The First National Academic Annual Conference on the Discipline of Basic Tenets of Marxism Convened
The first National Academic Annual Conference on the Discipline of the Basic Tenets of Marxism, organized by the Department of Marxist Tenets of the Institute of Marxism Studies (IMS), was held in Beijing on January 8, 2013. Cheng Enfu, Director of the IMS; Li Chongfu, member of the CASS Academic Division [1]; Mei Rongzheng, professor at Wuhan University; Zhang Leisheng, Party Committee Secretary of the School of Marxism at Renmin University of China; Hao Lixin, Dean of the School of Philosophy at Renmin University of China; and Sun Xiguo, Party Committee Secretary of the School of Marxism at Peking University, along with other experts and scholars, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Deng Chundong, Party Committee Secretary of the IMS, delivered the opening remarks, while Hu Leming and Yu Bin, Director and Deputy Director of the Department of Marxist Tenets respectively, presided over the meeting. More than 80 experts and scholars from over 20 universities and scientific research institutions nationwide, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Peking University, Renmin University of China, Zhejiang University, Wuhan University, Lanzhou University, and Liaoning University, participated in the conference. Discussions centered on themes such as "What are the basic tenets of Marxism?" and "The issue of the integrity [2] of Marxism."
In his speech, Cheng Enfu pointed out that grasping the integrity of Marxism requires both a comprehensive and in-depth study of the issue of theoretical integrity itself, as well as an emphasis on analyzing the internal relations within Marxist theory. He argued that research into the integrity of Marxism should be carried out from ten perspectives or dimensions: developmental research, categorical research, unity research, hierarchical research, "breaking and establishing" research [3], disciplinary research, interactive research, country-specific research, definitional research, and "Three-ization" research [4].
Li Chongfu stated in his remarks that the "totality" [5] of Marxism should be understood and grasped from a multi-perspective, all-encompassing, and three-dimensional approach across eight aspects: ideological origins and historical status; research objects and objective foundations; social subjects and class foundations; logical connections and theoretical structures; spiritual substance and theoretical essence; epistemological significance and social functions; ultimate goals and value pursuits; and the historicity and multi-staged nature of theoretical development.