Lin Cunguang: The "Two Combinations" Lead the Restoration of the Splendor of Chinese Civilization
Chinese civilization has a long history, tracing back to a distant source, and its cultural life-form is both profound and vast. For over five thousand years, Chinese civilization has created and accumulated a rich and fine traditional culture, which contains many political thought traditions and wisdom of state governance deeply imbued with concern for the people. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and utilizing Marxist theory and methods to fully excavate and elucidate China's traditions of political thought and wisdom of state governance—enabling their creative transformation and innovative development—is undoubtedly an inherent requirement of the "two combinations" and the necessary path for the restoration of the glory of Chinese civilization.
The Three Major Characteristics of the Chinese Political Thought Tradition
Looking back at the history of Chinese civilization, it is easy to discover that during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods [1]—the Chinese "Axial Age" of booming academic and intellectual thought—the Hundred Schools of Thought sought to respond to the challenges of the times. With the rise and fall of "all under heaven" (tianxia) in their hearts and a concern for the order or chaos of the state, they were eager to deeply reflect upon and systematically explore the ideal way of governance (zhidao), thereby laying the intellectual foundation for the Chinese political thought tradition and the long-term endurance of Chinese civilization. What, then, are the characteristics of this intellectual foundation? Mr. Liang Qichao [2] once remarked that since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, our country's political thought has possessed three major characteristics: cosmopolitanism, populism or "people-as-the-base" centralism (minben), and socialism.
In the history of Chinese civilization, the political belief and intellectual tradition of minben [3] can be described as tracing back to a distant source and remaining ever-new. It can be traced back to the intellectual tradition of the Three Dynasties of high antiquity [4] regarding the honoring of Heaven and valuing the people, or respecting Heaven and protecting the people. The phrase "The people are the domain's foundation; when the foundation is firm, the domain is at peace" (Shangshu: Song of the Five Sons) can be called the classic expression of the minben political concept. Descending to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Confucian, Mohist, and Daoist schools arose, and their political thoughts almost all possessed distinct and strong minben characteristics. They advocated for transformation through virtue and benevolent governance, the regulation of the people’s property, the guarantee of the people's livelihood, respect for public opinion, and winning the hearts of the people. Alternatively, they advocated for universal love and non-aggression, frugality for the benefit of the people, or following the sentiments of the people and taking the heart of the people as one's own heart. Although the specific contents of their propositions may have differed in various ways, their core essence was nothing more than emphasizing a fundamental insight into state governance: the ruler is established for the sake of the people; therefore, guaranteeing the survival and well-being of the people should be an important principle of the way of state governance.
No thinker or statesman endowed with moral conscience could remain indifferent to the suffering of the people trapped in "deep water and scorching fire" [5]. All the various schools of thought "sought to change the world through their Way" (Wenshi Tongyi: Origin of the Way, Part II), precisely to relieve the people from being hung upside down and to save them from water and fire. However, why were the people trapped in such dire straits? It was mainly caused by social injustice, the inevitable result of class oppression and exploitation, and the strife and conflict between states. Precisely because of this, the political theories of the various schools all centered on solving the problems of national welfare and people’s livelihood. The greatest feature of their theories on livelihood was that they "always placed the theory of distribution in the primary position, while the theory of production was secondary," with distribution aiming for the ideal goal of achieving social justice and equalization of wealth. Consequently, "from Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, and Xunzi to Shang Yang, Han Fei, and even the likes of Xu Xing and Bai Gui, almost none of their discourses lacked a socialist coloring."
At the same time, the political theories of the various schools all aimed at pursuing the peaceful unification of "all under heaven" (tianxia). Their "doctrine of leveling all under heaven" (ping tianxia) was a form of cosmopolitanism with the common well-being of all humanity as its goal, forming a movement of the spirit of that age. As Mr. Qian Mu [6] said: among the pre-Qin thinkers, there was truly not a single person who held a narrow nationalism. The general academic thought of the time all held a "view of the world" (tianxia guan). Thus it was said: when the self is cultivated, the family is regulated; when the family is regulated, the state is ordered; when the state is ordered, all under heaven is at peace. As stated in the Great Learning, the progression through self-cultivation, regulating the family, ordering the state, and bringing peace to all under heaven is a cumulative process and a continuous expansion; this is a great and enduring human undertaking. The ultimate goal of "leveling all under heaven" is the realization of the ideal of the human community where "all under heaven is one family" and there is "Great Harmony" (datong) [7].
The Introduction of Marxism and the Rebirth of Ancient China
It goes without saying that the lofty and far-reaching political ideals contained in the aforementioned political thought traditions, due to various objective and subjective reasons and the limitations of historical conditions, were unable to fully exert their influence and effects, and thus inevitably suffered from the malaise of being "lofty but not implemented." Historically speaking, the development process of Chinese civilization has not been smooth sailing. Our country and nation often fell into the dynastic cycle of order and chaos, prosperity and decline. Internal divisions and strife, and crises of invasion and rule by foreign ethnic groups occurred continuously. In modern times, China even encountered and experienced the "darkest hour" of national humiliation and the threat of national extinction triggered by the partition, encroachment, aggression, and bullying of the Great Powers.
Stimulated by the "great change unseen in several thousand years" [8] brought about by the Eastern incursion of Western power, the Chinese nation has risen in resistance and sought to catch up over the past century, even imitating the West in every respect to seek national wealth, power, and rejuvenation. However, after making every effort to absorb the strengths of Western arts, systems, and learning and undergoing various attempts, the Chinese people ultimately accepted Marxism and chose the path of socialism. It can be said that the introduction of Marxism, the New Democratic Revolution led by the Communist Party of China, and the founding of the New China truly changed the fate of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, finally allowing them to escape the predicament of national decline and peril they had faced since the beginning of the modern era.
Why, then, did the Chinese people choose to accept Marxism and willingly walk the path of socialism? This is inseparable from the long and profound Chinese political thought tradition and the national consciousness which emphasizes the minben spirit of "the people as the foundation of the state," the socialist belief in desiring social justice and the equalization of wealth, and the "doctrine of leveling all under heaven" with "Great Harmony" as the ultimate ideal. Precisely because of this, advanced Chinese people not only pursued the ideal of a democratic republic but also more easily accepted socialist thought. The introduction of Marxism—because it took the liberation of the oppressed and exploited laboring masses as its aim and the communist ideal of liberating all humanity as its goal—was most kindred to and consistent with the three major characteristics of Chinese political thought mentioned above, and was best able to produce resonance, because they collectively possess the noble ideals and broad sentiments of concern for the welfare of the people’s livelihood, the pursuit of social justice and equality, and a mind for all living beings under heaven.
Facts have proven that the Chinese communists who accepted Marxism, precisely in the process of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with the concrete realities of the Chinese revolution, ultimately became the faithful inheritors and firm promoters of fine traditional Chinese culture. The CPC used Marxism as its theoretical weapon to guide the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution, fundamentally solving the people's actual needs for survival, leading the Chinese people to victory in the New Democratic Revolution, and establishing the New China. This not only allowed ancient China to finally escape the plight of national peril and obtain a rebirth, but also allowed Chinese culture to break free from its crisis, bringing vitality to the rejuvenation of the great Chinese civilization.
"The Ancient State with a New Mission" and the Restoration of the Glory of Chinese Civilization
It is undeniable that since the dawn of the modern era, the Chinese people have always faced the cultural dilemma of the "dispute between the ancient and the modern, and between China and the West." This is a challenge our country and nation must face and answer in the process of moving toward modernization. In the final analysis, this is the problem of "the ancient state with a new mission" (jiubang xinming), as formulated by Mr. Feng Youlan [9]. The so-called "ancient state" is the motherland, the Chinese nation; the "new mission" is modernization and the construction of socialism.
However, the realization and completion of the historical mission or task of "the ancient state with a new mission" has not been smooth sailing. In dealing with the dispute between the ancient and the modern and between China and the West—especially the relationship between tradition and modernity—if a balance is difficult to achieve, it is inevitable to fall into confusion and bias, even causing serious setbacks to China's cause of modernization. In the construction process of the cause of modernization with Chinese characteristics, we face the same problem. How, then, can we better complete the historical task and grand goal of "the ancient state with a new mission," realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and build a powerful, modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics? To this end, since the founding of the New China, our Party has always adhered to a firm position of the people, always adhered to the fundamental purpose of serving the people heart and soul, always represented the people, rooted itself in the people, relied on the people, and done everything for the people. It has always firmly followed the mass line, coming from the masses and going to the masses, and has always led the Chinese people on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics toward common prosperity.
In the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has shown great foresight. Taking the people's aspiration for a better life as the goal of our struggle, he clearly proposed the people-centered development philosophy and led the Chinese people to achieve the First Centenary Goal of poverty alleviation and the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. General Secretary Xi Jinping not only cares for the well-being and health of the Chinese people and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, but also keeps the whole world in mind, proposing the three major initiatives of Global Development, Global Security, and Global Civilization, and proposing the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity in which we share weal and woe, promoting the development of the world in a better direction. "Chinese people are always willing to advance along the Great Way (dadao) together with the people of the world, and to attain joy and benefit together. Whatever method can enable the people of the world to advance along the Great Way and attain joy and benefit together, the Chinese people will always joyfully accept." Undoubtedly, as the preeminent statesman of a "major civilized country" and the "Leader of the People," General Secretary Xi Jinping’s thoughts on state governance fully embody the continuation and promotion of the three major characteristics of Chinese political thought—minben centralism, socialism, and cosmopolitanism—under the premise of unwaveringly upholding the guiding position of Marxism. This has not only activated ancient Chinese wisdom but also, in practice, achieved its creative transformation and innovative development to a brand-new frontier.
During the periods of the New Democratic Revolution and socialist construction, Marxism, in the process of being combined with China's concrete realities, thoroughly transformed the face of ancient China and gave it new life through its unparalleled revolutionary spirit and practical wisdom for transforming social reality. However, with the continuous acceleration and deepening of the process of reform and opening up, we have come to clearly realize that if the "soul-vein" (hunmai) of Marxist guiding ideology and the "root-vein" (genmai) of fine traditional Chinese culture are allowed to remain alienated from and neglectful of one another, it is impossible to build a truly vibrant and powerful modern socialist country. To build our country into a prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious, and beautiful modern socialist power and to realize the grand goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we cannot do without the guidance of the Marxist soul-vein. At the same time, we must attach high importance to the rich nourishment left to us by more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization, and we must deeply plant our roots in the fertile soil of fine traditional Chinese culture. On June 2, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, clearly pointing out: "To open up and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics on the profound foundation of more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization, the 'two combinations'—combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's concrete realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture—is the necessary path."
As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "combination" not only allows both sides to "achieve one another," thereby creating "a new, organically unified cultural life-form" and "allowing Marxism to become Chinese, and fine traditional Chinese culture to become modern," but it also solidifies our "path foundation," "giving the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics a broader and more profound historical depth and expanding the cultural foundation of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." "Combination" will also certainly allow the minben spirit, socialist beliefs, and cosmopolitan ideals within the Chinese political thought tradition to shine once again in the process of advancing Chinese-path modernization—that is, in the process of developing whole-process people's democracy, realizing common prosperity for all people, promoting harmony between humanity and nature, pushing for the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, and creating a new form of human civilization. This is both a great victory for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and a historical witness to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the restoration of the glory of Chinese civilization. This is where our cultural confidence lies, and where our confidence in "the ancient state with a new mission" is anchored, for the great practice of the "two combinations" and "the ancient state with a new mission" will surely provide a powerful spiritual impetus and guide for action for the restoration of the glory of Chinese civilization.