Xin Xiangyang: Research on Several Important Issues Concerning the Construction of Marxist Theoretical Discipline in the New Era

The discipline of Marxist theory is a foundational and strategic discipline within the disciplinary system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Strengthening the construction of the Marxist theory discipline is a major, systemic, and long-term project concerning national ideological security, the Party's theoretical innovation, and the cultivation of national talent. Since the Ministry of Education established the discipline of Ideological and Political Education in 1984, and especially since the Central Committee of the Party proposed and launched the "Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project" ^[1] in 2004 and established Marxist theory as a first-level discipline ^[2] in 2005, the construction of the Marxist theory discipline has achieved substantial progress.

Entering the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Party Central Committee has attached great importance to Marxist theory research and construction. It has emphasized the need to uphold the fundamental system of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field, and to fully implement the adherence to Marxism as a guide in all aspects of ideological and theoretical construction, philosophy and social science research, and education and teaching. The construction of the Marxist theory discipline has achieved a series of important successes, becoming an important vehicle for consolidating ideological positions, advancing theoretical innovation, and cultivating the new generation of the era. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization," adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, emphasized: "Innovate the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project, implement the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project, and construct an autonomous knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences." On the new journey, we must base ourselves on the general trend of human development, the frontiers of scientific and technological development, national strategic needs, and the requirements of disciplinary development. With a high degree of self-awareness in discipline construction and self-confidence in academic development, we must promote the construction of the Marxist theory discipline, fully demonstrate its unique value in the construction of an autonomous knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and systematically construct the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems ^[3] of Marxist theory.

I. The Fundamental Orientation of the Marxist Theory Discipline

1. The Essential Attributes of the Marxist Theory Discipline Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which we establish and rejuvenate our Party and our country; strengthening the construction of the Marxist theory discipline is of overall, fundamental, and strategic significance. The Marxist theory discipline is a discipline that conducts holistic research on Marxism, possessing both disciplinary and political attributes. It embodies a unified character of scientificity, people-centeredness, and practicality. It is an important support for defending and consolidating the main battlefield of socialist ideology, and must perform both academic and ideological functions. Scientificity is reflected in the fact that the Marxist theory discipline takes a scientific system of thought as its object of study and advances theoretical research and discipline construction using scientific standpoints, viewpoints, and methods, always placing a high priority on the systematization and theoreticization of Marxist research.

On June 30, 2023, during the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping pointed out: "Promoting the systematization and theoreticization of theory is an internal requirement and an important path for theoretical innovation. The reason Marxism has such far-reaching influence lies in its use of profound theory to reveal the truth of human social development, and its use of a complete system to demonstrate the scientific nature of its theory. Marx once said his works were an artistic whole, and Lenin also said Marxist philosophy is a single block of steel. Engels wrote works such as Socialism: Utopian and Scientific to systematically expound the basic principles of Marxism, scientifically demonstrating the internal unity among the three constituent parts of Marxism ^[4]. He defended and developed the scientificity of Marxism with profound theory and avoided and corrected the fragmentation and vulgarization of Marxism with a complete system. This fully demonstrates the importance of systematization and theoreticization for adhering to and developing Marxism." People-centeredness is the essential attribute of Marxism and the prominent mark that distinguishes Marxist political parties from other parties. The Party's ideological theory is a theory that comes from the people, is rooted in the people, is for the people, and benefits the people. The people's creative practice is the inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation and the sole criterion for testing truth. In the construction of the Marxist theory discipline, people-centeredness requires us to always remain people-centered and persist in "conducting scholarship for the people." It emphasizes that research must be based on the great practice of the people, and that "papers should be written on the land of the motherland ^[5] and in the hearts of the people." Practicality, when reflected in the construction of the Marxist theory discipline, requires us to always focus on the practical transformation of theoretical value and the theoretical sublimation of practical experience. It emphasizes not only that practice is the sole criterion for testing truth, but also the advancement of theoretical development through practice. The practical transformation of theoretical value requires Marxist theoretical workers to be adept at grasping the ideological value of the Party's innovative theories through in-depth academic research, and then using popular language to let theory "fly into the homes of ordinary people." The theoretical sublimation of practical experience requires us to be adept at taking Chinese practice and the realities of contemporary change as our frame of reference. On the basis of summarizing the experience of solving Chinese and global problems, we must form scientific theories.

2. The Important Mission of the Marxist Theory Discipline First, playing a governing role. As a first-level discipline, the Marxist theory discipline holds a guiding position in the philosophy and social sciences. It not only plays a direct leading role for related second-level disciplines but also possesses a "soul-shaping" function within the entire disciplinary system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. It is crucial for constructing the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Second, playing a leading role. This is reflected in the fact that the Marxist theory discipline provides the basic standpoint, correct viewpoints, and scientific methods for integrating resources from Marxism, excellent traditional Chinese culture, and foreign philosophy and social sciences. Marxism and its theoretical achievements in Sinicization and modernization play a leading role in discipline construction. Third, playing a transformative role. The Marxist theory discipline can integrate with and influence the research paradigms of other philosophy and social sciences, guiding people's worldviews, outlooks on life, and values. Fourth, playing a pugnacious role. The construction of the Marxist theory discipline is an important part of ideological work. It plays an irreplaceable role in "distinguishing between political principle issues, ideological understanding issues, and academic viewpoint issues, and taking a clear-cut stand against and resisting various erroneous viewpoints." We must use the profound theoreticization of Marxism to identify and refute various overt and covert anti-Marxist trends of thought.

3. Construction Principles of the Marxist Theory Discipline Since its establishment, the Marxist theory discipline has expanded in an orderly manner, produced significant scientific research results, markedly improved the teaching effect of ideological and political theory courses, and continuously enhanced the quality of the teaching faculty and talent cultivation. Important achievements have been made in building an academic community. An extremely important factor in this is the consistent adherence to the guiding principles and value orientations of the Marxist theory discipline construction. From a direct functional perspective, the Marxist theory discipline has always taken serving the Party's ideological and theoretical construction and the teaching of ideological and political theory courses as its basic tasks. It has consistently followed the laws of Marxist theoretical development, the laws of Marxist theory discipline construction, and the laws of teaching ideological and political theory courses. It focuses on the holistic, systemic, and principled research of Marxism, as well as the nationalized, modernized, original, and structural research of Marxism. At the same time, it has established an integration mechanism for ideological and theoretical construction, ideological and political theory course teaching, and discipline construction, thereby becoming a dominant discipline in the field of philosophy and social sciences in our country.

II. Construction of the Disciplinary System of Marxist Theory

1. Structural Optimization of the Disciplinary System With the deepening of our understanding of the laws of disciplinary development, in 2005, the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education issued the "Notice on Adjusting and Adding the First-level Discipline of Marxist Theory and its Subordinate Second-level Disciplines." They decided to establish the first-level discipline of Marxist Theory and corresponding second-level disciplines. Based on the laws of disciplinary development, characteristics of academic research, and needs of social development, these second-level disciplines have been continuously improved. This has formed a Marxist theory disciplinary system that includes: Basic Tenets of Marxism, History of Marxist Development, Research on the Sinicization of Marxism, Studies of Foreign Marxism, Ideological and Political Education, and Research on the Basic Issues of Modern and Contemporary Chinese History. These second-level disciplines complement each other and integrate organically. Together with the History of the CPC and Party Building, Marxist Philosophy (under the first-level discipline of Philosophy), Political Economy (under the first-level discipline of Theoretical Economics), and Scientific Socialism and the International Communist Movement (under the first-level discipline of Political Science), they construct a relatively complete disciplinary system and disciplinary cluster. The "Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of Philosophy and Social Sciences with Chinese Characteristics" proposed adhering to the guiding position of Marxism in the field of philosophy and social sciences and accelerating the construction of the disciplinary system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Contrasting with this requirement, we see that certain structural problems still exist in the construction of the disciplinary system and clusters. For example, the development of second-level disciplines is highly unbalanced in terms of academic systems, discourse systems, and talent pools; the connectivity between second-level disciplines is insufficient, even leading to fragmented research. On the new journey, we must persist with a systemic concept, improve disciplinary evaluation standards and quality monitoring systems, and strengthen the evaluation of disciplinary operation mechanisms and their effectiveness. We must break through the fixed mindset of traditional disciplinary divisions, further construct a disciplinary system with a rational structure, coordinated mechanisms, and mutual integration, highlighting the synergistic effect between second-level disciplines so that a "chemical reaction" can occur between them.

2. Modernizing the Expansion of Research Directions On one hand, we must refine the research directions of the discipline. In the process of constructing and developing the Marxist theory disciplinary system, many research directions were created. However, with the transformation of the principal contradiction ^[6] in our society, new changes in the basic national conditions of the primary stage of socialism, and changes in the discipline's ability to respond to realistic problems, some existing research directions have become disconnected from economic and social development. This is manifested as follows: either they are detached from the trends of the times, engaging in self-talk within academic circles; or they find it difficult to respond to the needs of realistic development, leaving their answers to real-world problems pale and weak. These research directions must be adjusted according to the times, with a particular focus on solving the problem of disciplinary points being "numerous but not strong" and the homogenization of research. On the other hand, we must open up new fields of disciplinary research. For the construction of disciplinary research directions, we must adhere to the methodology of "simultaneously breaking the old and establishing the new." On the basis of adjusting the pattern of existing research directions, we should create new research directions and fields, particularly paying further attention to frontier breakthroughs in basic theoretical research, forward-looking layouts in applied countermeasure research, and innovative paths in interdisciplinary research.

3. Cross-disciplinary Integration and Innovative Development Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out:

"Original breakthroughs in areas such as information, life sciences, manufacturing, energy, space, and the oceans provide more sources of innovation for frontier and disruptive technologies. The trends of cross-disciplinary integration—between disciplines, between science and technology, and between the natural sciences and the philosophy and social sciences—are becoming increasingly evident. Never before have science and technology influenced the future and destiny of the nation so profoundly as they do today, nor have they ever affected the well-being of the people so deeply." Breaking down the barriers between disciplines, leveraging the advantages of disciplinary integration, and discovering, analyzing, researching, and solving problems from a multi-disciplinary perspective are inevitable requirements for the academic development of modern disciplines. Promoting the cross-integration of the discipline of Marxist theory with CPC History and Party Building, Discipline Inspection and Supervision, as well as Economics, Political Science, and Sociology, is also an intrinsic need for the continued improvement of the disciplinary system of Marxist theory. In recent years, the Party and the State have attached great importance to reshaping the disciplinary system in accordance with the trends of the times. The "Implementation Measures for Coordinated Promotion of the Construction of World-Class Universities and First-Class Disciplines (Interim)" explicitly proposed to "encourage emerging and interdisciplinary subjects" and to "face the major strategic needs of the country, the main battlefield of economic and social development, and the frontiers of global scientific and technological development; emphasize construction quality, social contribution, and international influence; and highlight cross-disciplinary integration and collaborative innovation." The "Opinions on Accelerating the Reform and Development of Graduate Education in the New Era," issued by the Ministry of Education, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Finance, further required the "establishment of emerging interdisciplinary categories to support the development of strategic emerging disciplines." The "Catalogue of Disciplines and Specialties for Graduate Education (2022)," issued by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education, innovatively established the "Interdisciplinary Studies" category, which has become the 14th disciplinary category in China's disciplinary system. The discipline of Marxist theory has also conducted in-depth explorations in cross-disciplinary integration. For example, the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences established the secondary discipline of "China Studies," connecting Marxist theory with Philosophy, History, Political Science, and Communication Studies, striving to create a Marxist theory "discipline cluster." It must be deeply recognized that the discipline of Marxist theory possesses its own unique advantages in cross-disciplinary integration: first, an advantage in stand, viewpoint, and method, being able to use a scientific worldview and methodology to consolidate the foundations of other disciplines; second, a broad horizon for posing and solving problems, allowing researchers to engage in interdisciplinary scientific research by starting from frontier and essential issues.

III. Construction of the Knowledge System of the Discipline of Marxist Theory

1. Construction of the Knowledge System of Basic Marxist Theory Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out that "possessing the guidance of scientific Marxist theory is the fundamental basis for our Party to solidify its faith and belief and to grasp historical initiative," and "adherence to Marxism as guidance is the fundamental hallmark distinguishing contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from other philosophy and social sciences." This elucidates the decisive significance of adhering to Marxism for the development of the cause of the Party and the State, and particularly for the development of Chinese philosophy and social sciences. How to understand Marxism in the New Era and how to apply the Marxist stand, viewpoint, and method to solve China’s practical problems are major tasks that Chinese Communists must continue to answer. The development of the discipline of Marxist theory is both a theoretical summary of practice and historical experience, and an in-depth exploration for the continuous advancement of theoretical innovation. The knowledge system of the discipline of Marxist theory is a core component of the independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and it plays a leading role in the construction of knowledge systems for other disciplines. Fundamentally, this is determined by the scientific, people-centered, and practical nature of Marxism. Marxism provides a scientific worldview and methodological foundation for the development of Chinese philosophy and social sciences, ensuring that the construction of various disciplinary knowledge systems is always based on the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, thereby demonstrating the dialectical unity of scientific rigor and value orientation.

To construct the knowledge system of basic Marxist theory, on the one hand, we must strengthen textual research on Marxist classics, and refine and develop the explanatory system for basic Marxist concepts, categories, and principles to fully present the historical landscape and theoretical genealogy of Marxist development. Emphasis should be placed on using analytical technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to advance the textual criticism and contextual analysis of Marxist classics, thereby effectively enhancing the systematic and scientific nature of textual research. In particular, more systematic and comprehensive research should be conducted on certain weak points in the history of Marxist development. For example, how to understand the "Two Break-withs" ^[7] proposed in the Manifesto of the Communist Party and their contemporary value; how to understand the "Two Never-afters" ^[8] proposed by Marx in the "Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy" and better understand "why capitalism has not yet completely perished, why socialism experienced setbacks such as the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, and why the Communism foreseen by Marx still requires a long period of historical development to be realized"; how to better understand the logic of capital in Das Kapital and better harness capital; and how to understand Engels’ proposition in The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State that "the state is a summary of civilized society" to better understand the origins and developmental process of the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization. On the other hand, we must focus on the contemporary interpretation of Marxist classics, deeply studying the enduring ideological value of these works. We should emphasize both textual reading and contextual analysis while also focusing on responding to reality. We must bridge the transformational logic between theoretical topics, practical issues, and academic agendas, establishing methodological paths for extracting theoretical propositions and research topics from concrete practice.

2. Construction of the Knowledge System of Sinicized and Modernized Marxism Advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is a process of pursuing, revealing, and practicing truth. In this process, the CPC has led the people in building a knowledge system of Sinicized and modernized Marxism with distinct Chinese and contemporary characteristics. During the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping pointed out: "Why the CPC works, why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, depends fundamentally on the fact that Marxism works, and that Sinicized and modernized Marxism works. This is the conclusion of history." This is the most profound revelation of the historical logic since the founding of the CPC, elucidating the intrinsic logic between Sinicized and modernized Marxism and Marxism itself, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Constantly improving the theoretical consciousness of Chinese Communists, strengthening the theoretical identification of the masses, and demonstrating the practical value of innovative theories requires the construction of a knowledge system of Sinicized and modernized Marxism. To this end, we must continuously optimize the mechanisms for academic expression, theoretical explanation, and popular dissemination of the theoretical achievements of Sinicized and modernized Marxism. We must scientifically grasp the dialectical relationship between classic foundational theories and contemporary practical developments. We must conduct in-depth research on major issues in the development of Marxism in contemporary China and the contemporary world, major tasks in the theory and practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and key difficult topics in the education and teaching of ideological and political theory courses. In particular, we must "focus on new problems encountered in practice, deep-seated problems in reform, development, and stability, the urgent anxieties and bottlenecks of the people ^[9], major issues in the international situation, and prominent problems facing Party building." We must earnestly avoid phenomena such as "de-centralization" or "de-regularization" caused by fragmented or isolated research. This knowledge system was won by the people under the leadership of the CPC through bloody battle and arduous struggle; it was not created by a few people behind closed doors. On March 24, 1964, Mao Zedong spoke with Bo Yibo, Li Xiannian, Tan Zhenlin, and others. Discussing the nationwide surge in studying his works, he said: "Those are all past works. Now I really want to write something, but I am old and don't have enough energy. In the Selected Works of Mao, what is mine? These are works of blood. The things in the Selected Works were taught to us by the masses; they were paid for with the price of bloodshed and sacrifice." This knowledge system focuses on both the mainstream and the tributaries, theoretical investigation and practical response, and the upholding of principles and endogenous innovation, aiming to build an interpretive system of Sinicized and modernized Marxism with greater explanatory power, resonance, and appeal.

3. Construction of a General and Systematic Disciplinary Knowledge System In a fundamental sense, Marxist theory is a science that reveals the objective laws of nature, human society, and human thought on the basis of absorbing the essence of human civilization. This dictates that the knowledge system of the discipline of Marxist theory cannot and should not be a closed system. Instead, it must place greater emphasis on the foundational, logical, open, and innovative nature of the knowledge system itself, forming a knowledge structure based on changes in the global, national, and Party situations that both covers core fields and possesses the capacity for dynamic updates. To this end, we must construct a knowledge system at the level of principles starting from basic Marxist theory, while also adhering to a problem-oriented approach to construct a knowledge system at the level of application. Furthermore, we must focus on the common and underlying logic of human knowledge, break down disciplinary barriers, and promote cross-disciplinary knowledge integration. In particular, we should emphasize absorbing and drawing on the research methods and academic paradigms of disciplines such as Political Science, Sociology, History, Economics, and Anthropology. Based on China’s reality, responding to the people’s needs, and manifesting the spirit of the times, we should build a bridge of knowledge for dialogue between Marxist theory and other disciplines in the philosophy, social, and natural sciences. Based on the appeal and need to build a community with a shared future for humanity, we should construct a knowledge system for the mutual learning of civilizations to address the common challenges of the era of globalization.

IV. Construction of Textbooks, Courses, and Personnel for the Discipline of Marxist Theory

1. Construction of the Textbook System for the Discipline of Marxist Theory "The disciplinary system and the textbook system are inseparable. If the disciplinary system does not improve, the textbook system cannot improve; conversely, if the textbook system does not improve, the disciplinary system will lack stamina." After long-term development, the discipline of Marxist theory has formed a relatively complete textbook system, covering interpretations of classic works, explanations of basic principles, summaries of theoretical innovations, and practical applications. This provides the foundational conditions for advancing the integrated construction of ideological and political education in primary schools, secondary schools, and universities. Faced with new circumstances, we must profoundly grasp the laws governing textbook system construction and promote it with high quality. We must deeply study and grasp the Marxist theoretical system, textbook system, and teaching system, as well as their interconnections, forming a Marxist theory textbook system that adapts to the trends of the times, reflects the requirements of social development, stands at the international academic frontier, and possesses a sound structural system. The construction of the disciplinary system should grasp three points: profoundly reflecting the requirements of the Party's innovative theories (this is the essential requirement); systematically summarizing the achievements and major deficiencies of existing disciplinary construction (this is the primary task); and scientifically drawing on relevant foreign academic achievements (this is an important aspect). Textbook system construction should be based on disciplinary construction, concentrating elite forces and collective wisdom to compile textbooks and reading materials that have a broad knowledge base, new research methods, rigorous systemic logic, and are acceptable to a wide readership.

2. Construction of the Course System for the Discipline of Marxist Theory Xi Jinping pointed out: "The ideological and political theory course (sizhengke) is the key course for implementing the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education (lideshuren); its role is irreplaceable, and the responsibilities of the ideological and political course teacher workforce are significant." The construction of ideological and political courses is an important link and carrier of Marxist theory disciplinary construction. Promoting the course system construction must adhere to the combination of the "two-point theory" ^[10] and the "priority theory," focusing on both "ideological and political courses" (grabbing key and core courses to perfect the core course cluster) and "course-based ideological and political education" ^[11] (scientifically building a practical teaching system, strengthening the development of digital course resources, and adjusting overlapping course settings to achieve internal synergy within the course system). At the operational level, focus should be placed on feeding back into disciplinary construction through teaching practice, promoting educational practice through academic research, and advancing disciplinary construction through educational practice. We must discover, analyze, and solve problems within course construction and teaching activities, forming a course optimization mechanism of theoretical innovation, teaching application, and feedback on effectiveness. This will effectively resolve issues such as the tension between theoretical and pedagogical logic, the bridge between knowledge transmission and value guidance, and the imbalance between educational stages and tiered progression. We should strengthen the sequential and structural connection between courses on classic original works and ideological and political courses, enhance the organic link between foundational disciplinary courses and professional electives, and achieve the organic unity of the gradients of ideological and political courses at different stages.

3. Construction of the Talent Cultivation System for the Discipline of Marxist Theory

The discipline of Marxist theory provides powerful support for colleges and universities to implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education ^[12] and to cultivate socialist builders and successors. Over a long period, the personnel training system for the discipline of Marxist theory has been continuously refined—progressing from the establishment of undergraduate majors in Ideological and Political Education to the creation of master's programs in Ideological and Political Education and Marxist Theory Education, followed by doctoral programs in Marxist Theory and Ideological and Political Education, and eventually the establishment of first-level discipline master's and doctoral programs in Marxist Theory. Since the start of the New Era, the Party and the state have "strengthened and improved ideological and political education in schools, establishing an institutional mechanism for educating students through the participation of all staff and throughout the entire process and all dimensions," actively exploring a personnel training system that links undergraduate, master's, and doctoral studies in Marxist theory, thereby cultivating a large number of Marxist theory teaching and research talents. In the future, greater emphasis should be placed on problem-orientation and demand-orientation, better grasping the focus and key links of personnel training through the relationship between talent demand and supply. Talents in this field should possess a firmer faith, capable of using Marxism to staunchly defend communist ideals; broader knowledge, capable of continuously raising and solving problems; and a more proactive sentiment for conducting scholarship for the people, studying and working for the interests of the people.

4. Building the teaching force of the Marxist theory discipline "The key to running ideological and political theory courses well lies in the teachers, and specifically in tapping into their initiative, proactivity, and creativity." The Marxist theory research and teaching force constitutes the main body of discipline construction; it is necessary to cultivate a group of great masters and renowned experts in Marxist theory. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party and the state have comprehensively strengthened the building of the ideological and political (hereafter "si-zheng") course teaching force, insisting that those with faith should preach faith and those with patriotic sentiments should preach patriotism. This promotes the construction of a si-zheng teaching force characterized by strong political conviction, deep sentiment, innovative thinking, a broad vision, strict self-discipline, and upright integrity. This force, possessing sentiments for the nation, for the vocation of "teaching the Way" ^[13], and for benevolent love, must actively transmit the mainstream ideology, flagrantly oppose and resist various erroneous trends of thought and speech, and guide young people to "fasten the first button of their lives" ^[14] correctly. The role of this force is to help young students transform the numerous "knowledge points" they have acquired into "capability lines" for solving problems, preventing them from becoming hopelessly submerged in an ocean of various concepts, discourses, and neologisms. It aims to let young students master Marxism as a sharp weapon, clearly recognize various erroneous viewpoints, and consciously struggle against them.

V. Building the Academic Community of the Marxist Theory Discipline

1. Standardized construction of the academic community The standardized construction of the academic community for the Marxist theory discipline is an inherent requirement for its development; it is also the key to maintaining the academic development ecosystem, ensuring the scientific nature of academic research, and enhancing ideological security. Regarding stances and principles, it is essential to emphasize always upholding the guiding position of Marxism and guarding against the erosion and infiltration of erroneous trends such as historical nihilism ^[15] into academic research. Regarding academic ethics, the peer-review mechanisms for the quality of academic outputs and academic standards should be optimized to raise the level of professionalization in peer evaluation. Meanwhile, the fruits of scientific and technological development, especially artificial intelligence, should be fully utilized to improve the system for preventing and governing academic misconduct. Regarding the construction of academic style, we must adhere to the Marxist academic style of integrating theory with practice, strictly maintain the unity of academic research and political stance, oppose dogmatism and pragmatism, correctly handle the relationship between "upholding the fundamentals" and "breaking new ground," and explicitly oppose deviating from the fundamental direction in pursuit of mere novelty.

2. Professionalized construction of the academic community First, a statistical census of academic resources in the Marxist theory discipline must be conducted to optimize, reshape, scientifically allocate, and effectively transform existing resources, building a dialogue mechanism for the academic community and constructing a national disciplinary collaboration platform and network. Second, research formats must be innovated to break through limitations of time, space, organization, and mechanism, exploring and promoting models for collaborative breakthroughs in scientific research projects. Third, the discipline evaluation system should be optimized and refined, fully considering academic indicators such as academic, practical, and methodological innovation, as well as value leadership, explanatory power for reality, and social influence. Value should be placed on both immediate and follow-up assessments to establish a dynamic and periodic evaluation system. Fourth, we must promote the diversification of output formats, incorporating decision-making consultancy reports, theoretical publicity achievements, textbook compilation, and the compilation and translation of classical works into the evaluation system to enhance the scientific nature of talent evaluation.

3. Socialized construction of the academic community The discipline of Marxist theory is not one that remains confined to speculative deduction; rather, it always resonates at the same frequency as the development of the cause of the Party and the state and moves in the same direction as the Party's innovative theories. It is a realistic and practical discipline, reflected both in its observation of and response to practical issues and in its refinement and summary of practical experience. On the New Journey, to continue advancing the construction of the Marxist theory discipline, we must enhance its capacity to respond to reality and its ability to serve the Party's long-term governance, the country's enduring peace and stability, and long-term social stability. Particular emphasis should be placed on improving the discipline’s capacity for decision-making consultancy, Marxist popularization, and academic communication. We must establish channels for the integration of theoretical and policy research, effectively using the Party's innovative theories to study and solve salient problems required by development, urgent for reform, expected by the grassroots, and desired by the people, while summarizing experience, revealing laws, and sublimating theory in the process.

4. Internationalized construction of the academic community First, we must fully leverage the unique advantages of academic platforms in the external communication of ideas, optimizing and expanding cooperation networks with overseas Marxist research institutions and creating more branded international academic conferences. Second, we must be "adept at refining symbolic concepts, creating new concepts, new categories, and new expressions that are easy for the international community to understand and accept, thereby guiding the international academic community to carry out research and discussion." Third, we must strengthen the construction of the international communication system for academic discourse, innovating the overseas dissemination paths of Chinese Marxist theory. We must focus on both strengthening theoretical persuasiveness and communication effectiveness as well as providing scholarly explanations, further bridging the relationship between scholarly explanation systems, narrative discourse systems, and mass communication systems. Simultaneously, we should strengthen dialogue between Chinese Marxist scholars and foreign Marxists, enhance exchanges between domestic and foreign think tanks, and promote overseas China studies to increase consensus, expand the "circle of friends," and enhance international discourse power through exchange and cooperation.

VI. Opportunities and Challenges Facing the Construction of the Marxist Theory Discipline

The construction of the Marxist theory discipline faces many opportunities. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached high strategic importance to the construction of the Marxist theory discipline. General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important discourses on Marxist theoretical research and construction at forums such as the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences, the National Education Conference, the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities, and the Symposium for Teachers of Ideological and Political Theory Courses.

In 2022, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out that we must "implement the Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Project in depth, and accelerate the construction of a disciplinary, academic, and discourse system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, while cultivating and expanding the ranks of talent in philosophy and social sciences." In 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping issued important instructions on the Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Project in the New Era, emphasizing that "the Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Project is a foundational and strategic project for the Party's ideological and theoretical building." He noted that "we must adhere to the 'Two Combinations,' take root in the Chinese land, continue the Chinese cultural lineage, and deepen the academic foundation; we must conduct in-depth research on major issues in the practice of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization; we must accelerate the construction of an autonomous knowledge system for philosophy and social sciences in China, cultivate high-quality theoretical talents, and make greater contributions to promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism."

At the same time, to strengthen ideological and political work, the construction of si-zheng courses, and the Marxist theory discipline, the Central Committee and relevant departments have issued a series of documents, including the Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Work in the New Era, the Several Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Innovation of Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Schools in the New Era, the Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Marxist Schools in the New Era, and the Construction Standards for Marxist Schools in Higher Education Institutions. These provide scientific ideological guidance and an institutional foundation for continuously raising the scientific, standardized, and modernized level of Marxist schools, helping to integrate resources to create a strong fortress for Marxist theoretical education, teaching, research, publicity, and personnel training. At the levels of system, policy, and mechanism, the construction of the Marxist theory discipline has solid guarantees.

Meanwhile, in terms of disciplinary resources, the great social revolution since the start of the New Era has provided rich theoretical and practical resources for the development of the Marxist theory discipline. Regarding disciplinary momentum, against the backdrop of changes unseen in a century ^[16], how to handle the relationships between China and the world, the Party and the state, and the Party and the people is a realistic task that the Marxist theory discipline urgently needs to resolve, requiring original answers. Regarding disciplinary methods, the innovation in research methods brought by the information technology revolution offers a rare opportunity and valuable conditions for the Marxist theory discipline to construct its own academic paradigm and methodological system.

The construction of the Marxist theory discipline also faces many challenges. First, facing a new situation where social ideas and value orientations are increasingly active, where mainstream and non-mainstream ideas coexist, and where various social trends are in flux, our ideological struggle with the US-led West will become more intense, complex, and volatile. The US-led West's containment, suppression, infiltration, and interference regarding China's philosophy and social sciences will further intensify. The ability to resist the impact of diverse trends in the ideological field and to provide theoretical responses urgently needs further strengthening. Second, with the advancement of a new round of technological revolution represented by artificial intelligence and big data, the construction of the Marxist theory discipline faces a vast number of complex epochal tasks, practical problems, and theoretical issues that must be answered. It is urgent to study topics such as relations of production in virtual spaces, people’s political concepts, and ideological struggle, and to construct a 21st-century Marxist theoretical system oriented toward modern science and technology, particularly embodied intelligence and quantum technology. Simultaneously, we must be alert to potential ethical crises triggered by artificial intelligence. Third, the Marxist theory discipline currently suffers from problems such as homogenized construction, a shortage of high-level strategic talents, and imbalanced regional development of the discipline. We need to base ourselves on reality and look toward the future to further strengthen the top-level design and strategic planning of the Marxist theory discipline.

Upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground is an inevitable requirement and valuable experience for the development of the Marxist theory discipline. "Only by upholding the fundamentals can we avoid losing our way or making subversive errors; only by breaking new ground can we grasp and lead the times." On the New Journey, to continuously advance the development of the Marxist theory discipline, we must always maintain the consciousness of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. We should support, guide, and encourage the academic community to take Chinese reality as the starting point for research, putting forward subjective and original academic viewpoints. We must construct a disciplinary, academic, and discourse system of Marxist theory with its own characteristics, profoundly summarizing China's experience in revolution, construction, reform, and development from a perspective that combines universality and specificity, nationality and globality, stages and long-term duration, and the ought and the is, thereby injecting fresh vitality into the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Innovation in philosophy and social sciences can be large or small; revealing a law is innovation, putting forward a theory is innovation, clarifying a principle is innovation, and creating a method to solve a problem is also innovation." The construction of the Marxist theory discipline must profoundly grasp its disciplinary positioning and adhere to a "Big View of History" ^[17] and a global perspective. It should both be based on the long term and focus on the present; both have the world in mind and be down-to-earth; and both focus on theoretical and practical innovation as well as methodological and communication innovation. In the process of promoting the construction of the disciplinary system, knowledge system, textbook system, curriculum system, and personnel training system of Marxist theory, it shall provide theoretical support and talent guarantees for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and offer powerful spiritual strength for the comprehensive advancement of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

(Unit of the Author: Institute of Marxism Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) Source: Journal of Ideological & Theoretical Education (思想理论教育导刊), Issue 6, 2025. Web Editor: Jing Mu