Scientific Atheism as the Theoretical Cornerstone of Practicing the Socialist Core Value System: A Summary of the 2014 Annual Academic Conference of the Chinese Atheism Society
From December 13 to 14, 2014, the "2014 Academic Annual Conference of the Chinese Atheism Society," jointly sponsored by the Chinese Atheism Society, the Science and Atheism journal office, the Center for Science and Atheism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and the Zhuhai Philosophical Society, was held at the International Exchange Center of Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai. The theme of the conference was "The Basic Theory and Current Tasks of Scientific Atheism." More than 50 experts and scholars from the fields of philosophy, social sciences, and natural sciences, representing over 20 research institutions, universities, and academic groups across 10 provinces and municipalities, attended the meeting.
Zhou Hua, full-time Vice Chairperson of the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Social Science Sectors, delivered a speech at the meeting. Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, sent a congratulatory letter to the conference.
At the request of the Zhuhai Philosophical Society, the establishment of the "Southern Research Center of the Chinese Atheism Society" was announced during the meeting. Huang Yongkang, Executive President of the Zhuhai Philosophical Society, was appointed director of the center; Chairperson Zhu Xiaoming and Wang Xiaoqin, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee, unveiled the plaque for the center.
December 13 marked the first National Memorial Day [1]. At 10:01 AM, all participants stood to observe a minute of silence for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.
During the annual conference, experts and scholars delivered lectures characterized by theoretical depth, empirical evidence, and distinct perspectives, followed by academic exchanges on issues such as: scientific atheism and the socialist core value system; scientific atheism and religious studies; the history, development, theory, and disciplinary construction of atheism; and the research, promotion, and education of scientific atheism.
I. Scientific Atheism and the Socialist Core Value System
Zhu Xiaoming, Chairperson of the Chinese Atheism Society and former Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the China Tibetology Research Center, delivered a keynote report titled "Cultivate and Practice Socialist Core Values, Expand the New Situation of Scientific Atheism Research, Promotion, and Education." He pointed out that the 18th Party Congress proposed "three advocacies" comprising 24 characters [2] of socialist core values, which set forth requirements at the value level for the state, society, and the individual. The proposal of socialist core values is the contemporary manifestation of the transformation of Chinese civilization from tradition, the fruit and crystallization of civilizational exploration in the process of the Chinese nation's modernization, and the result of civilizational exploration on the path of socialism. Scientific atheism is rooted in human labor and practice, a product of human civilization and reflection, and an inherent necessity within the socialist core values.
He elaborated on the internal and inevitable connection between scientific atheism and the socialist core value system, noting that: only by upholding scientific atheism can socialist core values be fully practiced; only by upholding scientific atheism can true freedom of religious belief be realized; only by upholding scientific atheism can the unique advantages of traditional Chinese culture be manifested; and only by upholding scientific atheism can a historical transcendence of socialist culture be achieved. He argued that to strengthen the research, promotion, and education of scientific atheism, ideological obstacles must be cleared. This requires eliminating erroneous and one-sided understandings of the policy of "freedom of religious belief," and removing the intentional devaluation of the theoretical value of scientific atheism. For Party members and cadres, implementing the policy of freedom of religious belief must be linked to the goals and value pursuits of Communists regarding religious issues. Cadres in the Party and government handling United Front [3] and religious work must be clear on two points: first, they must approach religious work from the standpoint of Marxism and scientific atheism, rather than from a religious standpoint, and certainly not from the standpoint of any specific religion; second, they must approach religious work from the perspective of the national interest and the overall situation—including the non-believing masses—rather than focusing solely on religious figures and believers. This ensures the unity of both believers and non-believers in the common struggle to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and to realize the "Chinese Dream" of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Zhao Zongbao, Deputy Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee of Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, noted in his paper "Status Quo and Countermeasures for Cultivating and Practicing Socialist Core Values in Local Universities" that in recent years, ideological and political work in higher education has faced numerous dilemmas and challenges due to religious infiltration and the expanding influence of religious propagation. These include the dilution of Marxism, the rising influence of religion, and the marginalization of scientific atheism education. Under these circumstances, cultivating and practicing socialist core values—making them the conscious demand and action of students—is an important and urgent task. Using survey data from his own university, he sought to grasp the actual situation of students’ cultivation of these values to explore corresponding work directions. The survey statistically analyzed 1,607 questionnaires. Data showed that 96.39% of students agreed that "a society should have core values," and 84.49% believed that the socialist core value system is the best guiding ideology for social harmony and stability. Regarding the central government's advocacy for cultivating these values, 70.56% chose "possessing important realistic significance and profound historical significance." However, 19.80% of students held a pessimistic attitude, viewing it as a helpless measure under the impact of Western value systems; 2.11% even believed the contemporary Chinese value system had collapsed, and 7.54% were unclear. This means nearly 30% of students lack a correct understanding of this issue. He traced the reasons to the influence of international and domestic situations, flaws in university management systems, students becoming more pragmatic under pressure, the unsatisfactory effectiveness of ideological and political theory courses, and the weak atheistic foundation among Party members and cadres. Solving these problems requires leveraging ideological and political courses, professional courses, and the "hidden curriculum"; solidly carrying out atheism education and strengthening religious work among college students; advocating for a culture of integrity to create a healthy and clean educational atmosphere; and mobilizing students' subjective initiative to promote self-education and improvement.
II. Scientific Atheism and Religious Studies
Du Jiwen, Honorary Member of the CASS and former Director of the Institute of World Religions, argued in his paper "What is 'Freedom of Religious Belief'?—Reflections on Studying the Fourth Plenum's 'Decision on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Advancing the Law-based Governance of the Country' and Rereading the Constitution" that the principle of "religion being a private matter in relation to the state" was an excellent legacy left by the bourgeois revolution for working-class parties and socialist states. From the founders of Marxism-Leninism to our Party’s Document No. 19 [4], this principle has been accepted, emphasized, and sought after. Why? Engels believed it was "the necessary basis for the free activity of the working class"; Lenin called it a "necessary component of political freedom" for Russian citizens—that is, liberating politics from religious dominance and liberating the independent spirit or human consciousness from the shackles of theological dogma. In our Republic's Constitution, this is reflected in "all citizens of the People's Republic of China are equal before the law," which means equality without restrictions based on "nationality, race, gender, occupation, family background, or religious belief." Thus, whether as nationals of a unified state, citizens of the whole society, or the general "people," individuals hold multiple identities: one as a believer or non-believer, and another as a citizen, national, or member of the "people." While there is a difference between believing and not believing—which the Constitution protects through freedom of religious belief—there are no other distinctions. As citizens, they are equal before the law; as nationals, they identify with their motherland; as the "people," they are the objects of the ruling party’s reliance and service, treated without discrimination. Consequently, religious belief, as a private matter of individual free choice, must not be used to engage in social, political, or cultural-educational activities in the name of religion. Conversely, all socio-political, economic, and cultural activities can be participated in equally in the capacity of citizen, national, or "people." This allows for the full and free development of individual talent and the most effective assumption of responsibility toward the society, state, and nation, exercising the role of being masters of the country.
Wang Zhen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Atheism Society and Associate Professor at the Central Institute of Socialism, discussed the inheritance and development of Marxist theory of religion by the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics from four aspects: the origin of the world, the evolution of all things, the relationship between man and the world, and human salvation. She argued that in terms of worldview—the origin of the world—it upholds materialism and opposes creationism; on evolution, it upholds a dialectical view and opposes a static view; on the relationship between man and the world, it upholds a practical view and refuses to stop at mere interpretation; and in value pursuits, regarding how humans obtain freedom and salvation from shackles, it upholds people-centered values and refuses reliance on divine salvation. The theory of religion with Chinese characteristics does not merely inherit Marxism; it "develops" it—moving from ideology to group practice, from Western to Chinese society, and from social revolution to social construction. It is "further developing" by addressing challenges and formulating basic policies such as freedom of religious belief, managing religious affairs according to law, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, and guiding religions to adapt to socialist society.
Chen Weihua, a doctoral student at the CASS Graduate School, introduced the work of Don Cupitt, a representative of postmodern philosophy of religion and former Dean of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in a paper titled "Moving Toward the World of Everyday Life—Inspirations from Reading Don Cupitt's A New Look at Christian Ethics." She pointed out that the ultimate reality claimed by traditional religion is the core of its theoretical system, and Cupitt argues that "Church Christianity" should treat its own tradition and religious life in a non-realist way. However, this is nearly impossible to achieve. According to Cupitt, this core has no objective reality; God is merely a collection of human ideas or the personification of human concepts. Cupitt's critique of Church Christianity and traditional dogma has a revolutionary, postmodern, and anti-traditional significance; he has even been called an atheist. Cupitt’s discourse, which returns to life itself and focuses on a new perspective, provides a fresh conceptual lens for the study of atheism and deserves our attention.
Zeng Chuanhui, a researcher at the CASS Institute of World Religions, argued that the unique function of religion in human society should be spiritual and quiet—satisfying the pursuit of the supernatural and infinite for some people; put plainly, satisfying the spiritual need for a state of "life after death." Only by handling its own affairs well can religion better exert "positive energy" for the state and society. "Making religion truly the private affair of the citizen" is the noble goal of a Marxist party when dealing with religious issues. Those who study religion or conduct religious work must first clarify the essence of religion and find the laws of its development and change, adhering to the academic goal of seeking truth from facts. This provides intellectual support for the Party and state in formulating religious policies and knowledge guidance for the public to correctly understand religion. Religious research is not about advocating for religious beliefs or engaging in disguised proselytizing, nor should it offend religious feelings. The political, religious, and academic circles should collaborate with a clear division of labor to truly turn religion into a private matter of the individual, setting a new benchmark for the ideal of human freedom of religious belief.
The relationship between religion and morality is a long-standing issue that has been debated for a great deal of time. Since the conclusion of the "Cultural Revolution," [5] claims have continually circulated that China is experiencing a social moral crisis and that the Chinese people lack "faith" or "belief" (xìnyăng). Consequently, voices have emerged from some scholars calling for the establishment of a "Faithful China," with growing demands to give play to the social and moral functions of religion. Amidst these voices, the argument that "theists possess morality while atheists lack it" has become an uncontested consensus among the confused ranks lamenting this "moral crisis." In the paper "Reflections on the Problem of the Relationship between Religion and Morality," Xie Xinlei, a doctoral student at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, provides a comprehensive and profound analysis of the "sanctification of the origin of morality," the "sanctification of secular morality," and the "sanctification of moral functions." The author argues that the purpose of theologizing and sanctifying morality is to derive the conclusion that "a social moral crisis exists in our country because the Chinese people lack faith; therefore, it is necessary to give play to the social and moral role of religion and establish a society with faith." The author contends that the logical premises of these views are incorrect, and thus the logical reasoning derived from them is untenable. The error lies in the belief that "morality originates from religion," treating the "theory of divine revelation of morality" as the source of all ethics while denying the existence of secular morality. Once theologians sanctify secular morality, all "morality" is subsumed under religion. The falsehood and absurdity of this view are self-evident, as religious theology cannot prove the existence of God; without God, there can be no divine revelation of morality, which fundamentally negates the rationality of this perspective. Marxism holds that morality is a form of social consciousness produced on the basis of social production. This is the fundamental viewpoint for discussing the "relationship between religion and morality." Deviating from the basic tenets of Marxist materialism inevitably leads one to fall into the quagmire of theism.
Huang Yanhong, an associate research fellow at the CASS Center for Research in Science and Atheism, presented a paper titled "Another Discussion on Christianity and the Origins of Modern Science." This was directed at certain scholars currently promoting the idea that "Christianity played an important or even decisive role in the rise of modern science" and that "without Christianity, there would be no modern science." Dr. Huang conducted a well-reasoned analysis covering "the socio-cultural background of the Scientific Revolution," "the intellectual sources of modern science," and "what role did Christianity actually play in the process of the Scientific Revolution?" The value of this paper lies in the author proceeding from the history of the development of modern natural science to discuss its intellectual sources, while simultaneously analyzing the denigration and persecution of science by Christianity at the time of its emergence—including the hostility toward rationalism, the ethical and moral responsibility for the mass execution of "witches," and other reactionary behaviors that violated Christian tenets themselves. The author analyzed that the reason the "no religion, no science" argument exists is due to: (1) abstracting Christianity into a set of principles and concepts to be forcibly equated with certain ideas and spirits of modern science, while completely disregarding the actual process of the Scientific Revolution; (2) treating correlation and chronological succession as causality; and (3) ignoring all other social conditions and intellectual-cultural backgrounds. These analyses effectively exposed the attempt of these views to praise and beautify Christianity—namely, to allow Christianity not only to occupy the ideological stage but also to find a place for itself in the realm of the origins of science.
III. Atheist Theory and Disciplinary Development
This theme was the most discussed and most spirited session of the conference, with more than ten scholars providing papers on the subject. This situation also reflects the effective work and achievements of the new leadership of the Society. President Zhu Xiaoming delivered a report to the assembly on the progress of the project "Basic Theoretical Issues of Scientific Atheism," a commissioned project of the National Social Science Fund of China undertaken by the China Society of Atheism. This project, undertaken in November 2013, marks the first time since the Society’s founding that it has been commissioned for a National Social Science Fund project, achieved through the substantial and solid work of the new leadership. The final output of the project is titled Principles of Scientific Atheism, with President Zhu Xiaoming in charge. The primary author is Dr. Li Shen, Vice President of the China Society of Atheism and Professor at Shanghai Normal University. Members include Dr. Wang Zhen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Society and Associate Professor at the Central Institute of Socialism; Dr. Huang Kui, Associate Research Fellow at the CASS Institute of World Religions; and Dr. Dai Jicheng, Associate Professor at the School of Criminology of the People's Public Security University of China. President Zhu introduced in detail the drafting process for the manuscript of Principles of Scientific Atheism. After nearly a year, Professor Li Shen completed an initial draft of over 200,000 characters for discussion at the annual meeting. During the session, Professor Li Shen spoke on "Several Issues Regarding the Principles of Atheism" concerning the book's aims: 1. What is atheism? What is scientific atheism? What is Marxist atheism? 2. Why must we discuss "what is a god (including ghosts/spirits)"? 3. What is a god? 4. Gods do not exist. 5. Casting off the concept of deities is a process of shedding ignorance. Subsequently, the meeting engaged in a heated discussion. After listening to the feedback, Professor Li Shen expressed the following reflections: "The final session specifically discussed the Draft Principles of Scientific Atheism. Comrade Xu Lin’s paper ('High-Minded, Truth-Seeking, Pragmatic, and Courageous—Reflections on Reading the Initial Draft of Principles of Scientific Atheism') said many kind things. As the primary author, I will not comment on those. I only wish to say that Comrade Xu Lin obviously read the book carefully, as his description basically conforms to the original intent. As for the criticisms and suggestions raised by other comrades, I will consider them seriously and remember their names."
Xi Wuyi, Vice President of the China Society of Atheism and Director of the CASS Center for Research in Science and Atheism, delivered a speech titled "Research Report on the Disciplinary Development of Scientific Atheism (2013–2014)." Her speech actually reflected the fruitful results achieved by the new Board of Directors and the Center for Research in Science and Atheism regarding atheist theory and disciplinary construction.
This research report, primarily covering the period from July 2013 to June 2014, is the fourth report since the "Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project" [6] (Ma Project) began funding the disciplinary development of scientific atheism. The report is divided into three parts: (1) An overview of disciplinary development—summarizing progress in the construction of the discipline of scientific atheism; (2) Progress in research on major issues—analyzing the theoretical and practical problems faced; (3) Reflections and suggestions. The full text is approximately 27,000 characters. The research report will be formally published; interested scholars may look forward to it, and I will not elaborate further here.
Professor Zuo Peng of the University of Science and Technology Beijing, a Vice President of the China Society of Atheism, has conducted extensive investigative research in recent years on the theory and practice of religious belief among college students. He has a relatively deep understanding of the current status and problems in the disciplinary construction of atheism and has frequently raised alarms regarding the issues in the setting of ideological and political courses and political-ideological education in universities. At this annual meeting, he again spoke out against the neglect and marginalization of the disciplinary status of scientific atheism in higher education. He called for the strengthening of talent cultivation, the intensification of theoretical research, and the establishment of influential academic journals to establish an independent disciplinary status for atheism. Simultaneously, he appealed to the national departments for disciplinary and degree management to grant atheism independent disciplinary status when formulating the "National Standards for Classification and Codes of Disciplines," considering its important role in Marxist theory and the socialist core value system. He pointed out that, essentially, "the Marxist study of religion is inherently a form of scientific atheism," and as the foundation of religious studies, atheist research should possess a vast field for development within the study of religion. However, under the increasing influence of various forms of religious infiltration, it has become "a quite common phenomenon" in the current field of religious studies to "on the one hand, claim to follow the Marxist view of religion, while on the other hand, opposing the research, dissemination, and education of atheism." Even some scholars who claim to uphold the Marxist view of religion have actually abandoned the principled stance of "studying religion and criticizing theology." Not only do they never mention atheism, but they also criticize atheist research and education as an obstacle to the freedom of religious belief or a disruption of religious harmony. Furthermore, in the Catalogue of Disciplines for Degree Conferral and Talent Cultivation, there is only religious studies and no atheism. To correct the bias in disciplinary development and talent cultivation, the truly independent disciplinary status of atheism must be established as soon as possible.
Huang Kui, an Associate Research Fellow at the CASS Institute of World Religions, provided a comprehensive analysis in his paper of three major issues related to religion and atheism: "religion as a cultural issue," "the issue of religious infiltration," and "the issue of Party members believing in religion," addressing current popular sayings and theories alongside his own insights. He suggested that "Religious Studies" (Zōngjiàoxué) in the nomenclature of the National Social Science Fund should be renamed "Research on Religious Issues" (Zōngjiào wèntí yánjiū). The significance of this lies in helping to break the current pattern of collusion between the political, religious, and academic circles, and in rectifying the political and scientific research orientation. This would ensure from the top-level design of national research planning that "Research on Religious Issues" provides valuable intellectual and theoretical support for the Party and the state’s work on religion and ideology. "Research on Religious Issues" can accommodate more content, such as atheist research, Marxist theoretical research on religion, research on religious policy, and research on resisting religious infiltration.
Papers such as "The Premise of the Return of Atheist Values: Theoretical Innovation of Atheism" by Professor Li Shiju of Hebei Normal University; "Why We Must Adhere to Atheism" by Professors Wang Weijun and Zhang Qiang of the Academy of Marxism at the Nanjing Institute of Politics; "Scientific Atheist Education and Cultural Soft Power" by Associate Professor Huang Chao of Wuhan University; "Atheistic Tendencies in Traditional Culture: A Historical Investigation" by Dr. Yang Junfeng of the CASS Center for Research in Science and Atheism; and "Another Discussion on Strengthening Education in National Studies and Constructing a Scientific Worldview" by Zeng Kang, a senior teacher at Shenzhen Hongya Primary School, all discussed the importance of the research, dissemination, and education of the discipline of atheism from different levels and perspectives.
IV. Research, Dissemination, and Education of Scientific Atheism
In his speech, Huang Yongkang, Executive President of the Zhuhai Philosophical Society and Vice President of the Guangdong Association of Senior Professors, offered insightful reflections and proposals on "carrying out a series of popular education programs on scientific atheism for youth." The Zhuhai Philosophical Society has united a group of senior scholars to focus their attention on scientific atheist education for the youth, based on the fact that in current Chinese real life, the state of understanding and popularization of scientific atheism among cadres, the masses, and especially the youth, is truly worrying. Professor Huang pointed out that this is related to our relaxation or even abandonment of the leading and dominant position of Marxist theory and scientific atheism in the ideological field. We must treat the serial popular education of scientific atheism as a foundational project for the ideological and moral education of minors. The vision for this project includes two aspects.
In the natural sciences, one can begin with the following: basic astronomy and cosmology and their achievements, which can help us understand that the Earth is not the center of the universe—not even close to it; the latest research results in evolutionary biology from Darwin to today, which can help us understand that the origins of life and humanity do not require "creation" by God; evolutionary psychology research, which can explain from the perspective of biological evolution that morality, human nature, and love are all products of evolution; and neurobiology research, which can help us know that religious belief is, at the very least, not a manifestation of intellectual progress or moral superiority.
In the humanities, there is even more content and facts that need to be introduced and explained, such as: the basic theories of Marxist philosophy; the core content of the socialist core values; basic Marxist theory regarding religion; the history, tradition, connotations, and theoretical value of atheism; and ensuring youth are aware of our country's basic policies and principles regarding religion. This work requires mobilizing all sectors of society for shared attention and participation. We must also reform and perfect the content of popular education for scientific atheism to strive for scientific rigor and completeness, while emphasizing the diversification and effectiveness of methods of guidance so that it is well-received and welcomed by the youth. Professor Huang concluded by stating that upholding and promoting scientific atheism should be the social responsibility of the Zhuhai Philosophical Society, and it will actively contact healthy forces in all relevant fields to shoulder the responsibility of spreading scientific atheism under its banner.
Dr. Han Qi of the Research Center for Science and Atheism at CASS, in her paper "Inspirations from the Development of Western Atheist Thought," provides a highly significant path for the research and dissemination of atheism and the promotion of atheist education based on a comparative study of Eastern and Western atheist thought. Her core argument is that atheist research must account for Western traditions while simultaneously attending to the specific characteristics of atheist thought within Chinese culture; only then can we produce atheist research and effective dissemination that truly meets the needs of the current era. In her paper, she elaborates on the concept of atheism, the historical trajectory and inspirations of Western atheist thought, and the differences between Chinese and Western atheist thought. She argues that only by comprehensively understanding and grasping the traditions and connotations of both Eastern and Western atheist thought can we find our own discourse power [7] at the theoretical level amidst the current reality of religious revival and the flood of various spiritualist trends in our country. In the present era, it is no longer sufficient to focus solely on the historical origins of Western atheism; "New Atheism" is currently spreading like wildfire. This Western trend has already found echoes in Chinese folk society. All of this requires that atheist research grasp the fundamental tradition of naturalism and utilize a broad vision to connect and examine various rich phenomena of non-belief, providing the masses with concepts and theories of atheism that can explain the specific characteristics of this era.
Finally, Li Shen, Vice President of the China Association for Atheism and Professor at Shanghai Normal University, provided a brilliant commentary on the papers presented at the annual conference during his concluding remarks. He noted the following:
—Comrade Li Linzhou’s report expressed a hope for the peaceful coexistence of scientific atheism and religion. As a veteran comrade who has worked for many years in the Bureau of Religious Affairs, his aspirations are very kind and beautiful. I would only suggest adding the word "believers." That is, that "atheists" and "theists" coexist peacefully; this is our religious policy, as well as the current status and reality of our country. As for atheism and theism themselves, I fear it is difficult for them to coexist peacefully in terms of worldview. Comrade Li Chaoying's paper used the example of Jehovah's Witnesses refusing blood transfusions to elaborate on the relationship between the judiciary and religious belief, which showed great depth.
—Several papers mentioned the issue of traditional culture. For example, some argue that traditional culture is "humanology" (renxue), which reminds me that some people also believe Marxist philosophy is "humanology." What is the difference? This needs clarification. A few years ago, some summarized "tradition" as "anxiety consciousness" (youhuan yishi) [8], and later summarized it with the character he (harmony). Regarding Chinese traditional culture, which has thousands of years of history and billions of characters of literature passed down, such generalizations can hardly achieve any accuracy. The result is often "blind men touching an elephant" [9], each grasping only one part. As for whether Confucianism is "the Confucian Religion" (rujiao) [10], I hope we do not engage in such discussions at our conference, as we have more urgent and important matters to attend to. Regarding this issue, one can publish articles in other venues or offer direct criticism. I only hope that when making such criticisms, one maintains academic seriousness and clarifies the object of study, rather than putting figures with fundamentally different ideological tendencies into one pot and considering them "one reactionary gang," as Dühring did—an approach criticized by Engels.
—If some comrades are interested in studying the issue of "Confucian Religion," I suggest first studying the Standards for the Retention or Abolition of Shrines issued by the Republic of China, which Professor Li Zhiying mentioned many times in her report. Research the origins and classifications of those deities that were either retained or abolished. This is the intellectual legacy left to the Republic of China by two thousand years of feudal society, and it can help us contemplate religious issues in ancient China. I will provide a simple criterion for judgment: shrines called tan (altars) or miao (temples) are generally Confucian; si or yuan (monasteries) are Buddhist; gong or guan (palaces or abbeys) are Taoist. Professor Li Zhiying’s paper also contained a suggestion: in our future research on the history of thought, we should not stop at merely quoting a few sentences from individual after individual, but rather emphasize the entire social trend of the time. As a historian, she has hit upon the weakness of our research into the history of thought, and this deserves serious attention.
—Research into traditional culture, like all research work, must first clarify facts and correctly understand original works. Regarding several issues mentioned at this conference—for example, what "The Way of Heaven is distant, the Way of Man is near" (tiandao yuan, rendao er) [11] means—it is best to consult the annotations of the ancients. There is also Xunzi’s "controlling the Mandate of Heaven and employing it" (zhi tianming er yong zi). According to Tang Dynasty annotations, "to control" (zhi) means "to tailor" (cai); that is, to tailor and apply it according to one’s needs under the premise of acknowledging the existence of the Mandate of Heaven. As Comrade Han Qi’s report noted, acknowledging the existence of the Mandate of Heaven is precisely a characteristic of ancient Chinese religion. Additionally, I provide the following material: Xunzi was the first to explicitly define sacrifice, stating, "Sacrifice is the respectful service of the spirits." He was the first to propose sacrificing to "Heaven, Earth, the Sovereign, Parents, and Teachers," which became the basic objects of worship for later Confucian scholars.
—Regarding the issue of so-called "moral decline" or "moral crisis," I offer two facts for comrades to consider. First, shortly after Kang Youwei’s reforms [12], Western concepts began to enter China continuously. At that time, what Confucian scholars found most intolerable was "equality." They believed that speaking of "equality" was the greatest sign that "the hearts of the people are no longer what they were in antiquity" and that morality had collapsed. Second, during the "May Fourth" period [13], there was opposition to feudal rites and the promotion of free love. From the perspective of traditional morality, this was also the most intolerable form of moral depravity. These two major moral shifts in modern Chinese history hold important theoretical significance.
—These issues all present us with an important question: the question of "discourse power" that we have discussed. This includes how we should treat popular concepts and propositions. A few years ago, we cautioned against the issue of "ultimate concern" (zhongji guanhuai) [14], and it hasn't been used much in our circles these last two years. In these two years, we have discussed "faith" (xinyang) and "belief" (xinnian) more frequently. At the Scientific Atheism Forum a month ago, Comrade Jia Runguo provided an excellent etymological study. At this conference, Comrade Li Shengxian provided an in-depth analysis. I hope their theoretical work can help us clarify right from wrong. As for ourselves, I still suggest that when discussing atheist issues, it is appropriate to limit the term "faith" (xinyang) to religion.
—Related to faith is "awe" (jingwei). When mentioning "awe," I must bring up Comrade Ren Shiping's speech. She spoke about the spirit of science in poetic language. It was well said. Finally, she spoke of the feeling of suddenly seeing Van Gogh’s Sunflowers after viewing religious paintings; it left a deep impression. Religious art is solemn and stolid, intended to make people feel awe; the appearance of Sunflowers makes one feel as if they have moved from darkness into light. Although we should respect many, many things, respect does not necessitate awe. It was only from her report that I began to understand a little of the meaning of Van Gogh’s paintings.
—Furthermore, there is "National Learning" (guoxue) [15]. I won't say much; I just hope everyone uses it with caution. There is also the "humanistic spirit." What I want to remind you is that science can be said to have a unified "spirit," such as "seeking truth" and "seeking truth from facts." Is there a unified "humanistic spirit"? This is worth considering. In recent years, religionists have seized the so-called "humanistic spirit" for themselves, dressing themselves up as practitioners of it, while the spirit of science is portrayed as cold and seemingly indifferent to people. This deserves deeper reflection. I advocate that we do not use the term "humanistic spirit" at all, but instead vigorously explain that the spirit of science is "great love without words."
The annual conference concluded successfully on the afternoon of December 14.