Hou Yong: Paths for the Academic and Theoretical Interpretation of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought
Since the proposal of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the academic and theoretical communities have conducted in-depth research and explication, focusing broadly on its generative logic, scientific connotations, distinctive features, historical evolution, original contributions, and axiological implications. This has effectively advanced the theoretical study and practical development of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Looking at the progress of this research, gaps remain in terms of research topics, content, and methodology; it is necessary to further advance the systematized and academicized explication of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.
Enriching Research Methodologies
We must persist in taking the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our fundamental compliance. We must adhere to a systems concept [1] and the pathways and methods of the "Two Combinations," [2] continuously advancing systematized and academicized explication from a perspective that connects history with reality and integrates theory with practice, thereby promoting the integration and transformation of political discourse into academic discourse. We must persist in panoramic research, situating Xi Jinping Thought on Culture within the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This involves properly handling the relationships between thematic explication and systematic research, between Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as a whole and its various sub-fields, and between the internal elemental structures and the systemic whole. While clarifying the internal logic, relations, and structure of this ideological system, we should also advance academic and holistic research.
Comparative research is an important method for theoretical study. There is a need to establish a "big picture" view of history [3] and study the historical evolution of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture from the dimension of the "Four Histories." [4] Through comparison, we can clarify the theoretical advantages of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in its adherence to the "Two Combinations," its alignment with the trends of the times, and its conformity with the will of the people. In conducting comparative research between China and the West, we must explore commonalities while grasping individualities, integrating beneficial resources from the past and present, China and abroad, to strengthen systematized and academicized explication and promote a "revolution in terminology" and international dissemination. Guided by the materialist conception of history and taking the explication of the principles, academic logic, and philosophy [5] contained within Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as the logical main line, we must closely link its core propositions with the development of Chinese history and integrate them with the concepts and discourse of fine traditional Chinese culture to advance the explication of and response to practical problems.
Regarding qualitative research, the theoretical community currently relies heavily on literature research methods; we should also widely employ qualitative methods such as historical research, textual analysis, oral history, and field investigation. Regarding quantitative research, we must use quantitative tools and digital-intelligence technology to empower the visual and graphic presentation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, as well as its popularized and everyday dissemination, thereby enhancing the scientific rigor of the research paradigm, the comprehensiveness of research methods, and the diversity of research perspectives.
Deepening and Expanding Research Content
From an ontological perspective, we should focus on the theme and main line, clarify the primary content and logical structure, and elucidate the basic connotations, thinking methods, core tenets, and theoretical contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, grasping the principles, academic logic, and philosophy contained therein. Through the systematic sorting and scientific explication of relevant concepts, categories, and viewpoints in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of important speeches and instructions, as well as authoritative documents of the Party Central Committee, we should clarify its core tenets, practical requirements, historical status, and global contributions to construct the theoretical, academic, and discourse systems of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. From an epistemological perspective, by analyzing constituent elements such as content, goals, methods, and pathways, we can continuously deepen our grasp of the regularities [6] of building socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. Developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics requires adhering to the guidance of Marxism, strengthening cultural confidence, persisting in the "Two Combinations," and adhering to the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.
From an axiological perspective, research on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture must always insist that cultural construction focuses on people and serves their well-rounded development. This ensures that cultural construction can effectively resolve the principal contradiction in society, [7] respond to the spiritual and cultural needs of the people, promote the building of a new form of human civilization, and further demonstrate the theoretical value and original contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. From a methodological perspective, based on the integration of the macro and micro, we should combine the cultural cognitive perspectives of the individual, the nation, and humanity to deeply understand Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. We must deeply excavate the worldview and methodology regarding cultural thought within Marxist theory to construct a methodological and theoretical system for studying Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. From a praxeological perspective, we must achieve a shift from theoretical research to theoretical application. Persisting in understanding Xi Jinping Thought on Culture from the perspective of the "Two Combinations," we should provide academicized explanations and popularized dissemination of the political discourse found in important speeches, instructions, talks, and documents. We must profoundly clarify the "Nine Adherences," [8] "Seven Efforts," [9] "Fourteen Emphases," "Important Expositions on 11 Aspects," and the "Plans and Deployments in 16 Aspects," promoting the conversion of political discourse into academic and everyday discourse, and advancing the dialectical unity of substance and application (ti and yong), [10] theory and practice, and epistemology and methodology.
Consolidating Research Support
We must further consolidate the disciplinary, team, and platform support for the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture to aggregate a powerful research synergy. Regarding the construction of the disciplinary system, we should strengthen multi-disciplinary collaborative research. Currently, the research and explication of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture are mainly concentrated in Marxist theory and its related disciplines. However, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is an ideological system involving multiple disciplines and fields. It requires a multi-disciplinary and multi-perspective approach to further enhance the intensity of cross-disciplinary research, effectively integrate cross-disciplinary research forces, and harmonize the collaborative advantages of political science, law, literature, communications, philosophy, sociology, and economics to innovate research outputs and multi-disciplinary academic interpretations.
Regarding disciplinary exchange platforms, we should build professional and open platforms for academic exchange. Think-tank platforms possess unique advantages such as rich human resources, complete disciplinary categories, and solid research foundations. Through cross-disciplinary research, they can conduct long-term and in-depth academic exchanges, provide multi-disciplinary consultation and policy suggestions, improve the comprehensive research and overall efficiency of disciplines, and advance the systematized and academicized explication of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. By strengthening top-level policy design, optimizing the allocation of human resources, and reforming innovative cooperation mechanisms, we can build research and work platforms that provide intellectual and academic support for the academicized explication and policy research of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.
Regarding the construction of disciplinary teams, we must provide the necessary personnel support and resource guarantees. Analysis of current research teams and institutions shows that collaborative relationships between disciplines, teams, and institutions are relatively fragmented. We should further promote deep exchange and collaborative problem-solving among disciplinary teams, utilizing the theoretical methods of different disciplines and the complementary advantages of different regions to conduct in-depth research. We should assemble cross-disciplinary and cross-industry research teams and, relying on major national projects and key research tasks, form a collaborative and linked research force. At the same time, we should leverage regional characteristics to promote cooperation between institutions and strengthen inter-regional exchanges, promoting the systematic and sustainable development of research to provide team and talent support for the study, explication, and practical development of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.
Advancing Research Application
We must accelerate the application and transformation of theoretical research results on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture into curriculum systems, textbook systems, teaching systems, talent cultivation systems, and the development system for cultural undertakings. First, we must enhance the effectiveness of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in nurturing people. We should accelerate the integration of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture into "Ideological and Political Courses" (si-zheng ke) and "Curriculum-based Ideological and Political Education" (ke-cheng si-zheng). Starting from the integration with the teaching content of various courses, we should excavate the methodological significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and further innovate teaching guidelines for curriculum-based education. Taking Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as our compliance, we should explore the cultural impetus for the integrated innovative development of ideological and political education across elementary, middle, and higher education. From the perspective of cultural regularities, we should explore the internal laws of constructing this integrated system, exploring collaborative mechanisms through cultural immersion, infection, and edification.
Second, we must enhance the leading efficacy of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Combining the cultural characteristics and needs of the New Era and guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, we should promote the coordinated advancement of cultural industries, cultural undertakings, and other industries, performing well in both domestic and international communication to "tell the China story well." We must focus on building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership, fostering and practicing Socialist Core Values, and accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. We should enhance the communication, guidance, influence, and credibility of news and public opinion, promote the prosperous development of cultural undertakings and industries, and actively advance the utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, thereby continuing the Chinese cultural lineage and promoting exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.