Zhou Xiangjun: The Generative Logic of the Worldview and Methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

Any established phenomenon arises from specific conditions and an inherent logic—that is, its generative logic. The generation of scientific theory, as well as its worldview and methodology, is no exception. Understanding and grasping this generative logic from an ontogenetic perspective is a crucial dimension of comprehending a theory and its underlying worldview and methodology. Therefore, to truly understand and master the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, one must seek to understand its generative logic and clarify from where and how it emerged. It is a matter of seeking truth from facts to state that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, and particularly since the 19th National Congress, the academic community has already begun research into the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. After Xi Jinping explicitly proposed this requirement on July 26, 2022—at a thematic seminar for primary provincial and ministerial-level leading cadres titled "Study the Spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Speech and Welcome the 20th National Congress of the CPC"—and further emphasized and elaborated in the report to the 20th National Congress that we "must grasp the worldview and methodology of Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and adhere to and apply the standpoints, views, and methods that run through it," this research has been further deepened and expanded on its previous foundations. It has become one of the hotspots and key issues of academic inquiry. In this regard, research has yielded a batch of results with considerable height, depth, and novelty. Viewed as a whole, however, existing research mostly focuses on the content of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era itself, while research on its generative logic remains relatively insufficient. Based on this understanding, and focusing on the requirements to "grasp, adhere to, and apply," this article seeks to explore the generative logic of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to the best of its ability.

I. The Temporal Background: Philosophical Reflection Facing the Problems of the Age

Philosophical ontogeny tells us that philosophy is inseparable from its era; any true philosophy is the quintessence of the spirit of its age ^[1] and a philosophical reflection on the problems of the age. As the Marxist philosophy of contemporary China, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era emerged against a vast and profound temporal background.

First, from a global perspective, the world today is undergoing great changes unseen in a century. For one, the fundamental shifts in the international order and the balance of international power are unprecedented. With the in-depth development of global multi-polarity, economic globalization, the digitalization of society, and cultural diversity, emerging market economies and a large number of developing countries are rising rapidly. Their international influence is constantly increasing, while the dominant position of Western developed countries continues to weaken. International power is becoming more balanced, and the contemporary trend of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit is unstoppable. Secondly, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is driving the rapid development of the world's productive forces, and human society has entered an unprecedented period of active innovation. Breakthroughs in fields such as information, life sciences, manufacturing, energy, space, and the oceans have led to a collective technological revolution characterized by green and intelligent features across almost all sectors. This has provided more sources of innovation for frontier and disruptive technologies. The speed at which scientific achievements are converted into production has significantly accelerated, and industrial organizational forms are undergoing major new changes, playing an increasingly prominent role in reconstructing the global innovation map and reshaping the global economic structure. The revolutionary transformations in science and technology, along with a series of new changes, are not only affecting and changing human modes of production, lifestyles, and ways of thinking, but also profoundly impacting the destiny of all countries and the international landscape and system. Thirdly, the maladaptation and asymmetry between the global governance system and the shifts in the international situation are unprecedented. The world faces prominent instability and uncertainty: world economic growth is sluggish; trends such as trade protectionism, isolationism, and populism are rising; the gap between rich and poor is increasingly severe; regional hotspots flare up one after another; and non-traditional security threats such as terrorism, cyber security, major infectious diseases, and climate change continue to spread. Problems like the governance deficit, trust deficit, peace deficit, and development deficit have become increasingly prominent. The subjects of global governance are becoming more diverse, the concepts and rules of global governance are accelerating their evolution, and global governance platforms are becoming more abundant. All of this indicates that a multi-layered, multi-field, and multi-dimensional global governance system is taking shape. Amidst this situation of great development, great change, and great adjustment, what is wrong with the world, and what should we do? This has become a pressing "question of the world" and "question of the age" ^[2] placed before the people of the world, and it is a contemporary task that Chinese Communists must answer. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era were generated and developed precisely in the process of answering this task of the age.

Second, from the domestic situation, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. Since the beginning of reform and opening up, successive generations of Chinese Communists have focused on the distinct theoretical and practical theme of socialism with Chinese characteristics, carrying out active and highly effective creative exploration and development. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. This New Era holds significant and profound milestone significance in the history of the Party, the People's Republic of China, reform and opening up, the development of socialism, and the development of the Chinese nation. It clearly reveals the brand-new historical orientation of contemporary China's development. Standing at this brand-new historical orientation, the Chinese Communists of the New Era face once-in-a-thousand-year opportunities for development, but they also encounter risks and challenges rarely seen in history; they possess a vigorous and glorious future for development, yet they also shoulder extremely arduous historical tasks. On the one hand, China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, national defense strength, cultural soft power, and international influence have significantly increased, and its comprehensive national strength has notably strengthened, providing more powerful confidence to continue advancing at this new historical orientation. On the other hand, along with the historical transformation of the principal contradiction in society ^[3] and the emergence of the "tall trees catch the wind" effect ^[4], China faces several major new topics and important tasks on its forward journey that urgently need to be resolved. For example, how to focus on solving the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development on the basis of continued growth to vigorously promote the quality and efficiency of development; how to better meet the people's growing needs for a better life in economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological aspects, and better realize all-around human development and overall social progress; how to solve the unique challenges facing a large party ^[5], escape the historical cycle ^[6], improve long-term governing capacity, and build a strong political party; how to maintain national security and social stability, and realize the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity; how to resolve the major risks and challenges encountered in various fields both at home and abroad during the critical period of national rejuvenation; and so on. It can be said that in the New Era, the fulfillment of new requirements, the resolution of new problems, and the achievement of new tasks require philosophical concepts and methods, as well as philosophical reflection and answers. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era were formed and developed precisely in answering the major topics, resolving the contradictions, and realizing the primary tasks of the New Era.

II. The Practical Foundation: Philosophical Abstraction and Summary of Historical Practical Experience

Practice is the basis of knowledge, and knowledge originates from practice. Although philosophy is a special form of human cognition, in the final analysis, it is also produced on the basis of practice. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era are likewise built upon a foundation of practice. Different philosophical theories come from different practices. The emergence of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is inseparable from the practice of the development of world socialism and the great practice of the Chinese Communist Party’s century of struggle.

First, it is the philosophical abstraction and summary of the historical practical experience of the development of world socialism. In its more than 500 years, world socialism has undergone a historical process from utopia to science, from theory to practice, and from practice in one country to practice in many countries. Marx and Engels founded the materialist conception of history and the theory of surplus value, placing socialism on a scientific basis and thereby realizing the development of socialism from utopia to science. The development of scientific socialism has been a process of ups and downs, including both the peaks of rapid advancement and the troughs of going astray. The victory of the Russian October Revolution realized the leap of socialism from ideal to reality, established the world's first socialist state, and opened a new era in human history. Thereafter, as a brand-new ideological system, social formation, and social system, socialism stepped onto the stage of history, leading the direction of human society's development. While socialism achieved world-renowned and brilliant achievements in the 20th century, it also experienced twists and turns in its development. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Soviet Union collapsed and the socialist countries of Eastern Europe underwent drastic changes. Proletarian regimes were subverted, and social systems evolved from socialism to capitalism. World socialism suffered serious setbacks and entered a low ebb of development. The reasons for the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe are complex, involving both internal and external factors. Internally, the reasons were manifold, including problems of political direction, insufficient economic development, and changes in ideology. Regardless, there is an undeniable link to problems occurring in the worldview and methodology of the leaders of these countries. For instance, the deviation of the "people's standpoint" in value orientation, the neglect of the decisive role of productive forces in historical development as the motor of social progress, the abandonment of the consciousness of independence in the relationship between internal and external factors, and the loss of the dominant position of socialist ideology in social consciousness. All of this provided important conditions for people to summarize experiences and lessons philosophically and to adhere to and develop the Marxist worldview and methodology. Chinese Communists have paid special attention to summarizing and learning from the experiences and lessons of world socialism’s development and its setbacks from a philosophical perspective. In the 1950s, addressing the problems existing in the development of the Soviet Union, Mao Zedong once pointed out: "The thinking of some people in the Soviet Union is metaphysical; it is so rigid—either this or that—and they do not recognize the unity of opposites. Therefore, they make mistakes politically." During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping also summarized the lessons of the collapse of the Soviet Union, clearly stating: "If we do not adhere to socialism, do not reform and open up, do not develop the economy, and do not improve the people's lives, there will only be a dead end." In the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have adhered to a "Big Picture View of History" ^[7] and placed even greater emphasis on summarizing the experiences and lessons of world socialist practice from a philosophical level, using them to guide the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. For example, on January 5, 2018, Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: "The lessons from the evolution of some socialist countries and parties in the world all reveal one truth: it is not easy for a Marxist party to seize power, and it is even harder to consolidate power; as long as nothing goes wrong within the Marxist governing party, no major problems will arise in the socialist state." He continued, "We often say that if the foundation is not firm, the earth will shake and the mountains will sway. If faith is not firm, the earth will also shake and the mountains will sway. Isn't this exactly the logic behind the collapse of the Soviet Union, the downfall of the CPSU, and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe?" In the same speech, while discussing the issue of upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, Xi Jinping combined the practices and experiences of Lenin, citing Lenin’s important views: "Lenin believed that the party should have a tight organization and unified will and action; only a party established according to the principle of centralism is a 'truly iron-like organization.' The reason the proletariat is invincible is 'because its ideological unity, formed according to Marxist principles, is consolidated by the material unity of the organization.' In 1920, Lenin proposed that 'the realization of unconditional centralization and extremely strict discipline of the proletariat is one of the basic conditions for defeating the bourgeoisie.'" This speech is but one representative case of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core summarizing the experiences and lessons in the process of world socialist practice. It is already evident that the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era have an undeniable and close connection with the historical practice of world socialism; they can be said to be the philosophical abstraction and summary of the historical practical experience of world socialism.

Second, it is the philosophical distillation and synthesis of the historical practical experience gained through the CPC’s century-long struggle. Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has traversed a historical course of over one hundred years. This is a great historical process in which the Party has led the people through revolution, construction, and reform, moving from victory to new victories; it is a great historical process in which the Party has persisted in integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and its fine traditional culture, continuously advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism; it is a great historical process in which the Party has continuously maintained Party unity and upheld the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee; it is a great historical process in which the Party has sought happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation; and it is a great historical process in which the Party has strengthened its own building and advanced its self-revolution. In this magnificent historical process, the Party led the people to fight bloody battles with indomitable perseverance, to achieve self-reliance and forge ahead with determination, to emancipate the mind and strive with enterprise, and to maintain self-confidence and self-reliance while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, thereby "writing the most magnificent epic in the thousands of years of history of the Chinese nation." "Over the past century, the Party has led the people in a great struggle, achieving breakthroughs during progress, rising up from setbacks, and improving through reflection, accumulating precious historical experience." These experiences are concentrated in the "Ten Persistences" ^[8]: namely, persisting in the Party's leadership, persisting in putting the people first, persisting in theoretical innovation, persisting in independence and autonomy, persisting in the Chinese path, persisting in maintaining a global perspective, persisting in pioneering and innovation, persisting in the courage to struggle, persisting in the united front, and persisting in self-revolution. These "Ten Persistences," as precious experience accumulated through long-term practice, provide the fundamental follow-through for our Party to continue advancing theoretical and practical innovation and to open up new horizons for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. The great practice of the CPC’s century-long struggle provided a profound practical basis for the emergence of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era were formed and developed precisely on the basis of distilling and synthesizing the historical practical experience of the CPC's century-long struggle.

III. Theoretical Origins: Inheritance, Development, and Absorption of Previous Outstanding Philosophical Achievements

The Marxist principle regarding the relative independence of social consciousness tells us that while social consciousness is fundamentally determined by social existence, it also possesses its own unique forms of development and laws. One prominent manifestation of this is that various forms of social consciousness possess a historical chain of succession and exhibit historical inheritance. As a special form of social consciousness, the development of philosophy is naturally no exception. As the latest theoretical achievement of contemporary Chinese Marxist philosophy, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era were formed and developed on the basis of inheriting, developing, and drawing upon previous outstanding philosophical achievements.

First, the basic principles of Marxist philosophy are its fundamental theoretical source. Marxist philosophy—namely dialectical materialism and historical materialism—is the worldview and methodological foundation of the entire body of Marxist doctrine. This "new worldview" takes the liberation of the proletariat and humanity as its theme, the practical viewpoint as its core viewpoint, and dialectical materialism and historical materialism as its basic content. It thereby achieves the unity of materialism and dialectics, the unity of the materialist conception of nature and history, the unity of understanding the world and transforming the world, and the unity of social progress and the free and comprehensive development of the individual. The creation of Marxist philosophy opened a broad path for people to perceive the truth and provided a sharp intellectual weapon for all proletarian parties and Marxists in the world to understand and transform the world. From the day of its founding, the CPC has taken Marxism as its guiding ideology; naturally, the basic principles of Marxist philosophy became the fundamental follow-through for its theoretical and practical innovation. Learning and applying Marxist philosophy has become a fine tradition of our Party. This tradition has been further carried forward and illustrated in the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th Party Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the study and research of Marxist philosophy, repeatedly emphasizing that Marxist philosophy should be studied and mastered as a "foundational skill" (看家本领) and applied to guide the great practice of the New Era. This point is fully demonstrated in such important documents by Xi Jinping as "Uphold Historical Materialism to Constantly Open Up New Horizons for the Development of Contemporary Chinese Marxism," "Dialectical Materialism is the Worldview and Methodology of Chinese Communists," and his "Speech at the Conference Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Marx." Furthermore, regarding the study of Marxist classics, Xi Jinping emphasizes that one should "make reading Marxist classics and comprehending Marxist principles a life habit and a spiritual pursuit." In his series of important speeches and articles, he has cited a large number of expressions from Marxist classics. This can be seen in the third volume of Xi Jinping’s Classical Allusions (Marxist Classics Volume). Among them, nearly one hundred classical Marxist discourses were selected and cited, with 29 pertaining specifically to philosophy. In short, fundamentally speaking, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era originate from the basic principles of Marxist philosophy and were produced and developed on the basis of creatively inheriting, applying, and developing those principles.

Second, the theoretical achievements of Sinicized Marxist philosophy are its direct theoretical source. When Marxist philosophy arrived in China, it entered a process of Sinicization. In the process of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy, Chinese Communists successively produced two major philosophical theoretical achievements: Mao Zedong's philosophical thought and the philosophical thought of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. These two major philosophical theoretical achievements became the direct theoretical sources for the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Looking at Mao Zedong's philosophical thought, it is the highest theoretical synthesis of the experience of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities; it is a Sinicized and developed Marxist philosophy and a worldview and methodology with the characteristics of Chinese Communists. The content of Mao Zedong's philosophical thought is broad and profound; from the perspective of its philosophical principles, it is a scientific theoretical system with "seeking truth from facts" at its core, encompassing the basic principles of dialectical materialism and historical materialism. While creatively expounding the basic principles of Marxist philosophy, Mao Zedong's philosophical thought also applied them to various fields such as military affairs, politics, economics, culture, Party building, ideological methods, and work methods. This allowed philosophy to truly become a sharp weapon for the proletariat and the masses to understand and transform the world, "providing the most brilliant example of applying and developing Marxist epistemology and dialectics in practice." Mao Zedong's philosophical thought is a precious spiritual asset for Chinese Communists. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaches great importance to and especially treasures this asset, constantly emphasizing the need to study, master, and consciously persist in applying Mao Zedong's philosophical thought. This is centrally embodied in Xi Jinping’s speech at the symposium commemorating the 120th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong’s birth. Turning to the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, its philosophical thought is composed of the philosophical ideas within Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents" ^[9], and the Scientific Outlook on Development ^[10]. Summarily, its contributions to Marxist philosophy are mainly manifested in: the integration of theory and practice to uphold and develop the principle of the dialectical relationship between practice and cognition; the principle that the development of productive forces is the ultimate deciding force of social development; the principle that the masses are the subjects of history; the principles of the interaction between the productive forces and relations of production, and between the economic base and the superstructure; and the principle of the interaction of various social factors, among others. These philosophical theoretical achievements centrally embody the scientific Marxist worldview and methodology and are precious spiritual assets created by Chinese Communists in the great practice of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaches great importance to and especially treasures this spiritual wealth, consciously applying it to guide theoretical and practical innovation in the New Era. This can be clearly seen in Xi Jinping’s series of speeches and articles on upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Overall, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era are in the same line as (一脉相承) while also advancing with the times relative to Mao Zedong's philosophical thought and the philosophical thought of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.

Third, the philosophical ideas within fine traditional Chinese culture are an important resource. As the latest achievement of Sinicized Marxist philosophy, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era are also linked to the philosophical ideas in fine traditional Chinese culture; it represents a creative transformation and innovative development of those ideas. Fine traditional Chinese culture has a long history and is broad and profound, containing very rich philosophical ideas. As Xi Jinping pointed out: "Chinese civilization has a long history, going from the schools of the pre-Qin period, the Han dynasty study of the classics, the Wei and Jin 'mysterious learning' (Xuanxue), to the Buddhism of the Sui and Tang periods, the convergence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming periods, traversing several periods of flourishing academic thought... leaving behind a cultural heritage as vast as the sea." This cultural heritage contains philosophical wisdom with rich content and profound thought regarding the view of the universe and nature, the view of society and history, the value system of life, and cognitive modes of thinking. People hold varying views on this, but regarding its spiritual tradition, the following aspects represent a consensus: the view of nature as the "unity of heaven and humanity" (tian ren he yi); the intellectual path of the "unity of truth and goodness"; the practical spirit of the "unity of knowledge and action" (zhi xing he yi); the dialectical tradition of the "mutual generation of Yin and Yang"; the humanistic spirit of "putting people first"; and the value concept of "harmony is precious," among others. The philosophical ideas in fine traditional Chinese culture constitute its core spirit; they are the invaluable spiritual wealth of the Chinese nation and a precious ideological and cultural resource for the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy. Chinese Communists have always been loyal inheritors and promoters of fine traditional Chinese culture, taking care to absorb its positive nutrients. In the New Era, this point is particularly prominent. Since the 18th Party Congress, Xi Jinping has expounded on the historical development, basic connotations, and important characteristics of fine traditional Chinese culture and its philosophical ideas; he has analyzed their functions, values, and significance, and explained the attitudes and methods for dealing with them. Among these, the discourse on "cultural confidence being a more fundamental, broader, and more profound confidence, and a more basic, deeper, and more lasting force"; the discourse on "deeply excavating and elucidating the contemporary value of benevolence, the people as the foundation, integrity, justice, harmony, and the Great Unity (datong) within fine traditional Chinese culture"; the discourse on the "Four Clarifications" ^[11]; the discourse on "promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture"; and the discourse on "persisting in integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and its fine traditional culture" are particularly striking, thought-provoking, and illuminating. All of the above is sufficient to prove that the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era have fully absorbed fine traditional Chinese culture and its philosophical ideas, and were formed precisely on the basis of their creative transformation and innovative development.

IV. Subjective Conditions: The Philosophical Crystallization of the Collective Wisdom of Chinese Communists in the New Era

As a philosophical theory, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era were founded by Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative; it is the philosophical crystallization of the collective wisdom of Chinese Communists in the New Era. Within this process, Xi Jinping has played a decisive role and made decisive contributions. The reason why Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, were able to found this worldview and methodology on the basis of objective conditions is determined by various excellent subjective qualities and conditions. To mention the most essential ones, there are at least the following aspects.

First, the abundant spirit of the Chinese Communists. In the practical activities of humanity, the role of spiritual factors is immense. Indeed, it is said that without spirit, a person cannot stand; without spirit, a party cannot flourish; and without spirit, a nation cannot be strong. The formation by the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is inseparable from their abundant spirit as Chinese Communists. This spirit refers to the sum of various spiritual factors directly embodied in the emotions, will, character, capabilities, moral sentiments, attitudes toward life, value orientations, and ideal pursuits of Chinese Communists. It find concentrated expression in the Great Founding Spirit of the Party ^[12] and the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists ^[13] that takes this Great Founding Spirit as its source. This spirit exists within generations of Chinese Communists and is fully manifested in the New Era Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative. They possess the spirit of upholding truth and staying true to ideals; they are firm in their faith in Marxism and persistent in their conviction in socialism. They consistently treat science with a scientific attitude and pursue truth with the spirit of truth. They believe that without or with weak ideals and convictions, one will suffer from a "calcium deficiency" of the spirit, leading to "rickets" ^[14]. They possess the spirit of practicing the original aspiration and shouldering the mission, always keeping in mind the historical mission of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, possessing the courage to take responsibility, and acting with initiative. They possess the spirit of fearing no sacrifice and struggling heroically; they do not fear strong enemies or risks, and they have the courage to struggle and the fortitude to win. They both dare to carry out revolution—observing the principle of "using one's remaining strength to pursue the retreating foe, not seeking idle fame like the Hegemon King" ^[15]—and dare to strive, believing that "bitter sacrifice strengthens bold resolve, which dares to make sun and moon shine in new skies" ^[16]. They possess the spirit of loyalty to the Party and living up to the people’s expectations; they regard loyalty to the Party as the primary political quality and view the people as the "country" (jiangshan) ^[17]. They consistently maintain the concept that "to win the country and protect the country is to protect the hearts of the people," and they resolutely pursue the ideal of "I will put aside my self-interest for the good of the people" ^[18], sharing the same fate and breathing the same air as the people. The spirit of the Chinese Communists, as embodied by those with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, provides a powerful spiritual impetus for the formation of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Second, a solid foundation in Marxist theory. Possessing a solid foundation in Marxist theory is the prerequisite for upholding and developing Marxism. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, fully possess this condition. They attach great importance to and have strengthened the study of Marxist theory. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has led the Political Bureau of the Central Committee in collective study and research on Marxism. He has presided over collective study activities on themes such as "Basic Principles and Methodology of Historical Materialism," "Basic Principles and Methodology of Dialectical Materialism," "Basic Principles and Methodology of Marxist Political Economy," "Contemporary Global Marxist Trends of Thought and Their Influence," and "The Communist Manifesto and Its Contemporary Significance." Integrating the great practice of the New Era, they have continuously explored major questions such as "What is Marxism?" and "How should we treat Marxism?", forming a scientifically grounded view of Marxism with rich content and unique characteristics. They have a comprehensive, accurate, complete, and systematic understanding and grasp of the theoretical system of Marxism, with profound insights into the basic principles—especially the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method. They possess the courage and ability to defend the scientific nature of Marxist theory, providing powerful critiques of erroneous trends such as the "obsolescence theory" or "sermonizing theory," as well as negative phenomena like "marginalization," "vacuousness," and "labeling." These aspects are reflected in documents such as Xi Jinping's 2016 "Speech at the Seminar on Philosophy and Social Sciences" and his 2018 "Speech at the Conference Marking the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Marx." It must be particularly noted that they place exceptional importance on Marxist philosophy, fully recognizing its value and significance, viewing it as their "mastery of the craft" (kanjia benling), and providing creative explanations and developments of the basic principles of Marxist philosophy in various aspects. This point is evidenced by Xi Jinping’s articles published in Qiushi such as "Dialectical Materialism is the Worldview and Methodology of Chinese Communists" and "Uphold Historical Materialism to Continuously Open Up New Realms for the Development of Contemporary Chinese Marxism." The solid foundation in Marxist theory held by the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, constitutes an important aspect of the subjective conditions for the formation of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Third, rich practical experience. Practice is the foundation of theory. As a theory derived from practice, it is inseparable from the practical experience of its founders. Many scientific theories are created by individuals with rich practical experience. It could even be said that only those with rich practical experience can create truly scientific theories. That Mao Zedong became the primary founder of Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping became the primary founder of Deng Xiaoping Theory, is inseparable from their extraordinary practical experiences. Similarly, the emergence of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is closely linked to the rich practical experience and abundant practical expertise of the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative. Regarding Xi Jinping himself, he spent seven arduous years "joining a production team" (cha dui) ^[19] in Northern Shaanxi. This was the first stop of his life, where "his mind was tempered through suffering, his sinews and bones through toil, and his body through hunger and deprivation" ^[20]. Subsequently, he entered Tsinghua University to acquire knowledge and broaden his horizons. After graduation, he worked in high-level leadership organs. Since then, he worked at the grassroots level in important leadership positions across counties, cities, and provinces. From the 18th National Congress of the CPC to the present, he has served as the General Secretary of the Party. He rose from a Party branch secretary of a rural brigade to General Secretary of the Party, from an ordinary citizen to President of the State, from an ordinary officer to Chairman of the Military Commission, and from Northwest China to North China and then to the Southeast coastal regions. His political footsteps have been left across the western, central, and eastern regions of China; he has worked at every leadership level of the Party and State, and has served as a farmer, university student, soldier, and cadre. Such rich practical experience enabled Xi Jinping to profoundly grasp China's national conditions, deeply feel the hardships of the masses, and gain a profound understanding of Marxist theory—especially the Marxist worldview and methodology. It is precisely due to this rich practical experience that he is able and skilled at summarizing the practical experiences of the masses and concentrating the wisdom of the entire Party, thereby forming and developing the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Fourth, a profound literacy in fine traditional Chinese culture. The philosophical thoughts within fine traditional Chinese culture provide rich intellectual resources for the generation of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. However, utilizing these intellectual resources well requires a profound literacy in fine traditional Chinese culture. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, possess this profound literacy, thereby satisfying this condition. Regarding Xi Jinping himself, he has read a vast number of classical texts, histories, and canons of fine traditional Chinese culture, such as the Classic of Poetry (Shijing), the Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu), the Analects (Lunyu), and the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji). He has grasped the important characteristics of fine traditional Chinese culture, such as its long history, profound depth, emphasis on practical statecraft (jingshi zhiyong), enduring vitality, and its capacity to advance with the times. He is familiar with the important ideological content of fine traditional Chinese culture, such as "the Way follows nature" (daofa ziran), "the unity of Heaven and humanity" (tianren heyi), "the world belongs to the public" (tianxia weigong), "self-strengthening without cease," and "carrying the world with great virtue." He has seen and fully affirmed the multifaceted value of fine traditional Chinese culture—for instance, that it is the spiritual nourishment for the continuous growth and development of the Chinese nation, the cultural gene and spiritual home of the Chinese nation, and the fertile cultural soil in which socialism with Chinese characteristics is rooted. He has also mastered the scientific attitude and methods for treating fine traditional Chinese culture, such as maintaining confidence, showing respect, strengthening protection, carrying out study, conducting scientific research, providing interpretation, deepening exploration, increasing publicity, emphasizing education, and achieving creative transformation and innovative development. It is precisely because the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, possess a profound literacy in fine traditional Chinese culture that the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was able to form and develop while fully absorbing and learning from fine traditional Chinese culture, particularly its philosophical thoughts.

V. Conclusion The emergence of any phenomenon is conditional, and the conditions that cause it to emerge are often complex and multifaceted. The generative logic of a phenomenon exists within the interaction of these conditions. Among phenomena involving human intervention, the conditions of emergence can be divided into two major categories: objective conditions and subjective conditions. Both are multifaceted. The generation of a phenomenon is the inevitable result of the interaction between multifaceted objective and subjective conditions. This is the case for the generation of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The era's coordinates of the world undergoing "major changes unseen in a century" and the historical positioning of the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics constitute the epochal conditions for its emergence. The movement of world socialism and the century-long historical practice of the CPC in Sinicizing and modernizing Marxism provide the long-term historical grounds and deep practical foundation, constituting the practical conditions for its emergence. The basic principles of Marxist philosophy, the theoretical achievements of Sinicized Marxist philosophy, and the philosophical thoughts in fine traditional Chinese culture provide the theoretical basis and intellectual resources, constituting the theoretical conditions for its emergence. Epochal, practical, and theoretical conditions constitute the objective conditions for the emergence of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. These objective conditions provided the necessity and possibility for its emergence. The excellent qualities of the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative—including their abundant spirit as Chinese Communists, their solid foundation in Marxist theory, their rich practical experience, and their profound literacy in fine traditional Chinese culture—constitute the subjective conditions. If the objective conditions provided the necessity and possibility for the emergence of this worldview and methodology, then the subjective conditions turned that necessity and possibility into reality. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the inevitable result of the interaction between its objective and subjective conditions, and its generative logic resides within this interaction. Accurately explaining this generative logic is a prerequisite and foundational task for the scientific understanding and correct grasp of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

(About the Author: Zhou Xiangjun is a Professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Marxism, Shandong University, and Honorary Dean of the Institute of Marxism Studies, Shandong University.) Web Editor: Lian Yu Source: Studies in the Discipline of Marxist Theory, Issue 3, 2023.