Jinping's important discourse on cultivating people through culture focuses on fostering well-rounded individuals. It closely integrates cultural education with talent cultivation and the modernization of national governance. It contains profound humanistic significance and spiritual-cultural pursuits, providing comprehensive directional guidance for exploring a Chinese-path modernization with deep cultural connotations.