Wang Xiaonan: Accelerating the Construction of the "Three Major Systems" of Marxist Theory
General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out at the Seminar on Philosophy and Social Sciences: "Only by taking our country’s reality as the starting point for research, proposing theoretical perspectives with subjectivity and originality, and constructing a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system with our own characteristics, can our country’s philosophy and social sciences form their own features and advantages." The construction of these "Three Major Systems" has become the historical mission and contemporary task facing Chinese philosophy and social science workers in the New Era. Among the many disciplines of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, the discipline of Marxist theory holds a leading position and fully embodies Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese spirit in its disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems. Only by accelerating the construction of the "Three Major Systems" for Marxist theory can we fully manifest the characteristics and advantages of this discipline and better exert its function of advising the government and educating the people.
Strengthening the Disciplinary System of Marxist Theory
The first-level discipline of Marxist theory established in 2005 not only provided disciplinary support for the teaching of ideological and political courses but also laid the institutional foundation for the construction of the Marxist theory disciplinary system. The disciplinary system, consisting of the first-level discipline of Marxist theory and six second-level disciplines—Basic Tenets of Marxism, History of Marxist Development, Research on the Sinicization of Marxism, Research on Marxism Abroad, Research on Basic Issues of Modern and Contemporary Chinese History, and Ideological and Political Education—has initially taken shape. The disciplinary system is the foundation for the construction of the academic and discourse systems; to further promote the construction of the "Three Major Systems" of Marxist theory, we must first strengthen the disciplinary system.
First, we must further exert the leading function of the Marxist theory discipline. This begins with strengthening its epistemological leadership by accelerating the construction of an independent knowledge system of Marxist theory, exerting its leading role in constructing the independent knowledge systems of various disciplines within Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Second, we must strengthen its methodological leadership, taking the "Six Must-Upholds" [1] in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the core to provide methodological guidance for philosophy and social sciences. Third, we must strengthen its axiological leadership to build a solid value foundation for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.
Next, we must further promote the synergistic development of the Marxist theory discipline. First, it is necessary to handle the relationship between "holistic research" in the discipline of Marxist theory and "field-specific research" in related Marxist subjects. On one hand, holism is a signature feature of the Marxist theory discipline; it is the basis upon which the discipline becomes an "advantageous discipline" and exerts its leading role. On the other hand, conducting categorized research on related Marxist subjects is conducive to advancing research in depth and clarifying the internal links and functions of the various components of Marxism, thereby making it easier to present the holistic characteristics of the discipline and promoting high-quality development. Second, attention must be paid to the synergistic development between the second-level disciplines of Marxist theory. These sub-disciplines are both distinct and interconnected, sharing consistency in research objectives while providing mutual support and promotion.
Finally, we must further strengthen the supporting role of the Marxist theory discipline. Supporting the construction of ideological and political courses is a unique attribute of this discipline. To enhance this role, we must first further refine the direction of disciplinary construction to support the improvement of the curriculum system for ideological and political theory courses. Second, we must further promote the entry of the latest achievements of the Party's innovative theories into textbooks, classrooms, and minds [2], providing support for increasing the effectiveness of teaching. Finally, we must further consolidate the disciplinary ranks to provide support for enhancing the teaching capacity of ideological and political theory courses.
Improving the Academic System of Marxist Theory
The academic system is the intermediate link in the construction of the "Three Major Systems." It encompasses the conceptual categories, research methods, argumentative logic, and evaluation standards unique to the discipline. While the disciplinary system prescribes and guides the direction of academic construction—providing institutional reliance and a practical framework—the academic system endows the development of the disciplinary system with academic connotation and core value. To improve the academic system of Marxist theory, we must further strengthen basic theoretical research, subjective consciousness, and problem-orientation.
Strengthen basic theoretical research for academic construction. Basic Marxist theory is the theoretical foundation of the academic system and the "source of living water" [3] for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. To strengthen this research, we must, first, continue to consolidate the textual foundation, promoting the collection and organization of manuscripts by classic Marxist authors and utilizing the latest technological means to strengthen the digitalization and database construction of these manuscripts and archives. Second, we must continue to strengthen documentation and translation work, continuously promoting the editing and translation of classic Marxist works as well as high-quality foreign research results in philosophy and social sciences. Third, relying on major translation and collection projects such as the Collected Works of Marx and Engels, we must deeply explain the original connotations and contemporary logic of basic principles like the historical materialist conception of history and the theory of surplus value, revealing the continuity between the Party's innovative theories and the "true spirit" and "true methods" of the basic principles of Marxism. Fourth, we must further reinforce the systematic construction of core concepts and basic categories of Marxist theory to provide solid conceptual support for the academic system.
Strengthen subjective consciousness in academic construction. Although the construction of China's Marxist academic system began with the introduction of the Soviet textbook system, the further improvement of the system must involve building an independent academic system. In promoting this process, we must first follow the methodological principle of the "Two Combinations" [4], firmly upholding the "soul vein" (húnmài) of Marxism and the "root vein" (gēnmài) of fine traditional Chinese culture. Second, we must guide innovation in knowledge, theory, and methodology through the Party's innovative theories. Finally, we must use major identifying concepts, original theoretical viewpoints, and foundational theoretical results as important supports for the construction of the academic system.
Strengthen problem-orientation in academic construction. To improve the academic system of Marxist theory, we must use "problems" as the driver to push academic research toward greater depth, ensuring the system responds timely to the challenges of the age. Currently, as changes unseen in a century accelerate, contemporary China is undergoing the most extensive and profound social transformation in our history and conducting the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history. Research in Marxist theory must be based on the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, focusing on major theoretical and practical issues of Chinese-path modernization. It must reinforce the practical orientation of theoretical research, actively responding to the new propositions, challenges, and requirements raised by the New Era, and deeply excavating the theoretical, historical, and practical logic behind practice to refine and sublimate them into systematic and academic theoretical achievements.
Innovating the Discourse System of Marxist Theory
Discourse is the carrier of thought, and thought is the core of discourse. Engels pointed out: "Every new aspect of a science involves a revolution in the technical terms of that science." This indicates that the further promotion of the disciplinary and academic systems of Marxist theory is inseparable from the innovation of the Marxist discourse system. Discourse is an expression system composed of a series of concepts, categories, and propositions. Compared with other disciplines, Marxist theory possesses a more distinct political nature; its concepts and propositions are more sensitive and have a greater social impact, thus the task of its discourse system construction is more significant and the responsibility weightier. Advancing this construction requires strengthening academic interpretation, popularized expression, and international communication.
Strengthen the academic interpretation of Marxist discourse. As a guiding ideology, Marxist discourse first manifests a clear political character. The series of political discourses constructed during the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism have played an extremely important role in enhancing the Party's political leadership, ideological appeal, and social organizational power. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "behind discourse are thoughts and the 'Dao' [Way]." Researching and interpreting the systematic and academic nature behind Marxist political discourse to form identifying concepts rich in disciplinary characteristics is an inevitable requirement for constructing the discourse system. Behind "discourse innovation" lies the formation of great ideas; new discourse in Marxist theory carries new thoughts and insights. For example, terms like "original aspiration and founding mission," the "Two Combinations," and "new quality productive forces" carry the creative insights of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Therefore, refining the systematic and academic content behind them is vital for improving the Marxist discourse system.
Promote the popularized expression of Marxist discourse. Classic Marxist theory is highly scientific, academic, and abstract. While this reflects its theoretical depth, it can easily create participation barriers for the general masses. As an ideological weapon for the people to transform the world, the construction of the Marxist discourse system must take popularization as an important goal. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "In persisting with Marxism as guidance, the core issue to solve is 'for whom'. This is a fundamental and principled question in philosophy and social science research." Therefore, to enable the masses to master Marxism, we must use easy-to-understand language to explain and spread it. The popularization of discourse expression by no means weakens the scientific or academic nature of the theory; rather, it builds a bridge between scientific theory and public cognition. In the final analysis, it means using Chinese discourse that the people love to hear and see [5] to tell Chinese stories, summarize Chinese experiences, form Chinese theories, and solve Chinese problems, thereby transforming the great achievements of China's development into a discursive advantage.
Strengthen the international communication of Marxist discourse. To enhance China's international right to speak, we must strengthen the international communication capacity of Marxist discourse. By constructing a localized vocabulary system, we can reinforce the cultural subjectivity of the discourse system. We should adopt a global perspective to absorb the fine achievements of human civilization, innovate discourse forms, and deepy participate in international academic dialogue and competition. We must transform Chinese practical experience into theoretical discourse understood and recognized by the international community, effectively enhancing the international influence of Marxist theory.
(The author is a lecturer at the School of Marxism, Renmin University of China) Source: Guangming Daily (January 29, 2026) Editor: Huihui